Hey Now...
It's evident that Joe did not follow your teaching and preaching of "not being on camera", hence success.
I have become accustomed to the mud slinging around this VJ issue.
To Michael's credit, he opened my eyes to a new world of story telling. He grabbed me by the back of the head and slapped some sense into me. I would not be shooting, editing, or writing the way I do now without his influence.
That being said, to my credit, I have also integrated a lot of traditional styles into my reporting as well. Hence the stand-ups. Since I am a News Reporter FIRST, I believe in Stand-Ups. I would never edit in a soundbite from someone and never show their face. Why not do the same for myself, especially if I'm not fronting the piece live? I do use a tripod sometimes because, darn it, you just have to. But I'll take that camera off that tripod the second I can get the lense up into a story.
However, the principles Michael taught me have made me faster, more compact, and thorough at the same time. I credit him with a lot of my success. (Mike, that check better not bounce.)
I am convinced there is not one right way to do this. How boring would TV be then?
PS: I wear a suit and tie everyday while I'm shooting too. I'll change when I absolutely have to.