Whitey may be gone, but like a good man, he left a helluva legacy.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
High School Newsman
This hit's home...and one day I'm going to pull out the VHS collection, digitize those bad boys and prove it but first here's Network News Proof that a teenager with a passion will do what it takes to live the dream.
This 16 year old has his own News Webcast, from his bedroom....CBS's Steve Hartman featured him on Assignment America...
(BTW - I love that CBS has embeddable video)
And then young Mr. Harris turned the tables on Steve for his own show...
AND one of Rodney's latest News 14 Webcast....
This 16 year old has his own News Webcast, from his bedroom....CBS's Steve Hartman featured him on Assignment America...
(BTW - I love that CBS has embeddable video)
And then young Mr. Harris turned the tables on Steve for his own show...
AND one of Rodney's latest News 14 Webcast....
VJs Coming to the LA Times
In a Recent post at his blog Michael Rosenblum congratulates Tim French for his new job at the LA Times. Tim's new job as Rosenblum tell's it...
I doubt the local TV Guys give a shit. They have more than 11 crews on the streets. (We have more than that here in little ol' Greensboro). And anyway. 100 VJs would produce way more TV than could be broadcast in any given news day...much less be watched online.
Some stories BEG to be covered as a video story as well they should…but 100 stories a day…even 50…hell even 25...most people don't have time for that.
At some point, regardless of the economy of a one man crew, 100 staffers with cameras waters down the product to the point it’s not worth it, both for the viewers trying to wade through a muck of mosty average video and for the company that ends up with a drowning business model.
I will watch closely to see what they DO choose to show as video stories because sometimes organizations like the LA Times and other historically print journalists forget (or don't realize)that although every story can done in print NOT every story can be done (well) in video.
Only Video Stories done well, that are interesting and somewhat entertaining really matter because the rest won’t be watched.(and this isn't about quality..it's about good content) I mean just look at what get's numbers on YouTube and other video sites.
I can shoot the hell out of a City Council meeting and get all the right shots and all the right interviews but that doesn't hold a candle to a great story where people area actually doing things and not sitting on their asses.
"...he will both be a VJ, but will also work on a team that is going to train, as I understand it, more than 100 LA Times staffers to be VJS."
Goodness...that's enough to give Britney Spears a nervous breakdown.....nevermind.
Anway does LA really need 100 more camera totin’ newbies chasing after celebrities, amblulances or even, God help 'em, real news?
Doing the math in the LA Metro area the 100 VJs would be 1 for every 170-thousand people. So if we added a VJ system here in the Greensboro DMA we'd only need 9 VJs at the local paper.
And as Michael says...
"Well, Los Angeles is a big town, and it’s nice that at least one local media
company things you can cover LA with more than 11 crews! I think the LA Times is
going to give the local news guys a stroke. And about time. "
I doubt the local TV Guys give a shit. They have more than 11 crews on the streets. (We have more than that here in little ol' Greensboro). And anyway. 100 VJs would produce way more TV than could be broadcast in any given news day...much less be watched online.
Some stories BEG to be covered as a video story as well they should…but 100 stories a day…even 50…hell even 25...most people don't have time for that.
At some point, regardless of the economy of a one man crew, 100 staffers with cameras waters down the product to the point it’s not worth it, both for the viewers trying to wade through a muck of mosty average video and for the company that ends up with a drowning business model.
I will watch closely to see what they DO choose to show as video stories because sometimes organizations like the LA Times and other historically print journalists forget (or don't realize)that although every story can done in print NOT every story can be done (well) in video.
Only Video Stories done well, that are interesting and somewhat entertaining really matter because the rest won’t be watched.(and this isn't about quality..it's about good content) I mean just look at what get's numbers on YouTube and other video sites.
I can shoot the hell out of a City Council meeting and get all the right shots and all the right interviews but that doesn't hold a candle to a great story where people area actually doing things and not sitting on their asses.
A Picture's Worth a Thousand...
...Effects?!
It's funny how a simple picture can inspire people.
I posted this picture on B-Roll.net of Eric White standing in the middle of the yet to be opened Urban Loop around Greensboro.
But then Rad had to open the can of worms, wondering outloud for a truck to be photoshopped into the picture.
And then this thing took on a life of it's own...
And I even played along making one of my own..though I am using an inferior program.
I posted this picture on B-Roll.net of Eric White standing in the middle of the yet to be opened Urban Loop around Greensboro.
