4/21
The day started as usual at 9:45, with story searching online, the conference call, and pursuing possible cases.
Pitch ideas were:
Roff teacher got fired
Bullfighting event starts tomorrow
Sports complex that opened last night
We called the City Manager, Lisa to learn more about the sports complex.
Meanwhile, the police chief reported a call saying a house had blown away south of Being by a tornado. Winds and rain had been heavy but no tornado.
We went to location and searched for the house for hours with no luck.
We approached houses for MOS and SOT. We interviewed 2 people and got turned down by about 4.
We headed back to the office to start editing the footage we had, because the station did not want us to pursue any of the other stories. While editing I learned not to make jump cuts and to keep things smooth.
We left again in hopes to find the damage in the area again and luckily got to interview a woman whose boat had been blown over into her window and trees had been split in her backyard.
This was good for a VO for 5, VOSOT for 6, and a full package for 10.
We finished scripting, editing, and sending everything in for the VO and VOSOT right before 5 and started working on the track for the package. The track is the sound by the reporter for the reporter. This is usually done last as you have to read off of the official script. We left the office at 5:45.
Cumulative Hours: 60
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Friday, April 28, 2017
Week 8: 8 hours
We began the day at 9:45 as usually with the conference call and scouring news sites and the internet for potential stories. The conference call lasted especially long due to the ususla boss being out and replaced by the second in command.
Because it was Good Friday it was not easy to find a story that was pursuable. Our options included: garvin County kidnapping, which we needed to Call Sheriff Rhodes for. And an aggravated assault on a police officer (which turned out to not be what it sounded like). If not: Science fair saved by a generous generous Ardmorite.
We began pursuing these cases by making phone calls to the Garvin and Pontotoc County courts. The Pontotoc was closed. Gary Tackett was arrested for kidnapping but we could not get the affidavit from them so we could not continue for that case.
We also pitched ideas for Easter events but because that could result in a compromise of interest we could not really pursue any of that without attempting to cover everything.
In the end, we decided to pursue a VSOT for a fun fun that would be happening the following day, out on by H2O church to raise money for a local teen, Avery Anderson, who is in critical condition after a car crash.
Along with this we did a package over the man from Ardmore, Dr. Young, who donated a large sum of money to the annual Science Fair that is hosted at ECU. We pursued this story for a few hours, contacting the man for a phone interview, the organizers of the fair for an in person interview, and getting B-Roll around campus where the event is held. We went back to the office for editing to find SOTs that were between 8-12 seconds.
We heard news of an accident in Johnston county that we needed to do a MAP on for the 5 o'clock.
I learned as we wrote the script for the MAP that it would be read off of a teleprompter, because of this we separate acronyms such as U-T-V, and put ellipsis for longer pauses. As we edited I also learned to expand the the sound in VSOTs in case something gets cut off.
We left the office with a MAP done at the 5 o'clock, a VOSOT for the 6 and a package for the 10 at 5:45.
Cumulative Hours: 52
Because it was Good Friday it was not easy to find a story that was pursuable. Our options included: garvin County kidnapping, which we needed to Call Sheriff Rhodes for. And an aggravated assault on a police officer (which turned out to not be what it sounded like). If not: Science fair saved by a generous generous Ardmorite.
We began pursuing these cases by making phone calls to the Garvin and Pontotoc County courts. The Pontotoc was closed. Gary Tackett was arrested for kidnapping but we could not get the affidavit from them so we could not continue for that case.
We also pitched ideas for Easter events but because that could result in a compromise of interest we could not really pursue any of that without attempting to cover everything.
In the end, we decided to pursue a VSOT for a fun fun that would be happening the following day, out on by H2O church to raise money for a local teen, Avery Anderson, who is in critical condition after a car crash.
Along with this we did a package over the man from Ardmore, Dr. Young, who donated a large sum of money to the annual Science Fair that is hosted at ECU. We pursued this story for a few hours, contacting the man for a phone interview, the organizers of the fair for an in person interview, and getting B-Roll around campus where the event is held. We went back to the office for editing to find SOTs that were between 8-12 seconds.
