Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The Grape's fearless 2009 predictions

As I gaze into my crystal ball I ask what lies ahead for the broadcast industry for the coming year. Clouds form, but begin to thin out, and give me a clear picture of what you can expect in 2009...

-The industry will finally "bottom out" and begin to recover. Layoffs will slow, the economy will recover (more about that in a moment) and purse strings will begin to loosen up. And more important, stations will start hiring again.

-The economy will recover beginning January 21st. All those media people who wanted a certain person in the White House and pounded the general public with gloom and doom economic stories... well, those people want to keep that certain person in the White House. Slowly, subtly, positive economic stories will find their way onto the networks. The good feeling will trickle down to the broadcast industry. (Ironic, though, how those negative economic stories came back to bite those in the industry in the form of layoffs.)

-More and more young people will break into large markets as middle-aged veterans get out of the business. There will never be greater opportunities for someone with limited experience... but you'll still need a ton of talent. In other words, don't be afraid to send a tape anywhere in 2009.

-February 17th will be a day you want to take off. When that digital switch hits, everything will hit the fan, and George Carlin's Flying Mongolian Cluster will become reality. Every senior citizen who can't tune in The Price is Right or Murder She Wrote reruns will call your station to complain. I pity the engineers who work that day.

-Some stations will finally realize one-man-bands are the wrong way to go and ditch the concept. Others will hold onto it like grim death, along with their lousy ratings. (But the bean counters will be happy.)

-A few major market stations will experiment with one-man-bands. The Mets will also try to go through another season without a legitimate second baseman. Both experiments will fail miserably.

-A network morning show producer will get hit by a revelation that half the people on the planet are men and don't care for daily stories about purses and shoes.

-More major market stations will try using a few freelance reporters. If you can live without benefits or have a spouse who provides them, here's your chance for a foot in the door.

-RTNDA will have an incredibly low turnout.

-(I hope I'm wrong about this one.) Some idiot local anchor will get a DUI. Anchor will then offer a mea culpa saying, "I made an error in judgment." (Note: painting your kitchen the wrong color is an error in judgment. Getting behind the wheel while drunk is just plain stupid.) Anchor will not be fired, as GM will announce, "Our anchor has received an outpouring of support from the community, and we're going to help our anchor get through this." (Note to GMs: three emails from barflies does not constitute an "outpouring of support.") Station will turn anchor's "recovery" into a sweeps series.

-Men wearing vests will be the hot new trend for guys.

-Women not dying their hair will be the hot new trend for gals.

-Stations will start putting interns on the air. (In some markets, that could be an improvement.)

-More sports guys will start joining the news department, as the shortage of male newscasters continues.

-Some stations will actually cut down on the number of newscasts, as a smaller staff and higher DVR use will dictate changes. Also, because in some markets, there's simply not enough news to fill all the slots with a smaller staff.

-Noon newscasts will begin to die a slow, grisly (well deserved) death.

-More consultants will be typing their own resumes.

-And until you can pry his laptop from his cold, dead fingers, the Grape will continue to offer advice and tick off News Directors by revealing secrets of management. (And now that I'm talking about myself in the third person, I guess I have to run for office.)

Finally, a serious note. Can we get through one New Year's Eve without some news person getting a DUI and seeing their mugshot on the Internet? Please, if you're going out drinking, put the phone number of a cab company in your cell phone and spend ten bucks to get home safely and not endanger other innocent people. Or be the designated driver. You can have a Happy New Year without being stupid.

That said, best to all of you in 2009. I look forward to hearing your success stories.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Thank you, Houston, for proving my point

Some of the websites devoted to television news have been burning up the last day or so with comments about a reporter hired right out of college to work in Houston. This person is not one of my clients, I have never spoken to her, and unless she's one of the dozens of people who send anonymous questions to the Grapevine, I haven't corresponded.

But she proved that it pays to send a tape anywhere.

Many comments touched on the fact that dues were not paid and experience was not earned. While people traditionally work in smaller markets and move up the ladder, some people are just naturals at this business. I have no idea why the ND in Houston hired this woman. Maybe she fits what he or she was looking for. Maybe she had tremendous potential. Maybe she has "IT" in capital letters. Maybe she's just flat out smart. Some people are just really good right out of the gate. I've seen tapes from college with packages that are better than the ones I see from twenty year veterans. Some people just have a natural gift that defies all tradition. So why did she get the job?

Doesn't matter. She had the guts to apply for the job and got it.

Are the people complaining jealous, or just mad at themselves for not sending a tape to Houston?

I have a few clients who have so much talent I would bet the mortgage that they will end up in major markets or at a network. Yet I still have to twist arms to get them to go to the post office. (And you guys know who you are!)

If this Houston hire doesn't serve as a wake up call to all of you, it should.

And please, don't hate this poor woman. Would you, in the same position, tell the ND, "Oh, you shouldn't hire me. I need to go off and pay my dues."

Maybe she'll be a star, maybe she'll be out of the business in a few years. The point is, you all need to follow her lead and send tapes to any opening you see.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Video wallpaper

We're putting up wallpaper today. Wallpaper always looks spectacular when you first put it up, then as time goes by it fades into the background. In a year or two I won't even be able to tell you what it looks like, even though I'll see it every day.

Newscasts run the risk of being video wallpaper as well. When you look at the same thing day after day, you don't really "see" anymore. It fades into the background.

Doing the same stories every day creates video wallpaper for your newscast. If you are constantly chasing the scanner, running crime stories that affect no one, or talking to officials instead of people, you can send your viewers into a kind of hypnosis. Ever get to the end of a newscast (as a viewer, not a news person) and forget the stories you've just watched? That's video wallpaper.

Seen one car wreck, you've seen them all. Fires? Flames are flames. Same goes with crime. (Is there any video more boring than that associated with a bank robbery? A closed door with police tape. Riveting. Yet an anchor makes it sound like the end of the world.) Same with talking heads.

If you don't want to send your viewers into a hypnotic trance, you need to mix things up. Stop covering the things that always look the same, and dig up some real stories.

Oh yeah, this applies to resume tapes as well. If I see another resume tape that begins with a car wreck or a murder, well...

I forgot what I was going to say. Guess I went into a trance.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

No such thing as a meaningless story

This afternoon, my New York Giants play a meaningless football game. The outcome has no bearing on their position in the playoffs. Their goal is simple; don't let anyone get hurt.

TV is a little different. There's no such thing as a meaningless story.

This time of year the phrase, "No one is watching" is heard in every station. Ratings bear out that viewership is down during the holidays, and the scenario feeds on itself. Networks put garbage on the air, so why should anyone watch? Trust me, this year, more than ever, people are home watching television because they don't want to go out and spend money.

And when everyone else is phoning it in, it creates a perfect opportunity for you to knock out some great work. A great package can stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of stories that have no life.

Who's watching? You never know. You may be working in Podunk but might not know that a big market ND is from the same town and visiting his mother. So he turns on the TV to check out the local news and sees... you doing a great package.

A GM is driving cross country and stops in a hotel in your market, turns on the TV and sees... you.

I'm willing to bet the people who work in Las Vegas give 110 percent the week that RTNDA is in town. They're just hoping someone will spot them. Because lots of people are in town who could change their lives.

Someone is always watching. Make sure when someone who can change your life is watching, you're out there doing your best.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Time to gear up for the job hunt

If you're like me you're probably sitting around in a sugar coma watching the NFL all weekend.

But if you're looking for a job, you should be getting your stuff in the mail right now, or at least getting it ready for the post office.

Once the holidays are over next week, News Directors will have to deal with changes. Some people will make New Year's resolutions to get out of the business. Some may just quit or move to another station.

And there's that nice little bonus (thanks to television Armageddon, coming February 17th) of an extended job hunting season, since they've moved the February book to March. Two months instead of one. Talk about an after-Christmas bargain.

Note the poll on the right of this page? I expected a few people in the "yes" column but not such a high percentage. So bury the fear and get those tapes ready. Then actually put them in the mail.

Hockey great Wayne Gretsky once said, "You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take."

So take your shots in 2009.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!

Have a great day, and remember...

In order for the "pay it forward" concept to work, someone has to start it.

There are a lot of good people out of work today. Don't forget them.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Bells and whistles

The Christmas Eve dinner is the event of the year for old Italians. It's known as the "Feast of the Seven Fishes" and features seven different kinds of seafood. It is my favorite dinner, trumping Thanksgiving and Christmas.

You can go to a seafood buffet, but there are a lot of things that make the Christmas Eve feast unique. It's the bells and whistles. The decorated tree and Christmas music in the background. My hilarious aunts arguing over whether the fictional doctors on ER are better than the ones on Chicago Hope. The parade of desserts after dinner when you sit down to watch a Christmas movie. Everyone gets to open one present on Christmas Eve. It's those little bells and whistles that make this night more than just a seafood buffet.

I know at this point you're waiting for the television analogy, so here goes. Are there bells and whistles in your work? Is your package just a bunch of sound bites and voice track, or have you added the flavor provided by nat sound, music, graphics, clever writing, a solid anchor intro? Is your resume tape montage a bunch of similar standups, or have you varied your locations, styles, and types of stories?

I can buy you a Christmas gift and put it in a brown paper bag. Or I can find a nice box, glittery wrapping paper, a pretty bow and a cute tag. If you see both under the tree, which one do you pick?

Television, like life, is all about bells and whistles. Make everything you do interesting, but add some spice. Be different, be daring, try new things.

