The Retail Industry

On Wednesday night, I pursued a story on retail jobs in Columbia. There had been a report that retail jobs were up 40 percent in Columbia from 2002 to 2006. I tracked down the MU professor who was part of the report and was able to get a great interview with him in his office. I then headed downtown in search of a local business that could provide some further "today" context on the story. I wanted to see if a business could support these findings from the professor and how its hiring was going now. I wanted to see if retail hiring saw an increase or a decrease from 2006 to 2009. I tried many stores and none were able to give me enough information or were not willing to go on camera. Finally, at Cool Stuff, owner Arnie Fagan agreed to speak with me. He said he is actually hiring more this year compared to years in the stretch between 2002 and 2006. This was a good contrast and added context to what the professor said.

I got back to edit in plenty of time, at 8:15, but there was a problem importing my clips into Avid. I accidentally closed the video converter when I was importing clips from one memory card into Avid. This is because I was trying to convert my clips from the other memory card while importing the clips I all ready converted. I know now that this is not possible. This mistake cost me a lot of time as I had to reconvert everything from the first card, which had most of my video. I was able to get a package on the air, even though it wasn't edited very well and the shots were not that interesting. I had better plans for the package, including adding nats sound of the cash register, but the converting problem really set me back. I also probably should have lit my standup a little differently. I also know to shoot less video overall because it is hard to convert just what you want out of a lot of video. I learned a lot once again from this shift and I now have many things to keep in mind for the future.

Back At It

I'm back in Columbia for the start of broadcast 3 so it's time to restart the blog. I had my first two reporting shifts this week and there were some challenges, as well as some excitement, as I got back into newsroom.

On Wednesday, I was assigned the story of an Eldon man involved in a multi-state dog fighting ring. I called the Miller County Sheriff's Department and the Eldon Police Department. They both said they didn't have any information on the address of the man. So, I loaded up the gear and took off for Eldon hoping to find someone there who knew where he lived. My producer, Mike Brannen, called when I was in Eldon and he said he found the address from another report so I headed for the street. I talked with some neighbors there who confirmed the house where the man lived and said they saw the dogs being taken in the morning. None of the four neighbors I talked to wanted to go on camera, but they all were willing to talk to me off-camera. All of them said they had no knowledge that dog fighting was taking place at the home. I talked to one neighbor who said the woman he lived with might be home, but I didn't feel comfortable going to the door by myself knowing this could be a very violent home.

I was upset I could not get anyone on camera to do a package, but at least I was able to get shots of the house and some comments off-camera from neighbors. I was able to turn in a pretty good on-set that led the show on Wednesday. I did forget to print the script which had two lines for me to read when the anchors turned, but was able to adjust. I need to remember all of the parts of the on-set and I will be especially careful after this experience during my first one.

On Thursday, I followed an interesting story on Jefferson City water customers who will have to pay for four months worth of sales taxes that were left off of their bills. I found one man who was rather upset about the issue, even though the total cost that has to be made up averages to about $1.50 per household. He was a good CCC, although it took me awhile to find him. I tried about six or seven houses with sprinklers running and no one wanted to go on-camera. That led to me not heading back to the station until about 8 p.m. Then I realized I left my mic cords at the man's house, so I went back to get them. I didn't get back to the station until about 9 p.m. I was able to get the package on with help from many people in the newsroom. Holly suggested after the show I should have called back to see if someone could pick up the cords for me to help save time.

I thought the package did turn out pretty well. It had both sides of the story, from a customer's perspective and an official's perspective. The only other problem was my distance from the microphone during voicing. I need to remember to stay closer. Again, more time would have helped.

I learned a lot this first week and definitely know some things to work on. I look forward to the rest of the summer and continuing to improve.

Oil Spill

(Picture source: treehugger.com)

Continuing the theme from last week's post, another area that is probably a bit undercovered in the mainstream media is the effect of American companies in foreign countries. Some of these companies can leave long-lasting effects on foreign people but not show the same kind of care they do in the U.S. because of the distance involved. I think 60 Minutes' story this week on Chevron's impact in Ecuador is a great look at a major conflict between an American company and a foreign country it left behind.

Reporter Scott Pelley first sets the table for the story in an on-set intro to his package. He tells of the most astounding number in this case, which is the $27 billion that a group of Ecuadorians are suing Chevron for. He also explains that Chevron is America's third largest company, giving the viewer important perspective on just how big the players are in this lawsuit.

