YEAR IN REVIEW
Since this is my last blog entry of the year I thought I would reflect on the year. I just finished my first reporting shift and have two more on Monday and Tuesday, but I feel safe enough in reflecting on the year.
From standing on the field doing a stand-up after Mizzou eked out a win over Illinois to reporting Easter Egg Hunts for KOMU it was definitely an interesting year. I constantly think back to my first semester at Mizzou and how desperately I wanted to be a junior already in my sequence. Sitting through Spanish and Music classes seemed so high school, but I kept telling myself there was a light at the end of the tunnel, a means to an end. This is a major reason why I tried to do as many extracurricular activities as I could. I wanted to stay involved in sports broadcast; it was what I looked forward to after a long week. That’s why this year I tried to be as ambitious as ever. I was sports director for MUTV while being in my sequence, I have never hated 8am as much as I did last semester on Monday, Wednesday and Friday…but I survived. Not just survived I excelled. For the second time in my broadcast career I wrote, directed, produced and served as the talent (executive producer) of a television show. I went to Texas to cover one of the biggest road games in Missouri football history. Along the way I interviewed the likes of Chris Fowler and John Anderson.
Broadcast One taught me the basics of editing and shooting, which I was told would be a joke since I had done so much at MUTV. Rather than go in with a closed mind I took the course with an open mind and I’m happy I did. I learned multiple things I did not know about Avid, worked on my writing style and how to shoot good sequences.
Broadcast Two was a different story. I dropped the Sports Director gig, but decided to take 15 hours despite warnings form friends. I still don’t regret it by the way… Unlike Broadcast One, Broadcast Two taught me the details and intricacies of anchoring. I have said it before and I will say it again, no matter my grade (although a B- would be great.. : ) I have learned more in this class than any other class I have ever received an A in. I finally learned the correct posture to use when anchoring, how to frame an interview. I learned the importance of lighting, especially during an interview. Last semester I used to try and get basic shots, this semester I have learned the importance of unique angle shots. I do voice exercises and stretching everyday and I learned even more ways to train your voice in order to make it strong and effective.
The training I have gotten for stand-ups has been amazing. Aside from stand-ups in sports packages, I had never done a bridge stand-up. I learned the importance of doing a stand-up that adds to the story, instead of distract from it. Along with that I learned the importance of not making your stand-up the most important part of the story. After this year I understand why the Missouri Journalism School is referred to as one of the best in the country, and thanks to my experiences this year I feel ready to spend my summer in Bristol at the World Wide Leader in Sports………
GOOD JOURNALISM
A friend of mine sent me this clip because he thought I would enjoy the sports aspect of the story, but instead I enjoyed the journalistic aspect of the piece.
The story was about a basketball player known as the “Jewish Jordan”. From the title I expected the story to center around the boys faith and it did. The opening was strong due to the use of natural sound. The viewer sees a red headed boy singing and reading from the torah and the narration begins with the reporter giving background information on the boy. Then the reporter states, “Goodman was also driven by something else”, and with a box wipe and music the package is transformed and you see the boy as he’s known to his friends and others around him.
The reporter narrates as highlights run and the use of referencing is strong. He mentions that Goodman always plays with his Yamaka and you see him dribbling with his Yamaka on. I found the first sound bite interesting because it echoes the sentiment that he is a basketball player, but doesn’t mention his faith. This leads me to believe that the reporter may be focusing on the fact Goodman is Jewish to make a story, but Goodman doesn’t find his religion to be that important.
Once again the narration remains strong, the reporter mentions that Goodman has tried to be a regular student and uses shots of Goodman walking down the halls of his high school. The shots of the classroom continue with Goodman sitting in class looking through a book as the narration states the offers he received from Universities.
I think my favorite part of the story is when the reporter puts Goodman’s story in historical perspective. He calls Goodman the Jewish Jordan and says he is carrying the torch for an entire religion, mentioning that Goodman is trying to become the first ever Orthodox Jew to play college basketball. While mentioning these historical facts, shots of Goodman’s fans run underneath the narration, humanizing the story and showing that his quest is about more than just him playing college basketball.
I also liked that the reporter saved the best for last, he goes to a clip of Goodman now and shows that he is playing basketball in Israel and has a family, another humanizing element. I liked that a basketball hoop was over Goodman’s shoulder while he was being interviewed. Before the package ends the reporter makes sure the story goes full circle and has two sound bites where Goodman speaks of his faith and then a unique closing shot where Goodman launches a basketball from a running track and sinks it while the reporter says, “Goodman hasn’t lost his touch.
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/30505171#30505171
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Chris Vlahos Blog 12
REFLECTION
I am experiencing what is widely known as the calm before the storm….It has almost been too quiet…free time, socializing with friends…wait a minute I’m majoring in journalism at Mizzou that’s not supposed to happen. But that’s okay because quiet time officially ends of Friday May 1st. From May 1st to May 8th I have three reporting shifts in five days, two finals and a presentation. While three reporting shifts in five days don’t sound ideal I am looking at it positively. I feel this is a great way to find out if Broadcast Journalism is a profession that’s right for me. Actually that’s a no brainer maybe I should rephrase that. This will let me know if working in a newsroom is something I may want to pursue in the future.
Anytime someone asks I tell them my dream job would be as a play-by-play announcer and I have gone to camps where for a week all we did was wake up and call games from sunrise to sunset. (That’s when I knew play-by-play was right for me.) It didn’t feel like a job, and every morning I woke up with energy and excitement. I have always assumed that given a choice I would do play-by-play, but the three shifts in five days may actually change my way of thinking.
I am also not naïve enough to believe that everything is going to go according to plans while at KOMU. Sure I would love to do three award-winning stories, but it rarely works out that way. I plan to approach these shifts the same way I would when I used to play baseball and compete in fencing tournaments. I must take the good with the bad, use the fundamentals I have been taught, never lose confidence in my abilities and see the light at the end of the tunnel…and hopefully it’s not a train….
GOOD OR BAD JOURNALISM
I found this story interesting due to the way it was presented to the viewer. Rather than do a basic live shot explaining what happened the reporter opens the package using a motivated pan to show the viewer what the story is about. Then he mentions his CCC and tells the audience that she is actually receiving an award for what she did. I loved the way he led into the bite. He used a woman speaking at a podium with Emma next to her saying, “You’ll hear more about what Emma did”, and then Emma is on camera describing what she did. Although the reporter did use a jump cut I liked the way he let Emma and her grandmother tell the story. He then uses good referencing saying they were racing down the road headed towards danger and shows a car driving down the road.
The most graphic part of the story is hearing Emma describe the wreck and looking at a photo of the car after the collision. This is by far the most telling piece of video. It made the story more real to me. The reporter didn’t use a stand-up, which I thought would have helped the story. He could have done the stand-up at the site of the crash or on the road where the crash occurred, but overall I liked the story because I thought the reporter let Emma and her grandmother tell the story. He avoided becoming the story.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009
I am experiencing what is widely known as the calm before the storm….It has almost been too quiet…free time, socializing with friends…wait a minute I’m majoring in journalism at Mizzou that’s not supposed to happen. But that’s okay because quiet time officially ends of Friday May 1st. From May 1st to May 8th I have three reporting shifts in five days, two finals and a presentation. While three reporting shifts in five days don’t sound ideal I am looking at it positively. I feel this is a great way to find out if Broadcast Journalism is a profession that’s right for me. Actually that’s a no brainer maybe I should rephrase that. This will let me know if working in a newsroom is something I may want to pursue in the future.
Anytime someone asks I tell them my dream job would be as a play-by-play announcer and I have gone to camps where for a week all we did was wake up and call games from sunrise to sunset. (That’s when I knew play-by-play was right for me.) It didn’t feel like a job, and every morning I woke up with energy and excitement. I have always assumed that given a choice I would do play-by-play, but the three shifts in five days may actually change my way of thinking.
I am also not naïve enough to believe that everything is going to go according to plans while at KOMU. Sure I would love to do three award-winning stories, but it rarely works out that way. I plan to approach these shifts the same way I would when I used to play baseball and compete in fencing tournaments. I must take the good with the bad, use the fundamentals I have been taught, never lose confidence in my abilities and see the light at the end of the tunnel…and hopefully it’s not a train….