Think about it... we call a television story a "package" for good reason. Wrap it up in an attractive way that makes the viewer excited and want to open it first like the prettiest Christmas gift under the tree.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Something that many of you need to find in your Christmas stocking

I watch a lot of resume tapes. I see reporters chase down murderers coming out of court without fear. I see reporters knocking on the doors of victims without a conscience. I see spunky, take-no-prisoners reporters who act bulletproof during one hundred mile per hour winds.

And I talk to reporters who turn to jelly when it comes to job hunting. For whatever reason these journalists without fear act as though they've seen a mouse and have to jump on the table.

You know how many resume tapes I've watched over the years? Probably in the thousands. You know how many I remember that I didn't like?

None.

Here are some of the comments I hear when people are reluctant to send a tape:

-Will the ND think badly of me if I start my tape with this kind of story?

-Will the ND think I'm not experienced enough if I don't have enough live shots?

-Will the ND think I'm stupid for applying for this job?

Here's a newsflash. There are no "resume tape police" who are going to hunt you down if you send a bad tape, a tape that shows rookie mistakes, a tape that shows a lack of experience, or a tape that has editing mistakes.... or a tape the ND, for whatever reason, didn't like. I'm guessing that a lot of you think a News Director sits there with a clipboard and watches each tape carefully, then jots down notes on every one that gets ejected like this:

"Oooooh... Joe Reporter didn't have a walking standup in his montage. Let me write down his name so I'll never, ever hire him."

That sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it? The point is, NDs whip through tapes pretty fast. The ones they like get put aside. The ones they don't are forgotten. Forever. If your tape got ejected and you sent another tape three months later, the ND won't even remember that you sent one before... and more importantly... won't care. The only thing that matters is your work at the present time. Not what you looked like six months ago, not that you were a raw rookie two years ago, not that you changed your hairstyle since your last tape.

News Directors only remember the people they like, even if they like them just a little.

So, you have NOTHING TO LOSE by sending a tape to any job opening, do you?

Look at the good things that can happen if you send a tape.

-You can get the job.

-You can make the short list and get the next opening.

-The ND moves to another job and has you in mind for an opening at his or her new station.

-The ND might not hire you, but passes your tape on to another ND who might.

-The ND sees talent that needs to be developed and tells you to keep in touch. You might get a job in the future.

-You stop playing the "what if" game, as in "what if I had sent a tape?" (This always happens when you read that a person in your market got the job that you thought you weren't qualified for.)

So I'm hoping to put a big dose of job hunting confidence in your Christmas stocking. Send the tapes. Everywhere. You have absolutely nothing to lose but two bucks in postage. Nothing bad will happen.

Only good can happen.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Why you didn't get the job

I have a big whiteboard in my office, with the names of clients, their locations, and where they want to go. Some are extremely talented; some are raw, but growing by leaps and bounds.

This year some got jobs, some are still looking. Is there a common denominator? Nope.

I know that many of you are frustrated as we come to the close of the year. Your goal may have been to get out of dodge by 2009 and you might still be there. We have just gone through a truly bizarre year, filled with layoffs, cutbacks, and every cost cutting measure you can think of. But things run in cycles, and it will turn around.

Still, none of that may have had an effect on jobs for which you applied that were filled. You may have been the most talented, you may have had a kick-butt tape, but you still didn't get the job.

While we can file many of these under "life is not fair" there may be other reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the quality of your work, or you.

-You're not what the ND is looking for. The ad may read "equal opportunity employer" but in many cases the station has a target demographic in mind. They may want a female anchor to pair with their male anchor who has blonde hair, so if you're a blonde woman you're out of luck. They may want a bi-lingual male and you're a woman who only speaks English. They may want a female meteorologist and you're a guy. They may want old and you're young, or young and you're old. You can be the wrong age, sex, ethnic background, you name it. In other words, sometimes you're not in consideration before you send the tape. And you'll never know, because any ND who reveals something like this will get himself sued.

-You live too far away. Okay, so I'm an ND and I've got two equally talented reporters. One lives down the street and the other lives three thousand miles away. I pay no moving expenses with the local reporter, so that's the one I choose.

-You're not as versatile. You were the best reporter but someone else can fill in on weather or sports.

-Someone else will work cheaper than you will.

-You made a phone call when the ad specifically read, "No phone calls." I know a few NDs who will not consider anyone who cannot follow simple directions.

-The timing of your contract didn't work, and someone else's was perfect.

-The ND doesn't think you'd make a good fit in the newsroom. Maybe the whole place is Ivy League and you're blue collar, or the other way around.

-This one will make you mad. You're too talented, and therefore you'll leave in a year or two. Maybe the local reporter with no big market ambition will stay forever.

-You're single and easier to relocate than someone who is married with kids. Or you're single and therefore more likely to move on than someone who is married with kids.

Are you getting the point? It's like someone breaking up and saying, "It's not you, it's me." Many times there is absolutely nothing wrong with you or your tape. The stars simply didn't align. So don't beat yourself up trying to re-think every single rejection, because in many cases you weren't really rejected... you were never in consideration. There is a big difference.

That's why I continue to tell you to send tapes everywhere. It is truly a numbers game. The more hooks in the water, the better chance you have.

The "Do Not Call" list

Rule number one of job hunting: Send the tape and fuhgeddaboudit.

Yes, as news people we're told to always follow up and be aggressive. But in the case of job hunting, it is best to send it and forget it. News Directors get dozens of interruptions each day, and they don't include the phrase "No phone calls" in jobs listings without a reason.

The only time to call a ND is if you are instructed to. Otherwise, no calls, no nagging emails, candygrams, etc. I know that waiting can be painful, but a call isn't going to speed up the process.

And if that's not enough to make you stop, consider this. If you are in consideration for a job, every time you call your price will go down. You'll be seen as desperate, and then a ND will know you can be gotten on the cheap.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Happy Hanukkah!

Best to all my Jewish friends today!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Are you miscast?

In the annals of Hollywood, it is generally accepted that the most miscast movie in history is Guys and Dolls. That's the one in which some producer hired Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando for the film, then gave Sinatra the talking part and Brando the singing part.

Last night we sat down to watch Mamma Mia. (Cut me some slack here... all New York men love musicals.) Anyway, as the movie starts I'm looking at the DVD box and note that it stars Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. So I'm naturally assuming that they must have talking parts in the movie.

Nope. Now Streep is a wonderful actress and Brosnan's James Bond beats the heck out of the new guy, but when these two sang a duet...

Mamma Mia.

If my cat Bella had sharpened her claws on a blackboard it would have sounded better.

I'm sure both Streep and Brosnan took the roles because they were a nice change of pace and a lot of fun. And that brings me to my point.

Have you tried everything in this business? Since a lot of you are re-thinking a career in broadcasting, perhaps you're being a bit too narrow minded in your planning.

Over the years I've done just about everything, from morning show weather (worst shift in TV) to play-by-play (best gig ever.) But for about ten years I did nothing but features, and then when consultants decided that no one wanted to watch features anymore, I was stuck. I had, effectively, pigeon-holed myself.

These days versatility is very marketable. People who can do more than one thing are valuable to a News Director. You may like what you do, but there might be something out there you like even better... and you might even be better at it.

Let's say your reporting career is going nowhere after five years but you're known as the best writer in the newsroom. Perhaps you need to try producing. Or the weekend weatherman quits and the ND can't find a suitable replacement. Throw your hat in the ring and give it a shot. Or maybe you've always wondered if you'd be a decent anchor but there are never any openings; ask the ND if you can do the morning cut-ins.

The point is, lots of people will have to be flexible in the coming years. You may have wanted to just be a street reporter all your life, but you owe it to yourself to explore all aspects of the business. And trust me, this will give you a lot more options if one of those pink slips ever lands on your desk.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Why "no comment" can be a great sound bite

You'd think that after years of dealing with television cameras that politicians would "get it" when it comes to dodging questions.

Nope. They actually think that "no comment" sends the reporter away with nothing. In reality, many sound bites without substance can speak volumes.

Here's something they didn't teach you in college... some sound bites don't need any words. They sure don't need any facts. And they don't need any answers to your question.

Case in point: Did you catch Obama's exchange with a reporter when talking about the Illinois Governor? Obama said, "I don't want you to waste your question," to the reporter. What he really said was, "I don't want to answer your question," and he didn't, but his tone, his body language, and the fact that he dodged the question was the "sound bite" that played everywhere. Good reporters smell blood in the water when they see things like this. Many times a non-answer is better than a real answer, as it was in this case. And every politician, Republican and Democrat, does this. It maybe the one non-partisan agreement in Congress.

I look back at the time I was assigned to ask a gubernatorial candidate about an extramarital affair (which turned out to be true) knowing full well I wouldn't get an answer. And I didn't get one. But his physical reaction (the death stare, twitchy lip that Elvis would envy) told viewers all they needed to know.

Got a tough question you know won't be answered? Ask it anyway. Chances are you'll get a "sound bite" that could be the money shot in your package.

The hot trend for 2009: Consumer Reporters

Yesterday I went to the store and bought the following items:
-Gallon of milk
-Can of Progresso soup
-Colgate Toothpaste
-Two bottles of Ajax dish soap
The total for this shopping extravaganza was $1.36.

You read that right: one dollar and thirty-six cents.

How did I do it? Clever use of coupons. I've been doing that since I was a kid.

Then it hit me. What has been sorely missing from local newscasts are franchise reporters. Specifically, consumer reporters.

The woman behind me in the checkout line had her jaw drop when she saw what my total was. But I wasn't using any government secret to save money. In reality, most consumers aren't terribly well educated in the art of saving money on basic stuff. While clipping coupons is pretty basic, there are all sorts of ways to cut costs, from re-financing a mortgage to using credit card reward programs.

