tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post4128725158905265716..comments2023-07-12T07:00:42.975-05:00Comments on News McNabb: Sound Bite ReportingNewsMcNabbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040170736717649659noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-68333752884758272092009-08-20T08:03:55.315-05:002009-08-20T08:03:55.315-05:00Jim,
Some TV reporters forget they are supposed t...Jim,<br /><br />Some TV reporters forget they are supposed to be giving us news, not just personalizing their packages and throwing in some b-roll.<br /><br />Let me give you an example.<br /><br />Capital Metro on Wednesday released an update on its MetroRail System. The news in the update is that the rail will not run the complete route in some cases, creating a host of possible problems for some patrons depending on where they need to go.<br /><br />Capital Metro report:<br />http://allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/capital-metrorail-update-aug.shtml<br /><br />The Statesman’s Ben Wear understood what the “news” was and his story reflects that:<br /><br />http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/08/20/0820rail.html<br /><br />On the other hand, KXAN’s story on the Capital Metro rail update said agency officials had no start date for the rail, but failed to include the most important new development -- the rail will not run the complete route in some cases.<br /><br />There are numerous people in the chain of command in a newsroom who are supposed to make sure each story covers whatever it is that's new, whatever warranted the story in the first place.<br /><br />In this case, KXAN’s chain of command didn’t catch the oversight. <br />I have no bone to pick with KXAN. Other stations in Austin have also had the same problem with stories they have aired. However, this particular KXAN story underscores the need for news directors, assistant news directors, executive producers and line producers at all TV stations to ask this question before they put a story on the air: Are we covering what’s new in this story?<br /><br />This issue may be worth a column on your part, as part of your blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-86932960983202668932009-08-19T18:25:55.733-05:002009-08-19T18:25:55.733-05:00Another Editor's Note:
These comments also app...Another Editor's Note:<br />These comments also apply to reporters regardless of their medium.<br />JimNewsMcNabbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08040170736717649659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-27260711840362779812009-08-19T13:33:17.166-05:002009-08-19T13:33:17.166-05:00Jim,
I share you belief that reporters should hav...Jim,<br /><br />I share you belief that reporters should have beats, as a means of developing sources that can produce exclusives and other meaty stories.<br /><br />Most TV reporters cover general assignments, creating no news expertise on any one particular beat. Even within that environment, I believe reporters can make calls to newsmakers on an assigned beat while working on a general assignment story. There's plenty of lost time while a reporter is working on a general assignment story. That lost time can be put to use. The reporter can use a cell phone to make and receive calls from newsmakers on a beat.<br /><br />Some reporters will say this type of multi-tasking is not possible, but I know it is. They simply have to make efficient use of their time and maintain a list of issues they need to be checking on for developments.<br /><br />I've trained reporters in multi-tasking. Every reporter who has embraced the system has become been highly successful in producing exclusives and other stories that matter to the community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-21759941043673615632009-08-18T16:55:02.350-05:002009-08-18T16:55:02.350-05:00Editor's Note:
Agreed. These are lean time...Editor's Note: <br /><br />Agreed. These are lean times. I think I should clarify something: No, I don't think that Austin has the luxury of letting a reporter daily research health insurance and health reform. <br /><br />There are days when that person should cover other news of the day. <br /><br />However, some of those shories, enterprise stories, can rise from a health beat. I listed several possible ways a local reporter can find ways to cover aspects of the issue. I didn't mention others such as the VA Clinic and its use. I think, in fact, the VA is building another clinic because of the exiting clinic's popularity.<br /><br />Again, I believe in a beat system, because that is where and how a good reporter can find the memorable, compelling stories of the day, but that doesn't mean that the beat reporter can't cover something else, if needed.<br /><br />JimNewsMcNabbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08040170736717649659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-34699682472514979062009-08-18T16:08:55.545-05:002009-08-18T16:08:55.545-05:00From the first anonymous who commented on this top...From the first anonymous who commented on this topic:<br /><br />Jim,<br /><br />I agree with you that Austin TV stations should shy away from spot news unless it has broad implications or unless it's horrific. But from all your years of experience in TV, you know that no Austin TV news department is going to forget spot news. They all use it; it's a handy crutch, quick video, quick package, no enterprising necessary.<br /><br />I've worked with many young and experienced reporters, and I can tell you first hand that many of them are not capable of producing factual in-depth reporting on complex, local issues, much less the national health initiative. <br /><br />Don't get me wrong. I don't write off young, green reporters. Young reporters need to be challenged and given opportunities to learn from their mistakes. Experience can make a world of difference for them, while the experienced reporters need to be prodded to expand their skills and knowledge and not be happy with simply looking good on TV. Experienced reporters can be the most difficult to work with at times, because some of them think they know it all, when in fact they don't. The learning curve never ends. All reporters can learn new tricks.<br /><br />Frankly, no Austin TV station has the manpower to dedicate a reporter and photographer to the full-time task of covering the national health story. They each have from 7-10 reporters, with 2-3 assigned to dayside. With that kind of lean staffing, it's impossible to tie up one reporter on this important issue.<br /><br />Detailed, factual-based reporting on the national health issue is one that really has to be left to networks and newspapers, which have more resources that thinly-staffed stations in Austin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-20095426059496476552009-08-18T00:08:35.452-05:002009-08-18T00:08:35.452-05:00Editor's Comment:
Hey Anonymous ...
