When Enough is Enough... Or is it?

Ted Kennedy. The Liberal Lion of the Senate. Elder statesman. Most accomplished legislator of our time. One of the greatest Americans. Oh. And a killer. At least according to one acquaintance of mine. It's very interesting how viewpoint can shade an opinion of people. Especially people you've never met. One thing is certain. Kennedy is and will continue to be a controversial figure. I believe it was NBC News which used the phrase, "Lionized by the left and demonized by the right" to describe the senior senator from the Bay State. For anyone who can illicit such a strong response from both sides of the aisle I think it's understandable that we would plan major coverage for his passing.

That leaves the question. When is enough, enough? As @BMW said... Breaking News: Ted Kennedy... is still dead. I disagreed with his implication that the story was effectively over the moment it broke. I did so because in my immediate judgement, and as it was born out over the next 48 hours, the story was in fact just beginning. The real story became how Kennedy would be remembered. Would he be villified? Lauded? Mourned? Celebrated? As it turns out I'd say it was all of the above.. and more.

So when do we wrap it up? Cut it off and get passed it. I thought perhaps it was the day after once Brian Williams was finally done reporting live from Hyannis Port. Or perhaps Friday morning after more than 20,000 people had paraded past his body in repose in Boston. Or maybe by Sunday after the President of the United States had cut his vacation short to attend his funeral. But no, the story continued, with hundreds lined up at Arlington National Cemetery to see Kennedy's gravemarker, just feet away from his murdered brothers.

The public interest in the story was huge. Apparently it still is. I'd been in the eye of the storm for nearly a week starting within the first 30 minutes after his death was announced. So why did I still sit down and read a 5 page article on the man in Time? I think it's because of the depth of this man's story. For all his faults, and there were many his triumphs speak to our best days. The worst of personal tragedy. The most difficult of personal pressures. And failures of morals and character. He reflects our best and worst. It's probably why we're so interested and why I'm glad I was part of the storytelling.

You Tweet. We Report.

That's it in a nutshell. Of course it can be a little more complicated than that but really, the power of interactive and social media becomes more and more evident each day. From large scale examples like the fallout and protests in Iran following what many have claimed was a rigged election to more local examples like the Pioneer Courthouse Square Dave Chappelle performance here in Portland social media is breaking down barriers between journalist and citizen. In fact, the blog movement has in many cases been referred to as citizen journalism. It's also blurring the lines between what is fact and what isn't. Most often though, social media is supplanting telephone tips and viewer emails as the most direct and often expedient way of sharing news.

Only a few years ago it seemed that email was the height of viewer connectivity. You could see news happening and shoot an email to a TV station. That email would find it's way into someone's inbox and the tip might be followed up on. Now it's even quicker. A tweet or a tip in a live chat bypass that inbox. They go right to a person whether it's an anchor on twitter during a newscast or a producer monitoring a live chat. I've personally seen both happen AND seen those tips yield legitimate real time results.

In the past week it's happened twice. Just today a twitter tip lead to a breaking news situation in which I rearranged my entire newscast. It was a matter of minutes from the first tweet to the time the news made air. To break it down. A viewer tweeted to our anchor who was on the desk during the newscast saying they had seen police activity and believed there was some sort of major police situation developing. My anchor relayed this information to me. I contacted our assignment desk with the information and less than 5 minutes later we were rolling to the breaking news and I was cutting into my show to tell the audience about it. It doesn't get much quicker or streamlined than that. Viewer interaction and control at it's best. Another example shows how official sources can become even more versatile when they use social media as a means to get information out. We had been following news of a fire in our area through the course of the early morning hours. Traditionally we would listen for info on the emergency scanners. What seemed like a fairly minor fire over the scanner quickly turned into a larger story when we caught a tweet from a fire deparment information officer explaining that half a dozen families were now displaced because of the fire. What might have taken 30 minutes or an hour to figure out via old tech methods was reduced to a 5-10 minute window. That allowed me to re-order my show and allocate resources in a different way. It also lead to a more compelling story and better information for the audience.