But then Rad had to open the can of worms, wondering outloud for a truck to be photoshopped into the picture.
And then this thing took on a life of it's own...
And I even played along making one of my own..though I am using an inferior program.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Whitey's Final Days
Eric "Whitey" White is in his final 3 days at WGHP and then he'll be movin on to bigger and better.
It was kind of like de ja vu getting up on the bride in the 40/85 work zone again....and it may just be the last time Whitey and I spend a work day together.
But it won't likely be the last time we hang out. We had a good time last Friday night midnight bowling with everyone from work...
...but we hope to have a good outing in Nashville again next year as Whitey works there and I only visit once a year.
Good workin' with ya Whitey!
It was kind of like de ja vu getting up on the bride in the 40/85 work zone again....and it may just be the last time Whitey and I spend a work day together.
But it won't likely be the last time we hang out. We had a good time last Friday night midnight bowling with everyone from work...
...but we hope to have a good outing in Nashville again next year as Whitey works there and I only visit once a year.
Good workin' with ya Whitey!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Lucky Trumps Good
I love it when a plan comes together.
Really. Well, Sort of.
I had a scheduled edit day for a consumer story that airs Friday but some surprise winter weather dumped several inches of snow - depending on the location - on the Triad of NC and therefore pulled me out of the edit bay and onto the streets...sans-reporter.
I was tasked with finding kids playing with whatever happened to be left of the snow as the sun shined down and the temperature cracked 35 degrees.
I was less than optimistic but I had a plan. My plan was simple. Get lucky. That's it.
I knew where the heaviest snowfall was so I drove to north Greensboro in search of a kid laden neighborhood. After driving through a few neigborhoods I finally found one where the houses looked promising.
I turned down a side street and then another...and that's where I saw THEM. One adult, two children, one sled. I crossed my fingers and wished silently that they were headed to a hill and not home from one.
My wish was granted. I gathered my footage over the course of about 40 minutes, getting as many different angles as sled runs they slid. After a few quick interviews, two impromptu snowball fights and more neighborhood children coming out to get on TV I had more than enough for good TV.
Back to the shop I had to log the disc, write the story, get a pretty voice to read the track, and edit. And I had given myself plenty of time...which is unusual for me.
The story aired at 5 and since weather was our lead, it was our lead story...a very featurish story about how kids spent their snowday.
Watch the Story HERE
Really. Well, Sort of.
I had a scheduled edit day for a consumer story that airs Friday but some surprise winter weather dumped several inches of snow - depending on the location - on the Triad of NC and therefore pulled me out of the edit bay and onto the streets...sans-reporter.
I was tasked with finding kids playing with whatever happened to be left of the snow as the sun shined down and the temperature cracked 35 degrees.
I was less than optimistic but I had a plan. My plan was simple. Get lucky. That's it.
I knew where the heaviest snowfall was so I drove to north Greensboro in search of a kid laden neighborhood. After driving through a few neigborhoods I finally found one where the houses looked promising.
I turned down a side street and then another...and that's where I saw THEM. One adult, two children, one sled. I crossed my fingers and wished silently that they were headed to a hill and not home from one.
My wish was granted. I gathered my footage over the course of about 40 minutes, getting as many different angles as sled runs they slid. After a few quick interviews, two impromptu snowball fights and more neighborhood children coming out to get on TV I had more than enough for good TV.
Back to the shop I had to log the disc, write the story, get a pretty voice to read the track, and edit. And I had given myself plenty of time...which is unusual for me.
The story aired at 5 and since weather was our lead, it was our lead story...a very featurish story about how kids spent their snowday.
Watch the Story HERE
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Puppymills
Undercover
It's been a busy January and now February. I've been working on an investigative followup to the 1000 dog puppymill Hillsville, Virginia that was raided in November by local Animal control and national Humane Society officers.
In late January reporter Angela Rodriguez and I traveled to Hillsville incognito to shoot undercover video of the puppy place. We watched as this puppy was purchased by a representative of Virginia P.A.W.S.
The puppy buy was a bit more in-depth than that, with Angela and I posing as a couple looking for a dog with the other lady acting as a relative who ended up purchasing the dog for P.A.W.S., an animal welfare group.
It was quite interesting as we became buddy buddy with the employee who handles dog sales. He told us more and more as we talked. Good Stuff.
We took the dog to a veteranarian about 70 miles away and he gave the dog an objective lookover. We didn't tell the vet how or where we got the dog nor that we were doing a news story and he still pegged the dog as a puppymill pup.
