Something new for your resume tape: the "teaser package"

I recently received a batch of packages from three different clients, and in each batch there was one piece that made me say to myself, "I gotta see this."

And if I gotta see it, so does any News Director. When you're wading through an ocean of murders and scanner stories on two hundred tapes, something unique always grabs your attention.

So, if you've got this little bit of "must see TV" how do you make sure the ND is still watching when it rolls around? After all, he might bail during the montage.

The answer requires nothing more than adjusting your slate.

Let's say your unique story, heretofore known as a "teaser package", is a piece on an alien spaceship that landed in your market. (Far fetched, I know, but this is just an example.) It's going to be your first package right after your montage.

Make a slate that looks like this:

Joe Reporter
(contact information)

-Montage
-Alien landing package
-consumer story
-feature story

So, the News Director pops your tape in the machine and your slate pops up before your montage. He sees a package coming up that piques his interest, one he absolutely has to see. So he'll sit through the montage, even if he's not that impressed, in order to see said package.

The upside is that he might start to like you after seeing what you can do with a package. If the montage didn't grab him, your reporting abilities might. In effect, you're using the slate to "tease" the News Director into hanging around, in much the same way a producer uses teases throughout the newscast.

This "teaser package" theory only works if you have a really unique story. (You might also put your standup standing next to the alien ship in the montage as well.)

If you've got a story that fits the bill, give this a shot. If you don't, find one.

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The new "franchise" reporter: truth tester

They used to be called "franchise" reporters: health, consumer, etc. Reporters with a specialized beat who brought viewers information on a specific topic on a regular basis.

A lot of those have sadly gone by the wayside. (Personally, I don't understand how any station can go without a consumer reporter in this economy.)

But after being bombarded with constant negative ads that make serious accusations, it occurs to me that local stations need a new franchise: the truth reporter.

Since libel and slander laws don't seem to apply to political advertising, the public needs help figuring out what's real and what's just politics. Wanna make a name for yourself this fall? Take the wildest accusations in your local races and dig for the facts. The beauty of this is that you don't have to look for a story; the politicians making the accusations do that for you. Take an ad, break it down, let the viewers know if it's true or not.

The residual effect is that you'll become more adept at old fashioned investigative reporting, something sorely lacking in today's newsrooms. This will teach you how to dig, how to seek paper trails, how to "follow the money" (which is always the best place to start.)  Do a bunch of these stories and you'll get a reputation with management as an old school reporter, while viewers will respect you and your station a lot more.

And you just might end up unearthing a scandal, which could be a terrific story for your resume tape. (Ah, now I've got your attention.)

How do you become a franchise reporter? Walk into the News Director's office and pitch the idea. In this case you won't do a story every day, but you'll have plenty of material as we get closer to November.

Political advertising has deteriorated so much the average viewer can't possibly know what's real and doesn't have the time to find out. That's your job.

Do it well, and you might just find a better one.

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Mob Week continues: why you should never put anything in writing

Last week AMC offered "Mob Week" during which they aired classic movies about my relatives who leave guns at murder scenes but never forget the cannoli. It was cool to see some old classics in high-def, though once you cut the profanity out of Scarface it ends up with about 42 minutes of dialogue and doesn't make any sense.

Anyway, there's a running theme through Goodfellas: don't write anything down, don't talk to anyone on the phone, because you never know who might be listening. While it's impossible to do the latter in a newsroom, the former is a smart strategy to protect yourself.

I'm talking about communicating by email, which, when you're angry or frustrated, can be the electronic equivalent of road rage.

Example: you get a snide comment in an email from a co-worker or manager. The person doesn't have the guts to say it to your face, or simply wants to get you ticked off. So you fire back, with a lot more anger than if the person were standing in front of you. Then, sometime in the future, you are presented with those emailed comments that have come back to bite you from cyberspace. You can't deny them, because they're in writing. It's evidence that is as rock solid as if you'd said the words on videotape.

Lots of managers use this tactic, sending critical comments about your work in an effort to gather evidence against you. If you get the feeling they're trying to get rid of you, and you suddenly start getting negative feedback electronically, this is an attempt to get stuff from you in writing. Nothing says smoking gun like a nasty email you sent back to a manager.

Next time you get something negative in an email, respond by meeting with the person who sent it face to face. A manager may take notes (and so should you) about what is said, but it's not as damaging as something in writing.

Remember, the Internet, and anything you put on it, is forever. This also includes comments you make on social media.

So forget the written comments, and take the cannoli.

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Yet another reason not to have a Facebook page...

This is just too damn funny...(especially if you're a Mets fan)

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/yankees-official-facebook-page-hacked-status-update-derek-jeter-season-due-sexual-reassignment-surgery-article-1.1127741

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Chick-Fil-A Rachel: the "get" that nobody got

By now you've seen the viral video from Wednesday: the guy in the drive-thru lane berating a girl named Rachel who shows incredible grace under fire.

If I'm a News Director in that market, I'm thinking follow-up. Who is this young woman who smiled through the abuse when most of us would have said, "Hey, buddy, take your free water and get the hell out." Student, wife and mom, just a single gal making a living? What's her story? How did she learn to be so polite? Let's meet her parents. Chat with her co-workers, friends.

Thursday, no interview with Rachel. Friday, nothing. Saturday, bupkes. I can't even find any attempts to contact her. No reporter walking up to the door of the restaurant, no video of a news crew in the drive-thru window asking to speak with her.

And nothing on the other half of the story: how did the owner of the restaurant chain react? Will he pay her tuition, promote her, pay off her mortgage, hire her to do public relations, put her in a television commercial? Again, nothing.

Is this story too "nice" to warrant any coverage? I'm willing to bet if Rachel had told the guy to shut the hell up and drive there would be a line of satellite trucks outside the restaurant Thursday morning and she would have been turned into a national pariah.

In a week of feel-good stories from the Olympics, apparently no one wants a nice story from right here in our own backyard.

So here's an open invitation to Rachel: if you're interested in an interview, email me. I still love a good story. And yours is a great one.

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