Hat rack

I'm a News Director and I need a reporter. I've waded through a few hundred tapes and hung up on a few people who didn't understand the meaning of the words "no phone calls" in the job advertisement. I'm down to two people I really like.

Jennifer is a solid reporter, has a good on-camera presence, is attractive, and writes well. Her packages flow smoothly and she knows how to use nat sound and editing to make her stories interesting.

Gina is also a solid reporter with the same traits as Jennifer.

I could hire either one and be happy. Their talents are so even I could flip a coin and not make a bad decision.

But Gina has something on the end of her tape that tips the scales in her direction.

Gina has filled in doing weather. She's not a meteorologist, but she did a credible job on her resume tape, and would do fine as a substitute.

And in a world where skeleton crews are the rule rather than the exception, having a reporter who can do weather in a pinch is a valuable commodity. In this case, the more versatile person gets the job. Not because she's necessarily the better choice, but because she can wear more than one hat.

Hats are in vogue again, whether you watch Mad Men or simply stroll the streets of Manhattan. And they're really popular in newsrooms. The more hats on your rack, the more marketable you are.

You may not like weather, but if you ever have any spare time you ought to hang out with the Chief Meteorologist and find out how things work. (You might also pick up a copy of the USA Today Weather book, which is a great way to learn the basics.) You may be a sports fan, so spend a little time in the sports department. You may be a Sports Director, but you'd better start reading the other sections of the paper because sports jobs are getting harder to find. You may be an investigative reporter, but you need to knock out a feature once in awhile.

Try on different hats when you get a chance. Some may fit well, and you may find you like wearing them.

The more hats in your wardrobe, the more marketable you are.

And on this, the last day of sweeps, marketability gives you an edge.

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Sometimes a reporter has to turn into a regular person

As a reporter you usually ask questions of a politician that are related to politics. Economic stuff, foreign policy, etc. But when a politician does something that comes out of left field, it is often imperative that you ask the question the public wants answered first.

I worked for a station years ago that ran a promo saying, "We ask the questions you want answered."

Examples of questions that fall into this category:

To Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Seriously, you're married to Maria Shriver...and you're having an affair with the maid?"

To John Edwards: "Let me get this straight... your wife is dying and you're having an affair... and you expect people to vote for you?"

Which brings us to the CBS Sunday morning show with Bob Schieffer. Having met the guy, I can tell you he really seems to be a regular person. And if you missed this week's show, you missed him turning into a regular guy while interviewing Newt Gingrich.

Yes, if a guy is running for President we want to know where he stands on the economy and foreign affairs... but we also want to know how a guy who says he can balance the budget can run up a half million dollar tab at a jewelry store. Regardless of your political affiliation, it's a juicy tidbit that viewers want answered. ("Are you that generous with your wife? Is she high maintenance? Or is this one of those Tiger-Woods-I'm-sorry-gifts-because-I-did-something-bad type of deals?")

Anyway, if you haven't seen this interchange, you need to watch it because it is a classic example of a regular guy asking a regular guy question in the middle of a serious interview. In between the talk of job growth and Israel are two guys in the den talking about a jewelry bill.

Viewers want their reporters and anchors to be regular people. If you act too high and mighty, you're not perceived as warm and approachable. But if you act like a regular person when the situation calls for it, you can score points with the viewers.

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Please fix the websites

The other day I was checking out a story that interested me on a station's website. I clicked on the little video thingy, hoping the screen would expand from a postage stamp so that I could actually watch the story.

But no, the thing ran in a one-inch square screen, the anchor's face the size of a pencil eraser.

Now I know many young people actually watch TV on the tiny screens of their cell phones, but the rest of us buy big screen televisions for a reason. It's because we actually want to see what's going on. You think I can read a super on a one-inch screen?

So this goes out to those who put station websites together. I know some stations have webmasters, some outsource the whole thing, others have all members of the staff contribute. Doesn't matter. These things are, for the most part, a disaster; a busy, cluttered mess that resembles an electronic garage full of junk.

So let's have en electronic garage sale. Toss the useless stuff and put the good stuff where you can actually see it:

-Station bios: It absolutely boggles the mind that some stations hide the bios of their on-air staff. Hello, McFly! These people are the faces of your station! You need to put them front and center, so that viewers can get to know a little about the people they invite into their homes. I know of a few stations that remarkably don't have bios anywhere on their site. Duh.


-Lame polls: Here's one that I just couldn't wait for the results...

"Are you looking forward to summer?"

Wow, call Gallup and Rasmussen and get them to do a focus group on that one. Make your polls interesting, timely, or just plain fun. "Would you marry Newt Gingrich for a half-million dollar account at Tiffanys?" "Which will get more air time this week: Senator Chuck Schumer or the Snuggie commercial?" Give people a reason to vote, whether it's just for fun or actually interesting.


-Top stories that aren't: A "top story" is just that... the biggest story of the day. It isn't the latest story you've got. If you buried Osama bin Laden under a car wreck two weeks ago, you get the idea.


-Too much information: Websites with hundreds of stories on the front page just send visitors into vapor lock. Organize them into categories, then put the strongest ones on the front page.


