WBA Chair Steve Wexler has dedicated his column for the upcoming WBA newsletter to discussing the importance of defending press freedoms.
You can read his message here.
In it, he writes, “Regardless of your political leanings, the idea that the press is ‘the enemy of the people’ or that ‘truth isn’t truth’ should create a sense of urgency and heighten vigilance in all of us.”
Anchors and reporters might sometimes find the words they said in their newscasts taken out of context and used for political purposes. It’s a tactic used to increase a campaign ad’s credibility.
But it can be damaging for the anchors or reporters who find their reputations used for meeting a political objective.
RTDNA recently wrote about the problem, and noted that there’s not much journalists can do about the problem because most of the clips are so short they fall under fair use.
The article also offers suggestions for how newsrooms can respond when this happens.
Storms and flooding have reporters around Wisconsin busy covering a huge event that’s affecting the lives of thousands of people.
Thank you to the reporters who are putting in the extra hours this week to keep Wisconsinites safe and help get the recovery process underway. You’re demonstrating the importance of strong local broadcasters.
WISN-TV’s Adrienne Pedersen is moving from weekend evening anchor to WISN 12 News This Morning. She will be co-anchoring with Sheldon Dutes . His co-anchor, Melinda Davenport, is leaving the morning show to launch WISN 12 news at 11:00 a.m. starting Sept. 10.
“Adrienne is well-known to our viewers from her reporting and weekend anchor roles and will be a great addition to ‘12 News This Morning,’” said Jan Wade, WISN 12 president and general manager. “We already know she and Sheldon work exceptionally well together.”
Pedersen came to the station with years of experience working as a broadcast journalist at television stations across the country, including WFLA in Tampa where she covered important national events such as the 2012 Republican National Convention and the Orlando Shooting Massacre in 2016. Dutes joined WISN 12 in December 2015 as weekend evening anchor. Before joining WISN 12, he was a reporter in the country’s No. 1 television market for NBC New York. He also reported for WBAL-TV, Hearst’s station in Baltimore, Maryland.
Sheldon Dutes and Adrienne Pedersen
When you learn how to drive, you’re told to always have an escape route. These days, the same goes for journalism.
This article about staying safe while working as a journalist in the field explains how an NPR reporter has learned to always know what escape routes are available while covering a story, particularly political ones.
Are you getting training for how to deal with these situations?
Reminder: We’re discussing this topic the Broadcasters Clinic in Madison on Oct. 17 with an esteemed panel of experts. We hope you can make it!
Conventional wisdom lately has been that trust in the media low, but a new study suggests that’s not the case, particularly for local media.
“Attitudes toward local news are not as influenced by political affiliations, the survey found.”
The article has some great interactive graphics. Check it out.
Carl Deffenbaugh is moving to the anchor desk of FOX6 Wakeup on WITI-TV after the departure of Jessob Reisbeck for a TV station in Washington DC.
Deffenbaugh is already familiar to FOX 6 viewers as the roving reporter out in the community during the 7-9 a.m. hours of FOX6 Wakeup. The move is effective Aug. 24.
“When Carl anchored, it became apparent very quickly that he was a perfect fit for the anchor desk,” WITI President and General Manager Chuck Steinmetz said. “It was an easy move to make.”
Deffenbaugh is an award-winning reporter, most recently winning an Emmy for his series of reports from onboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. He started his career on the sports anchor desk in Pennsylvania and after several years in both Virginia and Indiana, moved to Wisconsin to join WITI-TV. His love for sports is apparent in his personal life. He plays on a traveling Ultimate Frisbee team and has spent his life as an outdoor enthusiast.
“After two years of fun and adventures in the field, I am absolutely thrilled to join the anchor team in the studio at FOX6,” Deffenbaugh said.
Deffenbaugh grew up on the east coast and graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife and daughter.
Carl Deffenbaugh and Jessob Reisbeck
Veteran investigative journalist Derrick Rose is coming to Milwaukee to lead the WISN-TV investigative unit “12 News Investigates.” Rose’s focus is to uncover and expose corruption, crimes, wrongdoing, and hold public officials accountable.
The introduction of Rose follows the retirement of WISN 12 News veteran journalist Colleen Henry in late July.
“He’s a veteran investigator, with the instincts needed to expose wrongdoing and people who are doing bad things in our community,” Jan Wade, president and general manager of WISN 12 said.
Rose has 14 years of award-winning storytelling experience. He has headed coverage and investigations of news events including the federal dog fighting investigation of Michael Vick, Kentucky’s backlog of untested rape kits, the tragedy surrounding Hurricane Katrina, and the trial of reputed Ku Klux Klansman Edgar Ray Killen.
Prior to joining WISN 12, Rose worked in various roles at WHAS 11 in Louisville, Kentucky as a weekend anchor, morning anchor, and investigator. Before serving in those positions, Rose also worked at stations across the country including WMPI-TV in Mobile, Alabama, WBTV-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, WAVY-TV in Norfolk, Virginia, WJTV-TV in Jackson, Mississippi, and WABG-TV in Greenville, Mississippi.
“Derrick has covered so many stories and led so many investigations in numerous cities all across the country,” Ben Hart, news director of WISN 12 said. “He will be one of those trusted storytellers that viewers will turn to for in-depth, investigative reporting through ‘12 News Investigates.’”
Derrick Rose
News stations in Madison have been on duty throughout the night tracking the dangerous flash flooding that struck south central Wisconsin Monday evening. Thank you for everything you’re doing to keep residents informed and safe.
STRANDED IN MIDDLETON
Hundreds of people are currently stranded in buildings throughout the Middleton area Tuesday morning, according to Police Chief Police Chief Chuck Foulke. #WKOWhttps://t.co/TqhqLfqQGx pic.twitter.com/fi2Dym3GR6— WKOW 27 (@WKOW) August 21, 2018
Fire Department just showed-up for a stranded car on E. Mifflin. People are still driving down the street despite the water levels. #TurnAroundDontDrown #NBC15 @nbc15_madison pic.twitter.com/7K5OyyIMJ2
— Kalie Greenberg (@KalieG_NBC15) August 20, 2018
A foot crew is still out looking for that missing man on the west side – now that it’s getting lighter out, more dive teams are preparing to re-search the culverts off Regis Road #News3 pic.twitter.com/HOKQSIWoMf
— Leah Linscheid (@news3leah) August 21, 2018
There are always new tools coming out to help journalists do their jobs easier, faster, and with better quality for the audience.
Have you heard of this one named QgoLive? RTDNA wrote about it here.
Got a tool you’d like to share with your fellow reporters? Tweet them at us here: @WBANewsroom.
WBA Newsroom