The story then gives a good historical prospective to open up. There is video from the 1960s when Texaco, now owned by Chevron, first came to Ecuador in a partner deal with Ecuador's national oil company. Then, it cuts to shots of the problem that is left behind today by the oil drilling. It is pits that were dug for toxic oil waste that still have not been removed even after Texaco left. This is causing oil to remain in streams and on properties across Ecuador. The story then cuts to shots of one person who has one of the oil pits next to his house. He says the pollution leaked into his water well. This helps to humanize the story as it shows an example of how the pits have affected one Ecuadorian's life.

There is an excellent stand-up in this story about three minutes in after they talk with the man whose water is contaminated and an environmental advisor. Pelley walks through the Amazon jungle to a site where one of the oil pits are. He finds that there are pipes attached to the pit that drain water from the pit when it rains. There is water dripping out of the pipes so he collects some with his hands and smells it. He then says he can clearly smell the oil in the water. That is an excellent way to show the viewer the problem first-hand. It also shows what a reporter can find when they get up-close to the conflict in the story and how helpful it can be in the story. I liked how Pelley got into the really remote areas of Ecuador to report the story the best that he could.

Pelley also talks with the judge in this lawsuit case in a small Ecuadorian town. It is probably not easy to deal with a foreign country's government, especially the judicial system which seems to have different laws and rules across different countries about who they will talk to from the media.

I also think Pelley benefited from being able to speak some Spanish. The judge spoke Spanish in his interview. Pelley also speaks Spanish with some other Ecuadorians who are part of the group suing Chevron as he goes to meet them near a remote river in the country.

I think this story is a great piece of reporting, with equal time spent on both sides. Pelley talks with a representative from Chevron who gives her side of the story and what she believes about the claims. This story has all the elements of great journalism as Pelley stops at nothing to get the interviews and perspectives he needs to show and tell the complete story.

Like I mentioned last week, my reporting is finished for the semester but I am always trying to stay in contact with people around town about possible stories. My goal is to continue to build more contacts that will lead to interesting and better stories. I am very satisfied about what I learned this semester in this class. I learned how to pull all the elements of great storytelling together. I am very excited to continue to build on my skills and keep improving as I head into my senior year.

Following Up

Follow-up stories are sometimes hard to find. It seems like there should be more done than there are. They are probably even harder to find when the story involves an animal or animals as victims. That's where this E60 story about some of the dogs once owned by Michael Vick is different.

The story starts off with video of Vick's apologies to his teammates, the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons' coach and owner after he pleaded guilty to dog fighting charges. Jeremy Schapp, the ESPN reporter, then brings up a great point that hasn't yet been covered. Vick didn't apologize to the dogs, who were his victims. Schapp goes on to explain how elaborate the dog fighting operation was on Vick's property. There is an interview with a federal authority who testified about how much land was devoted to dog fighting.

Schapp then goes on to explain where many of the dogs who were found alive on Vick's property have gone. It turns out many have gone to kennels. Schapp visits one animal shelter where many beagles, who were not involved in any fighting, were taken. Schapp goes to one of the owner's homes who adopted one of the beagles. This was a great help to see how far the dog has come since being involved in Vick's operation. In Schapp's interview, with the beagle on the owner's lap, it was clear that the dog had found a good home. The owner told Schapp that she think Vick should have to "mop out" the cages that his dogs now stay in. The owner said when she found out her dog used to belong to Vick, her reaction was only "empathy."

Again, I thought this story was a great follow up to what many would have otherwise forgot. I think it's a great service to the people who had strong reactions to the Vick case to see what is happening with the victims now. That is a big part of journalism.

I'm all done with my reporting now so I'm taking it pretty easy. I'm still just trying to stay in contact with people around Columbia and Mid-Missouri so I have good relationships when I get back in the summer to start B3. I am excited to do a full semester of reporting and will be able to use many new skills I have learned this semester.

Beware of the Seas

Pirates have been in the news a lot lately. So, this week ABC's 20/20 did a story on some civilians who also have had encounters with pirates near the coast of Somalia. The story was done by Jim Avila, a reporter I respect greatly who I think tells a story as well as anyone.

I like the editing the story started off with. There were quick shots of ships as Avila explains how busy the area is with ship traffic. Then the picture fades into the threat the area presents, the pirates and their guns. It then cuts to a SOT with a man testifying just how dangerous the pirates can be. It's a great opening that grabbed my attention with good editing and effective use of a testimonial SOT.