The dog has a deformed sternum and a severely enlarged heart and may not live a full healthy life.
We took our undercover video to the prosecuter, county manager, and animal control officials in the county where the puppymill is and although they bregrudingly allowed us to roll our cameras while they watched they seemed interested in what they saw.
The owners, say the employee, plan on building back up their breeding stock. They keep small dogs and pregnant dogs outdoors with no heat. And until the animal control officer saw our tape, the puppymill had not brought their wire bottomed indoor puppy cages up to code by providing a place for the puppys to lay.
The animal control officer visited the place just 2 days after watching our footage and the kennel quickly made the code adjustment.
As I wrapped up my fourth trip to Hillsville (alone this time) I was confronted by the family after I broke my cover to shoot the B-roll needed for the story. As I rolled disc the family started quizing me about my presence near they land and I quized them back about their intentions and the future of their kennels.
A quote directed toward the Humane Sociedt that struck me as defining--- "We're going to rub their noses in it because we're tired of them messing with us." They said they'd get as many relatives to get individual kennel permits as needed to get their stock back up to the 1000+ range.
The 2 stories we produced from this effort can be seen here...
"PuppyVille"
AND
"Tricks of the Puppy Trade"
In late January reporter Angela Rodriguez and I traveled to Hillsville incognito to shoot undercover video of the puppy place. We watched as this puppy was purchased by a representative of Virginia P.A.W.S.
The puppy buy was a bit more in-depth than that, with Angela and I posing as a couple looking for a dog with the other lady acting as a relative who ended up purchasing the dog for P.A.W.S., an animal welfare group.
It was quite interesting as we became buddy buddy with the employee who handles dog sales. He told us more and more as we talked. Good Stuff.
We took the dog to a veteranarian about 70 miles away and he gave the dog an objective lookover. We didn't tell the vet how or where we got the dog nor that we were doing a news story and he still pegged the dog as a puppymill pup.
The dog has a deformed sternum and a severely enlarged heart and may not live a full healthy life.
We took our undercover video to the prosecuter, county manager, and animal control officials in the county where the puppymill is and although they bregrudingly allowed us to roll our cameras while they watched they seemed interested in what they saw.
The owners, say the employee, plan on building back up their breeding stock. They keep small dogs and pregnant dogs outdoors with no heat. And until the animal control officer saw our tape, the puppymill had not brought their wire bottomed indoor puppy cages up to code by providing a place for the puppys to lay.
The animal control officer visited the place just 2 days after watching our footage and the kennel quickly made the code adjustment.
As I wrapped up my fourth trip to Hillsville (alone this time) I was confronted by the family after I broke my cover to shoot the B-roll needed for the story. As I rolled disc the family started quizing me about my presence near they land and I quized them back about their intentions and the future of their kennels.
A quote directed toward the Humane Sociedt that struck me as defining--- "We're going to rub their noses in it because we're tired of them messing with us." They said they'd get as many relatives to get individual kennel permits as needed to get their stock back up to the 1000+ range.
The 2 stories we produced from this effort can be seen here...
"PuppyVille"
AND
"Tricks of the Puppy Trade"
BUSY or LAZY
I suck.
I've been neglecting the blog again but I've also been very, very (and one more), very busy with work and personal stuff, including the barn I'm still building that should have been done by Christmas.
And there I am having fun. What was I thinking?
I've been neglecting the blog again but I've also been very, very (and one more), very busy with work and personal stuff, including the barn I'm still building that should have been done by Christmas.
And there I am having fun. What was I thinking?
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Double Vision
Twins?
I had an interesting conversation with WFMY's Frank Mickens today. But the confusion leading to the conversation with Frank is what makes it funny.
That's Frank on the right. He is a reporter and sometimes fill-in anchor at the CBS affiliate. On the left my colleague Charles Ewing, our weekend meteorologist who also works as a news reporter a couple of days a week.
When I arrived at my second story today I introduced myself and asked for the principal of the school. I was informed she was interviewing with another news crew. Another of the women in the office said she was already being interviewed by Fox 8.
I was a little stunned, but dumber things have happened. It wasn't impossible for another crew to have also grabbed this assignment but I was skeptical.
If we're already here I gotta know who. The woman told me, "You know, the weather guy, Charles..." So we walked to the computer lab where the other news crew was. To my relief it was Frank Mickens, not Charles, conducting the interview, which meant I still had to do my job.
