The First Day in the Newsroom

Watching the news industry from afar is exciting. 

That is... 

Until you step into a newsroom for the very first time.

Most of the time, chaos consumes the station and newsroom jargon hits your eardrums for the very first time. Conversations are exchanged and the confusion begins. Immediately you grab your pen and notebook, and you start jotting down as much as you can.  

HERE IS YOUR CHEAT-SHEET. MEMORIZE IT. LIVE BY IT.

• Associated Press (AP):  The official news style for a news room's web/digital team, and all journalists. All web scripts are written in AP style. TV scripts are not. The two are written very differently. TV scripts are more conversational. Anyways... there is an AP style rule book. Learn it. Memorize it. Use it. 
• B-roll: When you edit usually the footage goes into the "B' channel. That is why we call it "b-roll."
• "Molly, the script looks great. Track it. Add the b-roll afterwards. We need to make sure the facts air on time."
• Edit Bay: The area off to the side of the newsroom where a reporter usually edits their packages. It looks like a very small cubical, but with a headset, keyboard, and two monitors. 
• "Molly, edit bay three is available."
• Editorial Meeting: A daily meeting that includes the News Director, EP, all producers and reporters, the digital team, etc. Most news stations have three editorial meetings a day. One for the morning show/shift, mid-day show/shift, and night show/shift. 
• Edius: A video editing software package for PC computers running Windows.
• It is what most news stations edit with, unless they use Final Cut or Adobe Premiere Pro. 
• Electronic News and Gathering System (ENG): When reporters and editors make use of electronic video and audio technologies. 
• EX: *On-air scene* A news studio shot to a MMJ in the field for a live interview.
• Electronic News Production System (ENPS): A software application developed by the Associated Press's Broadcast Technology division for producing, editing, timing, organizing and running news broadcasts.
• "Molly, add your slug and voice captioning lines into ENPS."

  

  ENPS

• Executive Producer (EP): The head producer who supervises over other producers in the creation of the show, 6 o'clock.
• Hit: The moment before a news anchor or reporter goes on-air.
• "Molly, your live in ... 3, 2, 1. Or, Molly, your hit is in 1-minute."
• In the field: In the field is the other half of a reporter's 'office'. It is everything they touch or step foot in or on, outside of the news station. It is the police station. It is an abandoned park. It is a stranger's home. It is the beach. 

• "Molly is in the field with Jessie. They should be back soon."
• Lavaliere: Lavaliere microphones are used on interview subjects. The cord is streamed up under the shirt and the tiny microphone is clipped on the collar. 
• "Molly, don't forget your lav mic."
• Logging: The task of putting all news content into ENPS, or recording any information needed for an assignment.
• "Molly, log the 9am press conference."
• Look Live: A reporter who appears to be live in the field, but was filmed prior and then put on air before the hit. 
• "Molly, complete a look live for the 4 o'clock slug B."
• Man on the Street (MOS): A man on the street is an interview subject who was found in the field as the last option. They are used because sound is needed in 30-minutes and said reporter can't find anyone else to talk. Not the best choice, but sometimes necessary to break the story. 
• "The mom on the playground was our MOS for the Jefferson County Public School story."
• Multimedia Journalist (MMJ): A reporter who writes, shoots, and edits their packages daily. MMJs write produce a new story every day, and step into a new set every day - alone. They are a one man band.
• One day I will be a full-time multimedia journalist for a local news station.
• Natural Sound (NATS): Natural sound can make or break a story. The package can either be a boring story, words and footage. Or, it can be an exciting story with words and footage, and pops of natural sound.
•  Sounds of birds chirping, or a car flying by on the concrete, or a kid playing on the playground.
• "Molly, turn up the NATS from 0:05-0:07."
• Package (PKG): A package is a story written and shot by a MMJ. They are usually about 90 seconds. Anything over may not make the show.
• "Molly, turn a package about the coronavirus in Italy for the 5 and 6 o'clock."
• Photographer (Photog): Videographers who use cameras to record scenes for the reporter. The second hand help for a reporter who is not a multimedia reporter.

• Public Information Office (PIO):  The communications coordinators or spokespersons of certain governmental organizations (i.e. city, county, school district, state government and police/fire departments).
• Usually you see PIO's about an hour or so after a breaking news scene. 
• Slug: The name given to the story, the title listed in ENPS. 
• "My slug is: Homeless on Waterfront
• Sound on Tape (SOT): Sound on Tape is basically a sound-bite. An interview snipped up into what needs to be said for a package or for a VOSOT. 
• "Molly, which SOT should we use? This one or this one." 
• Tracking: How reporters voice their script. They do it in a sound proof booth. It is a skill that is obtained over time. It is not "reading."
• "Molly, track the intro again... Emphasis six thousand."
• Voice over Sound on Tape (VOSOT): Prior to everything being digital, reporters recorded their sound and layered it in an editing bay over physical roles of tape. 
• "Molly, log a VOSOT on ENPS for Thunder Over Louisville package."
• Voice over Sound (VO): Sometimes you just need VO, and not the tape to go with it,
• Ex: VO for live house fire. 

As you can see, news jargon is a lot to take in. And, the list could go on. However, for the time being, I hope this helps you for your first week in the newsroom. It sure would've helped me!