GOOD OR BAD JOURNALISM
I found this story interesting due to the way it was presented to the viewer. Rather than do a basic live shot explaining what happened the reporter opens the package using a motivated pan to show the viewer what the story is about. Then he mentions his CCC and tells the audience that she is actually receiving an award for what she did. I loved the way he led into the bite. He used a woman speaking at a podium with Emma next to her saying, “You’ll hear more about what Emma did”, and then Emma is on camera describing what she did. Although the reporter did use a jump cut I liked the way he let Emma and her grandmother tell the story. He then uses good referencing saying they were racing down the road headed towards danger and shows a car driving down the road.
The most graphic part of the story is hearing Emma describe the wreck and looking at a photo of the car after the collision. This is by far the most telling piece of video. It made the story more real to me. The reporter didn’t use a stand-up, which I thought would have helped the story. He could have done the stand-up at the site of the crash or on the road where the crash occurred, but overall I liked the story because I thought the reporter let Emma and her grandmother tell the story. He avoided becoming the story.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Chris Vlahos Blog 11
REFLECTION
After two consecutive Friday’s with VO Patrols I now have two Friday’s before my first reporting shift. With the next two weeks free, I decided to use the time by reflecting on my last two experiences at KOMU. (The Good…The Bad…and The Ugly…)
First lets start with the good since I’m a glass is half full type of guy… I have discovered what I think is the most efficient way to edit. After I shoot, I look at the card my clips are on and delete all the shots that I’m certain I won’t use. Then when I get back the station I edit my clips on the Clip Browser and sub clip the exact shots I plan to use. Then I can convert the clips into Avid and it is almost like a copy paste job. I find this method also helps me organize my thoughts and prevents a possible disaster that I have seen too often. (Trying to convert every single clip you have shot into Avid, which takes literally forever.) Another positive thing I learned from my two VO Patrols is that just because it is the stations gear that doesn’t mean it isn’t broken. My first shift I failed to test the tripod and paid the price. I had a wobbly tripod, which led to crooked and shaky shots.
The Bad would definitely have to be my interview framing in my first VO Patrol story (Geography Bee). Rather than make excuses and blame it on the tripod I will simply say my bad. I screwed up and it will never happen again. If the focus or lighting is bad that’s one thing, but there is no reason I can’t shoot from a person’s clavicle bone up. I also learned that it is critical to have called contacts for your story and be ready to leave once you get to KOMU. I am going to try an avoid showing up and then trying to get in contact with people, it slows everything down.
And now what you’ve all been waiting for…. The Ugly…no it’s not the Yankees pitching staff, but it is the business of broadcast news. I learned an important lesson these last two weeks Even though you may have a good story that doesn’t always mean it will hit the air. My Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt was soft news no doubt, but it was something I had pride in and because the newscast was running long and the story was the kicker it was cut short. I wasn’t upset because I thought it was a groundbreaking story. I was upset because the parents and kids that took time to talk to me wouldn’t get to see themselves on the news. They took the time to do an interview and this was my way of thanking them. I learned that there are some battles not worth fighting and this was one of those times.
GOOD OR BAD JOURNALISM
I watched a story on April 20th, the ten-year anniversary of the shootings at Columbine. The story was about how the tragedy affected the lives and career choices of two survivors from the shootings.
I like the way the reporter starts the package by saying one line and referencing two shots showing what April 20th 1999 took and then going to a sound bite. The bite itself is hard to swallow. A woman comes on screen and says, “I was in the library and ten students were killed there.” Again the reporter does a strong job of referencing by saying that dark day lit their way and using two shots of burning candles.
The standup was shot in front of a monitor displaying what looks like a graduation tape possibly from Columbine. I liked the word choices Roger O’ Neil used in the bridge stand-up, but I found the camera zoom a bit unnecessary. I thought the zoom was used strictly to be dramatic and didn’t aid the story. In the end of the stand-up, O’Neil does a good job of leading in to the next bite about how April 20th shaped the lives of these two individuals. I also liked O’Neil’s use of natural sound, when he had Krystal talking to a group of students about day to day problems and how they shape an individuals character. I found the end of the story to be the strongest part of the package. The last bite is about the importance of never forgetting what happened at Columbine and how it is about more than just a moment of silence. In order to honor those killed on April 20, 1999, Andrew Robinson believes we must try and make people aware of how to prevent school violence.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/30315124#30315124
After two consecutive Friday’s with VO Patrols I now have two Friday’s before my first reporting shift. With the next two weeks free, I decided to use the time by reflecting on my last two experiences at KOMU. (The Good…The Bad…and The Ugly…)
First lets start with the good since I’m a glass is half full type of guy… I have discovered what I think is the most efficient way to edit. After I shoot, I look at the card my clips are on and delete all the shots that I’m certain I won’t use. Then when I get back the station I edit my clips on the Clip Browser and sub clip the exact shots I plan to use. Then I can convert the clips into Avid and it is almost like a copy paste job. I find this method also helps me organize my thoughts and prevents a possible disaster that I have seen too often. (Trying to convert every single clip you have shot into Avid, which takes literally forever.) Another positive thing I learned from my two VO Patrols is that just because it is the stations gear that doesn’t mean it isn’t broken. My first shift I failed to test the tripod and paid the price. I had a wobbly tripod, which led to crooked and shaky shots.
The Bad would definitely have to be my interview framing in my first VO Patrol story (Geography Bee). Rather than make excuses and blame it on the tripod I will simply say my bad. I screwed up and it will never happen again. If the focus or lighting is bad that’s one thing, but there is no reason I can’t shoot from a person’s clavicle bone up. I also learned that it is critical to have called contacts for your story and be ready to leave once you get to KOMU. I am going to try an avoid showing up and then trying to get in contact with people, it slows everything down.
And now what you’ve all been waiting for…. The Ugly…no it’s not the Yankees pitching staff, but it is the business of broadcast news. I learned an important lesson these last two weeks Even though you may have a good story that doesn’t always mean it will hit the air. My Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt was soft news no doubt, but it was something I had pride in and because the newscast was running long and the story was the kicker it was cut short. I wasn’t upset because I thought it was a groundbreaking story. I was upset because the parents and kids that took time to talk to me wouldn’t get to see themselves on the news. They took the time to do an interview and this was my way of thanking them. I learned that there are some battles not worth fighting and this was one of those times.
GOOD OR BAD JOURNALISM
I watched a story on April 20th, the ten-year anniversary of the shootings at Columbine. The story was about how the tragedy affected the lives and career choices of two survivors from the shootings.
I like the way the reporter starts the package by saying one line and referencing two shots showing what April 20th 1999 took and then going to a sound bite. The bite itself is hard to swallow. A woman comes on screen and says, “I was in the library and ten students were killed there.” Again the reporter does a strong job of referencing by saying that dark day lit their way and using two shots of burning candles.
The standup was shot in front of a monitor displaying what looks like a graduation tape possibly from Columbine. I liked the word choices Roger O’ Neil used in the bridge stand-up, but I found the camera zoom a bit unnecessary. I thought the zoom was used strictly to be dramatic and didn’t aid the story. In the end of the stand-up, O’Neil does a good job of leading in to the next bite about how April 20th shaped the lives of these two individuals. I also liked O’Neil’s use of natural sound, when he had Krystal talking to a group of students about day to day problems and how they shape an individuals character. I found the end of the story to be the strongest part of the package. The last bite is about the importance of never forgetting what happened at Columbine and how it is about more than just a moment of silence. In order to honor those killed on April 20, 1999, Andrew Robinson believes we must try and make people aware of how to prevent school violence.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/30315124#30315124
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Chris Vlahos Blog 10
VO PATROL 2
A new week and the same story is what I was looking to avoid for my second VO Patrol, Friday April 10th. I arrived at the station ten minutes before my shift started and talked to the producers of the five and six o’clock shows about what story they wanted me to cover. To my surprise they informed me that someone had shown up at 12:30 claiming they had the two o’clock VO Patrol, so the producers gave them my story and had no other ideaas. Not exactly the way I had planned it. We checked the schedule and I was correct, someone had indeed taken my shift, but rather than let it ruin my day I remained flexible. I have learned in my short time of working as a journalist that in order to be a successful broadcaster it is crucial that one remain flexible.