After I was nearly done Frank stopped me to pass a message along to Charles. This caught my attention considering the events leading up to this moment. Frank told me that people kept congratulating him on the birth of his twins. That would be people kept congratulating Frank, confusing him for Charles, for the birth of Charles' twins.
I'm confused.
He even confided in me that the ladies at the school weren't sure he wasn't Charles. I nodded in assurance as I looked him over searching for the resemblance.
Charles, twins with Frank, who gets compliments on twins that belong to Charles? Hmm.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Christmas Fun
Jib Jab Style
Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!
OR
Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Quotable Quoate
Mike Huckabee
Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee blew through Greensboro this afternoon to pick up a few checks to finance his campaign effort.
I met him at the door, camera, reporter and gaggle in tow.
The smooth talking Arkansas Governor threw out quotes and quips left and right and sometimes up and down but during his 15 minutes of Greensboro fame he left us with this little beauty that, if not for a writer's strike, would be great late nighte fodder I'm sure.
Huckabee said, "The reason that we're so afraid of Iran is because they've got enough oil money to build a reactor. Do you think they could build a reactor if all they had to sell was rugs? I don't think so. So because of our deopendence upon their oid and the saudi's oil we find ourselves once again scared to death of what they can do with the money that guess where they got it... from us."
I met him at the door, camera, reporter and gaggle in tow.
The smooth talking Arkansas Governor threw out quotes and quips left and right and sometimes up and down but during his 15 minutes of Greensboro fame he left us with this little beauty that, if not for a writer's strike, would be great late nighte fodder I'm sure.
Huckabee said, "The reason that we're so afraid of Iran is because they've got enough oil money to build a reactor. Do you think they could build a reactor if all they had to sell was rugs? I don't think so. So because of our deopendence upon their oid and the saudi's oil we find ourselves once again scared to death of what they can do with the money that guess where they got it... from us."
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
News "Who" Rules?
OK, I deserved it. Karma caught me. And a high school student is probably giggling his little head off tonight. (Yeah, it had to be a guy)
I found this on Unit 15 after a shoot at an area high school this morning.
My problems started the day before. I had an assignment at a high school 50 miles for the next morning and after taking a quick multi-tasked look at the assignment sheet I filed the Wednesday task away in the back of my head.
When I arrived home Tuesday evening I programmed my GPS for the school so I'd know how much time to give myself for an early departure the next morning.
It wasn't until I arrived at the school right on time Wednesday morning that I realized that I had the wrong school in mind. They both started with an "M" and were in the same county in 15 mile radius.
I made my way to the correct school, called them to let them know, and still got the story, no problem.
I found this on Unit 15 after a shoot at an area high school this morning.
My problems started the day before. I had an assignment at a high school 50 miles for the next morning and after taking a quick multi-tasked look at the assignment sheet I filed the Wednesday task away in the back of my head.
When I arrived home Tuesday evening I programmed my GPS for the school so I'd know how much time to give myself for an early departure the next morning.
It wasn't until I arrived at the school right on time Wednesday morning that I realized that I had the wrong school in mind. They both started with an "M" and were in the same county in 15 mile radius.
I made my way to the correct school, called them to let them know, and still got the story, no problem.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
News Car Wars
Fight Fire with...
In response to my recent article about a Durham TV Station's new mobile news gathering vehicle their competition in Raleigh has scrambled to put together their own mobile news gathering machine plus some.
And since their parent company is known for their extra-orbital prowess how fitting that their vehicle is equipped to communicate with the Geo-Stationary orbs that we refer to as the birds.
Here it is....Redneck 1.
I hear it's going to cater to the newsgathering of the far reaches of the Raleigh Market down into Eastern NC, where pickup will let you fit right in.
No word on what kind of technologically advanced equipment is behind the darkened glass but I do hear there's a CB in it.
And since their parent company is known for their extra-orbital prowess how fitting that their vehicle is equipped to communicate with the Geo-Stationary orbs that we refer to as the birds.
Here it is....Redneck 1.
I hear it's going to cater to the newsgathering of the far reaches of the Raleigh Market down into Eastern NC, where pickup will let you fit right in.
No word on what kind of technologically advanced equipment is behind the darkened glass but I do hear there's a CB in it.
Monday, October 29, 2007
My Garage
AKA Man Cave
Here is the source of my lack of blogging as of late...
I've personally built (almost) this whole thing from hand from the ground up. I only hired guys to do the blocks and concrete and then to help me lift the walls and install the garage door.
