SITE INDEX

Articles: Columns and commentaries on broadcast journalism
Newsletters: Archive of NewsLab Report issues, 1999 to 2003
Research Reports: Results of surveys and studies on local TV news
Resources: Tips for story coverage and newsroom organization
Storytelling Strategies: New approaches and storytelling alternatives
Useful Links: Online resources by topic
Video: Story examples and scripts

Articles by title (by date):
24/7 News: Multiple platforms means it never stops
Anchors Overboard: Not so fast. Networks still need them
An Unhealthy Mix: Commentary is good, but not mixed with news
At What Price Publicity?: Geraldo Rivera is no asset to Fox News
Bearing Witness: TV's coverage of Hurricane Katrina
Beat Reporting: Making a comeback?
[The] Beat Goes On: A beat system can give you an edge
Behind the Curve: Local TV stations fall short on the Web
Behind the Lens: A documentary reveals how local news is made
The Big Get Bigger: The FCC makes a misguided decision.
[The] Body Count: Why is local TV news so thin? Look at the staff size
Breaking the Mold: Couric's CBS move is a milestone
Bringing Back Verbs: NBC Nightly News is scaling back the "ing-glish"
Building a Beat: How one station encourages enterprise
Bull's-eye on the Back: Journalists and cops should not be confused
A Challenge from Above: The threat of satellite radio
Changing Local TV News: A guest commentary by Joe Barnes
Checking it Once, Checking it Twice: TV news accuracy issues
Clutter or Content: News tickers may be more distracting than helpful
Cluttering the View: Labels and graphics overwhelm TV news
Consultants: Falling from Grace? New developments in local newsrooms
Contractual Servitude: States begin to outlaw noncompete clauses
Digital Campaign Coverage: Online political coverage gets a makeover
Doing it All: What's the real cost of going VJ?
Don't Drop Local Sports: A guest commentary by Charlie Tuggle
Dubious Assumptions : An ABC News-CNN merger would be bad news
EAS is a mess: The broadcast warning system breaks down too often
[The] End of Sweeps: How people meters may affect newscasts
Failing Grade: Network election coverage problems
Flagging the Problem: Incorporating the flag in newscasts is just wrong
From Silly to Shameless: Why do sweeps bring out the worst?
Gaffes Go Global: No TV mistake is local anymore.
Getting What You Pay For: Low salaries may drive top prospects away
Good News on Local News: Bright spots on cable
His Way: How Fox News' Ailes transformed TV news
How the Media Treated Me: Reflections of people thrust in spotlight
I'd Like to Buy a Verb: Words missing. Scripts hard to follow
Impressive but Incomplete: Networks struggled to balance war coverage
In It For the Money: Dropping local news may not always be bad news
Indecent Oversight: FCC crackdown on profanity could lead to censorship
It Isn't Over: Lessons to learn about terrorism coverage on TV
Later news: Stations launch 7 p.m. newscasts
Let It Snow: A plea for local TV to spare the weather hype
Listen Up: Stations find stories by listening to community
Local News from Far Away: Perils of "centralcasting"
Looking Over Our Shoulders: A tribute to Ed Bliss.
Maybe It's Not So Obvious: Conflicts of interest taint credibility
More Sources? Not Really: Commentary on media mergers
Network News Blues: Network newscasts need an overhaul
News for Sale: Advertisers' influence is seeping into TV news
Newseum lessons: Reinforcing journalism's value at a new museum
Not so pretty: Let's scrap the emphasis on women anchors' looks
Notes from 9-11: Local stations reflect on the biggest story ever
Old News: Network newscasts aren’t really that retro
Overcoming Adjective Addiction: Why are we hooked on hyperbole?
Over the Line: Dateline NBC's Predator series goes too far
Past Their Prime: Network newsmagazines have gone tabloid
[The] Perfect storm: Broadcasters face a gloomy economic outlook
Pessimism Rules: News directors fear budget cuts are killing quality
Planning for Disaster: How to stay on the air in an emergency
Playing on TV's turf: How will newspapers' online video affect local TV?
Podcasting the Future: Experimenting with news on demand
Point, Shoot and Ask: The trend to "one man bands"
Ready or Not: A look at broadcast journalism education
Revolving Door: The line between journalism and politics vanishes
[The] Root of All Network Decisions: "Nightline's" enemy is money
Saving History: How one station is preserving its old newsfilm
Selling Out: Broadcast news crosses the line again
Serious News: Can it Succeed? WBBM-TV's 10 p.m. experiment
Seven Habits of Effective Storytellers: Lessons from TV research
So Long: Two Twin Cities stations drop daily in-depth report
Star-crossed newsrooms: Local TV cutbacks show a need for reinvention
Stemming the Losses: How to win back local TV viewers?
A Story for All Seasons: Crime coverage goes year-round
Talk to the Box: Local stations use video kiosks to reach out to viewers
TV Ticker Parade: Crawls and graphics cover up the power of TV
[A] Vast Wasteland: Local news hard to find on commercial radio
A Victim of Arrogance: CNN, Eason Jordan and the blogosphere
Viewer Beware: Misleading practices can damage credibility
VJ Pros and Cons: One news director's view
VNR Complicity: CNN, local stations are VNR accomplices
What New Reality?: Helicopter journalism survives
What's In Your Bag? What reporters carry
What We're Missing: Too bad we can't see Al Jazeera & France 24
Witnessing the Final Act: Would you broadcast an execution if you could?
[The] Write Stuff: Five steps to better writing
You Witness News: TV wants citizen journalism for free

