Mailbag, Easter edition

Dear Grapevine,

Simple question. Can anyone in management be trusted?

-Paranoid in Peoria

Dear Paranoid,

Simple answer. Usually not. (And by the way, you're not paranoid if they really are out to get you.)


Grape,

I have an interview coming up next week. Any preparation tips besides dressing professionally and being on time?

-Market jumper

Jumper,

Well, I used to give people current events tests and writing tests. For current events I'd usually have twenty questions ranking from national politics to pop culture. For the writing test I'd pull three horribly written stories off the wire (not hard to find) and ask the applicant to re-write them. One would always be a feature so I could see if the person could be clever.

It always helps to know stuff about the market regarding politics. Read the local paper online before you go, and make sure you've read everything you can find the morning of the interview. Check out the station's newscast online if you can.

Don't forget to put a hand written thank you note in the mail the day after your interview. No emails, no phone calls.

By the way, I once gave a current events test to a young woman who actually said, "I want to anchor. Why do I need to know current events?" Incredibly, she later got hired at a bigger market. (And yes, she was drop dead gorgeous.)


Grapevine,

How many tapes should I send out for my first job? And should I wait to see openings or just send them?

-News Rookie


Rook,

Well, make a list of the places you'd like to work, then send out tapes whether they have openings or not. Entry level shops always have plenty of openings throughout the year.

There's no rule about how many tapes you should send. But if you've sent more than fifty and haven't gotten a nibble, it is time to look at re-doing your tape.


Grapeman,

Why do stations pay consultants to tell us stuff we already know? These people come in like they own the place and I've never learned a thing from them. Why do we have a News Director if we need to pay a consultant? We could hire more photogs for what we pay these people.

-Frustrated

Frustrated,

It is all part of the blameless society. If the ratings take a dive, a News Director can always blame the consultant for giving bad advice. It is the ultimate CYA.

And for what it's worth, you can never have enough photogs.