If you're a general assignment reporter, you might start reading the money sections of newspapers along with consumer magazines. You see, viewers vote with their pocketbooks on election day, and they often do the same when it comes to local news. Show a viewer how to save a buck, and you've probably got a loyal viewer.

I truly believe we'll see a rise in consumer reports in 2009, and that means stations will need reporters who are well versed in the field. If you aren't, start reading. Interest rates are about to hit the lowest levels in history and that will have all sorts of effects on everyday life.

It's great to be a solid GA reporter, but throwing a clever consumer piece in the middle of your resume tape might give you an edge next year.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Christmas gifts for TV people

You know how some people are just impossible to buy for? Especially those people who really don't deserve a gift?

Well, fear not, the Grape has compiled a list of last minute gift ideas for TV people. If you were unlucky enough to draw the name of someone you despise in the Secret Santa game, here are some suggestions arranged by job title:

News Director: What ND wouldn't love to have a consultant at his or her beck and call 24 hours a day? That's why the "Bob the Consultant" action figure is the perfect gift. Just pull the string in the back and hear such tired cliches as, "You need a higher story count" or, "Do at least five live shots in every newscast even if there's nothing going on" and the all-time classic, "You need to do some research." Batteries not included, must deposit one thousand dollars into base of doll every ten days with no way of ever getting it back. Smoke blowing feature optional.

Lazy Anchor: Tired of your anchor taking two hour dinner breaks? Well, you need the "Dinner Break" watch. During the day it looks and operates like any other timepiece, but between the hours of 6:30pm and 8:30pm it runs at double speed. Imagine the surprise when your anchor returns to the station at 7:30 thinking it is really 8:30!

Logistics Challenged Producer: If you're a photog, you'd probably just buy a producer a map so he or she could know exactly how long it takes to get from point A to point B. Now with the "Time-Shifter GPS" a producer can be tricked into giving you the time you need. Simply plug in any destination, and the GPS will add 20 miles, thereby giving you plenty of time to get to your story. It also factors in 15 extra minutes to counteract any order to "drop whatever you're doing" so you have time to actually break down and pack your gear.

Consultant: No more templates telling stations how to run a newscast. Simply present your consultant with the new "Television Magic 8-Ball" which is just like the one you had as a kid, only it's filled with appropriate advice. The consultant can simply ask the 8-ball a question, shake it, turn it over, and wait for results like "more graphics" "less graphics" "more live shots" or "fewer live shots."

Photog: Tired of hearing how stressful it is to eat in the car? Now you can present your favorite photog with the "Steering Wheel TV Tray" which clamps onto the steering wheel and has plenty of room for an eight piece place setting. Charger plates optional. He'll feel right at home!

Bean Counter: Now you can drive these people nuts with the crystal canister of "500 colorful beans." But the dirty little secret here is that there are only 499 beans in the jar. Guaranteed to provide hours of fun as they count the beans again and again while thinking they've gone nuts!

Assignment Editor: Do you have one of those AEs who wouldn't know a good story if it hit him in the face? You need "Scanner Block." Just activate the device within 100 feet of the assignment editor and it will knock out the scanner, forcing him to assign real stories!

Reporter: Are you a photog who has to deal with a prima donna reporter? Now you can make their lives miserable too. The "Tripod Enhancer" is an easily concealed device that fits just under the tripod head, yet adds an extra 20 pounds of weight. Imagine the joy you'll experience watching your favorite reporter lug the equivalent of an anvil up a steep hill!

Well, that's it for this catalog. Of course, if you're still stuck for an idea, you can always buy the Grape's book. Links are on the right side of this page. Hint, hint...

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The 2009 crystal ball

While the Grape will make his own fearless predictions on New Year's Eve, you are invited to send your prognostications as well. What's in store for the industry? Will the business turn around, go in a different direction? Will stories about the economy magically turn positive after inauguration day? Will stations finally realize one-man-bands don't work, or will the bean counters win out? Will your News Director find a soul in his Christmas stocking, or simply continue to channel Lord Voldemort?

Fire off your 2009 predictions to tvnewsgrapevine@gmail.com.

Then, at the end of 2009, we'll look back and find out if we are true mystic seers.

Challenge for the upcoming week

Perception is reality.

Is the economy as bad as all the reports? Who knows? But when you bombard the public every day with "sky is falling" stories, people are bound to shut their pocketbooks.

So are we being "fair" to the economy by only broadcasting stories of doom? The old saying about the ill wind blowing someone some good is always true.

So this week, find a positive economic story in your market. Many businesses out there are doing a booming business. People are fixing their cars instead of buying new ones. Homeowners are buying energy saving devices to cut utility costs. Thrift stores and consignment shops are packed with bargain hunters.

Being objective means telling both sides of the story... and that applies to the economy as well.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

How to cut the budget without cutting people

Many News Directors are faced with some very tough decisions these days, and they have nothing to do with news.

We read of layoffs every day. Last night I found that some very good people at one of my old stations had gotten pink slipped. It made me wonder... do stations cut the obvious before cutting people?

So here are some suggestions for News Directors who find themselves with a mandate to cut the budget. If this even saves one person's job, it's worth it.

-Consultants. The number one biggest waste of money in the industry. Need advice? Send your newscast to other ND friends and get feedback. Need research? Write the questions yourself and get a bunch of interns to make the calls.

-Travel. That trip to RTNDA? Outta here. Sending your sports guy to the bowl game, World Series or Super Bowl? Fuhgeddaboudit. Local news becomes local again. If you can pick something up off the feed, do it. If you don't have good relationships with other stations in the state, set them up now so that you can share resources.

-Overtime. It is high time for someone in Congress to write legislation regarding comp time. Many people would rather have comp time than overtime, yet there is always that undercurrent that it is "illegal" in some way. If neither side complains, who cares? It is one of those victimless crimes. The system worked well years ago and can work again.

-Perks. If it is not a trade out, it goes. No more free lunches for anyone. On the other side of the coin, if you have to keep salaries down, get your sales people to trade out for more perks.

-Custom tag and satellite expenses. Paying the network a few hundred bucks for a custom tag is a real waste. It's another one of those things that doesn't fool anyone. Viewers in Podunk know that their local station doesn't have a reporter in Washington, DC. And satellite time isn't cheap. Use it wisely, and only for stories with real merit.

-Single anchors. If one of your co-anchors leaves, don't fill the position. That salary can be used to save the jobs of probably two or three other people. I'm not telling you to fire anyone, but if the opportunity presents itself, go the old fashioned single anchor route.

-Friday night football. This extravaganza has blown out more overtime budgets than I can count. The people who care are at the games... and guess what... they aren't home by the time the newscast airs anyway.

-Salary cuts. In every station there are a few people who are overpaid and under-talented. Or overpaid and lazy. Ask them politely to take a modest pay cut. If they realize they can't go anywhere else, they'll agree. Ninety percent of something is better than one hundred percent of nothing.

Meanwhile, call a staff meeting and be honest with your people. Tell them they can save a job or two if they all pitch in to cut corners. Don't abuse the telephone. Don't call information when you can look up a number on the internet. (I can't tell you how many times I've seen that one, and it calls a couple of bucks a pop.) Turn off lights in the edit booths at the end of the day. Save gas where you can, because rest assured the price will go up again. Take better care of the equipment so it will last longer. Don't print out anything you don't absolutely need. (Although you can print this out and slide it under your ND's door. But I'd rather you just send him the link.) Shake the toner in the printer when you get a "low toner" reading; you'll get another week out of the thing. Refill your own inkjet cartridges... one dollar versus twenty.

Many NDs feel it has always been a matter of "us versus them" when it comes to management and employees. Many employees waste company money because it isn't theirs. Time for everyone to be a team again. Get on the same page and save money.

You might just save a job.

And it might be yours.

The Jay Leno ripple effect

NBC's decision to put Jay Leno on during prime time five nights a week could turn out to be a stroke of genius or one that backfires. While there has been much written about what this does to prime time and how the other networks will react, little has been said about what this does to local news.

If you work the late shift for an NBC affiliate, your job just got a lot harder. Especially if you're a producer.

(Well, one thing will be easier... I can write part of your late news promo right now: "These stories and more, right after Jay Leno." That one will work every night.)

Your late news will now follow the same thing every single weeknight. Makes it harder to cross promote with prime time topics. For instance, if the drama that ran before your late news did an episode about adoption, you could run a local story about the same topic. Can't do that with a talk show.

How will you make the transition from Leno's style of comedy directly to death and destruction? 10pm hasn't traditionally been a home for comedy/variety shows. I think the last successful one on a weeknight was hosted by Dean Martin about 20 years ago.

Will Leno siphon the comedy audience from Conan O'Brien, who takes over the Tonight Show? If that happens, this affects your morning show, as studies have shown that the station people turn off at night is the one they watch when they get up. And if they're not watching Conan....

It might be interesting to see if NBC stations change their approach and the style of news presented at 10pm. Might this actually mean the return of the feature story... something that would be naturally promotable during Leno?

We'll find out soon enough. Meanwhile, I've given consultants something to do.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Interview with a photographer

Grape: We're continuing our up close and personal conversations with assorted members of the broadcasting fraternity. Today we sit down for lunch with veteran Chief Photographer Dave Lenscap. Dave, thanks for stopping by.

Dave: Hey, nice to eat lunch outside of the car for a change.

Grape: You've spent twenty-five years in the business. How are things going these days?

Dave: Well, as you're aware, there are a lot of changes going on. The reporters are getting younger and less experienced, and in most cases, they think they know everything when they get out of college.

Grape: How do you deal with that?

Dave: One blue video standup and they get with the program real quick.