Articles by date
Star-crossed newsrooms: TV cutbacks show a need for reinvention (AJR 6/08)
The Perfect storm: Broadcasters face a gloomy economic outlook (Comm. 5/08)
Newseum lessons: Reinforcing journalism's value (AJR 4/08)
Later news: Stations launch 7 p.m. newscasts (AJR 2/08)
Old News: Network newscasts aren’t really that retro (AJR 12/07)
Digital Campaign Coverage: Online political coverage (Comm. 11/07)
Not so pretty: Let's scrap the emphasis on women anchors' looks (AJR 10/07)
Over the Line: NBC's Predator series goes too far (AJR 8/07)
Playing on TV's turf: Newspapers put more video online (AJR 6/07)
You Witness News: TV wants citizen journalism for free (AJR 4/07)
Incoming!: Advice for new and newly named NDs (Comm. 2/07)
What We're Missing: Al Jazeera & France 24 (AJR 2/07)
His Way: How Fox News' Ailes transformed TV news (AJR 12/06)
24/7 News: Multiple platforms means it never stops (Comm. 12/06)
VJ Pros and Cons: One news director's reponse (NewsLab 12/06)
Doing it All: What's the real cost of going VJ? (AJR 10/06)
Gaffes Go Global: No TV mistake is local anymore. (AJR 8/06)
Breaking the Mold: Couric's CBS move is a milestone (AJR 6/06)
Planning for Disaster: How to prep for emergencies (Communicator 4/06)
Selling Out: Broadcast news crosses the line again (AJR 4/06)
Podcasting the Future: Experimenting with news on demand (AJR 2/06)
EAS is a Mess: The broadcast warning system breaks down (AJR 12/05)
Listen Up: Stations find stories by listening (Communicator 10/05)
Bearing Witness: TV's coverage of Hurricane Katrina (AJR 10/05)
Remembering Peter Jennings: ABC anchor dead of lung cancer (8/05)
Past Their Prime: Network newsmagazines have gone tabloid (AJR 8/05)
Anchors Overboard: Not so fast. Networks still need them (AJR 6/05)
A Victim of Arrogance: CNN, Eason Jordan and the blogosphere (AJR 4/05)
Evening News Blues: Network newscasts need an overhaul (AJR 2/05)
Revolving Door: Journalism and politics mingle (AJR 12/04)
A Challenge from Above: The threat of satellite radio (AJR 10/04)
Indecent Oversight: FCC crackdown could lead to censorship (AJR 8/04)
VNR Complicity: CNN, local stations are VNR accomplices (AJR 6/04)
[The] End of Sweeps: People meters may affect newscasts (AJR 4/04)
Viewer Beware: Misleading practices can damage credibility (AJR 2/04)
An Unhealthy Mix: Commentary should not mix with news (AJR 12/03)
A Story for All Seasons: Crime coverage goes year-round (AJR 10/03)
The Big Get Bigger: The FCC makes a misguided decision (AJR 8/03)
Maybe It's Not So Obvious: Conflicts of interest taint credibility (AJR 6/03)
Impressive but Incomplete: Struggle to balance war coverage (AJR 5/03)
[The] Beat Goes On: Beat systems give an edge (Communicator 4/03)