We heard news of an accident in Johnston county that we needed to do a MAP on for the 5 o'clock.
I learned as we wrote the script for the MAP that it would be read off of a teleprompter, because of this we separate acronyms such as U-T-V, and put ellipsis for longer pauses. As we edited I also learned to expand the the sound in VSOTs in case something gets cut off.
We left the office with a MAP done at the 5 o'clock, a VOSOT for the 6 and a package for the 10 at 5:45.
Cumulative Hours: 52
Friday, April 7, 2017
Week 7: 6 Hours
This Friday was possibly the slowest I have had thus far.
During the 10 o'clock conference call, we did not have much to pitch even for features. We scraped for stories, looking on local Facebook groups and scouring articles and news websites. We saw that Know EMS had run out of funds and was closing down on March 1, the Coalgate grocery store that had burned down was starting its first day of re building and that an event called the Polar Plunge was going on.
Because the station had covered the fire that burned the grocery store down in Coalgate before we decided on covering that story as an update. We headed to Coalgate in hopes of getting ahold of Kathy, the new store owner. She was nowhere to be found in the town. We stopped by multiple offices and called multiple numbers and were never able to get ahold of her. After an hour or so of his we ran into the town sheriff and he helped us get into contact with her.
When we finally spoke with her she told us she was a few hours out of town and by that time we did not have the time to wait for her so we decided to do the story with a VO rather than a video interview.
When we returned to Ada with the B Roll needed for the grocery store story we pursued the story on the Polar Plunge. We got an interview with the event coordinator and learned more about the Oklahoma Special Olympics fundraising event. We then got some B-Roll of the location and went back to the office for editing.
We edited together all the footage with the stories and voice overs and had two VSOTs for the day.
Cumulative Hours: 44
During the 10 o'clock conference call, we did not have much to pitch even for features. We scraped for stories, looking on local Facebook groups and scouring articles and news websites. We saw that Know EMS had run out of funds and was closing down on March 1, the Coalgate grocery store that had burned down was starting its first day of re building and that an event called the Polar Plunge was going on.
Because the station had covered the fire that burned the grocery store down in Coalgate before we decided on covering that story as an update. We headed to Coalgate in hopes of getting ahold of Kathy, the new store owner. She was nowhere to be found in the town. We stopped by multiple offices and called multiple numbers and were never able to get ahold of her. After an hour or so of his we ran into the town sheriff and he helped us get into contact with her.
When we finally spoke with her she told us she was a few hours out of town and by that time we did not have the time to wait for her so we decided to do the story with a VO rather than a video interview.
When we returned to Ada with the B Roll needed for the grocery store story we pursued the story on the Polar Plunge. We got an interview with the event coordinator and learned more about the Oklahoma Special Olympics fundraising event. We then got some B-Roll of the location and went back to the office for editing.
We edited together all the footage with the stories and voice overs and had two VSOTs for the day.
Cumulative Hours: 44
Monday, March 6, 2017
Week 6: 8 hours
This week I did work on both Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, I got a phone call from the reporter at 12pm. She was searching for MOS on campus about a blackmail case involving a boyfriends threatening to release sex videos of he and his girlfriend if she left him for physically abusing her. The woman in the case was an East Central student. so we wanted to get MOS of other students.
I worked for two hours in between classes asking students to give their opinions. We worked to keep the story balanced, using both male and female interviews.
Friday, we worked to produce a full package and a MUGVO.
The day started slower, during the morning conference call we were told to pursue our story idea over the Stonewall police being declined by the sheriff their request to expand their jurisdiction.
For this story, we knew we needed an interview with the sheriff as well ass with chief of police for Stonewall.
We started by contacting Ada's city administrator for the interview with the sheriff. After some time, we were able to meet up with him for his interview. We tried contacting Stonewall police through pone calls and e-mails, but were unsuccessful in reaching anyone.
Then, we headed for Stonewall. Luckily we caught the chief right outside of the police station and he agreed to an interview. While we were there we got B-Roll of him showing on a map his requested area, the police department, and the highway that they would be patrolling if the request would have been granted.
This took up most of the day, but we still had time to request the mug shot of Sheila Arles to write up an update MUGVO for her.
