“So You Want to Tell Stories, Eh?”An Overview of Being a Professional Journalist

Michael Price – Bank of AmericaApril 17, 2012

Michael PriceFormer television journalist turned MBA and retail banker, focusing now on making presentations for a living.

• 2 years - Communications Consultant @ Bank of America

• 2 years - Television Photojournalist @ Marion County Public Schools

• 3 years - Television Bureau Chief / Reporter @ WCJB-TV20 (ABC) Gainesville / Ocala

• 3 years - Student Radio Personality @ WRUF-AM 850, Gainesville

Me: 10 years ago…

Why Consider Being a Journalist?

• I love writing• It looks exciting• I care about my community• Uncovering the truth• I want my face on TV /

People to hear me• I want to be famous

Being a Journalist: The Good• It’s exciting

• Meet interesting and famous people

• Access to people, places, and events you wouldn’t get otherwise

• Use your writing and networking skills to make a living

Joe GirvanSports AnchorESPN 760 (Radio), WPTV-TV (NBC), WFLX-TV (Fox), West Palm Beach

Joel HartleyPhotojournalist / Video Editor • Marion County Public Schools• Freelance Photojournalist for Cox Sports Television

(New Orleans) and CSS (Atlanta)

Sarah WojcikPolice Beat ReporterEastern Express Times, Bethlehem PA

Being a Journalist: The … Um, Not as Good

The pay isn’t so great

98%

2%

2% of journalists:

OMG I’M RICH AND WEALTHY AND

SOCIALLY SECURE

98% of journalists:

Make a living

*Purely unscientific numbers supported by no data or facts … it’s just to illustrate my point.

WORKLife

Being a Journalist: The … Um, Not as Good

Dating Family Hanging out with Friends

Different Types of Media

“He’s got a face for radio…”

“…and a voice for print.”

Print / Online Radio Television• Just be a good

journalist!• More casual dress• Guys, no make-up!

• More detailed, in-depth stories

• Photos with captions help tell your story

• Sound the part • Go live without a

prompter or script• Look the part for

“remotes”

• Look and sound the part.

• Go live with or without a teleprompter

• Make up!

• Words have to paint the pictures of news / sports

• “Nat sound” can help propel your story forward

• Your video and “Nat sound” is the most compelling part of the story.

• Your words complement the images.

Print / Online Radio Television• Opinions are expected

(editorials)• More scripted /

controlled

• Make press time for the morning edition (print)

• Updates can be any time (online)

• Stories are snapshots of a point in time written in the past

• Opinions are bread and butter of the medium through talk shows (not in newscasts)

• Time is precious• Not usually room /

appropriate for opinions (sports are ok) – unless you have a talk show format

• News / Sports are always happening

• Updates can be any time

• News / Sports are always happening

• Updates can be any time

What You Need To Get the Job Done• Writing Skills

– Quickly answer “So What?” and “Who Cares?”– Write under deadline pressure– Limited space / time to present your story– Write to your video / sound / photos

• Good Awareness, Vision, Hearing– You have to uncover the best stories– In broadcast, you have to be able to balance and edit audio / video

• Organization Skills– Keep tabs on potential stories / follow-ups– Generally cover multiple stories in a day… plan carefully!– Back up equipment! Just in case!

• People Skills– People are your most important resource! They generate the news and provide quotes and sound bites!– Contacts in the community provide leads – but you have to maintain the relationship– You always have to answer: “What’s this person’s motivation?”

A Day in the Life: How a Team Works Together

Assignment Desk – Keeps track of story ideas. Assigns stories to

reporter / photographer teams.

Reporter / Photographer – Goes into the field and covers multiple

stories per day.

Reporter – Writes the story. Good ones coordinate with their photographer.

Photographer – Submits photos or edits audio/video. Good ones coordinate

with their reporter.

Producer / Editor – Decides the order and the format in which

stories will be presented.

Production Crew – Airs the piece (broadcast).

News Director / Copy Editor – Reviews and approves stories.

What Else Can You Do?

• Communications• Public Relations• Politics• Sales

• Anything that requires someone with awesome people and communications skills!

Uncover the details

and capture

the images to tell the right story

Assemble the Story with the

right words

and images

Story is approved by

News Director

Share story with

thousands of viewers every

day

Story is approved by the same co-workers who provide me

information

Share story with

thousands of employees every week

Assigned a story by my Assignment Desk team

Something newsworthy

happens

Bank of America has an

opportunity to improve and

better serve its customers

Assigned a presentation by my boss

What I did then as a reporter…

What I do now as a communications consultant…

How Do You Break In the Biz?

• Shadow, volunteer, get on somebody’s radar!• Do it for the right reasons!!