Pitch, shoot, write, edit, vo sot, pkg, live shot, web and social – this is the daily mantra of many multimedia journalists or MMJs. It’s a lifestyle few understand and many assume is glamorous.
Eight tasks to complete on deadline during an eight hour day takes quick decision making skills, planning and adjusting. That’s why this position and the journalism industry itself requires massive dedication and passion for the story. Many think ‘being on TV’ would offer glowing benefits, I can tell you it doesn’t.
So why do it? Let me tell you.
My name is Cassandra Bretl and I am a Multimedia Journalist at 13 News WREX in Rockford, Illinois. It’s a smaller market but at times requires the frame of mind found in bigger markets. Within a little over two years at WREX, I’ve had five positions and created a series that airs every week called Hidden Gems in Our Region.
Within this short time, I’ve experienced what many journalists would in the duration of their entire careers. Not one journalist, who likes what they do, will tell you they would rather be anywhere else than in the newsroom, in the studio or out in the field when a story breaks. The energy shifts. In the newsroom, phones are ringing every couple seconds and producers are pounding on the keyboards. In the studio, anchors are reading over scripts under bright lights and paying close attention to the details viewers at home are going to want to know. Out in the field, reporters are setting up their cameras, getting their mics checked and preparing to stand-and-nod to show off team coverage.
It’s an all hands on deck experience and it comes with the feeling that what you do matters. News is a tool for people to gather information. It’s a resource to turn to so people can leave with a better understanding of how to live and make effective decisions.
In a business where every second counts, how does one approach their work day in a way that’s efficient, covers both sides of the story and presented in a way for the viewer to understand after listening and watching only once? It’s a pretty tall order and every journalist has a different method to their work flow.
It starts like this: Pitch a story people care about.
News directors often want MMJs to fight for the lead story. This must be an idea that contains new information, new video, new sound or a new angle that advances the story forward. In most cases, it’s all of the above.
MMJs on a quest for a pitch aren’t particularly bothered by the pandemic. In a world where everything is new, pitching a story turned into asking questions and seeking out the answers. But in a pre-pandemic and post-pandemic world, enterprising looks different. A clear focus and an ample understanding of what’s at stake for a community is necessary to drive the ‘why should people care’ portion of the story. If you don’t get that portion right, the viewer tunes out or worse switches the channel.
Shoot creatively and in a way that looks appealing to the viewer.
After a story pitch gets the green light, the MMJ quickly goes on to interviewing the subjects of the story and shooting video so that the viewer doesn’t turn a blind eye. This can be achieved with strategies in mind; like interviewing specific characters for the angle of the story and getting video that’s dynamic, dimensional and demonstrational. These layers blend together to create a visually interesting, smooth but attention grabbing piece.
Then write, write, write.
For a story that’s only a minute and 30 seconds long, how hard can writing be? It can actually be challenging because writing for broadcast means slapping the viewer in the face with words. Buzz words, as we like to call them, can make it or break it on TV. It’s sometimes the reason a viewer stops aimlessly scrolling through social media and gravitates towards our content.
Writing has to be quick, to the point, present all the necessary facts and be compelling all at the same time. The options to do this and to do it well are limitless and it’s a skill all journalists are striving to improve on.
Editing can take on a life of its own.
This process is also a creative craft that can take on many different directions. Editing is layering pieces of video and sound over what the writing is talking about. The story should show the viewer what they hear. It’s a calculated step that makes all the difference. What video will entice the viewer to watch more? What video is striking to where it will last after the story is over but still go along with the elements of the story? If the video is stronger than the writing, how can it be used effectively?
On air.
All of those elements are put together in a story or a segmented piece to air live. Was it useful? Does the viewer enter into the next story feeling confident that their questions or concerns were addressed? Does it mention both sides without picking a side? Can people feel a relation or connection to the story?
A pitch turns into a story told to one person which turns into a story told to all. It’s a craft carefully calculated so those watching and/or listening make informed choices. It’s a data driven, stress inducing, thought provoking, on-the-run job which promises interaction and inspiration at every corner. The craft is like a newscast, it constantly evolves. But the craft is unlike a story because it never really ends.