Once again, I was struck by the amount of work a reporter does in one day. Getting both sides of the story and making sure the stories are fair and unbiased is not always easy when you are working on a day deadline and are under the power of other's willingness to interview. Still, KXII does a great job at reporting fairly and honestly.
Cumulative Hours: 38
On Thursday, I got a phone call from the reporter at 12pm. She was searching for MOS on campus about a blackmail case involving a boyfriends threatening to release sex videos of he and his girlfriend if she left him for physically abusing her. The woman in the case was an East Central student. so we wanted to get MOS of other students.
I worked for two hours in between classes asking students to give their opinions. We worked to keep the story balanced, using both male and female interviews.
Friday, we worked to produce a full package and a MUGVO.
The day started slower, during the morning conference call we were told to pursue our story idea over the Stonewall police being declined by the sheriff their request to expand their jurisdiction.
For this story, we knew we needed an interview with the sheriff as well ass with chief of police for Stonewall.
We started by contacting Ada's city administrator for the interview with the sheriff. After some time, we were able to meet up with him for his interview. We tried contacting Stonewall police through pone calls and e-mails, but were unsuccessful in reaching anyone.
Then, we headed for Stonewall. Luckily we caught the chief right outside of the police station and he agreed to an interview. While we were there we got B-Roll of him showing on a map his requested area, the police department, and the highway that they would be patrolling if the request would have been granted.
This took up most of the day, but we still had time to request the mug shot of Sheila Arles to write up an update MUGVO for her.
Once again, I was struck by the amount of work a reporter does in one day. Getting both sides of the story and making sure the stories are fair and unbiased is not always easy when you are working on a day deadline and are under the power of other's willingness to interview. Still, KXII does a great job at reporting fairly and honestly.
Cumulative Hours: 38
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Week 5: 9.5 Hours
I spent a full day as a reporter today, working for a full package on one story. From the morning phone meeting with the entire team, to pursuing the story, interviews, B-Roll, writing the script, editing, and sending it in.
The story today was about House Bill 1441 from Representative Justin Humphrey, of Lane, Oklahoma.
The bill had stirred up controversy due to the content of the bill itself, requiring a woman to have permission for an abortion from the father of the child, and due to Humphrey's use of the word "host" to describe the role of a surrogate mother. Many were confused about the terminology, thinking he was talking about all pregnant women due to misleading headlines.
Much like the package we pursued the week before about the decomposing body, this story was heavily dependent upon MOS interviews. The vast majority of the day outside the office was spent pursuing these interviews.
Many people were not willing to talk on camera about the controversial issue, some walking away from us without giving a response at all and others requesting to know our opinions on the issue. As a reporter, being as non-biased as possible and keeping your personal beliefs out of the story is of the utmost importance.
Because Senator Humphrey would be in Lane today we hoped to interview him and those from his hometown that he now represented. With that in mind, we sought out locals who wanted to give their opinions on the bill.
In Lane as well as Atoka those who would talk to us were very consistent in agreeing with the Representative and the bill he was proposing. We hoped to get interviews from people on both sides of the fence on the issue, but could not find anybody with a different opinion of the fifteen or more people we talked to.
We knew we needed an interview with Representative Humphrey for a good 2 o'clock story, but the entire day had proved unfruitful in contacting him We had been calling and e-mailing him as we were getting the MOS interviews.
At around 3 we finally heard back from him (he had been at a funeral in Texas) and scheduled a quick interview before he had his meeting. We waited for about 45 minutes, talking to more locals about the story for him to return, and then the interview took about an hour all together. After driving back to Ada, we had to write the script, get it checked and reviewed, then record the reporter's section. Once this is all done, we use Dropbox to send the edited video to the AP ENPS planning system to be aired.
This was the first day I spent with KXII that we only pursued one story the entire day. In the end, it was worth it as the package turned out great. It was also the longest day I've spent with them; reminding me of the rigorous work schedules of reporters, especially those who strive for quality, non-biased stories.
Cumulative Hours: 30 Hours
The story today was about House Bill 1441 from Representative Justin Humphrey, of Lane, Oklahoma.
