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Take The Web Commitment Test

by Terry Segal on August 10, 2009

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in The Web

Web Commitment
photo by jurvetson

Here’s a simple, yet effective test for determining whether your news operation fully embraces the web.

Which scenario best describes how you treat a major breaking story on your website?

1) Fully report the story with appropriate copy and video as soon as possible.

2) Provide a detailed summary and alert viewers to full coverage at 5, 6 or 10.

The second option means you treat the web as a stepchild. You’re still protecting your televised newscast as the priority vehicle. You haven’t fully embraced the web.

This strategy may work in the short term, but who knows when the short term ends?

Get ahead of the curve and start fully using the web.

The web is not a vehicle to tease people about upcoming televised coverage or to delay the full release of details. These halfway measures display a limited web commitment to viewers.

A robust web commitment will strengthen, not lessen, your overall news image.

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Story Ideas – Expect More From Reporters

by Terry Segal on August 6, 2009

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in Management

Story Ideas
photo by The Blue Boy

Content is king. You’ve heard that expression used to describe the power that programming entities enjoy over distribution channels in today’s market.

It also describes an effective tactic in the local news battle. Stations that provide the best targeted and richest news content make life difficult for competitors. Successful businesses know what their customers want and then deliver it.

News is the product you “sell” to viewers. Everyone in your newsroom should understand this concept. They should also have a stake in creating that product – in both the idea phase and the actual production process. That means people focus as much on generating story ideas as they do in physically producing them.

Making this happen requires a shift in thinking at many stations.

Too Little Reporter Responsibility

Newsrooms have generally operated in a “top-down” fashion when handing out story assignments. The news director and/or assignment editor dole out stories to reporters. Management actually assumes too much responsibility in this area.

Too many newsrooms give reporters a veritable “free pass” in terms of generating story ideas. Yes, the investigative units (the few that remain) call a lot of their own shots. But the remaining reporters rely too heavily on handouts from management.

They’ll offer ideas for sweeps material when high profile stories get a lot of attention. Then, they become silent again after the measurement period ends.

What News Can Learn From Sales

News should take a cue from the sales department where management holds salespeople accountable. Sales execs fill out call sheets that detail their activities down to the number of calls and the outcome of each.

Not suggesting a reporter call sheet. It’s a different ball game in news. However, newsrooms need to create more of an accountability standard for reporter created material.

Make It Happen

Require that reporters generate story ideas on a weekly basis. Put the requirement in the job description.

Target the general assignment reporters. A reporter with a specialized beat (health, money, etc.) should already operate in this fashion.

Make reporters realize that story ideas are a necessary part of the job. The competitive landscape demands that you draw ideas from as wide a net as possible.

Content is king. Make sure all your reporters embrace this concept. It’s more than simply covering a good story. It’s contributing one in the first place.

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Putting The Brake On Car Accident Stories

by Terry Segal on August 3, 2009

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in Reporting

Car Accident
photo by CarbonNYC

Stories on car accidents have become a staple of television news. Their significance to most of your viewers should be a cause for concern. How has or will a viewer’s life change as a result of running this story?

How does an accident, even when people are killed, affect 99% of your audience?

The above question is not meant to diminish the pain or suffering of loved ones or close friends.

Rather, it’s directed at the impact on that portion of your audience that far outnumber those who knew the accident participants.

It’s easy to understand why car accident stories are used so frequently:

  • Good visuals
  • Require only a photog – hopefully frees a reporter to chase another story
  • Easy story to cover due to staff cutbacks and limited resources
  • News staff lacks creativity to develop other stories
  • Assignment desk too reliant on police scanner
  • Inertia

Why not ask these questions when determining how relevant these stories are?

  • Does the location experience a lot of accidents?
  • Has the driver’s age seen a rash of recent accidents?
  • Was the accident the result of unusual circumstances?
  • Did the accident disrupt traffic patterns for an unusual length of time?
  • Could the accident have been prevented?

All of the above give viewers, in addition to immediate family and close friends, valuable information. It puts the incident into perspective and allows viewers to judge its impact on their lives.

Can’t get such information right away? Delay airing the story and produce a followup piece. The story then becomes more than a simple accident item.

A story lacking this information isn’t relevant to the majority of your audience.

Why use it?

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News Teases Made Easy

by Terry Segal on July 31, 2009

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in Presentation

News Teases
photo by D Sharon Pruitt

What’s the secret to writing a good news tease?

In case you hadn’t noticed, I just wrote a tease. Consider it a successful one if you’re still reading.

