Coping with stalkers: A safety checklist
Adapted from BROADCAST VOICE HANDBOOK by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D One of the best-kept secrets in every newsroom involves stalkers. …
TV news research bibliography
Academic research can be, well, academic: hard to read and even harder to understand. But that doesn't mean it's useless. On the contrary, research on television news can offer practical tips for improving what goes on the air. With that in mind, we've produced this …
Cutbacks show need for reinvention
Anyone who's been in the television news business for a decade or more has seen it before. A tough economy always means cutbacks, …
Broadcasters face a gloomy economic outlook
For most news directors, budget season isn’t much fun. After all, who really likes crunching numbers? But this year, it’s …
Enduring lessons from the Newseum
Cramped and hard to find: That's my memory of the Freedom Forum's old Newseum in Rosslyn, Virginia, which closed more than six years …
Campaign coverage online
Expanding your political coverage on your Web site doesn't have to put a huge strain on your newsroom. If you're looking for ideas to try online or places to find good information, look no farther. During the 2008 campaign, we put together a list of …
Local stations move news later
Live at 5 is dead in Miami. It was killed off temporarily in New York, too. The NBC-owned stations in both markets took the unusual step of scrapping their long-running 5 p.m. newscasts last fall and replacing them with syndicated programs. But WNBC and WTVJ …
Network newscasts aren’t all that retro
Have you watched a network evening news program lately? Americans who would answer "no" to that question far outnumber …
TV’s focus on looks is not so pretty
Dressed in a short red skirt and a tight leopard-print top, the new TV news anchor poses on the set. She's not behind the desk at …
NBC’s predator series goes too far
The "To Catch a Predator" series on "Dateline NBC" has been a smash hit for the network's news division since it launched …
Reporting in a crisis
Covering a disaster is different from reporting on routine breaking news. Both require quick thinking and action, but in …
Storytelling tips from Ira Glass
What are the building blocks of great stories? Ira Glass of "This American Life" certainly knows. The program aired weekly on many NPR stations, explores a theme from various angles. The program is always insightful, often surprising. In 2008, "This American Life" won a Peabody …