There are other applications besides breaking news applications. Last spring I was monitoring a live chat during my newscast. A parent who lived hundreds of miles away in a different city was online in the chatroom. She was seeking information about a situation that was developing at the university where her son was enrolled. It involved the expulsion of and investigation of another student who was later accused of possessing illegal firearms on campus. While that mother may have emailed us it's not a sure thing. Instead, by coming to us and actively looking for the information she made us aware of the situation. We quickly followed up on this information and consequently had an advantage of several hours over the competition on a large story.

Both methods have great merit and while I find it unlikely they'll completely replace phone tips and email I do think that they will increase their share of news sharing. They'll also help us bring the audience information in a more timely manner. We always preach that our reporting is for the viewer and we're constantly seeking their input. This is a great example of how new media are letting us do that job better. Like I said.. You Tweet. We Report.

Patio Conversations also known as Boom Goes The Dynamite!

Good news. I'm getting to know my neighbor Chris better. Even better news. His friend Brit used to write for a magazine in LA and went to school for journalism so we can share war stories.

How do I know all this? Because today I ventured out onto my patio and found them hanging out over smokes and some wine. Needless to say, that lead to some chit chat. Turns out all aspects of the media have funny stories. Apparently high-end import car magazines like you to give their advertisers' products positive reviews. If you don't...they get edited. Talk about soul crushing. Anyway, Brit doesn't work in the media anymore. Now he's the manager of the music equipment sales department at Best Buy. It actually sounds fun. More on that at a later date including a damn funny anecdote about drunk guys on mini-motorcycles tearing up a Portland area Best Buy store.

Anyway, we got to talking about the wacky things that people do and how they end up on the news. For example, the yahoo's in Silverton who decided to stockpile all sorts of explosives and fireworks making material in their house and back shed. Real smart. Something like 300lbs worth of boom-boom powder and various other substances. As one police officer said, "I'm no bomb-tech, but that's a lot of explosives. I wouldn't want to live next door." Now I understand that police officers are often cautious by nature... But c'mon.. if your average Joe Schmo patrol officer makes that statement.. I'm thinking run for the hills.

We also talked about how news varies from place to place. What is and isn't newsworthy really varies. From Spokane to Portland to Los Angeles it really changes. What's a huge story in Spokane may not be such a big deal here in Portland. And as a friend who recently moved to LA said... We have garden variety murders every day.. But this model who was killed, chopped up, put in a suitcase and left in a dumpster, possibly by her former reality star husband.. Now that has the newsroom buzzing. I think that story would have newsrooms everywhere buzzing, but the point is it's a matter of scale.

Regardless, people everywhere still do crazy, dangerous, stupid and incredibly interesting things. And when they do.. We tell those stories. Just hopefully from a safe distance when explosives are involved.

Newsroom Food. Or How to Eat Like A King Without Consequence.

A random story from today...and other days. Newsroom Food. Kind of a running joke. Or at least I thought it was until I came to Portland. Granted, not everything I've had since coming here was from the newsroom. In fact, some of the best has been in the studio. Crazy, huh?

A brief rundown of what I've gotten to lay my hands on.

Eggs Benedict with Dungeness Crab
A Burgerville Bacon Cheeseburger w/ Blackberry Shake

A Fresh Homemade Tamale

Fresh Cyrus O'Leary Pie

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

That' s not counting various servings of pizza and donuts and other random snacks over the past couple of years. I must say though, when one of your on-air crew makes a habit of featuring fancy food in his live segments week in week out, I think I'm going to eat pretty well. I mean, I've been in Portland a month, and I've already had the first three on that list. I can't imagine what else I'll get to dig into.

There are of course other fun food phenomenon. Like the can of clam chowder that lived in my desk for 4+ months. Never did eat it. But maybe the folks at my old shop got hungry one night and indulged. I'll have to check on that.