Too many producers struggle with news teases. They overlook their value and the role they fill. Nowadays, you can’t take for granted that viewers religiously watch entire newscasts. Too many distractions and options to go elsewhere. People switch channels on a whim.

Teases are meant to prevent that behavior. They keep the audience glued to your newscast. Make them hesitant to leave for fear of missing something.

How do you do it? What’s the secret?

The Anatomy of a Tease

Every story has one “takeaway” – one sentence that summarizes what the story is about. Use that as the nucleus of your tease.

Now, use the six basic questions of journalism – who, what, where, when, why and how – to determine the best framing of the tease. Which of these questions captures the “takeaway” in the most intriguing fashion?

The same subject matter can be framed by more than one journalistic question. Use the one that best fits the story content.

Now the tricky part. Write the tease in a way that whets the viewer’s appetite for more information. Leave a little mystery.

Don’t tell the final resolution. Viewers have little incentive to hang around if they know the final outcome.

Teases That Fail

Avoid writing teases like this:

“Former football star Hy Noone is facing charges of passing phony money. We’ll give you the details next.”

You’ve told the audience everything it needs to know. Promising details doesn’t add any suspense.

Now, let’s rework an actual tease using the ideas above.

Actual tease:

“For years customers at a local bank may have had a savings account. Now they could be sitting on a gold mine. Home Savings and Loan goes public. Details next.”

The tease gives the story away. Little curiosity is aroused.

Rewriting the News Tease

Let’s use three different approaches. The decision to use any of the above frameworks is contingent on how the story was reported. You’ll notice the flexibility that any single topic provides for creating the most appropriate tease.

Let’s write the tease from a “what” framework – framing the tease around the decision to go public:

“Customers at Home Savings and Loan are finding a new way to make their money grow. Learn about the plan next….”

Let’s write the tease from a “how” perspective – framing the tease around the mechanics of the decision:

“Could Home Savings and Loan become a gold mine for customers? Find out how next….”

Let’s write the tease from a “why” perspective – framing the tease around the potential benefits of the decision:

“Find out why savings accounts might seem like small change at Home Savings and Loan. That’s good news for customers. Next…”

The preceding teases all project some bit of mystery. Enough details are provided to pique interest without giving away the final resolution.

Good tease writing takes practice. It also requires an appreciation of what these devices do.

They’re the hooks that keep your audience attentive. Keep them sharp.

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A Better Life

by Terry Segal on July 28, 2009

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in Ideas

A Better Life
photo by D Sharon Pruitt

Times are tough for many people. Even in good times, people need help navigating through life. Viewers face decisions regarding money, health, kids, work, etc. daily.

Why not give them a helping hand and stamp yourself as a station involved with its audience? Seize the opportunity to give them relevant information and showcase your web savvy at the same time.

Here’s the idea. I call it  A Better Life.

Three families are profiled and followed over a 3-4 month period as they get specialized help from a team of experts. These people work in concert with each other as they give families sound, practical advice to meet life’s challenges head on.

Viewers can apply the lessons and advice to their own situation. The families help personalize the concepts. They also create a bonding opportunity for the audience. It’s likely each family will create a following among different subgroups in your audience.

You can migrate the information to a special page on your website that provides videos, workbooks and interactive blogs to get viewers further involved. The web component adds heft to the project. It also drives more traffic to your website.

A Better Life gives the station a consistent and highly promotable feature. It gives viewers a reason to tune in and follow along. The right mix of families creates an ongoing story arc for your station. One that viewers will follow to its completion.

Best of all, its sales friendly.

Find sponsors to help with off channel promotion and the collateral provided to viewers. Make the project pay for itself and more.

Create A Team of Experts

Assemble a team of experts. Include a financial planner, family practice doctor, nutritionist, technologist, psychologist, and career counselor.

These experts will provide advice on money, health, diet, technology (how to use and buy it), interpersonal issues, and work/career concerns. These topics represent key areas of concern for both the families and your audience.

The experts can also help you choose the families. They’ll add insight and a different perspective to the selection process.

Choose Three Families

Select three families to profile. Choose families that provide diversity in terms of children (ages) and occupations.

At least two families should have children. It’s best that one have younger kids while the other should have at least one in high school. The age range adds more variety to potential topics.

Check your market profile. If your market has a large percentage of childless households, pick one as your third profile. Otherwise, you can select a third family with kids.

Develop The On-Air Product

Plan on producing three packages each week. Each family will be showcased in one of their own reports. Because their situations are different, viewers will see more than one expert at work during the week. They’ll also see them deal with a range of issues (including ones pertinent to their situation).