My neighbor has helped me do heavy lifting, critical thinking(fixing mistakes) and even lets me borrow his tools and traler.
Heck, he even came over one day when I was at work and put a roof panel or two in place hoping I could join him and finish before the monsoon set in this week. No such luck and it got really wet in there!
Now I have to hire guys to put the shingles on, but the rest is all on me. Insulation, Electricity, trims and I'm finishing the upstairs to make it a home office/ man cave.
There's still a long way to go but I hope to have it done by Christmas.
I've personally built (almost) this whole thing from hand from the ground up. I only hired guys to do the blocks and concrete and then to help me lift the walls and install the garage door.
My neighbor has helped me do heavy lifting, critical thinking(fixing mistakes) and even lets me borrow his tools and traler.
Heck, he even came over one day when I was at work and put a roof panel or two in place hoping I could join him and finish before the monsoon set in this week. No such luck and it got really wet in there!
Now I have to hire guys to put the shingles on, but the rest is all on me. Insulation, Electricity, trims and I'm finishing the upstairs to make it a home office/ man cave.
There's still a long way to go but I hope to have it done by Christmas.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
BREAKING NEWS 1
The title of this blog is not an event that's causing chaos in the greater Piedmont Triad, it's the name of a new, yellow, not a taxi-cab, news gathering beast. See Picture now.
The Toyota FJ belongs to WTVD ABC 11 in Durham and we got a sneek peak here in High Point as Ron Wick was headed back to Durham after getting a fresh new set of decals here in town.
The vehicle is equipped with a police/fire scanner, two dash mounted lipstick cameras, microphones, a switcher and other accessories to enable Televsion broadcasting.
The lipstick cameras are mounted on the dash, one forward looking, one facing the passenger seat. They are switchable on the fly and a microphone is hooked inline and it all feeds to a laptop computer that can feed the video and audio via a wireless broadband internet connection.
I don't know if the photogs at WTVD are lining up to be the first to go live at 70 MPH, but it does sound interesting to me, but I'm a classic AV geek. :)
The ICEE is not included in the standard package.
The Toyota FJ belongs to WTVD ABC 11 in Durham and we got a sneek peak here in High Point as Ron Wick was headed back to Durham after getting a fresh new set of decals here in town.
The vehicle is equipped with a police/fire scanner, two dash mounted lipstick cameras, microphones, a switcher and other accessories to enable Televsion broadcasting.
The lipstick cameras are mounted on the dash, one forward looking, one facing the passenger seat. They are switchable on the fly and a microphone is hooked inline and it all feeds to a laptop computer that can feed the video and audio via a wireless broadband internet connection.
I don't know if the photogs at WTVD are lining up to be the first to go live at 70 MPH, but it does sound interesting to me, but I'm a classic AV geek. :)
The ICEE is not included in the standard package.
Friday, October 05, 2007
blackberry blog
I need to blog more. Maybe I would if I had a blackberry.
I am writing this using Caron's new blackberry.
I might have to get one.
----
Sent from caron's blackberry.
I am writing this using Caron's new blackberry.
I might have to get one.
----
Sent from caron's blackberry.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Chris Daughtry
NASCAR Fan?
I was please to see Chris Daughtry performing Saturday Night before NASCAR race in Richmond. Kind of fitting for the Chevy Rock n Roll 400.
But it was less than a year ago when Chris Daughtry himself scoffed at the idea of singing his tunes at a NASCAR Race.
It was back in October while I was in Los Angeles shooting the segment on Daughtry putting the finishing touches of his album that this fact came to life.
The Phoenix race was on TV that night and the guys in the band weren't really watching anything so we tuned in to the race.
But with a little further discussion I found out that that Chris Daughtry, North Carolina southern boy, from right here in NASCAR Country, had never really followed, cared for or worried about NASCAR. Neither did the rest of the crew.
I think my comment to him at that point was something like, "You need to go to a race, you'll love it" and "NASCAR fans would love you."
I think I may have been on to something. Hmm.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Anchorwoman
Cancelled!
After mucho hype, marketing blitz mania and a ton of $$ spent promoting "Anchorwoman", it was cancelled after it's first two episodes that both aired back to back Wednesday.
The shows that will play in the timeslot for the next 3 Wednesdays are RE-RUNS of "Til Death". (!)(Re-runs, really, why?)
I liked "Anchorwoman". It was silly and slightly perverse, but like I wrote before, it is a malgomation of all things 'newsy'.