The bill had stirred up controversy due to the content of the bill itself, requiring a woman to have permission for an abortion from the father of the child, and due to Humphrey's use of the word "host" to describe the role of a surrogate mother. Many were confused about the terminology, thinking he was talking about all pregnant women due to misleading headlines.
Much like the package we pursued the week before about the decomposing body, this story was heavily dependent upon MOS interviews. The vast majority of the day outside the office was spent pursuing these interviews.
Many people were not willing to talk on camera about the controversial issue, some walking away from us without giving a response at all and others requesting to know our opinions on the issue. As a reporter, being as non-biased as possible and keeping your personal beliefs out of the story is of the utmost importance.
Because Senator Humphrey would be in Lane today we hoped to interview him and those from his hometown that he now represented. With that in mind, we sought out locals who wanted to give their opinions on the bill.
In Lane as well as Atoka those who would talk to us were very consistent in agreeing with the Representative and the bill he was proposing. We hoped to get interviews from people on both sides of the fence on the issue, but could not find anybody with a different opinion of the fifteen or more people we talked to.
We knew we needed an interview with Representative Humphrey for a good 2 o'clock story, but the entire day had proved unfruitful in contacting him We had been calling and e-mailing him as we were getting the MOS interviews.
At around 3 we finally heard back from him (he had been at a funeral in Texas) and scheduled a quick interview before he had his meeting. We waited for about 45 minutes, talking to more locals about the story for him to return, and then the interview took about an hour all together. After driving back to Ada, we had to write the script, get it checked and reviewed, then record the reporter's section. Once this is all done, we use Dropbox to send the edited video to the AP ENPS planning system to be aired.
This was the first day I spent with KXII that we only pursued one story the entire day. In the end, it was worth it as the package turned out great. It was also the longest day I've spent with them; reminding me of the rigorous work schedules of reporters, especially those who strive for quality, non-biased stories.
Cumulative Hours: 30 Hours
Week 4: 5 Hours
Today began very exciting.
There was a decomposing body found on the corner of Turner and 18th street the day before. We quickly got on that story, hoping to get a package. We left the office before listening to the assignments for the other reporters in the station in order to focus on this hard news story.
Immediately, we went back to the crime scene for B-roll, and started asking neighbors in the area for interviews. Cases like these depend on Man in the Street interviews. We got turned down by a few people, but after a few hours or so were able to get a good interview from a woman who lived a few houses down. In the midsts of this, we scheduled an interview with Public Information Director, Lisa Bratcher.
After getting more B-Roll from the interviewee's home we spotted policemen taking the "Crime Scene Investigation" tape down and approached them to ask questions about the case. They did not tell us anything on the record.
With more information, we parked and began working on the look-live. We wrote the script for the look-live, and were preparing the camera to shoot when we got a call the Lisa Bratcher was ready to interview.
When we arrived at Lisa's office, she told us that the case was most likely a suicide. This meant that we could not cover it with a package, because in cases of suicide the news does not want to seem as if it is promoting the act. With that, we knew we could only do a VO for the story and would need to pursue something else for the day.
We changed gears and got the "go" from the News Director to instead do another VO for the annual Southeast District Invitational Beef Expo and Farm show. For this, we contacted one of the founders of the event, Ken Suess, for an interview and headed to the venue for an interview. While there, we got the necessary B-Roll and information for the story.
Ken and the others at the event were very happy for the publicity and to let the public know the heart behind the event. I was happy to see the news covering positive local events and providing a service to the founders of such great events, even though the story we were originally pursuing would have been hard news.
Throughout the day I was reminded of the fast-pace of the reporting lifestyle as well as the importance of the relationship between community members and reporters. For example, the Public Information Director was very friendly with Sydney and they seemed to have a very positive relationship.
I also learned some more technical parts of the job. Such as,
Our Market Size: 161
Look Live- A recording that "looks live." These must be shot at the same time of day that the story is airing for continuity. For the look live, do not repeat any information that will be in the story.
Reporters carry sandbags to keep the camera tripod steady while recording. This is especially helpful in southern Oklahoma.