So for noobs out there. News might not pay great...but the perk's aren't bad. Bon appetit!

And a shout out to another blog I follow that really breaks down the art of eating and TV...http://snacksinthelivetruck.blogspot.com/

From The Archives: Volume 1

So. When I first got into television professionally two years ago I tried to blog. I fell behind quickly and only wrote sporadically however I felt it might be informative to share some of those early posts here. I'll add one every few days. There were only seven in two years so it won't take long. Enjoy.

Volume 1 Monday June 11, 2007

I didn't initially plan on doing anything like this but after this weekend I've decided that I'm going to keep a sort of running diary about my experiences as a telivision professional...So here goes...On Saturday June 9 I worked my first solo shift and it was many things...exciting, interesting, boring at times and in the end it helped me realize once again why I wanted to be in television, specifically the news.It was also sad...I broke our biggest story...and the one that dominated the weekend at about 5:45 that morning...What was the story? A teenage boy died Saturday at approximately 5:30 in a horrific single car accident in Spokane Valley...one other was in serious condition and her life will probably never be the same. That's the case for the six others in the car... The driver had been drinking and will likely go to jail for vehicular homicide...those other 5 will live with their decisions that night and the knowledge that it just as easily could have been them laying on the ground dying.It all happened so fast Saturday morning that it took awhile to sink in for me. I spent the majority of my day at work talking, writing, thinking about and rehashing the end of someones life. I was quite the cynic that morning and now I feel a bit morally ambiguous about my thoughts...I won't say it but the darkest things you think people in the news say are probably comparable to what I was thinking...Heck the saying is if it bleeds it leads...Talk about the truth hitting you in the face.So all this leaves me wondering how I'll react next time...will I shy away from that hard story about death? I hope not. Will I treat it with a little more respect and caring? I hope so.

So What Do You Do Son?

Three Days...Three Entries in this glorious new enterprise. So why not keep the ball rolling? Why? Because I write for a living and it's the weekend now..Okay so what. I've got Sportscenter on in the background and amusing tweets to catch up on so I might as well put pen to paper...or thoughts to hard drive. Besides...I've heard that people curse writer's block so if it's flowing I better take advantage.

On to today's subject...Just what do I do...

Some people have it easy. "I'm an accountant." ..."Oh. So you crunch numbers and keep track of people's finances." "I'm a chef." "So you cook." On and on. So today I had to answer the question. I do it quite often and most of the time I flash a little pride in my profession. Not all that many 24 year olds have the responsibilities I do. Granted. It's not that glamorous. But it is interesting..and slightly difficult to explain. Where as movie producers seem to be stylish money men with their hand's deep into pulling the levers of feature films, TV news producers have a much more technical job.

So, today, riding home from the car repair shop in the courtesy shuttle, an older gentleman asked me what I did. And I tried to explain. For the most part I think he understood. But again... the look of recognition when I said I was a local TV producer quickly faded from his face when I began to explain. I guess there really is a disconnect. Oh well. Here is my brief rundown of my job... So perhaps, when you meet one of my ilk, you'll know what we're talking about. But please..Still ask what it entails...Because we get a happy glow inside when we get to tell you all about our little slice of television heaven.

Here goes... Basically, as a producer of a newscast, I have overall responsibility for the creative aspects of the program. That includes story selection, story presentation, story order and several other factors like assigning the stories to our talent, be that an anchor, reporter or other on-air person such as a traffic anchor or meteorologist. I also deal with the logistics involved in presenting the stories.

I pick the stories, for example, today we covered several topics including a pair of missing hikers...Michael Vick's return to the NFL and a major construction project getting started in the Portland metro area. I pick all the stories, with input from our talent, my co-producer and our assignment managers. Ultimately though, at the ground level, it's my decision whether a story goes into a newscast.