The experts meet with each family to assess their situation and lend advice. The goal? Provide a game plan that gives recipients a feeling of confidence and control.

Families are given projects to complete. Timelines to gauge progress are created.

Viewers can judge their success as the weeks roll on. They’ll notice the changes taking place – both good and bad.

Integrate The Web

On-air engages the audience. The web deepens the involvement. It provides an interactive platform for letting viewers take part in the project.

Use the web to reinforce key concepts and give viewers hands-on opportunities that promote deeper meaning.

Here’s how:

  • Archive video for catching up on missed episodes and repeat viewing
  • Provide PDF transcripts for those wanting to review concepts in print
  • Create a slide show of any graphics or charts used in the episodes
  • Provide PDF workbooks of key exercises used in the episodes
  • Have each family create a blog detailing their progress during the week
  • Have experts provide more detail, when appropriate, via blog or PDF
  • Provide outtakes that add more information and/or color
  • Provide a short video conversation with family members during the week
  • Provide bios of each family and experts

Recognize The Sales Potential

This project lends itself to sponsorship. It provides a positive, feel good environment.

Its duration will keep a sponsor’s name in front of viewers for a good period of time. All collateral material (slides, workbooks, etc.) can include sponsor identification, extending visibility off-channel after the project ends.

Talk to sales.

Recognize The Value

Ambitious? Yes.

A Better Life requires a great deal of planning, follow-through, and commitment. My guess is those requirements will scare away many stations.

You’re different. You want highly promotable and relevant material in your newscast. You want to engage your audience. You see the value in projects that marry on-air with an internet component.

Go do it.

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The Web Can’t Save You

by Terry Segal on July 15, 2009

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in The Web

Website Safety Net
photo by Gravestone

The web can’t save a poorly produced news package. The report either works on television or it doesn’t.

I recently saw a package that featured the best month to buy certain types of products. Its goal was to provide a cheat sheet for getting the best bargains. Furniture in January. Electronics in April. Lawn mowers in October.

Great idea. Poor execution.

The reporter raced through a twelve month summary that was positively dizzying. The video was solid, but no on screen supers or graphical support to help viewers keep track. What month are we in? What product is that? It all ran together.

Her on-set close directed people to the station’s website for a summary list. It’s as if she was saying, “People I know that was a lot information. Kind of confusing. Check here to make sense of it.”

Using the web to augment the report was good. But a poorly produced package in the first place drained viewer interest. Most probably never checked out the web. Lost opportunity.

Use the web to add value and depth to your reporting. Just make sure that the on-air package can stand on its own. Your website is not a safety net for poor reporting.

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News Bias – Why The Bad Rap?

by Terry Segal on July 10, 2009

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in Reporting

News Bias
photo by Vincepal

The recent Michael Jackson coverage proved one thing – people see what they want to see. Some saw the media coverage as overblown; others saw it as justified.

Everyone sees the world through their own unique lens. Call it their personal worldview. Yours is shaped by all the experiences you’ve had in life. No two people share the same life experiences. So, each of us has a different way of looking at things.

What’s that got to do with news reporting? Plenty.

You’ll never produce a story that all viewers see in the same light. Can’t happen.

Be prepared for critical comments regardless of how good you think your effort was. Your claims of balance and objectivity will always prove hollow to some people.

Just be certain that you’ve satisfied the only critic that really matters.

YOU.

You’ll know when you hit a home run. You’ll also know when you cut corners or took the easy way out. This internal evaluation will gain greater precision through experience. Here’s where being honest with yourself really pays off.

Better yet, be open to constructive criticism. Don’t feel threatened or take it personally. Analyze dissenting viewpoints. See if another perspective will change your worldview. Maybe broaden it or make it more inclusive.

Brings me to the final issue of bias. Critics always contend that the news media is biased. Guess what? It is.

So is the audience.

People see what they want to see. The charge of being biased will always be subject to the worldview of the person making the charge.

Here’s the dirty little secret. Your reporting is biased. The way you view the world injects your own bias into everything you do – your story selection, your shot selection, your choice of copy, your choice of people to interview, your framing of the story, etc.

Reporters like to think they’re objective, but they’re not. You’re human – you can’t produce work that is stripped of your bias.

Neither can your audience and critics view your work free from their own bias.

Until people recognize these conflicts for what they are, your efforts are always subject to criticism and charges of bias. Comes with the territory. The boos and applause are always there.