Local News from Far Away: Perils of "centralcasting" (AJR 4/03)
Looking Over Our Shoulders: A tribute to Ed Bliss (AJR 3/03)
So Long: Twin Cities stations drop daily in-depth reports (AJR 1/03)
Pessimism Rules: Are budget cuts killing quality? (CJR 11/02)
Dubious Assumptions : ABC-CNN merger would be bad news (AJR 12/02)
Let It Snow: A plea for local TV to spare the weather hype (AJR 11/02)
Good News on Local News: Bright spots on cable (AJR 10/02)
TV Ticker Parade: Crawls and graphics ruin TV news (AJR 9/02)
[The] Body Count: Why is local TV news so thin? (AJR 7/02)
Flagging the Problem: A flag in newscasts is just wrong (AJR 6/02)
[The] Root of All Network Decisions: "Nightline's" woes (AJR 5/02)
Checking it Once, Checking it Twice: TV news accuracy (Comm. 4/02)
Contractual Servitude: States outlaw noncompete clauses (AJR 4/02)
At What Price Publicity?: Geraldo is no asset to Fox News (AJR 3/02)
What New Reality?: Helicopter journalism survives (AJR 1/02)
In It For the Money: Dropping local news not always bad (AJR 12/01)
It Isn't Over: Lessons to learn about terrorism coverage (AJR 11/01)
Notes from 9-11: Local stations reflect (NewsLab 11/01)
Behind the Lens: Documentary on how local news is made (AJR 10/01)
News for Sale: Advertisers' influence is seeping into TV news (AJR 9/01)
Witnessing the Final Act: Would you broadcast an execution? (AJR 7/01)
Cluttering the View: Labels and graphics overwhelm TV news (AJR 6/01)
Overcoming Adjective Addiction: (Communicator 6/01)
From Silly to Shameless: Why do sweeps bring out the worst? (AJR 5/01)
Point, Shoot and Ask: The trend to "one man bands" (AJR 4/01)
Talk to the Box: Local stations reach out to viewers (AJR 3/01)
Failing Grade: Network election coverage problems (AJR 1/01)
Stemming the Losses: How to win back local TV viewers? (AJR 12/00)
[A] Vast Wasteland: Local news not on commercial radio (AJR 11/00)
Getting What You Pay For: Low salaries drive prospects away (AJR 10/00)
Bull's-eye on the Back: Confusing journalists and cops (AJR 9/00)
How the Media Treated Me: (Communicator 9/00)
Behind the Curve: Local TV stations fall short on the Web (AJR 7/00)
I'd Like to Buy a Verb: (Communicator 7/00)
Serious News: Can it Succeed? WBBM-TV's 10 p.m. experiment (AJR 6/00)
Consultants: Falling from Grace? (AJR 5/00)
Beat Reporting: Making a comeback? (Communicator 11/99)
Seven Habits of Effective Storytellers: (Communicator 10/99)
Ready or Not: Journalism education (Communicator 8/99)
What's In Your Bag? What reporters carry (Communicator 10/98)
More Sources? Not Really: Commentary on media mergers (NPR 11/98)
[The] Write Stuff: Five steps to better writing (Communicator 97)