Then there is story presentation. That encompasses several elements such as video, graphic support, sound bites, live presence(if it's needed) and other items that may be needed such as maps and transition elements(those flashy flying graphics that say things like "NEW INFORMATION" & "BREAKING NEWS".

Story order comes down to where I physically place the stories in the newscast...First...Second...Third...Dead last. A good rule of thumb while watching a newscast is that you can expect to see the most important stories near the top of a program. Generally at the beginning of the half hour. For example today...2 hikers were missing in the woods overnight. That was the most urgent and important story because it was currently happening and hikers, overdue by more than 12 hours without proper gear and preparations can find themselves in a very dangerous situation. Typically, where there is the potential for loss of life, or if there is in fact death the story is of high importance. Not that other stories with broader impact, like health care are less important per se.. rather, at this moment, because they are not as urgent, they assume a lower position of importance. Whether this is in fact a correct philosophy is a matter for another post.

Assigning stories to talent involves deciding where they will physically be in our studio when they present the story and how that physical location impacts the stories surrounding them in the newscast. I can't have two people reading different stories from the same location back to back.. though I have tried.. with mixed results. These decisions also involve relevance. For example, it makes more sense to have my traffic anchor presenting a story on traffic impact or having my meteorologist presenting a story on severe weather. For large stories that need more in-depth reporting or that involve an evolving issue at a remote location we rely on live reporters. For example, with the missing hikers, it makes more sense to have a reporter at the scene present the story because they will know if anything changes faster than I will by virtue of proximity and invovlement with the subject matter. If the hikers are found, they will know before I do. A live presence also adds emphasis for a story, which again, is why they will typically present the more important stories in the newscast.

Logistics are another matter, that is less glamorous, but again, essential to a compelling newscast. To physically present a newscast from a remote location, I need to place a reporter/photographer team in the field, in a live truck capable of transmitting video & audio back to the station. When I talk about a live crew, that is what I mean. Our basic live trucks operate via microwave transmitter. These are very versatile pieces of equipment however they're limited to line-of-sight transmission. That's why when you see a gigantic tower on top of a hill.. that's why it's there. It can be seen from virtually all angles, from miles and miles away. The live truck transmits to the tower and the tower beams the signal to the station and then the station sends the images and sound out to you over the air. For places that are beyond line-of-sight transmission we use satellites. That's another layer of logistical support. For that, we require a second type of vehicle and operator who can control the satellite signal. To put on the story of the hikers this morning we were out of line-of-sight and so I had to assign a reporter/photographer team as well as a satellite truck operator in order to tell the story. There are other aspects to that equation, but that's the basics behind transmission for live crews. Then there are the physical elements. I have to allow time for a live crew to get from point A to point B and to set up their equipment. It can be a very delicate dance, but done right, the viewer never knows the difference.

And right there, that's it in a nut shell. If executed properly, the audience, you, should never know that I exist. The newscast should be visually compelling, flow smoothly and inform you fully without you ever noticing anything besides the information.

So there you have it. Next time some one tells you they're a TV news producer you'll have a glimmer of just what it is they do each day. Now I've got two more stories to write and a few flashy whiz-bang graphics to pick before the show...(kidding)...

Happy Friday...


PS...The unhappy, but truthful addendum. Invariably, if it goes wrong. It's my fault. Cheerful thought, no?

I Want a Chopper...

Okay...

So a month into my new job... Literally. I didn't realize it until about an hour ago when I was getting in touch with a friend of mine who helped me during the hiring process. But I actually have worked at my new station for a month on the dot today. How cool.

So we had a breaking news story today.. in common parlance.. a breaker. And today was a little breaker by all real standards.. Still it was big enough to get that phone call from the assignment desk telling me that one of my reporters was going bye-bye for the last hour of my show. Here's how it works..

