How to Produce a Television News Story

Josh Peterson

Introduction

When young reporters and photojournalists make the move to their first job, you are most likely going to be a "one man band" crew. You will be the reporter, photojournalist, writer, editor, producer and possibly the anchor. Wearing this many hats can sometimes be overwelming. By remembering the basics when producing a story your work load should be not as stressfull and still maintain a professional look, where people will think you had an entire crew assisting you.

Finding a story
The first step is to find a story that is current or newsworthy. Stories can be found by making beat calls every morning to local law enforcement centers, reading the local newspapers, taking news tips from the public, and checking the news wires. Once you find a story it is important to make contact with the key people in the story ASAP so you have ample time to schedule and set up interviews. Contact information can be found usually on a press release or simply by looking in a phone book.

Checking your gear
As soon as your interviews are scheduled be sure that all your gear is in working order. Rewound tapes, working light, batteries are charged and the camera is in good working order are things you should check before you leave for your story. Also if you plan to use a lavalir microphone or wireless microphone be sure the batteries are good. The last thing you would want to happen is to have an interview on tape and then have no sound.

Location, location, location
Next when you are at your interview, be sure the interviewee is set up in a good location. Never shoot against a plain wall. White walls and brick walls will make the person you interviewing look flat and possibly match into the wall. If you need to, pull something into the background to separate the interviewee from the wall. If nothing is available it never hurts to shoot the interview outside. Another thing to remember is to never shoot an interview in front of a window. Also, use the rule of thirds when you frame up your interview.

Quick and to the point
Be sure to not waste your time, or the interviewee’s time. Make sure your questions are "too the point", and don’t let the interviewee take off on long -winded stories, unless it pertains to your story. In the end it just makes it easier when editing your story together.

Shooting your Footage
Make sure you shoot plenty of B-Roll (cover footage), and always have many cut away shots. Remember it is better to shoot extra footage than not enough footage. Be sure to vary your shots from close up, to medium shots to establishing shots. When you begin to edit your story it is best to log all of the sound bites from your interview. Then take those logged sound bites and use the ones to formulate your story.
Once your story is written be sure to write your intro to the story for your news anchor to read and an out cue to sum up any loose ends. You may wish to visit Simply DV or Video Maker for further guidance.

Tell the story visually
When you begin editing be sure to use B-roll shots (your cover footage) that fits with what your saying. A person should be able to know what the story is about without having the audio on. So use shots that make sense and use them in a rotating format. Be sure to begin with an establishing shot and then move to a medium shot and to a close up. Try to not use the same shot more than once. This will help keep your story interesting.

Tie up loose ends
Finally be sure to check your facts so that no errors appear in your story. "It also never hurts" to supply “time permitting” to create a different versions of your story. So if you create a tracked or “packaged story” also create a VO (voice over) or a VOSOT (voice over and sound bite) to be used for other newscasts, it is always better that the person who originally produced the story makes the other versions simply because you are the person who made the original.

Tell the story in three words.
Select Don't Compress what goes in your stories. The stuff that does not make it in will make great tags, follow-ups or additional material for internet sites.

Tell complex stories through strong characters.
Viewers remember what they feel longer than what they know. Characters help me understand how the complex facts you uncovered affect people.

Objective copy - subjective sound.
Let the characters evoke emotions, express feelings and opinions in their sound bites. The journalists' copy should contain objective words, facts and truths.

Use active verbs - not passive: who did what?
Consider the difference between "the gun was found"and "the boy found the gun", ask "who did what?" and you will write a stronger and more informed stories.

No subjective adjectives.
Your lawyer and your viewers will thank you. No more "fantastic-unbelievable-gut wrenching-or-mother's worst nightmare."

Give viewers a sense for the passage of time in your story.
Make me feel you have spent some time by showing me the character in more than one setting, in more than one situation.

Remember-leads tell me "so what", stories tell me "what" and tags tell me "what's next."
Use the information from you second best sound bites as your lead. What about this story made you feel something? That is your lead-it is the Velcro the viewer needs to stick to.

The words and the pictures "holds hands."
Avoid 'see dog-say dog." Tell the viewers something they might miss even if they were standing next to you when you were shooting the story. Open your senses. Tell the viewers what they can't see or hear.

Stories need context.
What is, what was what ought to be. Spin a yarn, put the viewer on your knee and tell them a story.

Simple, clear language.
Avoid complex medical terms, fancy phrases, legalese, and cop-speak. Edward R. Murrow said, "I don't want to talk down to a college professor, but I don't want the plumber to turn away either."

Every story needs a surprise.
Think of them as little gold coins you sprinkle down the trail, allowing the viewer to collect them as they go through a story, or a newscast for that matter.

Build in silence.
Great stories are not wall-to-wall gabfests.

Related Links

Poynter Institute

Simply DV

Video Maker

News Media Links

WCCO 4 News

CBS News