I began to search for a new story idea and decided I would take the six o’ clock shift. I came across Columbia’s first ever Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt at Stephens Lake Park. The event started at 7:30pm, but fortunately I brought some work and searched for story ideas to help pass the time as I waited at the station. Rather than waste the extra time, I also wrote parts of my script and questions for interviews. I then inspected the camera and tripod I planned to use in order to make sure I didn’t run in to any problems or surprises when I was in the field. The focus of my story was kids hunting for eggs at night with flashlights, so I talked to my producer about how to adjust the camera in order to make sure my shots didn’t look too dark. Once everything was ready, I headed to Stephens Lake Park.
I arrived early and surveyed the scene. Registration was inside a building, where the Easter Bunny was posing for pictures. First I talked to the coordinator of the event and introduced myself and told her what I planned to do. Then I found a spot to set my sticks down and start getting some shots. I started with the Easter Bunny and then looked for kids with baskets and flashlights. This story was a VO/SOT/SOT/VO and my producer wanted bites from kids. Instantly I began to reflect on Thursday’s lecture of how to interview children. Let me just say, I knew kids wouldn’t be easy to interview, but wow these kids were more difficult then the one’s I interviewed last week at the Geography Bee (Probably because they were younger..) As the room filled with excited children anxious to search for eggs I looked for kids that seemed overly enthusiastic. Once I found a child that didn’t seem shy I would approach their parents and make sure an interview was agreeable. If so I would kneel down and be at eye level with the child and introduce myself. I avoided long questions and tried to ask them to describe things and emotions, but even then some of the kids stuck with “yes” and “no” answers. After interviewing five different kids and a parent it was time to go hunting. I took my tripod out to the area where the kids would search for eggs, but realized that it would be best if I didn’t use it. That is how I got my best shot. I stationed myself in the grass and put the camera at leg level for a five year old. I then waited for the event to start and once the coordinator said go, forty to fifty four and five year olds came running at me with baskets and flashlights.
Scripting and editing were quick, because I wrote my intro in the car and picked the clips I wanted off the camera’s memory card. The only negative thing about the night was that the show was running heavy, and by the time the anchors came to my story (The Kicker) there wasn’t enough time to run the whole story. Instead the only thing that ran was the VO, not the entire VO/SOT/SOT/VO. All in al though, a good night.
GOOD/BAD JOURNALISM
Now I’m not sure what to make of this clip. It’s not a story, but rather an in-studio segment gone horribly wrong….I think…. Former women’s basketball great Cheryl Miller was an analyst for a show on NBA TV and was angry that NBA Center Scott Pollard was late for there in studio show. Miller berated Pollard earlier in the day and the host decided to show the clip. Now I’m not going to talk about Miller or Pollard, but I am going to talk about the host. I’ve watched this clip multiple times and it seems surreal. At first I believed this was real, but the more I watch it the more I think it was staged. If this was staged in order to bring in publicity and viewers, which is possible I don’t have any gripes.
However, if this wasn’t staged the host should be ashamed of himself. There are many hosts that must deal with analysts that love to talk, but it is still the host’s job to moderate the discussion. Chris Fowler of College Gameday is the master of this, he knows when to cut Lee Corso off and move the discussion in a different direction. Chris Rose of The Best Damn Sports Show Period is another host that is extremely gifted in this sense. In this particular case not only did the host not diffuse the situation, he perpetuates it. Along with Cheryl Miller he joins in at taking shots at Scott Pollard. I couldn’t imagine any host in their right mind would behave this way, which is why I think this may be staged. Another reason I am skeptical of the clip’s authenticity is the producers are too ready to shift the shot to the basketball court nearby. I also found it extremely unprofessional that Cheryl Miller would take shots at her employer while knowingly on the air. I hope it was staged for this reason alone. I feel like I could watch this clip twenty more times and still not know if it is staged or genuine.
http://neswsports.com/2009/04/06/cheryl-miller-vs-scott-pollard-nba-tv-video/
A new week and the same story is what I was looking to avoid for my second VO Patrol, Friday April 10th. I arrived at the station ten minutes before my shift started and talked to the producers of the five and six o’clock shows about what story they wanted me to cover. To my surprise they informed me that someone had shown up at 12:30 claiming they had the two o’clock VO Patrol, so the producers gave them my story and had no other ideaas. Not exactly the way I had planned it. We checked the schedule and I was correct, someone had indeed taken my shift, but rather than let it ruin my day I remained flexible. I have learned in my short time of working as a journalist that in order to be a successful broadcaster it is crucial that one remain flexible.
I began to search for a new story idea and decided I would take the six o’ clock shift. I came across Columbia’s first ever Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt at Stephens Lake Park. The event started at 7:30pm, but fortunately I brought some work and searched for story ideas to help pass the time as I waited at the station. Rather than waste the extra time, I also wrote parts of my script and questions for interviews. I then inspected the camera and tripod I planned to use in order to make sure I didn’t run in to any problems or surprises when I was in the field. The focus of my story was kids hunting for eggs at night with flashlights, so I talked to my producer about how to adjust the camera in order to make sure my shots didn’t look too dark. Once everything was ready, I headed to Stephens Lake Park.
I arrived early and surveyed the scene. Registration was inside a building, where the Easter Bunny was posing for pictures. First I talked to the coordinator of the event and introduced myself and told her what I planned to do. Then I found a spot to set my sticks down and start getting some shots. I started with the Easter Bunny and then looked for kids with baskets and flashlights. This story was a VO/SOT/SOT/VO and my producer wanted bites from kids. Instantly I began to reflect on Thursday’s lecture of how to interview children. Let me just say, I knew kids wouldn’t be easy to interview, but wow these kids were more difficult then the one’s I interviewed last week at the Geography Bee (Probably because they were younger..) As the room filled with excited children anxious to search for eggs I looked for kids that seemed overly enthusiastic. Once I found a child that didn’t seem shy I would approach their parents and make sure an interview was agreeable. If so I would kneel down and be at eye level with the child and introduce myself. I avoided long questions and tried to ask them to describe things and emotions, but even then some of the kids stuck with “yes” and “no” answers. After interviewing five different kids and a parent it was time to go hunting. I took my tripod out to the area where the kids would search for eggs, but realized that it would be best if I didn’t use it. That is how I got my best shot. I stationed myself in the grass and put the camera at leg level for a five year old. I then waited for the event to start and once the coordinator said go, forty to fifty four and five year olds came running at me with baskets and flashlights.
Scripting and editing were quick, because I wrote my intro in the car and picked the clips I wanted off the camera’s memory card. The only negative thing about the night was that the show was running heavy, and by the time the anchors came to my story (The Kicker) there wasn’t enough time to run the whole story. Instead the only thing that ran was the VO, not the entire VO/SOT/SOT/VO. All in al though, a good night.
GOOD/BAD JOURNALISM
Now I’m not sure what to make of this clip. It’s not a story, but rather an in-studio segment gone horribly wrong….I think…. Former women’s basketball great Cheryl Miller was an analyst for a show on NBA TV and was angry that NBA Center Scott Pollard was late for there in studio show. Miller berated Pollard earlier in the day and the host decided to show the clip. Now I’m not going to talk about Miller or Pollard, but I am going to talk about the host. I’ve watched this clip multiple times and it seems surreal. At first I believed this was real, but the more I watch it the more I think it was staged. If this was staged in order to bring in publicity and viewers, which is possible I don’t have any gripes.
However, if this wasn’t staged the host should be ashamed of himself. There are many hosts that must deal with analysts that love to talk, but it is still the host’s job to moderate the discussion. Chris Fowler of College Gameday is the master of this, he knows when to cut Lee Corso off and move the discussion in a different direction. Chris Rose of The Best Damn Sports Show Period is another host that is extremely gifted in this sense. In this particular case not only did the host not diffuse the situation, he perpetuates it. Along with Cheryl Miller he joins in at taking shots at Scott Pollard. I couldn’t imagine any host in their right mind would behave this way, which is why I think this may be staged. Another reason I am skeptical of the clip’s authenticity is the producers are too ready to shift the shot to the basketball court nearby. I also found it extremely unprofessional that Cheryl Miller would take shots at her employer while knowingly on the air. I hope it was staged for this reason alone. I feel like I could watch this clip twenty more times and still not know if it is staged or genuine.
http://neswsports.com/2009/04/06/cheryl-miller-vs-scott-pollard-nba-tv-video/
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Chris Vlahos Blog
MY FIRST VO PATROL
What a day…enough said… On Friday, April 3rd , I endured my first VO Patrol at KOMU. Survived may be a better word, but I’ll go with endured. When I arrived at the station I talked to the producer and received my story assignment. The producer wanted me to cover a story in Holts Summit about an election with no names on the ballot. Due to a mix up it was too late to put the names on the ballot, meaning voters would have to write the name of the candidate they wanted in office on the ballot. I looked at the press release, went online and looked for contact information on the two candidates. After some serious “googling” I found the phone numbers. I called both candidates, but neither answered the phone. I waited till three and then the producer realized it was time for Plan B. The statewide Geography Bee was taking place later in the day at Memorial Union. The winner of the event would go to Washington D.C. on May 19-20 to compete in the National Geography Championship I grabbed the gear and headed to campus.
