Monthly Archives: February 2015

His name is Vince Doria, and while you may never have heard of him, he is one of the pioneers of new media. Doria is stepping down as News Director for ESPN, an operation he’s headed since the early days (1992) of what he says has become “a cross-platform behemoth”. Doria is retiring without ever having posted a single tweet.  He has a Twitter account, but it was set up for him by ESPN staffers who hoped he would share some of his wisdom with tweets. But he hasn’t. Here is a short but fascinating Poynter article about Doria, who cautions journalists to be very careful about using Twitter, because you can quickly lose your reputation for impartiality.  He says “no matter how you cut it Twitter turns out to be a platform for opinion.”

Cameras and microphones of Wisconsin broadcast media are in evidence everywhere around the state capitol as they provide coverage of the debate and events surrounding right-to-work legislation. Reporting on what state government is doing is in the DNA of Wisconsin broadcast newsrooms. What is a “special session” of the legislature – and, is it different from an “extraordinary session” of the legislature?  Reporters can quickly find the answer to that question right here at the WBA Newsroom website with a quick search for “special session” or “extraordinary session” on our search engine box on the right side of the home page. (Can’t wait to find out?  The answer is here.)

If you really want to know what’s going on in the beats you cover, you need to develop and maintain good sources – the people who know “the story behind the story” and are often first to know when something new comes up.  Here’s some great information about developing sources in an article from the Radio TV Digital News Association.

The Millenials – those born in the 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s – those who followed “Generation X” and are sometimes but less frequently called “Generation Y” – have vastly different TV viewing habits than the generations that preceded them. Here’s an interesting article in the New York Post that talks about the latest Neilsen numbers regarding their TV viewing habits.

This is compelling video taken during an actual live shot by KDFW-TV (Dallas, TX). The link is here.

The reporter on the live shot seems pretty well-informed about what his rights as a representative of the media are.

To be sure you, as a Wisconsin reporter, are familiar with our state’s laws, rules, and regulations, here’s a link to the section of the WBA Newsroom that will give you everything you need to know.

Here is the statement released by NBC News President Deborah Turness on the evening of February 10th, 2015:

We have decided today to suspend Brian Williams as Managing Editor and Anchor of NBC Nightly News for six months. The suspension will be without pay and is effective immediately. We let Brian know of our decision earlier today. Lester Holt will continue to substitute Anchor the NBC Nightly News.

Our review, which is being led by Richard Esposito working closely with NBCUniversal General Counsel Kim Harris, is ongoing, but I think it is important to take you through our thought process in coming to this decision.

While on Nightly News on Friday, January 30, 2015, Brian misrepresented events which occurred while he was covering the Iraq War in 2003. It then became clear that on other occasions Brian had done the same while telling that story in other venues. This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian’s position.

In addition, we have concerns about comments that occurred outside NBC News while Brian was talking about his experiences in the field.

As Managing Editor and Anchor of Nightly News, Brian has a responsibility to be truthful and to uphold the high standards of the news division at all times.

Steve Burke, Pat Fili and I came to this decision together. We felt it would have been wrong to disregard the good work Brian has done and the special relationship he has forged with our viewers over 22 years. Millions of Americans have turned to him every day, and he has been an important and well-respected part of our organization.

As I’m sure you understand, this was a very hard decision. Certainly there will be those who disagree. But we believe this suspension is the appropriate and proportionate action.

This has been a difficult time. But NBC News is bigger than this moment. You work so hard and dedicate yourselves each and every day to the important work of bringing trusted, credible news to our audience. Because of you, your loyalty, your dedication, NBC News is an organization we can – and should – all be proud of. We will get through this together.

Steve Burke (CEO of parent company  NBC-Universal) asked me to share the following message.

“This has been a painful period for all concerned and we appreciate your patience while we gathered the available facts. By his actions, Brian has jeopardized the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News. His actions are inexcusable and this suspension is severe and appropriate. Brian’s life’s work is delivering the news. I know Brian loves his country, NBC News and his colleagues. He deserves a second chance and we are rooting for him. Brian has shared his deep remorse with me and he is committed to winning back everyone’s trust.”

Deborah

Jill Giesler of the Poynter Institute, a journalist with deep Wisconsin roots, wrote a piece for CJR regarding the NBC News Internal investigation. Well worth  reading. Great questions.  Read it here.

Has NBC’s Brian Williams cooked his own goose with his “conflated memories”? Some big-time journalists weigh in, in this interesting article from TV Newser.

No one thinks they’re a bad news writer. There are all sorts of reasons for using clichés and “news-speak” in stories (time/deadline pressure being one), but seldom an excuse. That’s why phrases like “fled on foot” and “the incident remains under investigation” – phrases only cops use – find their way into news copy every day, from local stations to the networks. Here’s a link to a short, very readable article in today’s bulletin from the RTDNA.  See if you can find some phrases or words here that you fall back on – even though you know they’re clichés or cop-speak.