Just make sure you can look at yourself in the mirror at the end of each day. Hope you feel good about an honest day’s work.

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How To Own Your Top Story

by Terry Segal on July 7, 2009

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in Presentation

Top Story
photo by Bob Jagendorf

You’ve got your top story for this evening. Now, go own it. Treating the top news story with a single reporter package adds nothing to your news “cred.” The other guys are taking the same approach.

Be different. You need to provide more insight and value. Give viewers additional items. You need to own the story. Here are five ways to make it happen:

Personalize the story

How does the story affect people? Report the event through a personal story.

Find a parent affected by the cutback in school lunches. Find a commuter affected by the road closure. Find a business owner affected by the utility rate hike.

News becomes more relevant when people put a face on developments. People relate to people, not disconnected ideas.

Put the news into context

What does it mean? Make sure viewers understand the impact of events on their lives. Experts can help with tricky subjects.

Talk to a financial planner on what employees can do with retirement accounts after a local plant announces its closure. Speak to a defense attorney to explain legal options for a person just indicted for a crime. Let a consumer affairs expert outline warranty options for car owners after the local dealership has shuttered.

Make the package more than a “talking head.” Personalize the story. Interaction between the affected party and the expert can add a human touch.

Add perspective

How did we get to this place? Giving the history and/or background of events leading up to the news can prove illuminating. A history lesson is warranted for events that have taken months or years to unfold.

Background stories showcase your grasp of issues. They provide viewers with a timeline that highlights your news depth and commitment.

Look forward

Where do we go from here? A news event is often the first step in a long journey. Give viewers a look into that future. Twists and turns may await them – make sure that you point them out.

Suppose your city council just increased property taxes. Will the property tax hike force more foreclosures? Will businesses find the city too expensive for relocation? What city services are likely to avoid cutbacks? Will revenue from this hike protect the city’s bond rating?

Viewers don’t expect that you have a magic crystal ball. You can’t predict the future, but you can alert them to its possibilities.

Get viewers involved

Ask for immediate feedback from viewers. Internet polling, email solicitation, Twitter reaction, etc. provide a hi-tech “man on the street” equivalent. Give your audience a feel for how fellow viewers are reacting.

Today’s viewers want to participate in news. They’re aware that you can make this involvement happen. Seize the opportunity.

Savvy businesses recognize that customer interaction is now a two-way channel. Consumer loyalty and satisfaction is highly influenced by the quality of that dialogue.

Provide opportunities for viewers to interact with you. Stations providing that connection will ultimately prosper.

Every station has a top story. It’s often the same item across all stations on a
given night. Your job is to convince viewers that your presentation offers more value and insight. Otherwise, why watch?

Make a difference. Own your top story.

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Three Things to Avoid in Late News Updates

by Terry Segal on June 30, 2009

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in Presentation

Late News
photo by tomt6788

It’s not good for business or morale when the late newscast rehashes the earlier program. Stations use a variety of tactics to give each a distinct flavor. Yet, efforts to distinguish between the two sometimes cause more harm than good. It’s time again to question certain news conventions.

“New” is a Double Edged Sword

Some stations flag stories in their late newscast with the tag, “New at 11″ or “New at 10″. I don’t get it. What does that say about the other stories? Are they “old?”

The solution? Tag stories from to convey a “bonus” orientation rather than setting up an old vs. new comparison. You still get credit for updated late news material without diminishing the value of other stories.

The purpose in tagging such material is to demonstrate that the late news is not a repeat of the earlier edition. Alert viewers to new material and you convince them of that fact.

Yet the terminology seems contradictory. It emphasizes the problem rather than correcting it. Stations don’t flag any stories in their earlier newscast with tags like “New at 6″ or “New at 5.”

How about “11:00 Extra” or “More at 11″ or “11:00 Bonus”? All suggest that you’ve added these stories to the late program. You also avoid hinting that the other news is a carryover from earlier in the day.

Whatever you call it, make sure the news is truly fresh for the late broadcast. I’m writing this post after watching a local station introduce video shot during the afternoon as a “New Development.” in their late news. No updated copy or reporter tag. It’s not a “New Development” at 11pm if your video was shot at 12 noon and not updated.

Live Reports Leave Reporters Stranded

What’s wrong with the following technique used to make the late news appear more updated? A reporter does a live shot at the scene of a story that ran earlier in the day. The reporter stands in front of a darkened building that viewers are unable to see. The reporter makes reference to the building by pointing over his or her shoulder as if to convince viewers of its location.

The reporter intros the package which features daytime footage. The package often runs without re-editing from its earlier version. The reporter signs off and the anchor moves on to another story.

