As the term winds down, it's hard to look back without experiencing something that just falls short of nostalgia. I hesitate to use that word because The Rockbridge Report, while certainly a labor of love, is a labor in every sense. As producers, we have faced plenty of challenges. We have had to learn the ins and outs of running a news Web site and a weekly news broadcast. We have had to contend with stories that fall apart, sources who don't come through, and the frustrations of airing a product we feel is less than our very best.We set out to change the core format of our Web site, to update it and give it the modern facelift it not only deserved, but needed in order to stay competitive in the constantly changing world of the Internet. Naturally, not everyone was on-board with our original changes. They nitpicked over the placement or font or color of just about every object on the page. We couldn't understand why they weren't satisfied with what we thought was a valiant effort to revamp our Web site. But you know, I'm glad they weren't satisfied. The constant pressure, while a nuisance at the time, forced us to expand our original conceptions of the site. What emerged in the end was a truly unique and visionary product.And that's where we come to the not-quite-nostalgia. There were frustrations and setbacks at almost every turn, but in the end, the sense of achievement was that much greater. Where's the fun in taking the easy route? We conquered a path that had trials and tribulations aplenty, and we lived to tell the tale. Even though the reins of The Rockbridge Report are changing hands to our more-than-capable colleagues come January, I know a small part of this production will stay with me forever.
-Brett Holton
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Stories aren't always easy, fun
Wow. We're almost done. We're almost done! We're almost done?
Looking back at these past ten weeks it's hard to imagine that we've come this far.
Our first Web site featured a preliminary story to the Virginia Military Institute rape case trial, and it also had our first of many H1N1 virus stories. I remember sitting at the computer and staring at the screen wondering how in the heck I could tease a broadcast package about a rape story with very hazy facts still awaiting a solid conclusion.
Two weeks ago I sat at my computer writing scripts late into the night and once again encountered the swine flu and the difficulty of teasing a serious piece about sexual misconduct. But that time around, I felt a little more prepared to do it. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that along with learning how to do the technical, concrete tasks a producer needs to know like how to time a show, organize reporters, assign stories, lay out rundowns, incorporate video and live elements into stories, and run a control room, I've learned something less tangible, too. I've learned a little about the art of tact in news writing.
As a reporter I never covered a story that required me to carefully choose my words because misused words might have grievous ramifications for a victim or an accused person. Nor had I ever covered a story involving delicate issues like sexual misconduct or death (and sadly, we covered the deaths of one Cadet, one local high schooler, and a Washington and Lee alumni). But these are unavoidable stories in any real newsroom local or national, and learning how to handle them gracefully is an invaluable skill. I'm just glad we had the guidance of seasoned professors-sum-reporters to point us in the right direction and show us how to handle both ourselves and the stories.
I think you'll find Cameron Steele's follow-up piece to her sexual misconduct broadcast investigation to be an example of quality in-depth reporting combined with tasteful writing. Steele took an explosive, sensitive issue and handled tearful interviews gracefully and tactfully, being careful to use just enough to tell a story but not so much as to be exploitative.
Looking back at these past ten weeks it's hard to imagine that we've come this far.
Our first Web site featured a preliminary story to the Virginia Military Institute rape case trial, and it also had our first of many H1N1 virus stories. I remember sitting at the computer and staring at the screen wondering how in the heck I could tease a broadcast package about a rape story with very hazy facts still awaiting a solid conclusion.
Two weeks ago I sat at my computer writing scripts late into the night and once again encountered the swine flu and the difficulty of teasing a serious piece about sexual misconduct. But that time around, I felt a little more prepared to do it. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that along with learning how to do the technical, concrete tasks a producer needs to know like how to time a show, organize reporters, assign stories, lay out rundowns, incorporate video and live elements into stories, and run a control room, I've learned something less tangible, too. I've learned a little about the art of tact in news writing.
As a reporter I never covered a story that required me to carefully choose my words because misused words might have grievous ramifications for a victim or an accused person. Nor had I ever covered a story involving delicate issues like sexual misconduct or death (and sadly, we covered the deaths of one Cadet, one local high schooler, and a Washington and Lee alumni). But these are unavoidable stories in any real newsroom local or national, and learning how to handle them gracefully is an invaluable skill. I'm just glad we had the guidance of seasoned professors-sum-reporters to point us in the right direction and show us how to handle both ourselves and the stories.
I think you'll find Cameron Steele's follow-up piece to her sexual misconduct broadcast investigation to be an example of quality in-depth reporting combined with tasteful writing. Steele took an explosive, sensitive issue and handled tearful interviews gracefully and tactfully, being careful to use just enough to tell a story but not so much as to be exploitative.
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