WINOL 5th November Wednesday Debrief with Claudia Murg

A good improvement on last year well done.

HEADS: Lively heads, good pics, good to go out and talk to people.

IN STUDIO: Keep it simple – questions, be more at ease.
Prepare yourself and enjoy the conversation more, what is beneficial to the news viewers? Put yourself in the victim’s shoes what would help you. Give them something tangible, justify public interest for showing this news story, say professor not first names, flatter the guests etc, have more control you are the journalist

Brooke: Put source on facts and graphics – credibility. V good for victim interview with Brooke, handled well and flow of piece

Production: Allow time to sort angle, inform guests more

Harvester: great public interest story, well to get mother, great intro, really professional in heads, some shots weren’t great but interview was filmed well, slow down in the PTC

Fire: Some info interested in not in the final cut, why not put protest at the beginning natsot etc? Believe in your shots and your story. Needed more interviews in piece, more facts, go to film with a plan of what people are going to say

Think about putting things into perspective, be honest about where you found your story and find the fresh aspect. See how you can make it news or in some form of exclusivity

Put yourself in the shoes of the viewer for what should be in your edit, filter what is important and what is not

If you’ve got something new to shout about – do it, don’t recycle news, find the new angles

Keep in contact with your sources

Remember your motivation for wanting to be a journalist. If you feel like giving up remember this, keep in your mind the motivation

Water meters: needed a range of answers with a range of interviewees, minor inconvenience doesn’t constitute place in bulletin – need to go for the money, southern water profits have gone down

Consumer choice as a factor
Highlight fact and emotion – what is most important?

Heart package – well voiced, good story, say Italy fact make it useful

OOV: museums, choice of pics looked like a selection of postcards felt so weird, show the museum, does this mean costs are up? Vox pops?

Good stories, good narrative something always at stake.
Always have the end result in mind – think of the viewers and self evaluate
Think about what you have in common with the interviewee

IAN:

Original stories, original interviews. Thinking about playing to strengths when you’ve got original stuff. Strongest SOT was Harvester mum and dad in heart package

Good mix, good grip of stories, balances of stories and depth – think about the whole picture ie the sport section.

Strategies of in studio chat getting in and out was good practice for production

Grammar of sequencing great but still need a variety of pics, not enough shots

Very good presenting for the first time and coped with interview well – relaxed into it by the end

Loved the walking football but needed more from the people involved – pensioners not the people advertising it. Sport overall was very good

Debrief with Ian Anderson and Claudia Murg 13/11/13

 

These notes are a merge of Ian’s and Claudia’s thoughts of this week’s WINOL.

Today’s bulletin was punctual as always, bang on the three o clock deadline and struck a good balance of light and shade in its content. Headlines were good and created a hook for the audience.

RUBBER story: Setting up shots and sequences were good, the package followed the beginning, middle and end structure Ian spoke about in his master class. Alex’s exposition was clear and just the right amount. In the interview, the eye line was out – we want to see the full face and not the side. Remember to take charge of your interviewee and make them do what you want.

FLYBE OOV: The images for GVs were fine but the OOV needed more exposition and context of jobs in the South – maybe it is the better part of the country for jobs?

PCC story: impressive journalistic enterprise to get this access and story, good use of balance. Visually, Ian thought perhaps more could have been done.

AA story: Great first images; the audience is hooked immediately but the rest of the visual order could have been better. It is all about getting the pictures.

PONY story: Why did the package start with pigs? What did the story have to do with them?  We needed an interview to get some expert views on the story.

ARMSTRONG interview: be aware of your location, make it relevant.

Claudia had some general points to make about WINOL and our journalism on the whole.

The production of WINOL flows and looks professional making it very watchable but Claudia thought it did not reflect high aspirations. If you aim high, you will get high results.

She described creating an empathy circle, who will be affected by the story? Write a list of all those that will be and try to contact them to establish your angle. Planning is the only thing that will make your package right, know what you are aiming for then go and get it. What is the local angle? What makes your story unique to every other organisation/paper that is covering it?

Do not echo other websites, stations or papers; journalism is looking for something new. If there isn’t anything new, then it probably isn’t news. TRY EVERYTHING.

On some packages it felt like there were missing replies, use this if they didn’t comment – say ‘refused to comment’ just so it looks complete.

Talk to real people, this is where stories come from. News is within ordinary people. Question everything; it is our job to address who? What? Where? When? Answer them all!

Don’t offer the expected, think about what will be unexpected? Challenge your interviewee because you are the eyes and ears of the public. Take fear out of the interview and just focus on your aspirations and what you want from this. Be in control of the interview, change your attitude and it should make a big difference.

Think about your interviewee and their experience, research your story and use the setting up time to show your knowledge and what the interviewee can expect. KNOW YOUR STUFF. You will get more respect and they will not give you the same spiel they give every other person in the media. Make them remember you as a journalist so they are more likely to ask you back and keep as a contact. Tap into their agenda and make it worthwhile by clarifying expectations for the interview.

Bring the human side out of your interviewee; listen to them in an active way.

Be aware of your internal thoughts and navigate around the obstacles.

A journalist is as good as his/her contacts and curiosity. Take personal responsibility of your work; as long as you’ve got a story, you’ve got a job.

Three things to make you most employable:

1. Story ideas
2. Contacts
3. Can always deliver