Once I arrived I started talking to parents to see if I could get more information about the contest. Then I approached the proctor and spoke with him about the contestants and the event itself. I was concerned it may not end in time for me to conduct my interviews and get back to the station with time to write and edit. Little did I know my fears would be confirmed later that afternoon.
To my dismay not only were these kids smart, but they were borderline brilliant. No one could miss a question. As I anxiously waited for the contest to conclude, I looked for sequences and isolation shots of the competitors. I also wrote down a few of the questions, in case I decided to use a few in my script. After an hour it mercifully ended. I got shots of the winner and interviewed the proctor, winner, and the winner’s Mom. It was 4:40 I thought I had a chance to get back to the station with enough time to turn a VO/SOT/VO for the six o’ clock show. Then it happened………
A woman knew I was from KOMU, so she approached me and began to pitch what she thought was a great story idea. I politely listened, but packed my gear at the same time hoping she would get the message that I was in a hurry. She didn’t…..It was now 4:55 my gear was packed and she was now writing down directions and the idea. I didn’t want to be rude because I feared she might call the station and say a rude reporter just covered the Geography Bee and offended her. Finally I said, “I’m sorry but I have to get back to the station and edited this so you can see it tonight at six.” I quickly packed the car and left for KOMU.
Once I got back I scurried to an edit bay and put the memory card in the deck. I couldn’t write quick enough. I got script approval, but ran out of time and was only able to do a VO for the six o’clock show. Even as I write this I am disappointed and embarrassed that I didn’t do what I was supposed to do, which was do a VO/SOT/VO for the six.
I wrote my web story and made a copy of my VO and thought I was going to leave and then the ten o’clock producer told me she wanted me to do a VO/SOT/VO as the kicker for her show. “Great, I thought I could make up for my earlier debacle.” I started again, new script, edit and get it all approved. I finished up at 9pm and tried to transfer the story to the show, but it wouldn’t work. Why? Why more problems? I wasn’t the only one; everyone was getting the same error message. The system was full; don’t worry about it they said. I finished up a few last minute things and got ready to leave and before I went in search of dinner I asked one more time if everything was all right, but this time it wasn’t. My edit bay wasn’t working and the other producer then just laid down some shots to fill the runtime, leading to a story that didn’t make very much sense.
Not an ideal day and it hurts to write about, but on the positive side, I get another chance next Friday.
JOURNALISM
This was one of the more interesting stories I’ve watched in a while because there was no reporter. None. The entire story is visuals and interviews, but it is extremely effective. The story involves a couple getting ready for prom, but instead of buying an expensive tuxedo and dress the two have decided to make their attire out of duct tape.
I like the opening shot of a “Duck Tape” label and the sounds of the girl using the tape to make the dress. The package uses short quick edits and pithy, yet interesting bites that keep the viewer interested. The fast pace keeps me from getting bored with the shots on screen. The reporter was fortunate that the duct tape had vivid colors on camera that catch the eye. The entire story was shot off the shoulder rather than on a tripod, which for this type of story worked to perfection. I liked the way the piece was crafted and edited because it wasn’t about the reporter at all, just the story.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/04/03/kinney.duct.tape.prom.ktxa
What a day…enough said… On Friday, April 3rd , I endured my first VO Patrol at KOMU. Survived may be a better word, but I’ll go with endured. When I arrived at the station I talked to the producer and received my story assignment. The producer wanted me to cover a story in Holts Summit about an election with no names on the ballot. Due to a mix up it was too late to put the names on the ballot, meaning voters would have to write the name of the candidate they wanted in office on the ballot. I looked at the press release, went online and looked for contact information on the two candidates. After some serious “googling” I found the phone numbers. I called both candidates, but neither answered the phone. I waited till three and then the producer realized it was time for Plan B. The statewide Geography Bee was taking place later in the day at Memorial Union. The winner of the event would go to Washington D.C. on May 19-20 to compete in the National Geography Championship I grabbed the gear and headed to campus.
Once I arrived I started talking to parents to see if I could get more information about the contest. Then I approached the proctor and spoke with him about the contestants and the event itself. I was concerned it may not end in time for me to conduct my interviews and get back to the station with time to write and edit. Little did I know my fears would be confirmed later that afternoon.
To my dismay not only were these kids smart, but they were borderline brilliant. No one could miss a question. As I anxiously waited for the contest to conclude, I looked for sequences and isolation shots of the competitors. I also wrote down a few of the questions, in case I decided to use a few in my script. After an hour it mercifully ended. I got shots of the winner and interviewed the proctor, winner, and the winner’s Mom. It was 4:40 I thought I had a chance to get back to the station with enough time to turn a VO/SOT/VO for the six o’ clock show. Then it happened………
A woman knew I was from KOMU, so she approached me and began to pitch what she thought was a great story idea. I politely listened, but packed my gear at the same time hoping she would get the message that I was in a hurry. She didn’t…..It was now 4:55 my gear was packed and she was now writing down directions and the idea. I didn’t want to be rude because I feared she might call the station and say a rude reporter just covered the Geography Bee and offended her. Finally I said, “I’m sorry but I have to get back to the station and edited this so you can see it tonight at six.” I quickly packed the car and left for KOMU.
Once I got back I scurried to an edit bay and put the memory card in the deck. I couldn’t write quick enough. I got script approval, but ran out of time and was only able to do a VO for the six o’clock show. Even as I write this I am disappointed and embarrassed that I didn’t do what I was supposed to do, which was do a VO/SOT/VO for the six.
I wrote my web story and made a copy of my VO and thought I was going to leave and then the ten o’clock producer told me she wanted me to do a VO/SOT/VO as the kicker for her show. “Great, I thought I could make up for my earlier debacle.” I started again, new script, edit and get it all approved. I finished up at 9pm and tried to transfer the story to the show, but it wouldn’t work. Why? Why more problems? I wasn’t the only one; everyone was getting the same error message. The system was full; don’t worry about it they said. I finished up a few last minute things and got ready to leave and before I went in search of dinner I asked one more time if everything was all right, but this time it wasn’t. My edit bay wasn’t working and the other producer then just laid down some shots to fill the runtime, leading to a story that didn’t make very much sense.
Not an ideal day and it hurts to write about, but on the positive side, I get another chance next Friday.
JOURNALISM
This was one of the more interesting stories I’ve watched in a while because there was no reporter. None. The entire story is visuals and interviews, but it is extremely effective. The story involves a couple getting ready for prom, but instead of buying an expensive tuxedo and dress the two have decided to make their attire out of duct tape.
I like the opening shot of a “Duck Tape” label and the sounds of the girl using the tape to make the dress. The package uses short quick edits and pithy, yet interesting bites that keep the viewer interested. The fast pace keeps me from getting bored with the shots on screen. The reporter was fortunate that the duct tape had vivid colors on camera that catch the eye. The entire story was shot off the shoulder rather than on a tripod, which for this type of story worked to perfection. I liked the way the piece was crafted and edited because it wasn’t about the reporter at all, just the story.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/04/03/kinney.duct.tape.prom.ktxa
Monday, March 30, 2009
Chris Vlahos Blog 8
MY WEEK
This week I was on Spring Break, which allowed me to go home to Los Angeles and enjoy everything I love about LA. One of the many things I have come to like when I go home is being able to watch the local news. Since I started taking Broadcast classes last fall, I have started watching the news from a completely different perspective. When I’m in Columbia I try to watch the ten o’ clock KOMU newscast as often as possible, looking for things we talked about in class that week. It is quite a contrast watching local news in Columbia to news in LA.