Newsletters
Fall 2003: Choosing sound, graphic overload research, legal tips
Spring 2003: Standups, newscast pacing, and Lab Results from WEEK-TV.
Winter 2003: Revising, corrections policies, online storytelling.
Fall 2002: Teamwork, effectiveness of animated graphics.
Spring 2002: TV political coverage, tips on focus.
Winter 2002: Developing a crisis plan, Lab Results from KBCI-TV.
Fall 2001: Encouraging enterprise, reinventing the desk, accuracy.
Spring 2001 Helping new hires, the "geography of local TV news."
Winter 2001 Reinventing a newscast, viewers views of on live reports.
Fall 2000 Bringing viewers back to local TV news, great storytelling.
Spring 2000 Building beat coverage, making sense of complex stories.
Winter 2000 Suggestions for campaign coverage, value of live reports.
Fall 1999 Winning support in the morning meeting, reporting on courts.
Spring 1999 Shrinking local TV news audience, covering meetings.


Research Reports:
Accuracy assessment
Animated graphics
Attention and breaking news
Avoiding memory tricks
Battle of the bugs
Bibliography of TV research
Breaking news by Andrea Miller
Bringing viewers back
Convergence systems by J. Sonia Huang and Don Heider
Convergence in the trenches by Andrea Tanner and Laura Smith
Does quality matter?
Election coverage by Amy Reynolds and Gary Hicks
Geography of local TV news by Don Heider
Getting it right
Graphic overload
How viewers view the news
Listening online by Hesham Mesbah
Live for the sake of what?
Making morning meetings matter
Making news memorable
Making TV More Interactive:
Touching you back
Putting it together
Making contact
Reaching out
Me news: Attention and breaking news by Andrea Miller
Misconceptions twist some TV science reports by Bud Ward
News you can remember
Online TV news credibility by ONA
Online storytelling by Julie Jones
Producer burnout
Project start page
Promise of pacing
Rookie reporters
Show meetings by Michael Castengera
Shrinking audience for local TV news
Translating science into TV news by Brian G. Southwell
TV news use: The 800-pound gorilla by Bob Papper
What turns viewers off?

Resource Guides:
Accuracy checklist
Advice for contest entries and More contest advice
Advice to job applicants
Avoiding lawsuits
Backtiming your day
Beyond writing tests
Build a beat system
Build a better desk
Build a better meeting
Build a culture of excellence
Coaching in TV news
Coping with trauma
Covering hoaxes
Covering homeland security
Covering a plane crash
Covering risk
Covering state government
Covering hurricane aftermath
Corrections policies
Delivery tips and Delivery tips (in a crisis)
Design a disaster plan
Doing the desk
Email systems
Election planning
Encourage enterprise
Establish an investigative unit
Ethics checklist
Find your focus
Get up to speed
Give viewers a say
Going into teaching
Improve communication
In-house training
Interactive storytelling
Internship program
Interview preparation
Interviewing glossary
Listen to viewers
Live truck safety
Managing information
Moving to management
Multimedia storytelling
News and sales
News and sales policies
News from the outside in
News with numbers
Newsroom research
Painting the news
Conference participants
Photographer's rights
Photographer tips
Photographer tips (2)
Photographer tips (3)
Photojournalist's checklist
Prepare to go abroad
Reinvent the newscast
Resume tape tips
Revise and conquer
Routine story checklists
Sensing the news
Conference participants
Conference projects
Simply speaking
Shooting for sound
Standup strategies
Surviving the morning meeting
Talking to victims
Teamwork tips for reporters
Terrorism coverage tips
Terrorism glossary
Terrorism planning
Terrorism stories
TV tips for print people
Using FOIA
What news directors want
Writer's bookbag

Background on specific beats:
Aviation
Business
Military
Police

Storytelling Strategies:
Avoid the graphic treatment
Avoid the suits
Better note-taking
Beyond MOS
Bring documents to life
Capture children's voices
Create great graphics
Make meetings matter
Natural sound stories
New ways of covering meetings
Pop-up graphics
Reporting in a crisis
Rethink the "reaction story"
Tips from Ira Glass
Tips from Wayne Freedman

Tip sheets to enliven non-visual topics:
Campaign finance
Consumer issues
Court stories
Crime and justice
Elections
Electricity deregulation
Growth and sprawl
Health policy
Highway construction
Politics
Rural issues
School funding
Stock market
Technology
Transit and light rail

Journalism links:
Jobs in TV news
Journalism sites
Journalism awards
Journalism syllabi
International journalism
Freedom of information
Online newsroom tools

Topical links:
Aviation
Bird flu
Breaking news
Campaigns and elections
Census 2000
Children's issues
Clergy sexual abuse
Consumer issues
Courts and justice
Disasters
Electricity deregulation
Faith and religion
Growth and sprawl
Health care
Highway construction
HIV/AIDS
Hurricanes
Labor
Military
Money and politics
Race and ethnicity
Rural issues
School funding
Science
Space shuttle
Sports
Stock market
Terrorism
Transit and light rail
Water quality