20.5
There was a decomposing body found on the corner of Turner and 18th street the day before. We quickly got on that story, hoping to get a package. We left the office before listening to the assignments for the other reporters in the station in order to focus on this hard news story.
Immediately, we went back to the crime scene for B-roll, and started asking neighbors in the area for interviews. Cases like these depend on Man in the Street interviews. We got turned down by a few people, but after a few hours or so were able to get a good interview from a woman who lived a few houses down. In the midsts of this, we scheduled an interview with Public Information Director, Lisa Bratcher.
After getting more B-Roll from the interviewee's home we spotted policemen taking the "Crime Scene Investigation" tape down and approached them to ask questions about the case. They did not tell us anything on the record.
With more information, we parked and began working on the look-live. We wrote the script for the look-live, and were preparing the camera to shoot when we got a call the Lisa Bratcher was ready to interview.
When we arrived at Lisa's office, she told us that the case was most likely a suicide. This meant that we could not cover it with a package, because in cases of suicide the news does not want to seem as if it is promoting the act. With that, we knew we could only do a VO for the story and would need to pursue something else for the day.
We changed gears and got the "go" from the News Director to instead do another VO for the annual Southeast District Invitational Beef Expo and Farm show. For this, we contacted one of the founders of the event, Ken Suess, for an interview and headed to the venue for an interview. While there, we got the necessary B-Roll and information for the story.
Ken and the others at the event were very happy for the publicity and to let the public know the heart behind the event. I was happy to see the news covering positive local events and providing a service to the founders of such great events, even though the story we were originally pursuing would have been hard news.
Throughout the day I was reminded of the fast-pace of the reporting lifestyle as well as the importance of the relationship between community members and reporters. For example, the Public Information Director was very friendly with Sydney and they seemed to have a very positive relationship.
I also learned some more technical parts of the job. Such as,
Our Market Size: 161
Look Live- A recording that "looks live." These must be shot at the same time of day that the story is airing for continuity. For the look live, do not repeat any information that will be in the story.
Reporters carry sandbags to keep the camera tripod steady while recording. This is especially helpful in southern Oklahoma.
20.5
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Week 3: 4 Hours
Week 3: 4 hours
The third week has been the most eventful thus far.
From the beginning of the day we had plenty of stories to pursue. Among them were:
Updates for two murders cases.
MUGVO of a rape case
MUGVO and B-Roll of a child neglect case
Package from a recent stabbing incident.
The package was the biggest story, we contacted and set up an interview with the victim and with the receptionist of the Pontotoc County Sheriff's Office, Linda.
Conducting these interviews took about 2 hours all together. Beforehand we had to educate ourselves on the case and come up with the questions we would ask.
In the time spent between contacting the court house for affidavits, mugshots. and police reports, Sydney gave me some more information on reporting.
One thing is the distinction between A, B, and C block on the news. The A block is used for the top stories, B is for the less important, usually weather, and C is the least important news of the day. She hoped for to be put in the A block for the package we were doing.
She also gave me advice on making friends with the local D.A., court officials, and government staff. These are all people that reporters must come into frequent contact with, so it is in your best interest to have a good relationship with them.
While recording for B-Roll, she showed me the importance of shooting in sequence, a wide, medium, and then tight shot. Along with this it is always important to get street intersections, if not for B-Roll then for your own memory.
In just four hours we did most of the outside work, I had to leave before she began the editing process. I hope to be more involved in that area in the future.
Cumulative Hours 15.5
The third week has been the most eventful thus far.
From the beginning of the day we had plenty of stories to pursue. Among them were:
Updates for two murders cases.
MUGVO of a rape case
MUGVO and B-Roll of a child neglect case
Package from a recent stabbing incident.
The package was the biggest story, we contacted and set up an interview with the victim and with the receptionist of the Pontotoc County Sheriff's Office, Linda.
Conducting these interviews took about 2 hours all together. Beforehand we had to educate ourselves on the case and come up with the questions we would ask.
In the time spent between contacting the court house for affidavits, mugshots. and police reports, Sydney gave me some more information on reporting.