Sorry. ...Editor's Comment:<br /><br />Hey Anonymous ...<br /><br />Sorry. Your priorities and understanding of news are flawed. Period.<br /><br />Forget the spot news. VO or VO/Bite them unless then have wide-spread implications.<br /><br />Anonymous, content is what matters. What people are talking about now (A definition of news) is health care reform.<br />True, the bottom-line, short-sighted stations cut loose their experienced reporters, but the young ones are bright. They must grow up fast.<br /><br />Even if the issue of the day isn't health care/health insurance, these new and largely young reporters are going to have to grasp these stories at their heart. If they don't we're all hosed. <br /><br />Give them freedom to use creativity and the resources and cover these stories with depth, not the usual cop car lights at night. <br /><br />If the user/consumer/audience/reader sees the information they want, they will watch. <br /> <br />I'm sorry Anonymous, you're wrong. I've been a reporter and a manager. I've seen success. <br /><br />Resources or money=reporters=content=audience=money (AKA revenue).<br /><br />Look at the comments before yours if you think I'm wrong. I'm not wrong.<br /><br />Love, JimNewsMcNabbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08040170736717649659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-90388757685519338502009-08-17T23:46:27.614-05:002009-08-17T23:46:27.614-05:00Please, give me a break.
It IS a manpower/resourc...Please, give me a break.<br /><br />It IS a manpower/resources issue. Tell me who you're going to pull to track and pull together healthcare stories of any real significance when you have a finite amount of reporters and producers, and news directors are allocating them to the typical child molester / house fire / drowning / type stories?<br /><br />Who's going to sift through mounds of legislation and research these very complex issues on deadline? Can a local news operation handle that? I doubt it. <br /><br />Add to this that in a town like Austin your typical TV news reporter is an inexperienced 20-something, and commercial radio news is in 30-second packages. Due to either incompatible format or frankly incompetent reporters, you can't realistically expect an issue this complicated to get any degree of decent coverage locally.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-70165756886627101302009-08-17T10:31:52.500-05:002009-08-17T10:31:52.500-05:00I've been anxiously awaiting a really good art...I've been anxiously awaiting a really good article/segment that would explain where we are with health care/insurance reform, instead of all the yelling "good TV" pieces. I saw my first one on CBS Sunday Morning: http://tinyurl.com/poebyoLisa Glassnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-48784917314545509532009-08-17T09:27:48.020-05:002009-08-17T09:27:48.020-05:00Your question: Why not assign somebody to follow t...Your question: Why not assign somebody to follow this huge and important legislation every step of the way in something more than sound bites? <br /><br />It would be an excellent use of manpower to have factual reporting of the national health insurance issue. However, since the Obama administration has now backed off a push for such a program, the focus will shift to other ideas on the table, such as creating nonprofit cooperatives. <br /><br />Up to this point, what we're getting from media on the health issue is shallow reporting, with little effort to set the record straight on the various positive and negative claims about any national health initiative.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-6608456680463381992009-08-17T00:54:23.672-05:002009-08-17T00:54:23.672-05:00I'll try this one out.
Most reporters lack th...I'll try this one out.<br /><br />Most reporters lack the true research skills that it takes to produce a cohesive story on health care.<br /><br />It's just that simple.<br /><br />I still don't know which side to choose because all of the news coverage has been confusing. All I hear is soundbites of folks criticizing the government, but no real reason why. I thought reporters were supposed to do that?<br /><br />But what do I know? I'm just a (25 year-old) kid. ;)<br /><br />[I deleted the first comment because of a grammatical error]Zack Raspberryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06585542662992539123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-72076794898659047602009-08-17T00:53:03.898-05:002009-08-17T00:53:03.898-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Zack Raspberryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06585542662992539123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-27530575513365360012009-08-16T09:26:41.079-05:002009-08-16T09:26:41.079-05:00Good points, Jim. Worth noting is the Statesman...Good points, Jim. Worth noting is the Statesman's Corrie MacLaggan, who covers health issues at the capitol. She, along with a Statesman photographer, covered the TMA/TCMS "House Call" discussion on health care in Austin Thursday evening, which more than 200 patients attended and more viewed online. This is one of a series, and was a reasoned discussion by people of many viewpoints.Brentnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1143088625756367367.post-58236243374805526902009-08-15T15:04:21.112-05:002009-08-15T15:04:21.112-05:00The first and firmest answer you will get is not e...The first and firmest answer you will get is not enough manpower or resources, which is absurd. <br />You don't have to have a story every day, and more important news need not suffer.<br />However, if you had a reporter and/or producer/editor assigned to that topic, specifically assigned to keeping up with subject and whose jobs are on the line if they are beaten to an angle, you could have regular, informed and worthwhile reports. You even could turn to them when the latest manufactured event falls through or if it looks as though sports will go short (snicker).WDYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18315233472316269799noreply@blogger.com