Television Reporter Tips
After reporting on TV for ten years, you pick up a few good and bad habits. These aren’t all of the rules, but just a few that stuck out.
After reporting on TV for ten years, you pick up a few good and bad habits. Even though I work for PBS, a few of my stories have included events that didn’t occur on Sesame Street. Here are a few dos and don’ts: (Dos and don’ts looks funny, but I checked this bizarre grammar rule out before moving forward)
DO
- Listen to your cameraman. (if you are lucky enough to have one) They know when you look like crap.
DON’T
- Try to memorize everything. Unless you are an amazing actor, the audience can tell when you are rehearsing word for word. Aim to remember the key points of your story and let it flow conversationally.
DO
- Get the facts right. It’s okay to look down at your notes during a live standup, especially when it involves figures and names. You don’t want to mix up government numbers by reporting “106 million lost” instead of the correct amount of “1.6 million lost”. Someone will let you hear about that one.
DON’T
- Tick off your audio guy…At all costs, keep him or her happy. They can burn you at any moment by not letting you know your mic is live, or even recording one of your pre-madonna off-camera rants. (Kasey Kasem got burned not following this rule – This link is an example: Jay’s Site: Kasey Kasem – Don’t listen if profanity offends you. He cusses more in ten seconds than in the entire movie “Goodfellas” )
DO
- Get both sides of every story. That is what will set you apart from most reporters. Try your best to keep your opinions to yourself…That’s what documentaries and newspaper editorials are for.
DON’T
- Do a walking standup unless there is a reason. Don’t just walk for the heck of it. If you are walking to show something relevant to the story, then it is a good thing, otherwise, just worry about getting the story right.
