Ways to stay Organized as a Journalist

Time Never Stops

Some days, it seems like hours go by faster than seconds. We are always on the go, staying busy and active. We want the clock to slow down, but it never does. 

Sometimes it can be very overwhelming as a news team member. There is always a long list of things that need to be done; and most of the time, under a steadfast deadline. However, we have the power to help ourselves. It's time to learn some organization tips, friends!

When was the last time you stayed a little later after a shift to re-organize your desk? I don't know about you, but I bet you're smiling right now. Ha - let's get started... 

Clean out your snack drawer and replace it with your go-bag. Add the following: Protein bars, dried fruit, nuts; hair spray, make-up, rain boots/tenni-shoes; pants, sweater, rain jacket/umbrella; bug
spray, sunscreen, water bottles; batteries, chargers/portable chargers, SD cards; notebook and pen, etc. After that, organize the other drawers and check your desk surface items around too. Done yet? Good. Now, nothing stands in your way! You are organized and prepared for anything. 

Next up, reorganize your monitor. If you're anything like me, you have thousands of files saved on your desktop. It is time to move them elsewhere. Also, if you need to delete a bunch of saved tabs in your browser, do it. And ... while you're add it, check that email inbox and start deleting. You better get started. That could take days! But in all seriousness - do what you need to do to make your life easier. Make your workspace work for you.

Then, check-out your calendar. Don't use it just to plan new stories. Use it as a reference. Are you recording all of the stories in the month overview section? If not, I'd start doing that today. For example: May 1, 2019 - "Kroger Shooting," May 2, 2019 - "Tornado touchdown," May 3rd, 2019 - "UPS employee 60th Anniversary" ... May 4th, 2020 - "Coronavirus PPE," etc. I suggest writing down short notes in each calendar box for every day that you report. You never know when you may need to look back at something. These personal logs will help you find these specific stories in your newsroom achieves faster. And if that didn't sway you, you will also be able to see a physical log of your growth as a journalist. 

Like I briefly hinted at earlier, use your calendar as an agenda to stay organized. Plan stories in advance, and always be on the lookout for new stories. Being able to pitch 5+ story ideas in one editorial meeting, will suit you well as a journalist. 

Lastly, save every contact number that ever meets your work phone. Connections matter. You never know when you may need them again. Even if you have to save a person as "Molly Jett - Bellarmine, black hair, JCPS story," do it! That way, if you can't remember his or her name next time, you've got a back up. For instance, can't remember that JCPS contact's name? Go into your phone's contact search section and type "black hair JCPS." Look at that - it pulled up "Molly Jett" and now you've saved yourself some extra time! Be efficient when it comes to saving and organizing your sources. It will help you more than you know.

Of course there are many more ways to stay organized as a journalist, but these have helped me the most so far. As always - look for ways to help yourself; and never stop to think you can't improve. You are very capable!

Co-workers: Communication is Key

                                Is there such a thing as "over communicating" with co-workers?

My 2019 WHAS11 colleagues

Newsrooms are loud. Newsrooms get busy. Newsrooms stay alert. Just like a newsroom, a news team does all this and much more. Each shift has a routine, and each team member has a job. Most of the time, people are working solo on a project; and other times, people are working as a team to get the job done. Either way, if said person does not communicate updates, then the rest of the team is unaware of what's going on. This is why it is so important to over communicate in a newsroom. In other words, lack of communication can lead to several problems, especially when a newsroom is full of teamwork scenarios. 

Conversations go a little something like this... 

Questions from producers to reporters:  

• Any update on your 4 o'clock hit? Will your package be ready?
• Did you make it past the traffic? I moved your live hit at 6:43pm to 6:17pm, will you be ready? 

Girl Power: Reporter Colleagues

Questions from news directors to reporters:  

• Where is your script?
• Are you back from your story yet?

Questions from editors to reporters:

• Where is your story? Can you WeTransfer it? We only have five more minutes until the top of the show.... 
• Do you need more b-roll for your Fourth of July promo package? If so, I need IT to open up last year's Fourth of July folder.

Questions from the assignment desk to reporters:

• Do you need me to call Jeffersonville's public information officer for you?