Grape: I knew you guys had a vindictive streak.

Dave: Hey, it saves a lot of headaches down the road. Though I once had a reporter who simply ordered me around like I was her slave. You should have seen her standups.

Grape: Blue video?

Dave: Nah, she was too smart for that. Just a little creative lighting. She resembled Nicole Kidman but by the time I got through with her she looked like the cryptkeeper.

(At this point the waitress arrives)

Waitress: Are you gentlemen ready to order?

Dave: Uh, what kind of soup do you have?

Grape: I'm buying, Dave.

Dave: Shrimp cocktail, lobster thermidor, creme brulee for dessert.

(The waitress takes my order and leaves)

Grape: Let's play a little game, Dave. If you could build the perfect reporter, what qualities would that person have?

Dave: Oh, that's easy. Someone who wants to be part of a team. Low maintenance. Offers to drive the car once in awhile. Carries the tripod. At the end of the interview asks me if I might have a question for the person we're interviewing. Wants to talk about the story on the way back to the station. Actually looks at my video before editing, then asks for my advice while editing. Brings a box of donuts to the photogs lounge once in awhile. Says "thank you" when I've shot something good.

Grape: Pet peeves?

Dave: You got about an hour? Seriously, one trait I notice with all young reporters is that they need twenty minutes of tape to get one sound bite. I'll hear something good and they'll go on and on and on forever, afraid that they'll miss something.

Grape: Do you have any unbreakable rules?

Dave: Touch my car radio and you'll pull back a bloody stump.

Grape: Okay, I'm going to say some things and you say the first thing that comes into your mind.

Dave: Fire away.

Grape: Consultants.

Dave: $%**)!!

Grape: I can't print that on the blog.

Dave: You asked me for the first thing that came into my mind. You didn't say it had to be clean. If you wanna hold hands and sing Kumbaya, you got the wrong guy.

Grape: Producers.

Dave: Stop ordering me around and get out in the field once in awhile so you know what we actually do. Get a map and drive around the market once in awhile so you'll know logistics. I can't shoot a vo in ten minutes if I'm thirty minutes away. Unless you've got a transporter and can beam me there.

Grape: Live shots.

Dave: Doesn't fool the viewer. 99 percent of them are a waste of time. And it is rare that something is actually going on.

Grape: One man bands.

Dave: Well, blue is my favorite color. May as well have video to match.

Grape: Storm coverage.

Dave: I'm not dying for this station. But it is only a matter of time before someone gets whacked by a two-by-four during hurricane coverage. And it will be a cowboy reporter who doesn't know the difference between bravery and stupidity.

Grape: If your station should actually ask you to become a one man band, would you do it?

Dave: Well, like most photogs I've been asked hundreds of times to pick up vosots by myself, so I've sorta been doing it anyway. Not sure how I'd feel about voice tracking a package.

Grape: Would you do a standup?

Dave: If I can find my necktie.

Grape: Christmas is coming. What's on your wish list?

Dave: My News Director's picture on the side of a milk carton.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Privacy

Check out the results of the poll on the right of this page. While this is an admittedly small sample and unscientific, the results kind of blew me away.

We talked about protecting your privacy after that poor Arkansas anchor met her untimely death, but I'm convinced it is now more important that ever.

Before the Internet and station websites existed, people would occasionally send a weird letter or make a strange phone call. But now, you guys are really making it way too easy for those who might seek to do you harm.

There's simply too much information out there that is available to anyone.

Anytime I get a new client, the first thing I do is google them. I want to make sure there isn't anything out there that might hurt their chances at getting a job. I've noted that almost all young people have a personal page, which features everything from pictures to inner thoughts. You might as well just draw the bad guys a map.

Delete it all. Now.

The creeps out there can be real detectives when they target someone to stalk. They can find out the places you like to hang out, likes and dislikes, and the big one, your marital status. Maybe it's time for all the single women out there to include a fake husband (who is a former NFL linebacker) on all station bios.

Having a personal page does nothing for your career, and nothing for your personal life. If you want to stay in contact with friends, you can call or email. They can do the same. If a News Director needs to find you, he won't do it through a personal page.

Delete it all. Now.

As for your station bio, keep it very simple. Where you went to school, where you worked, not much else.

Make it hard for the people who might want to do you harm to find out more about you.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Interview with a (news) vampire

Grape: We're here today with Virginia Ham, who works the overnight shift for an affiliate in a medium sized market. Virginia, good morning. Virginia?

Virginia: Huh? (rubbing her eyes) Sorry. Dozed off for a moment.

Grape: So, tell us about yourself. How long have you been working the overnight reporting shift?

Virginia: Oh, ten or twelve years. Wait, wait, it just seems that way. Seventeen months.

Grape: Sounds like you're counting the days.

Virginia: My contract is up in 152 days.

Grape: Doesn't sound like you want to renew.

Virginia: I want my life back.

Grape: So tell me about your typical day on the overnight shift.

Virginia: Well, I get here at eleven thirty when the evening people are going home. Then I sit by the scanner waiting for something to happen.

Grape: Can't you do something other than scanner stories?

Virginia: Well, they told me that when they hired me, but who the heck is available for an interview in the middle of the night? The only non-scanner story I've done is Black Friday. I'll tell you, the opening at K-Mart was a real thrill.

Grape: You just got off your shift. What did you do?

Virginia: Car wreck at one a-m. Then a live shot at the top of the show at six telling people there had been a car wreck five hours ago and it was all cleaned up and wouldn't affect their commute.

(At this point our breakfast arrives and Virginia tears into her pancakes.)

Grape: Hungry?

Virginia: You kidding? You're always hungry on this shift. You snack during the night, then you eat breakfast, go home, take a nap, wake up, eat lunch, take another nap, eat dinner, go back to sleep. Gained ten pounds on this shift.

Grape: I've heard some people say that being off in the daytime gives you lots of time to get things done.

Virginia: Yeah, if you want to go to the dry cleaners every day. I mean seriously, how much time during the week do you need to run errands?

Grape: So how's your life away from the station?

Virginia: Ha. I nice man took me to dinner Friday night and I was so tired I did a header into a bowl of lobster bisque.

Grape: Please don't do that now. I don't think you'd look good covered in syrup.

Virginia: I'm good. Sugar high.

Grape: So the social life...

Virginia: Social life? What social life? I'm always tired, parties start when I'm going to bed and my dates think I'm bored with them because I fall asleep during dinner. Then on the weekend I want to sleep late but I wake up at four in the morning anyway. By the time Sunday rolls around I can't fall asleep and then I'm exhausted on my first workday of the week.

Grape: So, bottom line, your advice to any reporter offered an overnight job is...

Virginia: Unless it is in a great station or a way to get your foot in the door at a network, leave skid marks when you are offered this job. No stories for your resume tape, no social life, and at this rate I'm going to put someone's eye out when the button on these jeans finally gives up the ghost.

Grape: Thank you for your honestly, Virginia.

Virginia. No problem. You gonna eat your bacon?

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Hey Nancy Pelosi, how 'bout a bailout?

Dear Nancy,

While I know that the correct way to address you would be "Madam Speaker" I figured, hey, we're both paisans here. Anyway, I've noted that since all those bailout requests seem to cross your desk at some point, I thought I'd run an idea up the Capitol flagpole and see who salutes.

You know what industry really needs a bailout? Broadcasting. While rich CEOs are flying private jets to ask you for a few bucks, news people are laboring in the trenches for salaries that often fall below the poverty level. Over the years cable and satellite have killed the golden goose, and now our slice of the advertising pie is a crumb.

You want proof? Starting salaries for reporters today are the same as they were twenty years ago. But the cost of living isn't the same. If someone wrote a book entitled "One Hundred Ways to Cook Ramen Noodles" half the reporters in America would buy it.

See, you're probably thinking we all make salaries like those network people who cover you in DC. Not even close. We're shooting standups off the high beams of SUVs because we don't have enough portable lights. We're selling our live trucks and buying really long camera cables. We can't even deduct meals as business expenses because vending machines don't give receipts.

And, oh yeah, that little digital switchover you guys mandated that will create the biggest ball of confusion in the history of this country wasn't exactly cheap.

C'mon, Nance, what's a few billion for the industry that (and I hate to play our marker) let's face it, put your guy in the White House? In the language of our old neighborhood, here's how it's gonna work: you bail us out, and watch the amazing amount of positive economic stories that start airing on January 21st. Perception being reality, the stock market will rise, gas prices will drop to a buck, consumers will start spending, and life will be fun again.

Then you can go back to really important issues, like making cable and satellite channels a la carte so local stations can make a little more money and the thousand shopping channels a little less.

Please consider our request. I didn't charter a private jet or even fly commercial to plead our case. I'm just saving money and being green with this nice little email.

If you agree to this, I'll work for a salary of one dollar next year. (Wait... come to think of it, most of us in this industry already do!)

And if you're in the neighborhood, please stop by for lasagna and tiramisu.

Sincerely,

The Grape

Monday, December 1, 2008

Dress codes: What's "cool" is not necessarily what you should wear

Grape,

I see a lot of men on local news being very non-traditional these days. Goatees, no neckties, jackets with tee-shirts. What's your take on this, and would being "non-traditional" affect your chances for a job?

-Trendy guy

Dear Trendy,

Well, call me old school but conservative and traditional still rule. I often wonder what some on-air people are thinking when I see some of the "outfits" that pass for newscaster wardrobes these days. It is one thing to wear jeans when you're doing a story on a farm; but if you're in a studio there's no excuse for an unprofessional look.

For whatever reason it seems that all the fashion mistakes are made by those with a Y chromosome. Women don't seem to fall prey to dressing down.