Due to the fact LA is a big market, the news seems to be more about entertainment and less about the fundamentals of broadcast journalism. While home last week I saw an interview where the subject was turned so you could only see his profile. I saw another interview where a woman was talking to a reporter and the cameraman was standing across the street. Stations don’t avoid pans or zooms necessary or not in most cases. Usually when I watch the news in LA though, I watch CBS/KCAL because I interned there for the past two summers and know most of the people that work there. In order to “spice up” the newscast, CBS/KCAL has some of its anchors delivering parts of the newscast standing up next to television screens, or weather walls.
Most disturbing though was when I watched a local sports anchor deliver two separate sports casts and blatantly get two important and obvious things wrong. First he botched an upcoming match up in the Elite Eight and three days later he mispronounced Ichiro Suzuki’s name on air. Ichiro is the centerfielder for the Seattle Mariners, and probably the most well known Japanese baseball to ever play in the United States. As you can tell that bothered me because getting a fact or name wrong in sports casting is usually due to a lack of preparation.
JOURNALISM REFLECTION
Cnn.com did a great job with this headline because it immediately caught my eye, “3,000 killer bees sting man.” Being a journalist I couldn’t help but be curious and click the link. After watching the story while devastating, I though it was a good piece of journalism.
The reporter opens the package with close up video of a swarm of bees and audio of a man saying, “I just pulled them out of my mouth and pulled them out of my nose and kept my eye’s closed so that I wouldn’t be blind.” Then she states, “Red welts all over Jeff Moser’s body”, and the viewer sees the thousands of bee stings a man in Phoenix, Arizona endured while helping a friend move a shrub. This was a good job of referencing by the reporter and I thought she did a great job of humanizing the story and making the viewer feel Moser’s pain. One shot I really liked was when the reporter says, “His heart became weak” and the shot becomes blurry, as if someone is woozy or about to pass out. The story lent itself to strong, emotional sound bites, the best of which can be heard the
:42 second mark when Moser states why he didn’t want to die. Once the reporter finishes telling Jeff’s story she provides the audience with the data and facts about the types of injuries Jeff suffered and just how lucky he was to survive.
On the negative side, three shots after the first bite from Moser I felt the reporter used an unnecessary pan, I’ve watched the shot at least ten times and I’m not sure what they were trying to show. Bee’s maybe? I don’t know.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/03/30/killer.bee.attack.knxv
This week I was on Spring Break, which allowed me to go home to Los Angeles and enjoy everything I love about LA. One of the many things I have come to like when I go home is being able to watch the local news. Since I started taking Broadcast classes last fall, I have started watching the news from a completely different perspective. When I’m in Columbia I try to watch the ten o’ clock KOMU newscast as often as possible, looking for things we talked about in class that week. It is quite a contrast watching local news in Columbia to news in LA.
Due to the fact LA is a big market, the news seems to be more about entertainment and less about the fundamentals of broadcast journalism. While home last week I saw an interview where the subject was turned so you could only see his profile. I saw another interview where a woman was talking to a reporter and the cameraman was standing across the street. Stations don’t avoid pans or zooms necessary or not in most cases. Usually when I watch the news in LA though, I watch CBS/KCAL because I interned there for the past two summers and know most of the people that work there. In order to “spice up” the newscast, CBS/KCAL has some of its anchors delivering parts of the newscast standing up next to television screens, or weather walls.
Most disturbing though was when I watched a local sports anchor deliver two separate sports casts and blatantly get two important and obvious things wrong. First he botched an upcoming match up in the Elite Eight and three days later he mispronounced Ichiro Suzuki’s name on air. Ichiro is the centerfielder for the Seattle Mariners, and probably the most well known Japanese baseball to ever play in the United States. As you can tell that bothered me because getting a fact or name wrong in sports casting is usually due to a lack of preparation.
JOURNALISM REFLECTION
Cnn.com did a great job with this headline because it immediately caught my eye, “3,000 killer bees sting man.” Being a journalist I couldn’t help but be curious and click the link. After watching the story while devastating, I though it was a good piece of journalism.
The reporter opens the package with close up video of a swarm of bees and audio of a man saying, “I just pulled them out of my mouth and pulled them out of my nose and kept my eye’s closed so that I wouldn’t be blind.” Then she states, “Red welts all over Jeff Moser’s body”, and the viewer sees the thousands of bee stings a man in Phoenix, Arizona endured while helping a friend move a shrub. This was a good job of referencing by the reporter and I thought she did a great job of humanizing the story and making the viewer feel Moser’s pain. One shot I really liked was when the reporter says, “His heart became weak” and the shot becomes blurry, as if someone is woozy or about to pass out. The story lent itself to strong, emotional sound bites, the best of which can be heard the
:42 second mark when Moser states why he didn’t want to die. Once the reporter finishes telling Jeff’s story she provides the audience with the data and facts about the types of injuries Jeff suffered and just how lucky he was to survive.
On the negative side, three shots after the first bite from Moser I felt the reporter used an unnecessary pan, I’ve watched the shot at least ten times and I’m not sure what they were trying to show. Bee’s maybe? I don’t know.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/03/30/killer.bee.attack.knxv
Friday, March 13, 2009
Chris Vlahos blog 7
JOURNALISM REFLECTION
This week I saw a number of stories that interested me, but the one I found most intriguing was Matt Lauer’s sit down interview with Olympian Michael Phelps. This is the fist interview Phelps has done since his infamous bong picture was published. I have been fortunate enough to interview a number of athletes and sports broadcasters in my short career and I enjoy watching other broadcasters conduct interviews in order to see if I can learn something from watching them. As far as sports is concerned I find Jim Rome and Dan Patrick to be two of the best interviewers I’ve seen because they are not afraid to ask the tough questions, but they do it in such a way that it doesn’t come off as disrespectful. Ed Bradley was one of my favorite news interviewers, but I also think Barbara Walters still does a great job when interviewing different subjects.
This particular interview with Phelps reminded me of the Peter Gammons/Alex Rodriguez interview from a month ago, in the sense that it involved a superstar athlete giving his opinion on controversial news about himself. However, unlike the Gammons interview, Lauer doesn’t lob softball questions to Phelps. Instead he persists with a difficult line of questioning about how long did Phelps know about the photo. What went through Phelps’ mind when he committed the act in question. Lauer cues video from an interview he did with Phelps in 2004 when Phelps apologized for DUI. Lauer wanted to know if Phelps was giving him lip service once again. What I liked most was Lauer actually drew a parallel between the A-Rod story and Phelps’ situation. Then Lauer humanized the story and asked Phelps what he would say to the young boy or girl that idolizes Phelps.
From a broadcasters point of view, the interview seemed like it was edited a little too closely though because sometimes Lauer didn’t even pause to ask his next question. The interview used three different camera angles, a two shot of Lauer and Phelps, a one shot of Lauer and a one shot of Phelps. I liked the location of the interview. Phelps is an Olympian swimmer, which is why a pool is the perfect backdrop. Alex Rodriguez conducted his interview at his house, maybe it should have been at a pharmacy……no probably a baseball field.
This week I saw a number of stories that interested me, but the one I found most intriguing was Matt Lauer’s sit down interview with Olympian Michael Phelps. This is the fist interview Phelps has done since his infamous bong picture was published. I have been fortunate enough to interview a number of athletes and sports broadcasters in my short career and I enjoy watching other broadcasters conduct interviews in order to see if I can learn something from watching them. As far as sports is concerned I find Jim Rome and Dan Patrick to be two of the best interviewers I’ve seen because they are not afraid to ask the tough questions, but they do it in such a way that it doesn’t come off as disrespectful. Ed Bradley was one of my favorite news interviewers, but I also think Barbara Walters still does a great job when interviewing different subjects.
This particular interview with Phelps reminded me of the Peter Gammons/Alex Rodriguez interview from a month ago, in the sense that it involved a superstar athlete giving his opinion on controversial news about himself. However, unlike the Gammons interview, Lauer doesn’t lob softball questions to Phelps. Instead he persists with a difficult line of questioning about how long did Phelps know about the photo. What went through Phelps’ mind when he committed the act in question. Lauer cues video from an interview he did with Phelps in 2004 when Phelps apologized for DUI. Lauer wanted to know if Phelps was giving him lip service once again. What I liked most was Lauer actually drew a parallel between the A-Rod story and Phelps’ situation. Then Lauer humanized the story and asked Phelps what he would say to the young boy or girl that idolizes Phelps.