I guess the public just isn't ready for a behind the scenes look at Local TV News.
Hopefully they will be by the time Lenslinger writes that book. ;-)
The shows that will play in the timeslot for the next 3 Wednesdays are RE-RUNS of "Til Death". (!)(Re-runs, really, why?)
I liked "Anchorwoman". It was silly and slightly perverse, but like I wrote before, it is a malgomation of all things 'newsy'.
I guess the public just isn't ready for a behind the scenes look at Local TV News.
Hopefully they will be by the time Lenslinger writes that book. ;-)
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Anchorwoman
Real Reality
I watched, I laughed, I liked.
No, it may not the best idea to portray the inside baseball of a serious newsroom to your TV Audience, but I didn't see a single part of that show that hasn't happened to me in real life at some point, somewhere.
Several years ago here, a new weekend anchor/reporter was brought in, almost fresh off another reality show and other than the boobs, the blonde hair and mini-skirts, he wasn't much different than "Anchorwoman". Just like Lauren Jones, Jeff Varner had to learn news gathering from the ground up.
His first few times in front of the prompter were rough, his news gathering and writing in the field were raw, but his ambition and willingness to learn the craft outshined other reporters who came and went while he was still here. There were certainly some awkward moments just like in this show.
But by the time he left back in April, Jeff was a polished pro, reading his weekend news like a machine, and chasing other offers that were bound to come with his matured style. But on day one, we were all rolling our eyes at the 'Survivor' just like the the CBS19 employees in the first episode of "Anchorwoman".
Another colleague of mine came to mind watching "Anchorwoman". When Caron Myers started here in 2002 she had been out of TV for a while and her TV experience was mostly NASCAR related. She had to learn news gathering 101 from yours truely and when I saw Wilton take Lauren out for her first solo story I had to chuckle. The very first story that I took Caron out on when she started was to High Rock lake.
Caron was in high heels, we had to walk crazy distances to get the shots, and Caron got a taste of what real news gathering was all about.
It was tough at first for Caron but she did exactly what the Photog in "Anchorwoman" said. She listened and watched and learned, though I can remember Caron doing some of the same silly, "newsy" things that Lauren did on here first two stories.
But Caron learned quickly and today not too many reporters in the piedmont can hold a candle to her news gathering prowess.
I think it's fair that the one Anchor in the show is all worried about integrity, but in real reality this is how most young reporter/anchors get in the business. It's usually just behind the scenes in really small markets, there aren't ordinarly cameras following your every move and they aren't usually supermodels.
That usually trumps being a news anchor.
No, it may not the best idea to portray the inside baseball of a serious newsroom to your TV Audience, but I didn't see a single part of that show that hasn't happened to me in real life at some point, somewhere.
Several years ago here, a new weekend anchor/reporter was brought in, almost fresh off another reality show and other than the boobs, the blonde hair and mini-skirts, he wasn't much different than "Anchorwoman". Just like Lauren Jones, Jeff Varner had to learn news gathering from the ground up.
His first few times in front of the prompter were rough, his news gathering and writing in the field were raw, but his ambition and willingness to learn the craft outshined other reporters who came and went while he was still here. There were certainly some awkward moments just like in this show.
But by the time he left back in April, Jeff was a polished pro, reading his weekend news like a machine, and chasing other offers that were bound to come with his matured style. But on day one, we were all rolling our eyes at the 'Survivor' just like the the CBS19 employees in the first episode of "Anchorwoman".
Another colleague of mine came to mind watching "Anchorwoman". When Caron Myers started here in 2002 she had been out of TV for a while and her TV experience was mostly NASCAR related. She had to learn news gathering 101 from yours truely and when I saw Wilton take Lauren out for her first solo story I had to chuckle. The very first story that I took Caron out on when she started was to High Rock lake.
Caron was in high heels, we had to walk crazy distances to get the shots, and Caron got a taste of what real news gathering was all about.
It was tough at first for Caron but she did exactly what the Photog in "Anchorwoman" said. She listened and watched and learned, though I can remember Caron doing some of the same silly, "newsy" things that Lauren did on here first two stories.
But Caron learned quickly and today not too many reporters in the piedmont can hold a candle to her news gathering prowess.
I think it's fair that the one Anchor in the show is all worried about integrity, but in real reality this is how most young reporter/anchors get in the business. It's usually just behind the scenes in really small markets, there aren't ordinarly cameras following your every move and they aren't usually supermodels.
That usually trumps being a news anchor.
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