-Weird banners across the top of the page: If you have to really look and say to yourself, "What the hell is that?" then you need something else. Your anchor team would be nice, and a lot better than a skyline that doesn't really exist in some markets.


-Video players that actually work: Along with the tiny screens you often run into...players....that..just...hesitate so much that...they...sound....like Captain Kirk. Do whatever geeks do to speed things up.


-A "contact us" link you can actually find: I know most people send negative comments, but lots of great story ideas come from viewers. They can't send them if they can't find a way to do it, and many viewers are too shy to pick up the phone and call a TV station.


-Weather radar, temperature and brief forecast: Should be "above the fold" and one of the first things you see.

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Playing out of position

The Mets have an excellent shortstop named Jose Reyes. A few years ago they got the bonehead idea to sign another free agent shortstop named Kaz Matsui. Even those of you who aren't baseball fans know you can't play two shortstops at the same time. So the Mets moved Reyes to second base, making him play out of position. Matsui was a disaster at short, the experiment flopped, and Reyes eventually moved back to short, where he is now.

In Hollywood they cast the movie "Guys and Dolls" and signed Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando as the leads. Did they give Sinatra the singing part? Nope.

If you want an excellent example of "playing out of position" rent that movie and watch Marlon Brando try to sing.

In my case, I enjoyed being a reporter and fill-in anchor. But every time someone approached me about doing something on a morning show, I turned down the offer. I knew I'd be playing out of position, as the last thing people need when waking up is a sarcastic guy telling them to go back to bed and wondering aloud what the hell people are doing up at this hour.

Which brings us to Katie.

First, let me say it's easy to have 20/20 hindsight. When I first heard she'd gotten the anchor job, my very first thought was that she would be playing out of position. I wasn't sure if someone who dressed up as Sponge Bob on a Halloween broadcast would have the gravitas needed to carry the evening news.

And when you think about it, the "Today Show" is called a "show" for a reason. The Evening News title speaks for itself.

I know several people who have made drastic position changes, some successful, some not. I do know that if a particular job is not in your genetic makeup, a drastic position change is probably not going to work for you.

Sometimes you get desperate when looking for a job, and end up applying for positions that really aren't a good fit. Chances are you can do the job, but if the job description doesn't match your personality, playing out of position is not a good idea.

There's a reason NDs call me on occasion looking for a "morning show personality." Not everyone has that upbeat perky attitude you want for that shift. And not every "morning show personality" works on an evening newscast. A "five o'clock personality" is another job description.... someone credible enough to handle hard news while having enough personality to take care of light interviews.

Personality is a huge factor in your success. Make sure the job you apply for fits the one you have.

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Commencement address

Okay, so this broadcasting school (which shall remain anonymous) has asked me to deliver the commencement address. So I've been working on this, trying to say just the right things to send the starry-eyed graduates off into the real world. Check it out and let me know if I've missed anything...

Good afternoon, graduates! It is wonderful to see a group of fresh young faces about to head out into the broadcasting industry and make your mark. I know that all of you cannot wait to hit the ground running and change the world.

You've been through a long, and expensive journey. I note all the parents nodding with a look of relief, as they've probably spent more than one hundred thousand dollars to put your through college. And I know they will be happy to see you leave the house as you start that first job with a salary between fifteen and twenty grand.

(At this point in the address I will pause, as several parents will no doubt do a header into the campus coy pond. I have already arranged for a nearby nursing school to stand by with defibrillators and oxygen.)

In light of that economic fact, each of you will find some very useful items in the goodie bag I've provided. A pair of scissors to clip coupons, a siphon hose (better known as a broadcasting credit card), and a list of agencies to which you may sell your blood.

But, alas, you can't put a price on a fulfilling career. You'll be working with some of the most creative people in the world. I want you to look around at your classmates, because many of them who have been your friends...

Will be trampling you in the effort to climb up the ladder. Yes, this is an industry where you have to watch your back.

Most of you envision a working environment that looks like a movie set. You'll have your own office, field producer, photog and audio man, makeup artist, and hair stylist. Ah, now I see those parents smiling. But in reality you'll be spending your day working out of a building that could be used as b-roll for an Iraq story. You'll comb your own hair, many will shoot your own video, and if you want something done right, you'll do it yourself.

This is an industry in which we seek the truth at all costs, yet those who work in it will continually lie to one another. You may be able to trust your first boss, but you may not. As journalists you must learn to dig beneath the surface, not only when working on your stories, but in dealing with your co-workers.

I'm sorry if I've cracked your rose colored glasses on what should be a happy day, but I'm just playing Dad here, trying to prepare you for the real world. I want you all to avoid the mistakes that can set you back, and to look out for number one from day one.

So, in closing, a few words of advice to take with you on your journey:

-No one should sign a three-year contract for an entry level job.

-Have a lawyer look at any contract before signing it.

-Ask for help when you need it. Even though you are leaving here with a degree, you will find that you know very little and have much to learn.

-Photogs are your best friends.

-Stay out of the police blotter. Never, ever, drink and drive.

-Never be afraid to send a tape anywhere. You are not in a position to judge your own talent.

Finally, you should leave here knowing you have the power to change the world and make it a better place. Do so when you can.

And know that in the real world, you no longer get a ribbon just for trying. If you want a ribbon, go to a fabric store.

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