From a broadcasters point of view, the interview seemed like it was edited a little too closely though because sometimes Lauer didn’t even pause to ask his next question. The interview used three different camera angles, a two shot of Lauer and Phelps, a one shot of Lauer and a one shot of Phelps. I liked the location of the interview. Phelps is an Olympian swimmer, which is why a pool is the perfect backdrop. Alex Rodriguez conducted his interview at his house, maybe it should have been at a pharmacy……no probably a baseball field.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Chris Vlahos blog 6
STORIES
This week I got cleared to begin working and contributing to the KOMU news. After the initial excitement wore off I started to reflect on what I learned from my first four packages. I looked through my score sheets and thought about the importance of scripting a package.
Whether that means using the proper run time for sound bites, or correct CG titles I made more mistakes than I wanted too. Rather then get disappointed I realized that I would much rather make those mistakes in lab than at the station. My last package I focused on writing in the active voice and providing facts, which seemed to help my score and the value of the package and VOB.
To my displeasure the focus on my interviews was still soft, and I still can’t seem to perfect the art of framing my subject. When I’m out shooting the focus looks fine, but sometimes I notice the framing. This week I interviewed a woman that had a tendency to move back and forth. When we started the interview the framing was fine, but the bite I used came from the middle of the interview when she had strayed to the center of the frame. Two other things bothered me about my last package on the True/False Film Festival. First I lost eight points because the package came in at 1:22. I read it over multiple times because there is no reason it should be too long or short, but I still missed the time. Then I had a fact error, which was careless on my part. If I had made this fact error in a package at a real job, it may have cost me my job.
JOURNALISM REFLECTION
I watched a story on CNN, and was so amazed by the anchors behavior; I went and watched it again online. The story was about singer Chris Brown assaulting his girlfriend Rihanna, which caught my attention when it first happened in early February. Details of the assault continue to leak out from LAPD about what happened between the two famous singers causing a firestorm on the national media circuit. CNN’s coverage begins with Ashleigh Banfield, the anchor of “In Session.” Banfield discusses the ramifications of what Rihanna said to police, but once she finishes, CNN anchor Rick Sanchez doesn’t comment on what she said or transition to the other reporter. Instead, Sanchez tells the cameraman to “Get a Shot of the Twitter Board”.
I undersatnd Mr. Sanchez’s intentions, his producer may have told him to say it. However, I felt his response was unnecessary and robotic. Every time I watch CNN and see Rick Sanchez he promotes CNN’s interactivity and tries to draw people to the website, but he could have just asked Ms. Banfield a follow up question rather than using a viewer’s response. It seems like every major news organization tries to promote citizen journalism and interactivity, but this plug for CNN’s website takes away from the story in my opinion. This is an infotainment story, and after watching the clip multiple times I feel like the anchor thought he was the news. He waved the indictment around on the air, took his glasses off and swung them around. Later in the clip he continues to move his arms around in an obnoxious manner, drawing attention to himself.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/05/chris.brown.charged/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
This week I got cleared to begin working and contributing to the KOMU news. After the initial excitement wore off I started to reflect on what I learned from my first four packages. I looked through my score sheets and thought about the importance of scripting a package.
Whether that means using the proper run time for sound bites, or correct CG titles I made more mistakes than I wanted too. Rather then get disappointed I realized that I would much rather make those mistakes in lab than at the station. My last package I focused on writing in the active voice and providing facts, which seemed to help my score and the value of the package and VOB.
To my displeasure the focus on my interviews was still soft, and I still can’t seem to perfect the art of framing my subject. When I’m out shooting the focus looks fine, but sometimes I notice the framing. This week I interviewed a woman that had a tendency to move back and forth. When we started the interview the framing was fine, but the bite I used came from the middle of the interview when she had strayed to the center of the frame. Two other things bothered me about my last package on the True/False Film Festival. First I lost eight points because the package came in at 1:22. I read it over multiple times because there is no reason it should be too long or short, but I still missed the time. Then I had a fact error, which was careless on my part. If I had made this fact error in a package at a real job, it may have cost me my job.
JOURNALISM REFLECTION
I watched a story on CNN, and was so amazed by the anchors behavior; I went and watched it again online. The story was about singer Chris Brown assaulting his girlfriend Rihanna, which caught my attention when it first happened in early February. Details of the assault continue to leak out from LAPD about what happened between the two famous singers causing a firestorm on the national media circuit. CNN’s coverage begins with Ashleigh Banfield, the anchor of “In Session.” Banfield discusses the ramifications of what Rihanna said to police, but once she finishes, CNN anchor Rick Sanchez doesn’t comment on what she said or transition to the other reporter. Instead, Sanchez tells the cameraman to “Get a Shot of the Twitter Board”.
I undersatnd Mr. Sanchez’s intentions, his producer may have told him to say it. However, I felt his response was unnecessary and robotic. Every time I watch CNN and see Rick Sanchez he promotes CNN’s interactivity and tries to draw people to the website, but he could have just asked Ms. Banfield a follow up question rather than using a viewer’s response. It seems like every major news organization tries to promote citizen journalism and interactivity, but this plug for CNN’s website takes away from the story in my opinion. This is an infotainment story, and after watching the clip multiple times I feel like the anchor thought he was the news. He waved the indictment around on the air, took his glasses off and swung them around. Later in the clip he continues to move his arms around in an obnoxious manner, drawing attention to himself.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/05/chris.brown.charged/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
Monday, March 2, 2009
Blog 5
Story Ideas
As I expected one of my weaknesses have been my story ideas. While I work hard to follow leads and track down sources, some of the stories I pick don’t lend themselves to television. Realizing this I decided to rethink my strategy and re-evaluate how I choose my stories. I spent time talking to classmates, trying to figure out where they find their story ideas. I also took a walk downtown in search of anything. It took a day, but I think I found a good story. The True/False Film Festival is back in Columbia for the sixth year, which I thought would be a perfect story to cover. The festival runs from Thursday February 26th to Sunday March 1st and in my opinion has a number characteristics that contribute to a strong story. On Friday there is a parade that goes through downtown that should have strong visuals and great Nat Sound. I can use shots of people getting their tickets, and walking into movie theatres. In my interviews I’ll ask people how often they attend the festival, what they like about it, and how will it affect Columbia’s economy. Another reason I feel this will be a good story is because this weekend’s weather forecast calls for some extremely frigid temperatures, which should cause more people to find things to do inside, like go to the movies.
Journalism
I always try to blog about non-sports stories, but I couldn’t help myself this week after witnessing NFL Network anchor, Rich Eisen run the 40-yard dash. While covering the NFL combine in Indianapolis Eisen ran the 40-yard dash two times. All of the highly touted NFL draft picks attend the combine every year in hopes of impressing NFL scouts with a display of wit and physicality. The 40-yard dash is arguably the most popular event at the combine and Eisen wanted to show viewers what the task entailed. We have been told countless times not to ride the tricycle and in this particular instance I don’t think Eisen rode the tricycle. He may have sat on it, but he never rode it. I think by running Eisen showed viewers how an average person would perform at this task. What made the piece more effective was when the NFL Network ran a simulation that compared how Eisen ran with how some of the other athletes ran. I loved the idea and I feel that if the NFL Network would have made an ordinary person run the 40 instead of Eisen it may have actually been more confusing to viewers because they would not have understood who this other person was and why they were running.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZb3DRt6_Gk
As I expected one of my weaknesses have been my story ideas. While I work hard to follow leads and track down sources, some of the stories I pick don’t lend themselves to television. Realizing this I decided to rethink my strategy and re-evaluate how I choose my stories. I spent time talking to classmates, trying to figure out where they find their story ideas. I also took a walk downtown in search of anything. It took a day, but I think I found a good story. The True/False Film Festival is back in Columbia for the sixth year, which I thought would be a perfect story to cover. The festival runs from Thursday February 26th to Sunday March 1st and in my opinion has a number characteristics that contribute to a strong story. On Friday there is a parade that goes through downtown that should have strong visuals and great Nat Sound. I can use shots of people getting their tickets, and walking into movie theatres. In my interviews I’ll ask people how often they attend the festival, what they like about it, and how will it affect Columbia’s economy. Another reason I feel this will be a good story is because this weekend’s weather forecast calls for some extremely frigid temperatures, which should cause more people to find things to do inside, like go to the movies.
