Deborah Potter
Interviewing tips to get vivid sound bites
The elements of engaging stories are universal: strong characters, plot, beginning-middle-end, tension, surprise, resolution. What’s more, they’re central to every kind of story, not just features. Just ask investigative reporter Daniel Zwerdling, who has reported on everything from pesticides to mental health in his 30 plus years at NPR. “You can do the greatest investigation of all …
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Read More →Ethics made simple
The news business seems to get more complicated all the time. Journalists are expected to work faster, file more often and serve more outlets. With less time to think, mistakes can happen and errors can be costly. News outlets lose credibility; journalists can lose their jobs. The recent case involving the venerable CBS News program …
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Read More →How TV news jobs have changed
The transformation of the television news business has been so dramatic that “if someone showed up from the year 2000, they wouldn’t know what to make of it,” says WAFB morning anchor Matt Williams. Williams’ day is filled with the usual anchor tasks: writing stories, teases and bumps; hosting a two-hour show; and making public …
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Read More →What do news directors look for when hiring?
It’s a perennial question and the answer keeps changing: What are TV news directors today looking for in new hires? For Geoff Roth, who’s building a new television newsroom from the ground up at Fox 46 in Charlotte, N.C., the list is long and challenging. You’d better be able to shoot, write and edit if …
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Read More →Editing sequences for TV news
No matter how much you read about how to put together a video sequence, it’s always better to see the process in action. Many thanks to Dave Wertheimer for sharing this how-to that he produced for the NPPA Video Workshop. If you ever get confused about screen direction or the “imaginary line,” take a look …
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Read More →Well-chosen details make stories stronger
One challenge TV reporters face is deciding what details belong in a story. Too many and the story bogs down. Too few and it loses impact. What works in a story is “telling” detail: information that conveys a basic truth about a character or situation. Think about the difference between two stories about the aftermath …
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