I am wondering what happened to a post that seems to have disappeared. I do not recall the exact title, something about FOX Charlotte abandoning the VJ system. My station is heading in the direction of MMJs, few to no photographers, using iPhones with selfie sticks to go live, and tiny cameras set on auto mode (one button to rule them all). I keep hearing from my colleagues at our station that this is the new normal and that all stations are doing this. I have never worked at a station that has gone down that road so I am just now experiencing this for the first time and I have a hard time believing that the majority of stations are doing this. Am I wrong to believe that only those stations that have always struggled and lagged behind those number 1 and 2 operations in their markets would even consider adopting this model? Or that the best stations (dominate stations) still employ photojournalists and pair them with reporters to tell stories? Am I wrong, do I need to change my thinking, is this really the future, and is everyone already doing this? If it is true and all stations are going this route, how is it working for you? How did you station make the transition and what kind of equipment are you using (cameras, lights, microphones, tripods, editing equipment, or whatever you needed to get)? I am curious to see how others are doing this day to day so that I can see what steps we may need to take.
The future of news?
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newz
Active member
You have to remember...
...being #1 is not the goal of many corporate owned news stations. Some have found that they can be #3 or 4 and have a tidy profit margin. These are primarily the ones owned by investmment firms. Running at minimum staff with OMB's are a way for them to do that. They have no interest in the stations beyond stripping it down to a "lean, mean operation" just to sell it off in 2 or 3 years when it may or may not survive. There are a few serious corporate media companies that do believe in being number one and will staff at good levels and invest heavily in infrastructure. That being said, even they have a few OMB's in their shops but they don't rely on them anywhere near as heavily.
...being #1 is not the goal of many corporate owned news stations. Some have found that they can be #3 or 4 and have a tidy profit margin. These are primarily the ones owned by investmment firms. Running at minimum staff with OMB's are a way for them to do that. They have no interest in the stations beyond stripping it down to a "lean, mean operation" just to sell it off in 2 or 3 years when it may or may not survive. There are a few serious corporate media companies that do believe in being number one and will staff at good levels and invest heavily in infrastructure. That being said, even they have a few OMB's in their shops but they don't rely on them anywhere near as heavily.
svp
Well-known member
Several stations are trying this (and failing) but its not the way the entire news business is going. I'd be surprised to see a #1 or #2 station in a market do this but not surprised at all to see a #3 or #4 do it. While no station is doing this in the OKC market, I was told on Friday that KOCO just hired a photog who literally has no experience, and didn't even go to college. I was told he simply woke up one day and thought it would be cool to work in news. That's coming from someone who works at KOCO. They said the station has decided they want "greener" photogs so they can mold them they way they want them. TRUTH is no self respected photog with any experience would work there.
You guys will laugh but our goal was to be number one, and we got there. We have had some changes and we aren't number one anymore. I am wondering, are there any of you on b-roll who are going through this right now?
It is funny SVP mentioned a station hiring photogs with no experience, we are hiring reporters before they graduate. It seems as though the average age of reporters in our newsroom has dropped by 7-9 years.
One last thing, I hope I don't sound like I am complaining, just trying to get an idea as to how other stations made this change and how it is working. I would like to know so I can better adapt and make the transition more smoothly.
It is funny SVP mentioned a station hiring photogs with no experience, we are hiring reporters before they graduate. It seems as though the average age of reporters in our newsroom has dropped by 7-9 years.
One last thing, I hope I don't sound like I am complaining, just trying to get an idea as to how other stations made this change and how it is working. I would like to know so I can better adapt and make the transition more smoothly.
svp
Well-known member
And that is why your station is doing what its doing. Very hard for companies that small to survive in today's news world.
At the scene
Well-known member
Yeah I know. I have this discussion all the time with some of our management. That's when they say that everyone is doing this and that I need to accept it and realize that stations don't need photogs anymore, that I need to worry about myself and to figure out how I am going to have to change.
At the scene
Well-known member
Do yourself a favor and start looking!! Its sounds like you are in a no win situation. The station I am at now just hired 3 photogs with 5 or more years experience. Don't believe the "stations don't need photogs " crap that they are feeding you. The competition hired 4 vj's 3 years ago they are now reporters working with photogs. The system has failed no matter what they tell you.
cameragod
Well-known member
Well if everyone jumped off a bridge would you do it?
Seriously when management say it is working somewhere ask them where. I bet they can't give you a solid example.
The Thing on The Sticks
PRO user
These days I am only shooting network when I do news but there are a couple of things that come to mind. One is that there has always been a race to the bottom. The other is that the only time I have seen somebody working the model described above was a guy with a major chip on his shoulder who was running around at a major event here in Dallas talking about how his periscope lives were going to put us all out of business. Another is that there are also outfits axing all on air talent in favor of stories that use a single voice talent under everything.
That said my personal feeling is that the secret sauce in terms of what is needed from the human resources side of things is nothing new, the problem is that there are always the types that think they can do better with less. Its the same reason why you can either hire a licensed contractor to do a job on your house and he will come in with the people who are actually need or you can call Chuck in his truck. To be fair both show up in a truck but what they bring to the table in terms of skill and experience are greatly different.
That said my personal feeling is that the secret sauce in terms of what is needed from the human resources side of things is nothing new, the problem is that there are always the types that think they can do better with less. Its the same reason why you can either hire a licensed contractor to do a job on your house and he will come in with the people who are actually need or you can call Chuck in his truck. To be fair both show up in a truck but what they bring to the table in terms of skill and experience are greatly different.