One of the most common criticisms of local TV news is that stations spend far too much time covering crime. It's a well-founded complaint. Daily crime can be easy and cheap to cover--one stop shopping, so to speak--making it a popular rundown-stuffer. In many markets, …
NBC's Bob Dotson has never been one to follow the herd. He's built a career out of telling the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things on his American Story franchise for the Today Show. How did he get where he is? "I think almost every …
When the actor Paul Walker died in a car crash, the Associated Press reported a touching tribute from his Fast and Furious co-star, Vin Diesel. "Brother I will miss you very much," said therealvindiesel's message on Instagram. "Heaven has gained a new Angel." The quote drew …
Another breaking news story, another list of news media mistakes. Same old, same old, right? Except this time, a new question came up: Are breaking news mistakes even worth covering anymore? That question raised by Politico media columnist Dylan Byers came on a day when multiple …
With newsrooms placing more and more emphasis on social media, basic blogging may seem to have lost its value for journalists. Not so, says John Ensslin who writes the Bergen Beat blog for NorthJersey.com, the website of The Record newspaper. He says people who care about …
No matter what kinds of stories you cover, you’re bound to run into public information officers. And while paid professional spokespeople can be a huge help to journalists, I used the term “run into” for good reason. All too often, PIOs act as barriers instead of …
How many local TV stations have reporters whose primary responsibility is the Web? It's an idea whose has come at WPRI, the LIN-owned station in Providence, R.I., which now has two digital beat reporters, one covering economics and business and the other, politics. "I don't know …
What happened on Reddit after the Boston Marathon bombings may have scared many journalists away from the site. NPR tech reporter Elise Hu believes that's a shame. The self-described "front page of the Internet" became a hive of misinformation, as users posted theories about the bombing and falsely identified suspects. …
The video went viral, of course. Reporter Abbey Niezgoda of WLNE in Providence, R.I., was reporting reaction to a shooting when she was attacked by the victim's mother. The video shows the woman throwing a rock at the TV crew, threatening them with a baseball …
Journalists reacted to the bombings at the Boston Marathon and the aftermath the way they always do: they ran toward danger. In a crisis, whether it's terrorism or a manhunt in Boston or a fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, the news media are first responders. …
You're working on an exclusive story for tonight and the Web and social media team wants a piece of it, hours before air. Should you share? If you thought that question had been laid to rest years ago, think again. In some newsrooms, the answer …
by Steve Safran I want to tell you a little bit about working in local news. It's messy and complicated. It's filled with drudgery. It's overnights for years without recognition. It's reporters who start in small markets with pay so low they take a second job, usually …