Anyway, you asked for my opinion, so here goes:

Goatees: Honestly, they make most men look sinister. They may be in style now (they won't be in a few years, trust me) but they just look weird on people delivering the news. And by the way, if there's any gray in your facial hair (hence the term "graybeard") you ought to shave it off. You will improve your chances if you look conservative.

T-shirts instead of collared shirts: This is really a pet peeve of mine, and it seems that all sorts of sportscasters are going this route. When Don Johnson wore t-shirts and a suit on Miami Vice it worked, but that was 1986 and this is broadcast news. Get a shirt with a collar and wear a tie. If my dad were around he'd say, "So, you're going to work in a five hundred dollar suit and a five dollar undershirt?"

No neckties: I don't care how hot it is or how casual you want to appear, if you are doing a serious story you need a shirt with a tie. I don't mind the lack of a jacket in the dead of August, but a man without a tie just seems to leave a little credibility on the table.

Monochrome outfits: I've seen a few outfits that consisted of black jacket, black shirt, black tie. Unless you're trying out for a vampire in the next Twilight movie, you need more than one color.

Goodfellas extra outfits: Black jacket, black shirt, white tie. Great if you're applying for a job with the neighborhood underboss.

As for the women, you all dress so nice. (Now please, stop dying your hair.)

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Job hunting reminder

OK, November sweeps are over, so now's the time to get your tapes in the mail. And, if you missed an earlier post, you have an extended job hunting season this year since February sweeps have been moved to March due to the digital switch fiasco that's headed your way.

No openings, no problem. Send tapes to places in which you'd like to work. There will be openings eventually. Going home for the holidays? If your home is in a good market, try to set up interviews and at least hand deliver some tapes.

Remember, you have absolutely nothing to lose by sending tapes to a station without an opening, and everything to gain.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving is time to smell the roses

My problem, and I suspect many of you have the same flaw, is that I think too much.

When you're young and starting out in the business, you think too much about the future. When you're on the back nine of your career, you think too much about the past. When you're young you run into all sorts of forks in various roads that can send your career soaring or straight into the dumper. When you're older you wonder what might have been had you chosen a different direction.

Almost all of my clients have five years experience or less, and some are still in college. The common denominator is the worry I hear in their voices when presented with a choice. And with the future of broadcasting so much in doubt, the level of anxiety has gone up since I was a rookie reporter. But while you're looking to the future, and it is very natural to do so, you're missing the present.

Looking back I've gotten to do some pretty neat stories and visit some places the average person never would. Walking on the floor of a national political convention, hanging out with Jay Leno is his garage, talking with baseball heroes in Cooperstown. During all those times, the undercurrent of the future was always flowing through my brain. Instead of just enjoying the moment I was always too busy wondering if this might be the story that got me to the next level. The memories are wonderful, but it is almost like I was an observer, that these things didn't really happen to me.

While most of the topics on this blog relate to job hunting, I hope you'll take the time to enjoy that fact that you really don't have to work for a living. Sure, you're not making a ton of money, but would you rather be a roofer, wait tables, work on an assembly line? Most of those people have no dreams, no shot at the brass ring. Most of them can't make a difference, make the world a better place.

When I graduated from college my dad offered me the keys to our delicatessen, but I didn't go to college to make two hundred sandwiches every day for the next forty years. That was hard work, with nothing creative about it. I wanted to take a blank page every day and fill it with something unique.

So if you're going to be thankful today, consider the fact that despite the fact that you might have a News Director who needs to be on the side of a milk carton, you have a pretty cool job. Take the time to enjoy each day. You can keep an eye on the future, but keep your feet firmly planted in the present.

You may make it to the top or you may not. But at least enjoy the ride.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

"Get me outta here"

We've all been there. (Or, for those of you just starting your first job, you'll get there in no time.) Working at a job that simply sucks all the enjoyment out of what should be a fun career. Bad managers, run down buildings, cheap companies, backwater towns. Any or all can contribute to the feeling you have to get out as fast as you can anywhere you can.

And when you're in a bad situation, that is the worst thing you can do.

It's called "moving for the sake of moving." I've done it. Most in this business have. And guess what? Chances are, when you jump at the very first offer that comes along, you might just be going to a similar situation.

"Get me outta here" is the most common phrase I've heard from clients. I've said it to agents when I was a client.

Seriously, take a breath. Making a hasty decision to get out of a bad situation can set your career back.

Patience is a virtue that few in the news business posess. But when you're making a job change, you have to take a serious look at the opportunity. Wearing rose colored glasses to disguise what you don't want to see can land you right back where you started.

So evaluate every offer carefully. The first one might be great. Then again, it might not. Do your homework and check on the station, the company, management. If it honestly doesn't feel right, pass.

You might spend another few months in purgatory, but it might save you a trip to hell.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

The great Thanksgiving challenge

Bad enough that I have to suffer through the Detroit Lions every Thanksgiving Day, but then I have to sit through the annual Local-Politicians-Wear-Aprons-And-Serve-The-Homeless package on every single station in America.

I've worked Thanksgiving. I've done the story. Many times. You know what? I'm not sure it made a difference.

So, for those of you needing something for this last week of sweeps, here's my challenge.

-Today or tomorrow, find a homeless person or family whose life can be "turned around." I'm not talking about a lifelong wino, but someone down on their luck. A veteran who lost his job. A single mom living on the street with her kids because her husband took off. Contact the local shelters. They will know someone who is just one lucky break away from turning their life around. In this economy there ought to be plenty of people who fit the bill.

-Profile this person in your late Sunday newscast or on Monday. At the end of your package, do a tag that asks the community for help. Now, before Thanksgiving. This person or family will need a job, a place to live, clothes, maybe furniture, and a pantry full of food. It can be a job sweeping floors, busing tables, washing dishes. The place to live can be a room over a garage. Find the friendly employer, the landlord with an empty room he can't rent out.

-Follow the progess through the week. Show the person getting a a new job, a place to live, clothes and toys for the kids, eating a decent meal in a new home.

-On Thanksgiving the shelter package can be just a voiceover (and everyone, please, leave the politicians out of your stories. They're only there until the cameras leave.) Then do your regular package on this formerly homeless person or family who really has something to be thankful for.

You might think that isn't much time to do all that, but trust me, viewers can be in a really giving mood this time of year.

So there's your challenge. Save a life instead of just doing the same old story every year.

Let me know how it turns out if you accept the challenge.

Friday, November 21, 2008

JFK, 45 years later

Hard to believe it has been that long since JFK's assassination, but even now the images and events of those days are burned into my brain, as vivid as though they happened yesterday. Back then people trusted their government for the most part, and the media... trust that is now gone in both cases.

JFK inspired people in a way that hasn't happened since. Looking back, you can see he was a flawed human being with character issues, but when you're a nine year old kid you need heroes. Mine were JFK and Alan Shepard. Kennedy told us anything was possible and Shepard proved it was.

We talked about Kennedy in class a lot, especially during the Cuban missile crisis. Being so close to Manhattan we knew we could all be vaporized in an instant. There was a team spirit back then, a patriotism I never saw again until 9/11... and even that faded quickly. Kids were inspired to reach for the top.

I remember the school nurse coming into our fourth grade class, whispering into the teacher's ear, and then quickly leaving. The teacher announced, "President Kennedy has been shot. You are all to go home." After a few numbing moments, the kids in the class turned into a bunch of reporters. Was he dead? Where was he shot? "I don't know. Just go home," the teacher said.

We ran home and parked ourselves in front of the television set for basically four days. The one time we left was to go to church (packed beyond belief) and on the walk home people were on their lawns yelling, "Oswald's been shot!"

The images and events are frozen in time. Cronkite wiping away a tear, John Jr.'s salute, the natural sound of the drums as the coffin rolled through DC (with nary a word from a commentator... back then they knew enough to shut up and let the pictures and sound carry the story). We trusted television back then, we believed what we saw.

Then, everything began to unravel. Lyndon Johnson escalated Vietnam and Americans began to seriously doubt the government. When the Warren Commission ruled that Oswald had acted alone and a network agreed, it was the first crack in the credibility of television journalism. No one believed Oswald had shot JFK with a mail order rifle. (When I visited Dealey Plaza years later, it only confirmed my beliefs.) We didn't believe the Warren Commission, and since the network agreed with them, we didn't believe the network. (The one dissenter on the Commission was a congressman named Hale Boggs, who mysteriously died in a plane crash later. Hmmmm.)

But before I get off on an Oliver Stone tangent, let's get back to the original point. Trust. The media has lost it, and truly jumped the shark during the 2008 election. Now we're like the cheating husband asking the wife to take us back and trust us. The wife is objectivity, while opinion is our mistress.

How do we get back that trust? Well, it won't happen overnight. We have to become objective again, do stories that really affect people instead of just chase the scanner, provide people with information that can make their lives better. Be part of the community, provide help as only television people can.

Deliver the news without an opinion or an agenda.

Many have written that America lost its innocence the day JFK was shot, and that is a perfect way to describe the time period. It has sadly never come back. Living in "Leave it to Beaver" land might seem corny looking back, but we were happy and believed in a future. I'm not sure anyone believes in anything anymore.

But we have to start turning it around. We saw a little of it during 9/11 but news slipped back into its old tricks, running sleazy stories during sweeps and being as sensational as possible.

Time to turn back the clock.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Just when you think your life can't get any worse...

I was about to write something along the lines of a pep talk for those of you working in horrible situations, and then I read this.