The live component looks forced as viewers wonders why the reporter is placed in front of a location they can’t see. Little is added in the way of new information. Truth is, the story could easily have been delivered in-studio or even by an anchor leadin.

Wouldn’t it validate the live component if the anchor asked the reporter a question that updated developments? Why send a reporter live offsite and then not interact with him or her?

You need to use live trucks to justify their purchase. You also need to use them in a fashion that better showcases their value to viewers.

Weather Recap Woes

Someone once said that weathercasts aren’t history lessons. Nowhere is that truer than in the late evening. Viewers are focused on tomorrow – especially parents and commuters looking for early morning conditions. Focus your weathercast on giving viewers a look ahead. That’s where their attention lies.

Recaps of highs/lows around the viewing area come across as old news. So does an almanac of the day’s conditions. This issue is even more pertinent when weather conditions fall within the norms. You’re giving viewers even less valuable information when taking this approach.

A day featuring extraordinary conditions doesn’t change the orientation of late evening weather. Such conditions warrant coverage earlier in the newscast.

Make sure the weathercast focuses on the future. That’s true for every weathercast, but especially so late night. It’s not the time of day for a look back.

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Grow Your News With Niche Content

by Terry Segal on June 29, 2009

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in Insight

Niche Content
photo by tinou bao

You’ve heard it a million times – we live in a niche world. The internet has both broadened our world and shrunk it at the same time. You can drill down to the most specific qualifier (organic, free trade, South American, ground, decaffeinated coffee) and not feel limited by the physical location of the supplier. You want it, you got it.

Your viewers can satisfy almost any taste or desire, no matter how unusual.

TV news struggles against this backdrop. Its business model embraces that of the mass merchant. The aim is deliver tonnage. Precision is not a criteria.

Carving the audience into 18-49 and 25-54 segments doesn’t qualify as niche
marketing. Never did. I used to remind people that Grace Slick of Jefferson
Airplane and Tricia Nixon both fell into the women 18-49, college educated, high socioeconomic demo. How precise is that?

The current sales model for local TV news won’t support further slicing of the audience. It’s geared to delivering as many bodies as possible.

So, the product continues to aim at being all things to all people. Too many
stations run similar stories and offer almost identical weather forecasts. News formats run together with even commercial breaks occurring at the same time.

The trend is toward offering more sameness. Video news sharing arrangements have sprouted in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Tampa to name a few. Will the process free up resources to craft other stories, or simply be used to cut costs?

Mass is becoming smaller now. It’s time to think niche to get bigger.

How Niche Thinking Succeeds

Incorporating niche thinking into the sales process may be difficult. Not so in the programming and production arena. Your ability to grow news ratings depends on your success in adding niche content to your news.

Forget about appealing to your entire DMA. Especially if you’re chasing the news leader. They already beat you there.

Recognize there are pockets and clusters of viewers within your market that are receptive to newscasts that meet their interests. They’re waiting for you. Target them and satisfy their demands.

Here are two such examples from my days at GOCOM. KSPR was a distant third in news in Springfield, Missouri. Springfield is a midsize market from a population standpoint, but a big one in terms of geographic area.

Our niche solution was to concentrate our news coverage in Springfield and cede the rest of the DMA to the competition. The station became totally Springfield-centric. Our news trucks never left this defined area.

We even produced other local programming that highlighted Springfield activities. The station soon recorded its highest news ratings in history.

The newscast also began with a one minute weather segment that gave viewers a complete seven day forecast. Right at the top. If you wanted weather news, you didn’t have to wait. This segment didn’t tease the forecast, it gave you the details in full glory.

Springfield news and weather – the news niche. The station got bigger by thinking smaller.

Thnking niche drove our Chico, California station from third place to first in news in one rating book.

Chico stations compete in a split market with Redding and Chico. We identified that the viewers living between both cities in the area called North Valley felt underserved by all news stations.

Our news effort focused on this area and its viewers. The station even changed its call letters to KNVN – North Valley News. The first place results speak for themselves. KNVN found success exploiting a niche.

Find and create your niches. Some are subject oriented. Some are geography based.

All require a change in thinking. Giving up the concept of being all things to all people. That thinking embraces the mass appeal concept that worked when people only had three or four sources for news.

Other news and information sources cater to your viewer’s specific interests. They’ve grown accustomed to this attention. Your news must take a similar approach.

Offer specific targeted news to key segments of your audience. You’ll grow your numbers and build the loyalty so critical to your future success.

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