Journalism
I always try to blog about non-sports stories, but I couldn’t help myself this week after witnessing NFL Network anchor, Rich Eisen run the 40-yard dash. While covering the NFL combine in Indianapolis Eisen ran the 40-yard dash two times. All of the highly touted NFL draft picks attend the combine every year in hopes of impressing NFL scouts with a display of wit and physicality. The 40-yard dash is arguably the most popular event at the combine and Eisen wanted to show viewers what the task entailed. We have been told countless times not to ride the tricycle and in this particular instance I don’t think Eisen rode the tricycle. He may have sat on it, but he never rode it. I think by running Eisen showed viewers how an average person would perform at this task. What made the piece more effective was when the NFL Network ran a simulation that compared how Eisen ran with how some of the other athletes ran. I loved the idea and I feel that if the NFL Network would have made an ordinary person run the 40 instead of Eisen it may have actually been more confusing to viewers because they would not have understood who this other person was and why they were running.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZb3DRt6_Gk
Monday, February 23, 2009
Blog 4
BAD JOURNALISM
My last few posts have been about good journalism made of compelling stories and strong reporting. Today’s post is a complete 180. I was watching a few stories on cnn.com and a story about teens facing “sexting” charges caught my eye. The stories title was catchy and initially drew me in. However, once I clicked on the story it was all-downhill from there. First of all, the story began with an interview and as a broadcaster if your best video is someone sitting down talking into a camera, that’s not a good sign. The next thing I noticed was that the first actual video used in the story was shaky. The shot also used an unnecessary zoom, but I found the shaky video more concerning. The reporter didn’t do a horrible job of referencing, but she didn’t do a good job either. Perhaps most disturbing about this story was the reporter, Amalia Barreda’s stand up. Barreda used a stick mic for no apparent reason and decided to walk and talk from the door of the court and stop at the trial court sign. I’m not sure what was accomplished by this, and I can honestly say I have no idea what she was talking about because I was so distracted by the fact she was walking.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/02/16/barreda.ma.students.sexting.wcvb
STORY IDEAS
Luckily it has become a little easier to find story ideas because as I focus on completing a package a week, it is crucial I don’t waste time searching for a story. While working on my second package about the Astroturf at Stankowski Field, I also pursued two other possible stories. First I thought I would do my story about Recycle Mania at Mizzou. However after thinking about the pros and cons of the story and if there was a story that may contain a little more news value and I switched my story to FOR ALL WE CALL MIZZOU eclipsing $1 billion. The project began Jan. 1, 2000, and it ended Dec. 31, 2008. First, the project was a way for MU to become more competitive with other research universities around the country. The campaign focused on raising money in four specific areas: students, faculty, programs and facilities. Buildings like the Reynolds Journalism Institute and Mizzou Arena were built with the money from the campaign. I scurried to email sources and create a good angle to cover the story. All of this came after I thought I would cover the The Muslim Student Organization at Missouri pushing for more prayer areas on MU’s Campus.
My last few posts have been about good journalism made of compelling stories and strong reporting. Today’s post is a complete 180. I was watching a few stories on cnn.com and a story about teens facing “sexting” charges caught my eye. The stories title was catchy and initially drew me in. However, once I clicked on the story it was all-downhill from there. First of all, the story began with an interview and as a broadcaster if your best video is someone sitting down talking into a camera, that’s not a good sign. The next thing I noticed was that the first actual video used in the story was shaky. The shot also used an unnecessary zoom, but I found the shaky video more concerning. The reporter didn’t do a horrible job of referencing, but she didn’t do a good job either. Perhaps most disturbing about this story was the reporter, Amalia Barreda’s stand up. Barreda used a stick mic for no apparent reason and decided to walk and talk from the door of the court and stop at the trial court sign. I’m not sure what was accomplished by this, and I can honestly say I have no idea what she was talking about because I was so distracted by the fact she was walking.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/02/16/barreda.ma.students.sexting.wcvb
STORY IDEAS
Luckily it has become a little easier to find story ideas because as I focus on completing a package a week, it is crucial I don’t waste time searching for a story. While working on my second package about the Astroturf at Stankowski Field, I also pursued two other possible stories. First I thought I would do my story about Recycle Mania at Mizzou. However after thinking about the pros and cons of the story and if there was a story that may contain a little more news value and I switched my story to FOR ALL WE CALL MIZZOU eclipsing $1 billion. The project began Jan. 1, 2000, and it ended Dec. 31, 2008. First, the project was a way for MU to become more competitive with other research universities around the country. The campaign focused on raising money in four specific areas: students, faculty, programs and facilities. Buildings like the Reynolds Journalism Institute and Mizzou Arena were built with the money from the campaign. I scurried to email sources and create a good angle to cover the story. All of this came after I thought I would cover the The Muslim Student Organization at Missouri pushing for more prayer areas on MU’s Campus.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Blog 3 Chris Vlahos
STORY IDEAS
Every week that I have to find three story ideas. Some weeks are a little easier than others, but for the most part three solid ideas are rare. However, on Thursday February 5th Greeley took the class on a field trip of sorts. We walked around downtown Columbia in search of story ideas, which turned into an eye opening experience. I found ten things that I thought could be good story ideas while Greeley found 41. The importance of this trip is to show how crucial it is to be observant and not be too focused on what you’re doing, but instead pay attention to what is going on around you. In that mindset I usually run at Stankowski Field when the weather isn’t too awful, so the other day when I was running I looked up from the track and on to the playing surface. I got to thinking astro turf isn’t a very forgiving surface, I wonder if Mizzou plans to change the playing surface. I did a little investigating and found out the field may receive a makeover this summer and a number of athletes that have played at Stankwoski have gotten hurt. I have pursued my sources and I plan to do my second package on the turf at Stankowski Field.
JOURNALISM
I read a story this week on cnn.com about the youngest detainee at Guantanamo Bay, 22-year-old Omar Khadr. The story begins with the quote “Kill me”, which is what Khadr told US soldiers to do to him after he killed Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer. The story details the lives of Khadr and Speer, while discussing the controversial issue of what the government should do about the 245 GitMo detainees and Khadr specifically. I was intrigued by this story because Khadr isn’t very much older than I am, but to think about all the evil things he has seen and done is staggering. What adds another twist to the story is that Khadr is a Canadian citizen, and the only westerner remaining at Guantanamo Bay. Caitlin Stark and Pam Benson do a good job in reporting the facts and refraining from inserting their opinions. Even though this is a tragic story I enjoyed the way it was covered and presented to the reader.
Every week that I have to find three story ideas. Some weeks are a little easier than others, but for the most part three solid ideas are rare. However, on Thursday February 5th Greeley took the class on a field trip of sorts. We walked around downtown Columbia in search of story ideas, which turned into an eye opening experience. I found ten things that I thought could be good story ideas while Greeley found 41. The importance of this trip is to show how crucial it is to be observant and not be too focused on what you’re doing, but instead pay attention to what is going on around you. In that mindset I usually run at Stankowski Field when the weather isn’t too awful, so the other day when I was running I looked up from the track and on to the playing surface. I got to thinking astro turf isn’t a very forgiving surface, I wonder if Mizzou plans to change the playing surface. I did a little investigating and found out the field may receive a makeover this summer and a number of athletes that have played at Stankwoski have gotten hurt. I have pursued my sources and I plan to do my second package on the turf at Stankowski Field.