If this doesn't put things in perspective for you, nothing will.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/11/20/2008-11-20_woman_blames_brooklyn_er_for_failing_to_.html

Monday, November 17, 2008

What politicians don't want you to know about honeymoon periods

A lot of new people will be taking office in the next few months, from the President on down. And there's always talk of a "honeymoon period" that the media gives these rookies... a few months to get their feet wet and make mistakes.

Uh, wrong.

Politicians know this, and will often use this time to sneak things past the media, then plead ignorance if they get caught. Problem is, they often go unnoticed by reporters who are willing to wait a while before holding politicians feet to the fire.

I remember one local race in which there was one huge issue. One candidate was for it, the other vehemently against. The guy who was against it won, and the minute he took office he changed his tune. Many media people gave him a pass since he was the "new guy" when in reality he should have gotten hammered.

When covering rookie politicians, you have to hit the ground running from day one. Treat their first day as if they've been in office forever. There is no honeymoon period when you're a reporter being a watchdog for the public. Keep a close eye on the new people. They don't think you're watching, but trust me, you'll get some really good stories if you do.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Our book made the NY Times

Check it out...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/nyregion/10legends.html

Friday, November 14, 2008

The power of the "thank you" note

I have one drawer in my desk that is filled with happy stuff. Pictures of friends, media badges from various stories, funny articles...

And thank you notes.

Nothing brightens a bad day than re-reading an old message from someone who appreciated something I did long ago. May have been advice, an opportunity I provided; doesn't matter. What matters is that someone took the time to actually take out a pen, write something in longhand, put it in an envelope, stick a stamp on it and mail it.

And while most managers probably don't save stuff like this (the Grape, though a dyed in the wool New Yorker, has a sentimental streak), the effort sticks in their minds like glue.

Emails are easy, take a few seconds, and guess what? If you're sending them to a News Director you have about a 50-50 chance of them actually being read. No one sends snail mail thank you notes anymore, so this is your chance to stand out from the crowd.

Has a News Director sent you nice feedback on your tape even though you didn't get hired? Send a note. Have you been on an interview? Notes should go to everyone with whom you spent significant time. Did you rub elbows with a crew from a network or big market on a recent story... and did those people help you or give advice? They should get thank you notes.

It's old fashioned, sure, but it just screams class. It tells me a young person is polite and was brought up right. (And manners are in short supply in this business.)

And it makes me remember their name. Down the road that could pay big dividends for you.

So next time someone is nice, take a minute and go the snail mail route. You don't have to write anything long winded; it's the thought that counts.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Good book & a hot bath... or a bad date?

A few years ago I worked with a terrific young lady who was unattached. She rarely dated, didn't want to be fixed up, and once told me, "I'd rather sit home with a bottle of wine, a good book and a hot bath than have a bad date on Saturday night." In other words, better to wait for the right guy to come along than spend an evening with one just for the sake of going out.

Yes, time for another dating metaphor. Bottom line, grabbing the first job offered just to get outta Dodge might be a bad move.

Of course these days, multiple job offers aren't exactly the norm. And if you're looking for that first job, you don't really have much in the way of bargaining power. Still, you have to be selective when making any move. The right move can do wonders for your career, while the wrong one can really set you back.

I once was so desperate to get away from a certain News Director that I took a job that was totally wrong for me. The station wasn't committed to quality, and I didn't do my homework before making the move.

So when you get a job offer, take time to breathe, step back, and take a look. Remove the rose colored glasses and get an honest assessment of what you'll be going into.

-Check the product. You can usually do this online. Is the newscast a good one, or is the quality not up to your standards?

-Check the photography. Do the packages have great video and editing? Or are earthquakes (no tripod) prevalent in every story?

-Will your job be as a one man band? This is crucial, and you need to get your job description in writing.

-Research the ND. Screamer? Nice guy? One who will give you honest feedback? And you should also find out the ND's history. On the way up or down?

There are the other things that always factor in, like money and benefits, but the important factors are those that will affect your career.

And if the opportunity doesn't feel right, get a good book. Otherwise you literally could end up in hot water, and it won't be from the bath.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The confidence machine

Wouldn't it be great if there was a device television reporters could use to turn their confidence on to its highest level when it came to job hunting?

Well, there is. It's called a microphone. Stick one in the hand of the most shy journalist you've ever met, and chances are that person will morph into a take-no-prisoners reporter with absolutely no fear. The microphone and camera and live truck give you license to act outside your personality, to become someone you're probably not. They are your shields, protecting your true self. You're almost bulletproof, protected by the First Amendment.

And that's why so many of you lack confidence when applying for jobs. No microphone. No live truck. Pit bulls in the field, wallflowers with resumes tapes. It's almost as though the resume tape sucks the confidence out of you like a vampire. Give a man a microphone and he's Brad Pitt in a singles bar. Take it away and he's a tongue tied kid at the high school dance.

It's amazing to look at resume tapes of reporters who can truly kick the competition in the field, then hear them over the phone as their self-doubt won't let them put a tape in the mail.

So, wise Grape, how do you get the confidence in the field and translate that to your job hunt?

For that, you need to watch the movie "Hoosiers" with Gene Hackman.

(At this point you're thinking the Grape is heading off the deep end, but bear with me.)

In case you haven't seen this movie, it's about a small town basketball team heading to the state championship. Toward the end of the movie the kids walk into the biggest arena they've ever seen and their jaws drop. Hackman takes out a tape measure and shows them the rim is still ten feet off the ground and a foul shot is still fifteen feet.

And by the same token, a package on the network is the same as a package in market 210. Video, nat sound, sound bites, standup, good writing and editing. There's no magic formula that makes a network or major market package any different than the one you do today.

Opportunities for young people have never been better, as my generation is leaving local news in droves. Take your shots now. And if you have to hold a microphone while going to the post office, well, so be it.

Thank a vet today

Over the years I've worked with lots of veterans, many of whom were photographers. Many had both external and internal battle scars.

All served so that we remain free to do things like broadcast news... and write blogs like this one.

Many people think Veterans Day is yet another day for shopping, but in reality it is meant to celebrate those brave souls who keep us free.

There are veterans at your station. Find them and thank them today.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

February sweeps alert

In case you didn't know, the traditional February sweeps for 2009 has been moved to March due to the digital switchover that will no doubt be the biggest meltdown in television history.

In any event, mark your calendars because this will change the job hunting season...and add an interesting twist in the spring.

The Sweeps dates are:

March 5th- April 1st

April 23rd- May 20th

This creates a longer job hunting season after the holidays, but things really get dicey in April with only three weeks between books. I'm going out on a limb here and I'm going to say most of the hiring will be done before that first book, as there will be so little time between the two books.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Merry Christmas, here's your pink slip

The end of November sweeps usually comes around Thanksgiving, and while it might put many of you in the holiday spirit, those who have contracts ending in November might be feeling some anxiety.

You see, companies want contracts that end after November sweeps. Since few people do any hiring in December, this means you don't have much in the way of leverage if your current station wants to re-sign you. (Next time you sign a contract, try to get one that doesn't end after November sweeps.)

But even though a lot of hiring doesn't take place in December, a lot of looking does. There are always plenty of changes after sweeps, so it would behoove you to keep an eye on movements in markets you're targeting. You'll see some News Directors canned as soon as the ratings come in, so you know the new person will be making some hires. And you'll read about other people being let go as well.

The point is not to get caught short. You should have your resume tapes ready to go by the time sweeps end (with copies at home, not in your desk.) Should you be one of the unlucky ones to find coal in your stocking, you don't want to be scrambling. And if you are out the door, know that you're not alone. Read the trades and find out who else is on the beach and has created an opening.

For those who live to fight another day, the time right after sweeps is when you need to do your homework as well. Find the openings that are being created before the jobs are even posted. People will be hiring in January for the February sweeps, so you need to be in position.

I've seen too many people ushered out the door who weren't prepared, and I don't want that to happen to you guys. Not trying to scare you, but warn you. This is a cold business, and you always have to protect yourself.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

News Director's Playbook: What does your ND do all day?

We hammer News Directors pretty good on this blog, and Lord knows many of them deserve it. But there are lots of good ones out there.

And a lot of good ones who have left the business. The main reason? Depending on the company, the job might not have anything to do with news.

Several years ago I came to work and found the ND with a big smile on his face. "Ratings come in?" I asked. "Nope," he said. "The GM is out of town all week. I can work on news!"

That might sound like a bizarre comment until you've spent a day in the ND's chair. Years ago News Directors were in the newsroom a lot. My first one taught me to edit with nat sound, and even had a camera in his car. Most were hands on.

Until bean counters, consultants, and corporate people who never worked a day in the news business took over. Now the job can be an endless parade of meetings, memos, and putting out fires.

So let me give you an idea of why you might not see your ND so much...

The day begins like every many episodes of the Sopranos... walking down the driveway to pick up the newspaper. But in this case you can get whacked in a different way. A News Director can't relax and read the sports page with a cup of coffee. Noooo. You gently unfold the paper and cringe, hoping some screaming headline doesn't tell you that you missed a big story.

After that lovely wake up call has given you agita, (that's Italian for heartburn) you arrive at the station and are followed into your office by either the secretary, the assignment editor, or a disgruntled employee who must, right this moment before you even take your jacket off, tell you about the brush fires that have erupted in the newsroom overnight.

Then after 30 minutes or so of putting out fires, its time for the morning meeting. That might be the only news related thing you do all day. After that, any and all of the following can eat up time like you wouldn't believe.

-Meetings. By far the worst offender. There's usually a department head meeting once each week. But there might also be a promotions meeting, sales meeting, one with some charity that needs help, you name it. Nothing actually gets accomplished during most of these meetings, but they do serve to schedule more meetings.