One thing is the distinction between A, B, and C block on the news. The A block is used for the top stories, B is for the less important, usually weather, and C is the least important news of the day. She hoped for to be put in the A block for the package we were doing.
She also gave me advice on making friends with the local D.A., court officials, and government staff. These are all people that reporters must come into frequent contact with, so it is in your best interest to have a good relationship with them.
While recording for B-Roll, she showed me the importance of shooting in sequence, a wide, medium, and then tight shot. Along with this it is always important to get street intersections, if not for B-Roll then for your own memory.
In just four hours we did most of the outside work, I had to leave before she began the editing process. I hope to be more involved in that area in the future.
Cumulative Hours 15.5
Friday, January 27, 2017
Week 2: 4 hours
My second week, and second day, on the scene with Sydney provided me again with new insights on the life of a reporter. I knew the days were long and strenuous, but the more time I spend the more doable the schedule seems. Although it would be very difficult and time consuming, I'm realizing that it is exciting work that sharpens a wide array of skills. From video, to writing, to public relations, the job requires skills.
We were in the courthouse by 10:15 reporting on a rape case. Having never actually been to a court hearing, it was interesting to me simply being there.
After the hearing, we sprang to capture footage of the perpetrator. Then, we asked his mother for a short interview. After she refused to be on camera we realized we would not have enough information for a full package and that story would have to simply be a MUGVO.
Back in the office, we pursued more stories. A VO about Kerr Lab Exit on Highway 3 being closed until February, a MUGVO for a child abuse by injury case, and "efforting" a package over the Songwriters of Ada event happening on the next day.
For these, we drove to take footage of the closed exit, attending the court hearing of the man charged with child abuse for B-roll, and scheduled an interview with the creator of the songwriters event.
By this point it is 1:45. The interview for the Ada event is scheduled for 2. As we wait for the interview Sydney puts in the information we already have for the two MUGVOs and the VO. This includes typing out the script for the news anchors to read on AP ENPS, editing together the footage we have taken throughout the Day on Sony Vegas Pro, and then adding the video to the AP ENPS software before sending it to the news producers on Dropbox.
From here, the producers will make any necessary edits and the days work will air on either tonight's 6 o'clock or 10 o'clock news.
Cumulative Hours: 11.5 hours
We were in the courthouse by 10:15 reporting on a rape case. Having never actually been to a court hearing, it was interesting to me simply being there.
After the hearing, we sprang to capture footage of the perpetrator. Then, we asked his mother for a short interview. After she refused to be on camera we realized we would not have enough information for a full package and that story would have to simply be a MUGVO.
Back in the office, we pursued more stories. A VO about Kerr Lab Exit on Highway 3 being closed until February, a MUGVO for a child abuse by injury case, and "efforting" a package over the Songwriters of Ada event happening on the next day.
For these, we drove to take footage of the closed exit, attending the court hearing of the man charged with child abuse for B-roll, and scheduled an interview with the creator of the songwriters event.
By this point it is 1:45. The interview for the Ada event is scheduled for 2. As we wait for the interview Sydney puts in the information we already have for the two MUGVOs and the VO. This includes typing out the script for the news anchors to read on AP ENPS, editing together the footage we have taken throughout the Day on Sony Vegas Pro, and then adding the video to the AP ENPS software before sending it to the news producers on Dropbox.
From here, the producers will make any necessary edits and the days work will air on either tonight's 6 o'clock or 10 o'clock news.
Cumulative Hours: 11.5 hours
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Week 1: 7.5 hours
I spent a full day with Sydney this past Friday. From arriving in the office, to finding, writing, and turning in the news story I experienced a full day in a reporter's shoes.
Upon arriving in the office I had no idea what to expect. The space was tiny, with a double screen computer, office phone, and police scanner on the desk next to the computers. On a table in the corner was the classic reporter's camera bag and tripod. The bare necessities for a reporter in a small district.
After a brief introduction Sydney filled me in on what the day was going to look like. She was online searching through news outlets and social media to find her story for the day. Which she has to do every single day. A new story. Every. Single. Day.
This should not be news to me, seeing as she works for a news station that produces daily news and since nobody can see the future it needs to go on a day-by-day basis. But still, that's a lot of work. As she was telling me about her days work she rattled off a lot of jargon that was unfamiliar to my untrained ears.
