Mailbag

Grapevine,
If a News Director is flying me in for an interview, does that mean I'm on a short list?
-J.L.

Dear J.L.,
Absolutely. These days stations aren't spending bushels of money on plane tickets and generally don't fly in more than three top candidates. You've got a good shot. In some cases, you may be the top candidate.

Dear Grape,
In your opinion, what sort of stories are the most memorable on a resume tape? Assuming a News Director gets past my montage, I want mine to really stand out.
-Living in Edit Bay 4

Dear EB 4,
For me it has always been emotion. A story that just draws you in and won't let go. Something that touches the heart while telling a great story. Or something so totally bizarre or unusual you can't stop watching. On the other side of the coin, if a tape starts with a car wreck or a house fire, I fire the clue gun at the eject button in a nanosecond.

Hello Grapevine,
I have a younger sibling that wants to get into the business. Are there any particular schools you'd recommend?
-Big Brother

Big Brother,
Over the years the best tapes always seem to come from Arizona State, Missouri, and the University of Texas at Austin. The best sports tapes always come from Syracuse. But you can still go to any college and be successful. Very often internships and experience with things like the campus newspaper are just as good as a sheepskin from a school with a great reputation.

Dear Grapevine,
Would you be my agent?
-Desperate

Dear Desperate,
Sure, right after someone develops a phone system that automates responses to calls that begin with "Get me outta here."