-Amateur psychiatry. Years ago you actually shuddered if you had to go into a NDs office with a complaint. Because you'd usually hear something like, "Deal with it or I'll find someone who will." Now there's a revolving door which admits all sorts of complaints and office politics issues. You have to do everything from break up fights to soothe egos of those who didn't get to anchor.

-Phone calls from people looking for jobs. You know how I'm always telling you guys not to call NDs? Many of you don't listen.

-Phone calls from angry viewers. Half the time they didn't actually see your newscast, or their complaint concerns a story from a different station.

-The Sales Department. In all my years I only worked with one sales guy who actually brought story ideas to the news department. (Probably because he was a former news guy.) But generally when you see these people in the newsroom, they want something. "Can you, uh... do a story about this subject? And if you need someone to interview, I have a new client." (wink, wink.) If you ever wonder why you've been assigned a story that is a blatant commercial, well, chances are it didn't come from the ND.

-Conference calls with other NDs in the group. Another "meeting" in which little is accomplished. A few of the NDs like to suck up to corporate and do all the talking. The others put the phone on mute and play spider solitaire on their computers.

-The drop-what-you're-doing-because-corporate-called interruptions. You wouldn't believe some of this stuff. Once, a corporate person called a station, was put on hold, and didn't like the music or the message. The ND had to drop what he was doing, write a script, then pick "appropriate music", then get an anchor to record the message, then get the Chief Engineer to install it in the phone system. During the middle of sweeps. On another occasion a manager had to research the activities of news cars because someone in corporate thought "photogs were joy riding through toll booths." (Yeah, I know lots of shooters who get a cheap thrill doing this.) So he had to match the toll booth charges with the stories. Another ND would get a phone bill dropped on his desk every month and was instructed to go through it and find charges that might be personal calls.

-Stuff that has nothing to do with news. Once, some staffers wanted to play football on their break in the parking lot. No problem. But they didn't have a football so they used a heavy key ring. "Director goes back to pass... he's going long... and the key ring goes through a news car windshield!" Guess who gets the call about that stuff?

-Hiring people. Not as easy as it used to be with all sorts of regulations, which include federal, state, and corporate. Watching tapes takes time, then you have to show them to the GM and you might have to send them to corporate. Wanna fly someone in? You'll have to book the plane tickets and hotels yourself.

-Budgets. This is like doing your taxes to the tenth power. And then when things like gas prices go through the roof, your budget can explode in your face.

-The disappearing newsroom secretary. These people used to handle tons of work that freed up the ND to work on news. Sadly, this position is disappearing.

-Lunch. After all this, you've gotta get out of the office.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Mailbag: I made the feed, now what?

Grape,

Your website has been an amazing resource for me. This is my first reporting job, in what used to feel like market 4,000. Your input has unquestionably helped me add great depth to all of my stories. Even my news director has told others I am doing a good job. I say "used to feel like market 4,000" because lately, myself and other reporters here at the station have had our packages aired on CNN quite often. In the last 10 days, 5 of my own stories, either video or the full package, were aired nationally. Should I be as excited as I am, or is that just CNN trying to get voices heard from small markets? Also, are those stories an automatic for the resume tape? They are a mix of some enterprising, tragic and shocking stories.

-Pessimistically Optimistic

Dear Pessimistic,

Well, perhaps it's time for a little history of the feed. And this is going to make a lot of you young people mad.

When I broke in as a reporter in 1982, every network had a feed as they do today. But back then if you didn't have a satellite uplink and wanted to get your story on the feed, you needed to dub it, drive it to the airport, and put it on a plane. But before you did that, you had to "pitch it" to whoever was in charge of the feed content. A phone call would go like this:

Me: I've got a really unusual story about a water skiing squirrel.

Feed guy: We'll take it on spec.

That meant they'd look at it, and if they bought it (here's where you're gonna start getting mad) you would get $210 to split with the photog. Pretty nice chunk of change back in those days. If your piece made the network morning show or evening newscast, you'd get up to $600.

But wait, there's more. You could also sell it to outlets like CNN and ESPN, who paid $125. CNN didn't take pieces with music, as they didn't want to deal with music rights. So if you had a really good piece you could sell it in several venues.

Then around 1990 some bean counter decided, "Hey, let's not pay these people. We'll just put everything on the feed. Reporters will line up to get on the feed because their egos are so big."

Uh, no.

So let me get this straight... the networks wanted to stop paying us for something they'd been paying us for, and expect us to make dubs, drive to the airport, etc.

And that's when the quality of the feed went into the dumper. Vets like me would get calls all the time from the feed people (who now sounded like a bunch of interns), but it was no longer worth the time, trouble and gasoline. Then they started calling assignment editors, who knew that reporters and photogs wouldn't be bothered.

That's why you now see so many average pieces on the feed. Memo to the networks: you get what you pay for.

That is not to diminish the work you've done. Your piece still has to be fairly decent to get on the feed, but it no longer has to go through the weeding out process of the 1980s. But CNN isn't going to put garbage on the feed, so your work obviously met their standards.

As for a feed piece being a resume tape piece, the "Grape Rules" still apply. Just because a story is a lead story or an important one doesn't make it a resume piece. Stories must be unique, show enterprising and reporting skills, and be memorable. Katrina stories were important but everyone has done one. A triple murder in your market may be a huge story, but it's just another scanner piece to a ND looking to hire someone.

Remember, show a News Director you can dig up something interesting, write well, do a clever standup, and use natural sound.

One good thing about getting on the feed... your piece will end up on someone's newscast and a News Director might look you up. So basically it is another hook in the water when you're looking for a job. Sometimes reporters can actually get a "reputation" for doing good feed pieces. I've heard producers say, "Hey, there's a John Smith package on the feed," since they know John Smith has done good work before.

So keep working hard and if your work makes the feed, fine. You never know who's watching.

I just feel bad that you guys aren't getting paid for it.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Don't hold your breath waiting for government to change your life, or you'll turn blue

JFK was a role model when I was a kid, and I was devastated when he was killed. Years later as an adult, I learned he was a very flawed human being.

The first time you vote, you actually believe some of the campaign promises you hear. Then as you get older you learn that most of what is promised will die in Congress, simply because of party politics. Then, if you get into the news business, you get to meet some of these people and realize many are simply in it for themselves, and have little interest in helping the people. Most of them aren't any smarter than the rest of us.

Tuesday we will elect a new President. Both candidates have promised a great deal. Regardless of who wins, many of those promises will die in Congress.

When I was growing up one parent could work and support a whole family. Watching television didn't cost anything. A ticket to a ballgame was a buck. You could take a Sunday drive and not worry about breaking the budget. Man walked on the moon. You had the same telephone in your house for thirty years and it worked every time. I remember going to the 1964 Worlds Fair in New York and having my jaw drop at all the incredible inventions that would change our lives by the year 2000. Flying cars, matter transporters, you name it. Life would be lived in a Utopian society of peace and prosperity.

And none of it came true because government got in the way. We may have technology, but the quality of life in this country has gone steadily downhill. Most products are plastic, disposable, and basically junk. The bottom line is all that matters. And we still haven't gone past the moon.

Which brings me to my point. As media people we have an incredible amount of influence. We can do a simple consumer story that tells a mother how to find a scholarship for her kid, and change someone's future. We can save a life by broadcasting medical information. We can raise money for a good cause in no time.

We can change the world in ninety seconds while Congress can filibuster a good idea to death.

Information is the world's most important commodity, and we own it all.

Making the world a better place doesn't start from the top down, but from the bottom up. You can't wait for the government to save you, you have to save yourself... and as news people you have a responsibility to help others along the way.

Look for the stories that change people's lives. Some are simple tidbits of information, some are a major influence. Get out of the newsroom and get involved in the community. Don't just do the story about Habitat for Humanity building a house, pick up a hammer and help. Don't just cover the car wreck that was the result of a DUI... hold the justice system's feet to the fire and find out why this problem isn't going away. Don't look the other way when you see something wrong; do what you can to make it right.

You have an incredible amount of influence as a news person, and it is not meant to be used to tell people how to vote or think. It is a privilege that must be used to both inform and help.

You may never know how some of your stories affect lives, but that's not the reason to do them. If every reporter did even one story per week to make the world a better place, all those campaign promises wouldn't be necessary.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Trick or Treat

Pop Quiz: Decide whether these management techniques are tricks or treats.

1. You are a morning anchor working for a cheap company. The producer has just given notice and will be leaving in two weeks. The News Director says he will hire someone as soon as possible but asks you to produce your own show, "Just for a few weeks."

Answer: Trick. Your chances of seeing another producer are the same as newsrooms going back to developing film.


2. You are the 5pm anchor. You are called in and told you are being moved to the morning show, because it is "more prestigious" and has better ratings... and will be a better showcase for your talents.

Answer: Trick. You're being demoted. The morning shift is a killer, and often a place they dump anchors when trying to get them to leave.


3. You are a reporter and your ND asks if you'd be interested in filling in for the weather staff from time to time.

Answer: Treat. Anything that makes you more versatile is a good thing. Learn to do as much as you can.


4. Your station hires a new News Director who calls a staff meeting on his first day and says, "None of you should worry about your jobs. Nothing will change."

Answer: Major trick. You just got a Charlie Brown rock in your Halloween bag. Start sending tapes.


5. You are about to sign a new contract and notice that the out clause you negotiated is not in the fine print. When you ask the ND about it, you're told, "Don't worry, that will be between you and me."

Answer: Trick. Unless it is in writing, NDs suffer from selective memory.