Examples:
OCDR: On Demand Criminal Records (Public access website that gives great information on criminal activity)
MUG-VO: Mug shot with a voice over shown on the news. (We would go on to prepare three of these for the day)
Package: (Not what you're thinking, you nasty) Full news report including video with B-roll and voice overs that include the reporter talking about the story with 3 reputable sources and a MOS)
MOS: Man on the street. This is when the reporter asks people on the street their opinions on the story she/he is covering.
SOT: Sound on tape
I did not hear or comprehend all of these terms straightaway. First, we had to wait for the News Director, Matt Griffin, to call in the office. This is a conference call that takes place every morning between the reporters from all the coverage areas. The coverage area for KXII includes Ada and surrounding counties, Ardmore and surrounding counties, Sherman and surrounding counties, and Paris, Texas and surrounding counties.
During this conference call, each reporter pitched their ideas for the day and Matt approved them or changed them. After the call, it is crunch time for the reporters.
It was a relatively slow day in Ada on Friday, so we decided to pursue stories about three men from Garvin county who had appeared in court that day. For this, we had to travel to Pauls Valley to get affidavits and mug shots. Once we had the basic information we approved the stories with Matt, and continued to try to get an interview with the police sherif and video of the men's houses'.
At the end of the day we did not get enough information for a full package but rather three MUG-VO's. Sydney showed me how to put this together on their video editing soft wear and how the news line-ip looked for the night.
All-in-all it was a good day for learning and I look forward to learning much more from the reporter who just so happens to be a year younger than me as well as much farther advanced in her career than I am.
Cumulative Hours: 7.5
I spent a full day with Sydney this past Friday. From arriving in the office, to finding, writing, and turning in the news story I experienced a full day in a reporter's shoes.
Upon arriving in the office I had no idea what to expect. The space was tiny, with a double screen computer, office phone, and police scanner on the desk next to the computers. On a table in the corner was the classic reporter's camera bag and tripod. The bare necessities for a reporter in a small district.
After a brief introduction Sydney filled me in on what the day was going to look like. She was online searching through news outlets and social media to find her story for the day. Which she has to do every single day. A new story. Every. Single. Day.
This should not be news to me, seeing as she works for a news station that produces daily news and since nobody can see the future it needs to go on a day-by-day basis. But still, that's a lot of work. As she was telling me about her days work she rattled off a lot of jargon that was unfamiliar to my untrained ears.
Examples:
OCDR: On Demand Criminal Records (Public access website that gives great information on criminal activity)
MUG-VO: Mug shot with a voice over shown on the news. (We would go on to prepare three of these for the day)
Package: (Not what you're thinking, you nasty) Full news report including video with B-roll and voice overs that include the reporter talking about the story with 3 reputable sources and a MOS)
MOS: Man on the street. This is when the reporter asks people on the street their opinions on the story she/he is covering.
SOT: Sound on tape
I did not hear or comprehend all of these terms straightaway. First, we had to wait for the News Director, Matt Griffin, to call in the office. This is a conference call that takes place every morning between the reporters from all the coverage areas. The coverage area for KXII includes Ada and surrounding counties, Ardmore and surrounding counties, Sherman and surrounding counties, and Paris, Texas and surrounding counties.
During this conference call, each reporter pitched their ideas for the day and Matt approved them or changed them. After the call, it is crunch time for the reporters.
It was a relatively slow day in Ada on Friday, so we decided to pursue stories about three men from Garvin county who had appeared in court that day. For this, we had to travel to Pauls Valley to get affidavits and mug shots. Once we had the basic information we approved the stories with Matt, and continued to try to get an interview with the police sherif and video of the men's houses'.
At the end of the day we did not get enough information for a full package but rather three MUG-VO's. Sydney showed me how to put this together on their video editing soft wear and how the news line-ip looked for the night.
All-in-all it was a good day for learning and I look forward to learning much more from the reporter who just so happens to be a year younger than me as well as much farther advanced in her career than I am.
Cumulative Hours: 7.5
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