I'm in the control room.. really the beating heart of any newscast once it's on the air. For me, that means I'm in the chair, calling the creative aspects and story decisions of the show from 5-7AM each day. It's great. When it comes to producing I like most aspects.. But I really love being in the chair when things are happening. More on that at a later date. But by virtue of the fact that I'm in the control room during that time, I'm disconnected from the newsroom where all of our news gathering operation really functions. Our assignment desk with all of the police/emergency scanners.. etc. That means if something happens, it has to be relayed in to me. Things are a little different here. At my old shop.. if something was breaking and I was in the control room I'd get a call.. and a question about what to do. Now.. not so much. I just get the call telling me this is what is happening.. and here's how we're reacting to it. On one hand, its nice, I have enough going on that extra decision making/planning would probably be a little overwhelming.. still.. it's disconcerting when someone on the other end of the line changes your show for you. Oh well. Just another thing to get used to.. and I appreciate the reason why we do it.

So back to today. A month into the new gig. At first I was pretty overwhelmed with everything going on. Between new technology.. new talent(the anchors/reporters).. a new location.. and different expectations it was a lot to deal with. I won't say that I'm fully adapted. It will continue to be a learning experience. That all said. I want a chopper. Today's breaker wasn't a major issue. Police were shot at by a mysterious.. if not altogether sane gunman. Roads were closed. SWAT got called out. But nobody died that I know of and that's a good thing.One of my reporter/photographer teams got pulled to head to the breaking news. So.. All we could do was say we had a crew on the way.. and show a map. Meanwhile the competition was showing pretty pictures of police cruisers and blocked streets from their hovering camera platform in the sky. Could I handle the day-in-day-out management of such an aerial accomplice? Maybe not yet.. But today was the first day that showed me why it would be so valuable. Plus.. what tv viewer(myself included) doesn't like looking at images from the sky and thinking about the fancy technology that makes them possible. So like I said, I want a chopper.

What A Time To Be Alive...

Really. It is a remarkable time to be alive. While I didn't see the space race... never watched JFK speak on a black & white TV or experience the fear and awe of the Cold War.. I appreciate those moments, and how they shaped people like my parents and family. Through conversations with my parents, I also understand that this time and place, right here and now, is a time that will be looked back on with if not similar feelings, then at least their own sense of wonder.. and terror.

While I have lived through some amazing moments.. The spectacle of Los Angeles.. the riots.. the OJ Simpson trial.. the first Gulf War.. and the Clinton Administration with its many triumphs and flaws.. I can't say that I remember them. They probably have shaped me in ways unseen and unknown.. but they're just distant memories for the most part. That's why I feel like focusing on the things that are more clearly established in my mind. Mostly in the last decade. 9/11.. The Bush Years.. The Dot Com boom... College and all its wonderful adventures.. and more recently two major events that have dominated some of the moments in my career. There have been many.. but freshest in my mind are the remarkable happenings of the last few years. The failure.. and success of the wars in the Middle East and Asia.. The collapse of the global economy.. and most recently.. the pandemic event that could shape up to be the worst in a generation. All amazing stories that I've had the opportunity, if only in a small way, to cover and report.

It truly is amazing. I remember the run up and beginning of the Iraq War. What a scary and terrible moment. At the time I remember myself as an ardent supporter of the anti-war sentiment.. how times will change you. I still don't agree with the premise of our invasion of Iraq, but through experiences with friends and through the study of others experience involving the conflict I've gained some perspective. Like many generations before, I've learned to respect the men and women in uniform, if not the mission they were called upon to complete. I no longer scoff at little yellow ribbons on cars and bridges the way I once did. The soldiers, sailors and marines who've risked their lives deserve better. I've met veterans.. And I've become great admirers of them. I've seen that I could have been them, and they could have been me. It's amazing to think of people my age, and younger doing the things I report on and read in the news. I couldn't do those things. There is a wealth of information out there to learn more about those men and women.. their challenges, trials.. and triumphs. And to gain perspective on the bigger picture that controls their lives. I'd highly recommend several books, including the work of Thomas Ricks of the New York Times. From his first work, "Fiasco" with its doubts and indictment of the American effort in Iraq.. to the more recent "The Gamble" I see reflected my own transformation, from a person with little doubt of my own convictions and anti-war feelings to a person who has come to terms with what's happened.. respects it.. and now wants to understand it. Very good reading and insightful commentary. There are several others I'd love to share, if you're at all interested please ask about them.