Rob Harris, WHAS11 Morning Reporter

• LMPD just got back with us. I'm sending you the arrest slip. Do you need the officer's number?

 Questions from the web team to reporters:

• Will you send me your webscript before you leave?
• Here is an interesting article from ABC Network, want to spin your version of it?

 Questions from the weather team to reporters:

• There will be flash flood warnings throughout the tri-state area. Would you like a list of specific counties for your story?
• We have viewers concerned about the heat for this upcoming weekend. Will you send me car footage to use for my 5am hit?

Questions from reporters to the newsroom:

• My interview for the domestic violence story was a no show. May I switch to my Dare to Care food donation story?
• I left my SD cards at the station by accident. Can you send a photographer to meet me?

2019 WHAS11 colleagues

As you can see, there are scenarios upon scenarios when it comes to conversions between co-workers in a newsroom. If one person fails to send updates, all hell could break loose. This is why God created Slack, Zoom, email, Messenger, etc. Newsroom co-workers were born to become team members and collaborators. Whether you are working solo for the day or not, always keep your co-workers in the loop, even when you think they already know. AND, the same goes for you - news intern. Stay alert and be communicative; ask questions. It's just respectful.

So to get back to my original question:

Is there such a thing as "over communicating" with co-workers? 

The answer is - absolutely not. 

Me on my last day at WHAS11

April: Vocab of the Month

1. Finial: The part of a letter known as a finial is usually a somewhat tapered curved end on letters such as the bottom of C or e or the top of a double-storey a.
2. Hue: Refers to the dominant color family of the specific color; shades of a color. 
3. Chiaroscuro: A technique employed in the visual arts to represent light and shadow as they define three-dimensional objects.
4. Juxtaposition: The act of positioning two or more things side by side or close together. For example, overlapping two images together in impossible combinations.
5. Pixel: Any of the small discrete elements that together constitute an image (as on a television or digital screen).
6. Lorem Ipsum: Placeholder text; seen in Adobe Software.
7. Pantone: A standardized color matching system, utilizing the Pantone numbering system for identifying colors. Go to the paint section at Lowes, and ask to flip through one.  

Coronavirus Life

"The broadcast journalism industry will never go back to the way it was before." - WHAS11 News Director, Julie Wolfe

Being a "Multimedia Jane" (or a "one man band") has never been more valuable than it is now. Newsworthy storytelling packs a powerful punch; and we're in the midst of a pandemic. A global pandemic that has rocked our world, limited our resources, and challenged all sides of the newsroom.

Pros and Cons:

Working from home/working during a global pandemic comes with it's ups and downs. Many journalists can wear slippers in their home with sweatpants under their dresses, or lazy pants under their button down shirts. And, many journalists are saving money and gas with not having to drive to and from the station every day. Annnd, most journalists are still able to do their job, even during a time when unemployment rates are so high.

However...

Most of the time, working remotely becomes a daily struggle for all newsroom staff. Social distancing means leaving your co-workers and interviewing subjects from a far. Over communicating is key. It also means reporting on something that is invisible and testing your creativity as a journalist; because you really are working solo this time. (MMJs - this is your time to shine.) It also means praying that said remote set-up/technology doesn't crash while in the middle of a newscast; and uncomfortably relying on WeTransfer to get your stories in on time. Oh - and well ... stay safe.
The list could go on, and on, and on.

Keep Your Eyes on the Endgame:

Just remember ... your job is to:
1. Focus on what you can Focus on
2. Support the team around you
3. Keep the public informed with real news

I also saw this on Twitter - "To all my News Friends... It's going to be another long week. We have a very important job of keeping the public informed with #RealNews. Let's do what we do best, but let's also remember to take care of our mental health."

We can do this.

What Should I Ask? How Should I Report it?

Those two questions go hand and hand. I'm sure you've heard of the "Five W's": Who, What, Where,
When, and Why. Those are the core questions you want to focus on, because those are the facts that the audience wants to hear. Ask these questions, while keeping your target audience in mind; and answer those questions in your writing. Then, you'll be all set.


There is a 95-year-old woman who was married to a Vietnam Veteran. They had a beautiful love story that you want to share in a documentary about Military Families.