JOURNALISM
I read a story this week on cnn.com about the youngest detainee at Guantanamo Bay, 22-year-old Omar Khadr. The story begins with the quote “Kill me”, which is what Khadr told US soldiers to do to him after he killed Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer. The story details the lives of Khadr and Speer, while discussing the controversial issue of what the government should do about the 245 GitMo detainees and Khadr specifically. I was intrigued by this story because Khadr isn’t very much older than I am, but to think about all the evil things he has seen and done is staggering. What adds another twist to the story is that Khadr is a Canadian citizen, and the only westerner remaining at Guantanamo Bay. Caitlin Stark and Pam Benson do a good job in reporting the facts and refraining from inserting their opinions. Even though this is a tragic story I enjoyed the way it was covered and presented to the reader.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Blog 2
CNN ran a video online that absolutely floored me. The story was about a man that was beaten to death in broad daylight in front of a grocery store in Washington D.C. The man, identified as Jose Sanchez was punched and then pushed into a mini-van causing him to bang his head and lose consciousness, ultimately killing him. What I found most disturbing was the man laid on the sidewalk unconscious for at least 20 minutes as people loaded groceries and walked right by him. The fact that no one at that market had the presence of mind to see if he was okay is a startling, sad statement on society.
From a journalist’s point of view, I thought this was a good story. The reporter interviewed grocery store employees and customers and discovered that fights like the one that took Jose Sanchez’ life are not uncommon. It seemed as if the reporter worked to make sure her reporting was accurate, she quoted court documents when explaining the reason the suspects killed the victim. This piece could lead to follow up or a detailed series exposing the violence that may frequently occur in front of this grocery store. The story goes a long way in alerting authorities and the public of a serious problem at this particular Washington D.C. grocery store.
While searching for story ideas this week I wanted to get a mix of stories with different topics. Rather than pick stories that were only events, or news reports I tried to find an investigative story, and a possible feature story. Looking at the calendar I realize that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so I thought it would be a good idea to visit a few of the local flower shops and find out how business will be impacted by the struggling economy. Venders have a tendency to charge astronomical prices as Valentine’s Day nears due to supply and demand, but this year their asking prices may be too high. My next idea also revolved around the economy, but it was about local restaurants and if they have noticed a change in business with the slumping economy. Recently when I have walked through downtown Columbia I have noticed a number of restaurants shutting their doors, which leads me to believe there is a growing trend of Columbia residents spending a little less on food. My last idea was the story I was actually going to pursue. The Missouri Lacrosse team is not a University sponsored sport because of title nine. If the University were to sponsor the Lacrosse team, it would have to add a female sports team so the ratio of male to female athletes would be equal. I feel this is newsworthy because there is a growing trend in high schools and colleges to make Lacrosse a varsity sport. The athletes on the lacrosse team train and work as hard as most other MU athletes, but don’t receive the same notoriety. On that same note however, I fear this may not be a good story because of the “So what?” factor. There are a number of club teams at Mizzou and there is no defining characteristic that makes the lacrosse team any more special than the rest of them.
From a journalist’s point of view, I thought this was a good story. The reporter interviewed grocery store employees and customers and discovered that fights like the one that took Jose Sanchez’ life are not uncommon. It seemed as if the reporter worked to make sure her reporting was accurate, she quoted court documents when explaining the reason the suspects killed the victim. This piece could lead to follow up or a detailed series exposing the violence that may frequently occur in front of this grocery store. The story goes a long way in alerting authorities and the public of a serious problem at this particular Washington D.C. grocery store.
While searching for story ideas this week I wanted to get a mix of stories with different topics. Rather than pick stories that were only events, or news reports I tried to find an investigative story, and a possible feature story. Looking at the calendar I realize that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so I thought it would be a good idea to visit a few of the local flower shops and find out how business will be impacted by the struggling economy. Venders have a tendency to charge astronomical prices as Valentine’s Day nears due to supply and demand, but this year their asking prices may be too high. My next idea also revolved around the economy, but it was about local restaurants and if they have noticed a change in business with the slumping economy. Recently when I have walked through downtown Columbia I have noticed a number of restaurants shutting their doors, which leads me to believe there is a growing trend of Columbia residents spending a little less on food. My last idea was the story I was actually going to pursue. The Missouri Lacrosse team is not a University sponsored sport because of title nine. If the University were to sponsor the Lacrosse team, it would have to add a female sports team so the ratio of male to female athletes would be equal. I feel this is newsworthy because there is a growing trend in high schools and colleges to make Lacrosse a varsity sport. The athletes on the lacrosse team train and work as hard as most other MU athletes, but don’t receive the same notoriety. On that same note however, I fear this may not be a good story because of the “So what?” factor. There are a number of club teams at Mizzou and there is no defining characteristic that makes the lacrosse team any more special than the rest of them.
Monday, February 2, 2009
week 1 blog
STORY IDEAS/ GOOD JOURNALISM
As is always the case, story ideas weren’t necessarily the easiest thing in the world to come up with. Whether it’s because Columbia is a small town, or because it’s crawling with journalists looking for a story idea sometimes feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. Couple that with the fact I am from Los Angeles and I don’t have a car in Missouri, I sometimes feel like the only story ideas I can come up with have to be in walking distance. Occasionally I can talk someone into giving me a ride, but scheduling and extracurricular activities are usually a problem. With that said, when I search for story ideas I first check komu.com to see what other students have covered. If that doesn’t work I visit columbiamissourian.com because the news stories aren’t just about things off campus, and the paper will sometimes have a good feature story. Then if I am looking for campus-centered news I visit themaneater.com. I have been fortunate enough to find a few stories I hadn’t heard about on either komu.com or columbiamissourian.com by using themaneater.com.
I was browsing the web the other day looking at stories on cbsnews.com and I came across a very interesting story. I am a Sports Broadcaster, which is why the story caught my eye; it was about Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach. Unlike most profile stories about a successful player or coach this story detailed the oddities that make Mike Leach one of the strangest and intriguing coaches in college football. CBS Correspondent and Texas Tech alum, Scott Pelley went to Lubbock and unearthed some little known facts about the mastermind behind one of the most electric offenses in the country. In the story Leach admits a love of pirates. Frequently he motivates his players by telling them stories about pirates that lead back to football. Another interesting thing about Leach is that he is one of only a handful of coaches that never played college football, he actually has a law degree from Pepperdine, in Los Angeles. Leach wasn’t the only fascinating thing about the story. Pelley was able to gain the coach and his players trust with his tireless work ethic and alumni status. Pelley went to a Red Raiders practice and actually spoke to the players. His interest in the coach and the story was evident throughout the piece, which showed the reporters versatility given the fact he is a news reporter.
Just to play devil’s advocate, Pelley’s interest and numerous appearance in the story could be perceived as too much and that the story may have been about him more than the coach.
This is the link to the story
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/31/60minutes/main4694714.shtml
As is always the case, story ideas weren’t necessarily the easiest thing in the world to come up with. Whether it’s because Columbia is a small town, or because it’s crawling with journalists looking for a story idea sometimes feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. Couple that with the fact I am from Los Angeles and I don’t have a car in Missouri, I sometimes feel like the only story ideas I can come up with have to be in walking distance. Occasionally I can talk someone into giving me a ride, but scheduling and extracurricular activities are usually a problem. With that said, when I search for story ideas I first check komu.com to see what other students have covered. If that doesn’t work I visit columbiamissourian.com because the news stories aren’t just about things off campus, and the paper will sometimes have a good feature story. Then if I am looking for campus-centered news I visit themaneater.com. I have been fortunate enough to find a few stories I hadn’t heard about on either komu.com or columbiamissourian.com by using themaneater.com.
I was browsing the web the other day looking at stories on cbsnews.com and I came across a very interesting story. I am a Sports Broadcaster, which is why the story caught my eye; it was about Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach. Unlike most profile stories about a successful player or coach this story detailed the oddities that make Mike Leach one of the strangest and intriguing coaches in college football. CBS Correspondent and Texas Tech alum, Scott Pelley went to Lubbock and unearthed some little known facts about the mastermind behind one of the most electric offenses in the country. In the story Leach admits a love of pirates. Frequently he motivates his players by telling them stories about pirates that lead back to football. Another interesting thing about Leach is that he is one of only a handful of coaches that never played college football, he actually has a law degree from Pepperdine, in Los Angeles. Leach wasn’t the only fascinating thing about the story. Pelley was able to gain the coach and his players trust with his tireless work ethic and alumni status. Pelley went to a Red Raiders practice and actually spoke to the players. His interest in the coach and the story was evident throughout the piece, which showed the reporters versatility given the fact he is a news reporter.
Just to play devil’s advocate, Pelley’s interest and numerous appearance in the story could be perceived as too much and that the story may have been about him more than the coach.
This is the link to the story
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/31/60minutes/main4694714.shtml
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