My father says of the global economic meltdown, "It's nothing like I've seen in my lifetime." He's right.. this recession is unlike anything in the past 50 years. He should know. He spent nearly a year laid off, without work and unable to find a new job. Trust me, he knows what he's talking about. He's been there and done that. He was forced out of his chosen career once before.. and took our family with him. We ended up back on our feet thanks to help from our wider family. So imagine his shock and frustration to have lost a profession.. and a home.. only to recover.. Find a new career, buy a new home, raise two young men, put them through college.. and then nearly lose it all again because of this crisis. My family weathered this storm. He's back at work, happier than ever I'd say and when I look back several years from now I'm sure I'll see this trial as a mighty success story. For me, it was a bizarre state of mind. Now, only two years out of college.. I was the one employed.. working in a career I had chosen and love.. while he was waiting.. hoping for a new opportunity. I can only imagine there are stories like this from coast to coast, still, it's amazing to think we lived out one of those storylines. I have the utmost respect for my parents, for their resilience, for their undaunting courage in the face of adversity, now.. and in the past. They're my heros, and I wouldn't be here without them.

A curious note on this part of the story too. We just received an email in the newsroom describing how many indicators point to an economic recovery. As I read the well written and thoughtful email I began to see the person's point. In the media, often we look for the doom and gloom.. bad news sells papers, or at least it did when papers were a going concern. But you know what I mean, bad news tends to drive the media cycle. So how odd, that now that good news is finally here, we struggle to find a way to frame it. An example, our package of graphics currently is titled "Economy in Crisis".. this was the main driver behind the viewer's email. His assertion was the crisis, while not over, could be on the rebound, and hopefully heading toward an end. He asked that we acknowledge that. I think, and hope that he's right. As such I'm working to frame the discussion, and the story differently now. Wishful thinking maybe, but hopefully one little step towards responsible journalism. Like I said, I hope he's right.

And now to that last major story, which seems to seep into the news on a daily basis. The Swine Flu. The Pandemic Flu. H1N1. Call it whatever you want to call it. I was initially skeptical like many people, however, the more you read, see and hear.. and watch the reaction of government I feel there is reason to pay attention. I don't say fear, because fear is an outsize instrument. A blunt tool to steal a phrase from a recent meeting. Fear is bad. Caution, however is not. Caution is the wise person's weapon in the world. Caution says learn all you can, prepare for the worst, and then when you've come through the fire, be glad that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. As example, I'd point to the most recent issue of Time which has a very good article on the preparations for the fall flu season. I'd also point you http://tinyurl.com/l4kj2b & here http://tinyurl.com/n9daqc. Two good articles that should prepare you with at least an idea of what's out there. Read them and draw your own conclusions. For now, I'll do what I feel is my ethical duty and continue to report on the Swine Flu.. in the hopes that by keeping it in the public's consciousness, they won't succumb to any outsize fears but rather will be prepared if the story does turn into breaking news on my newscast come October.

Welcome to the Revolution

Welcome to the Revolution...
No. Not really. But this is a fairly large step for me... In the past I've tried to write down my thoughts on life.. my career.. friends.. family and a number of other things. While I've managed to compose those thoughts sporadically at best it has been an interesting experience. Now I want to make a more concerted effort at doing so. Maybe it will be a good touchstone to later examine my young adulthood. Maybe someday my kids will look at it to understand their father. Maybe it will be just a little exercise in catharsis. Regardless, I'm going to give it a shot. If you find yourself reading this.. please.. feel free to drop in and give me some feedback. Positive encouragement is always appreciated.. even a little criticism if it's warranted. Bottom line.. please enjoy.