Some of the questions that immediately pop into my head are:

How did they meet?

Where did they meet? Where did they raise their family?

Why did they fall in love?

When did he pass away? How old was he when he passed?

Who are their descendants?

Be inquisitive. Think outside of the box. What would you want to know?

When it comes to Reporting, I would:

• Focus on the facts
• Write-out three main bullet points from the interview into your favorite notebook
• Ex: The top three or only things you can remember from the interview before rewatching
• Be conversational & interesting 
• Ex: Tell the story as if you were talking to your mom or best friend
• Answer the questions; be informative

Remember why you are writing and who you are writing for. That's important.

Wait are you Waiting For?

Practice. Practice. Practice. The more you do it, the better you will become; and the more comfortable you will become. Interviewing others and writing your stories will eventually become natural. As for your last cliche, practice makes permanent. Good luck! (-:

Tips, Tricks, & Tools from Myself and Amazon

If your university or news station is not able to lend you broadcasting equipment, for whatever reason, don't worry. Before you think I can't afford this, I'm begging you - keep reading. I've been studying my colleagues and looking up affordable technology that will make your content look professional and allow you to do your job. It only takes a few more seconds and a few more dollars to help you stand-out.

Here's what I've learned

1. Create your Scene: Use a very critical eye for the objects behind your subject. For example, remove alcohol beverages, hide cords, move the angle to hide the light pole, etc. Those items are your set.
distracting. Also, never sit a subject down in front of a window or an extremely bright light. It will overcast them, or put them out of focus. Lastly, use your depth of field and re-check your focus. Don't sit your subject right against the wall; and don't sit them against a plain, blank, white wall. Have a few feet between the wall, the chair, the colorful painting, the book shelf, etc. That being said, create and design

2. Use a Tripod: Make sure it is at or at least slightly above eye level; and always have two. One that is standard, and one that extends should you have a very tall subject. Normally, I'd recommend a traditional three legged tripod for your video camera, but in this case - with the pandemic still very apparent in our lives and IPhones becoming the new video camera - I recommend this Amazon Ring Light Kit. Seriously, everyone is using it. I am not kidding. And, check this out if you are looking for a table phone tripod.

3. Use a Light: Be intentional with your lighting. Shadows matter. They can take years off of you and/or your subject. Also, you always want your b-roll to look professional. You don't ever want to look like a wannabe journalist. You are the journalist. I recommend this multipurpose 2 Pack Panel Light Kit.

4. Audio Matters: Get a microphone and use headphones to check your audio before you start the interview. You will thank yourself later. No one likes a buzzing noise. I suggest looking at these two: Samson Go Mic Portable USB Condenser Microphone and the PoP Voice Professional Lavalier Lapel Microphone. Control what you can control.

5. Never Settle: If your subject is chewing gum, ask them to spit it out. If they have children screaming in the background, ask them if you can move to another location. And - if you're posting your story on social media platforms afterwards, create your own thumbnail using Canva; or screen grab intentional pixels.

It's Your Turn

We didn't even get to the part where the camera is rolling and it's time to ask questions. But, now you have the tools to make people WANT to listen to what you have to say.

Be Powerful on Camera and in Life

BE YOURSELF 
Maybe you feel alone at your news station, like no one really notices you or cares about your dreams. Maybe you are the intern trying to learn and grow, but no one is willing to give you constructive feedback. Trust me I know how you feel. But don't ever sacrifice YOU.

NEWSFLASH
Your dreams are achievable. Be you. Be patient. Be open-minded. They hired you. 
As cliche as it sounds, trust that doors will open; and doors will shut, when they are suppose to.
Life is hard, and life is unpredictable. And - it is for everyone. You just have to roll with it and learn to adapt.

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
Reflect on your last year's 'New Year's Resolution'. What stopped you from achieving it? What helped you? What can you do differently to better this year's goal? Now, breathe and re-group. Write your goal down and tell a friend. Then, hold yourself accountable and be your own competition.



ACHIEVE IT WITH PURPOSE
Invest in yourself. Create small goals. Start day-by-day, continue week-by-week, and end month-by-month. Eventually you will be able to track your own progress.

Make yourself heard. Find your voice. And when you do ... fill the dang silence.