6. You're a reporter coming up to the end of your contract when the ND calls you in and offers you an anchor job... but you'll have to stay another three years.

Answer: This could be a trick or a treat, depending on the station and where you want to go in your career. Consider the options carefully.


7. You're offered a job with a different station and the ND makes an offer, saying, "This is as high as I can go."

Answer: Probably a trick. The first offer is generally a low one, as the NDs job is to get you as cheap as possible. Always ask politely for a little more money. The worst they can say is no.


8. The ND looks for volunteers to anchor during the holidays.

Answer: Treat. Once again, grab every opportunity you can. Who cares if no one's watching?


9. You're offered a job and told, "Occasionally, you might have to be a one man band, but that probably won't happen."

Answer: Trick. Lies this big are generally told in Congress.


10. The assignment editor called in sick and no one can find the daily file.

Answer: Treat. Finding your own stories is always better.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

The clock

Everyone does it. You get out of college and you say, "I'm going to retire at 30." Or you're going to be a millionaire at 30.

Or, in the case of people in television news, you're going to be at a network or a major market by 30.

30 seems to be the magic number. Ironic that in newspaper terms, "30" means "the end."

Then maybe you get to thirty and the goal gets slid to 35. Then 40. (Then you end up writing a blog so young people don't make the same silly mistakes that you did.)

Okay, here's the point. The "clock" that is in your head needs to be turned off, because everyone has a different timeline. There are people who hit the show right out of the gate, and there are late bloomers. And its not when you get there, but if you can stay.

I get calls all the time from people who are stuck in small or medium markets who say things like, "I'm going nowhere and I'm already 24." Geez, I've got suits older than that. Besides, I looked so young I didn't get my first TV job till I was 28. So age means nothing. Numbers mean nothing.

Here's how you should judge your career:

-First and foremost, does what you're doing make you happy? (The actual job of journalism, not the jerk you might work for.)
-Is your goal still reachable when you eliminate the time factor?
-Is there something else you'd rather be doing? Before you leave the business, think long and hard about what a job in the outside world entails.
-Are you doing better than you were one year ago?

Let's leave the money factor out of this for the moment, especially if you're a young single person.

When should you re-evaluate your goals and decide if they're still attainable? Hard to say as the future of this business is so cloudy. But if you give up on your dream too early, trust me, you'll kick yourself for the rest of your life with the "what if?" question.

I'll never forget going back to the station after doing a fun feature when the photog said, "And we get paid for this!"

Turn off the clock. Have fun.

Other people have to really work for a living.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

You must "be the cat"

Wanna drive your cat nuts? Close one door, any door, in your home. You could live in a ten thousand square foot mansion with every door open, but close one and a cat will spend its day trying to figure out how to get to the other side. And eventually it will succeed.

The point is, your career is filled with doors that appear closed. You have to find a way to open them. You must be the cat.

You'll run into two kinds of closed doors as a reporter. The first is the journalism door. Sometimes you'll be stuck on a story; maybe you have a "no comment" when you need a soundbite. Maybe you just can't find the person you need to interview. At times like these, many reporters just throw up their hands and phone in the rest of the story. But just because you run into a closed door, doesn't mean you can't find the open one. Keep looking. Be the cat and you might end up with a better story than you originally considered.

The other closed door is the one you assume has a great big lock; the one that concerns your career. You feel like Harry Potter in that scene where he had to find one key out of hundreds to open the door. It seems like the doors to big markets and networks are closed, than News Directors are inaccessible when they get to a certain level. You think that no one would ever consider you... and make up excuses not to mail a tape. Too young, not enough experience. Not good enough.

In this case the closed door can be unlocked with two dollars worth of postage.

Sorry I had to go through such a long cat metaphor to get you to send the tape. But too many of you don't believe you have a chance, that you're not good enough.

Be the cat, and you might just find those closed doors open pretty easily.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Being a public figure has serious risks

I didn't know Anne Pressly, the young anchor from Arkansas who was beaten to death. My sincere condolences to her loved ones. I cannot imagine what she went through, or what her family and friends are enduring right now.

And until police find her killer, we won't know what happened.

But here's something I do know. I have a few female clients who have stalkers and I have heard the fear in their voices. While this is nothing new, I'm hearing this a lot more than I used to. Maybe the Internet has made people more accessible, maybe too many young people put too much personal information on blogs and things like MySpace pages. Maybe the world is getting more dangerous.

Miss Pressly's tragic death should be a wake-up call to anyone who has an on-camera job. When you're in the public eye, you're dealing with everyone. While the majority of viewers who meet you in public will be wonderful to deal with, not all will have the best intentions.

When you're single and on television, you're never quite sure if the person you're dating is interested in you or the person on camera. I always found it a bit odd... on the first date, the other person seems to know you, while you have nothing to go on but a first impression. I'm sure this is a lot scarier for women than men, though men have their stalkers as well.

While you can't go through life hiding under a rock, be careful and look for red flags. Don't respond to weird messages from strangers over the Internet. Give all unusual mail to your supervisor. Report strange phone calls to the phone company and/or police. Take a self defense class. Install a security system in your home if you don't have one. I've even known a few women who've worn fake engagement rings on camera so men will leave them alone. I once recorded an answering machine message for a female co-worker who wanted people to think she had a live-in boyfriend. And here's the final no-brainer: get an unlisted number.

And station managers need to take the lead on this as well. Lots of stations are located in dark, dangerous areas. Time to beef up security, lighting, etc.

Maybe Miss Pressly's killer will turn out to be a stalker, maybe not. In the meantime, protect your privacy. It's the most valuable asset you have.

Meanwhile, rest in peace, Anne.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Hey, the grape is in Forbes!

Our book is getting some good press. Check it out.

http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/10/22/television-albert-primo-biz-media-cx_jb_1022brady.html

Clock management

"Backtiming" is an editing term by which you can make your video end at a specific point.

It is also a good way to manage your day and make sure you never miss a deadline.

Young people always have problems with deadlines, usually because they don't manage time correctly during the average news day. The culprits these days are different than they were twenty years ago. (Computer games, the Internet.) But if you use some simple backtiming principles, you can avoid some common problems.

Here's what I've often seen from reporters who can't hit deadlines:

9:30: reporter has received assignment

9:35-10:15: reporter surfs Internet

10:15: reporter sets up story

2:00: story in can, reporter back in station

2:00-3:15: more Internet surfing, phone calls, socializing

3:15 reporter starts putting story together

4:30 reporter complains all the edit booths are taken

5:30 reporter begins to panic, and slams story together

5:58 package in can being raced to control room


Can you see all the wasted time? Stay off the Internet and stay off the phone until your package is done.

By "backtiming" your day, you'll never have a problem. Let's say you have a package running at 6pm.

You want it in the can by five. That's your goal. Because all sorts of things can go wrong, slow you down, and make you race the clock.

So let's go backwards when planning your day.

5pm: package in can

3:30: start editing

2:00: start writing

9:30 start setting up your package


Obviously it is not a perfect world. Some packages take forever to set up, some take a lot of time to shoot and edit. But if you always set your deadlines an hour early and eliminate the time you spend fooling around, you'll hit your deadlines.

In fourteen years as a reporter I never missed one. You can do the same.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Mailbag: Interviews, liberals, and Play-Doh

Grape,

So I've gotten past the whole sending my tape thing and waiting for a call, but now I have an interviewed scheduled. That's great right?? Well--except it's a week away and I've already begun to panic. Any tips on how to make a good impression, and separate myself from the other applicants who have also interviewed?

-The Long and Winding Road

Dear Panicked,

First, get a paper bag and breathe into it. Kidding. But seriously, relax. You'll go on lots of job interviews in your lifetime, so get used to it. Being yourself and acting casual is the best thing you can do.

Now, some preps. First, you must be somewhat familiar with the market you're going to. Start reading the local papers online, and watch stories from the stations in the market if you can. (You might have a chance to comment on a story you've watched.) Learn some history about the state and city. Know who the major politicians are.

General current events can trip up a lot of job applicants, as you might get a test. Start reading everything you can get your hands on. For instance, who is Henry Paulson? If you have to look it up, you're not reading enough.

Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Conservative and professional.

Here's the part that trips up a lot of people. Many News Directors will drop you in the newsroom for a few hours. Don't sit around. Move from person to person and chat up everyone. The ND will later ask some people if they think you'll fit in.

Finally, don't forget the thank you notes after your interview. Hand written and snail mailed.


Grapevine,

My ND is making me do a five part series for November. This is ridiculous, right?

-Confused

Dear Confused,

Well, the multi-part series used to be the staple of sweeps, but these days few people watch the news every single night. For me, two parts is about my limit. If something is going to be appointment television for me over several nights, it had better star Jack Bauer and lots of things need to blow up.

Seriously, single sweeps pieces seem to be more effective these days. Though, as the saying goes, you're in sweeps every day. Most people don't change their viewing habits in the short term.


Dear Grape,

I often hear the term "liberal news media" yet I know some people who are pretty conservative in my station. Since you've been around awhile, what's your take?

-Miss Independent

Dear Independent,

I think the country would be surprised to find out political views are right down the middle. Since most of the national news comes from liberal areas like New York and LA, people naturally assume all reporters are liberal. I wouldn't make that assumption at all. I know just as many far right reporters as far left ones.

Regardless, too many media people are making their views public. Journalism 101... be objective and keep your mouth shut on politics and religion.


Grapevine,

My News Director is a big meanie. I don't have a question for you, I just needed to write that down and hit the "send" button.

-Ticked off

Dear Ticked off,

Wow, times have changed when it comes to relieving stress. I used to have a can of Play-Doh in my desk so I could throw the stuff against the wall.