Avila then tells of two Americans who found themselves in battle with pirates as they attempted to sail around the world. This does a great deal in connecting an international story with the main viewing audience of 20/20, Americans. By seeing some of our countrymen in that situation, it helped me connect with what the pirates attacks can really be like and I felt sympathy for the Americans who were victims. There was also good editing in this sequence with re-creation shots from the bow of a ship. There were other shots from the ship that re-created the story of that the American couple told of the time they were attacked.

I was a little confused why the story ended with the story of a French ship that was also attacked by pirates. It didn't do as much for me as an American to extend the story. It didn't seem like a great ending. I would have rather of seen more of the American couple or another story of Americans and pirates.

For my reporting this week, I went to ABC Labs to do a story on Governor Nixon promoting a new summer job program for Missouri youth. It was difficult because Nixon moved very quickly through the lab on his tour. I brought my tripod, but it was difficult to get it set up with how quickly Nixon was moving. I still was able to get some good shots and put it together with three sources for a pretty good package. I was glad I got the student perspective as well by going to campus to see what a person eligible for the plan thought about it.

Spot News

I am going local for this week's journalism reflection. Local as in my hometown in Columbus, OH. I saw a great story from a local TV station in my hometown as it covered the collapse of an observation platform at the Columbus Motor Speedway on Saturday night (click on the "video" icon on the page to view the video story from the 11 p.m. newscast).

It was opening night for the speedway and a long night of events were planned. Just before the activities were to begin, at about 5:30 p.m., a concrete platform near the announcer's booth collapsed. One person had serious injuries. I watched the video from the 6 p.m. (actually came on about 7 p.m. because of the Masters) newscast that was posted that evening, but it since has been taken down. I think the coverage at 7 p.m. was more impressive than when they had more time to prepare the story before the 11 p.m. newscast.

At 6 p.m., they had a reporter live on the scene and shots from the news helicopter of the collapsed platform. They also had a SOT with a relative of a person who was seriously injured after being trapped from some of the rubble of the collapsed platform. This person was also on the platform when it collapsed and gave the essential first-person account of what happened. The live reporter gave all the latest information and had good shots of the scene for a VO to go with her report. Then, the anchor pitched to another reporter live at the hospital on the phone where the victim with serious injuries was taken. The reporter there gave a live update on what they knew about the victim at that time. There was also a VO with shots of the victim being taken out of the ambulance. Then, the anchor pitched to the sports anchor who gave some details about the speedway and its specifications. I thought it was great team coverage, especially for a Saturday night when the newsrooms are less staffed. I also liked how they followed the story from the racetrack to the hospital with two reporters. It made me feel like they cared about how this story finished too as well as how it began.

The 11 p.m. package posted on the web site was also good, with three sources on camera. It started out with a great opening shot from the helicopter. Then, the reporter included the same person as was in the SOT for 6 p.m. describing the collapse. They also talked to the owner of the racetrack and a fire department member who was on the scene to complete the story. Again, I thought this was phenomenal coverage for a Saturday night.

For my reporting this week, I went to Marshall yesterday on short notice to investigate a report of a minister arrested for statutory sodomy. It was a pretty serious story and I think I did a pretty good job on it. I first talked with the chief of police in Marshall and he gave me the information he had at the time. I got a good bite from him on how he is "glad" the bond was set so high, at $250,000, for this man. Then, I went hunting for some people who knew the man, David Ballinger. The police chief was finally able to locate the former location of his church on the town square. I went to the location, which had for sale signs in the window, and got some shots. I then went next door to a loan business and talked with two very friendly employees there. They said they were shocked at the news. They said they saw him nearly everyday and never expected this. I talked with one of them on camera for my story and she helped greatly to humanize it. The ladies then gave me a tip of the new church location, a few minutes away. I drove out there and found the new location complete with a sign of the "New Grace Baptist Church," which I was looking for to prove visually that this church did actually exist. I got my interviews and then shot a quick standup on the square. I was trying to make it back to get a SOT on the 6 so I shot my standup fast. I ended up calling some information in for a reader and graphic of a mug shot of the suspect for the 5 and 6. I didn't quite make it back for the 6 p.m. show to get a SOT on, so I started to work on a package for 10 p.m. I wasn't able to work my standup in with the way I wrote my story. I thought it didn't matter so much in this case because I had enough other good video. This story was a very good learning experience and I feel better prepared for other tough stories because of it.

Creating Change

We heard all about change during President Obama's campaign. It was the slogan used on almost everything Obama-related. T-shirts, rally signs, lecterns, buttons, posters and stickers all promised "change" if Obama was elected president. In this week's New Yorker political scene podcast, some of the writers investigate how Obama is now going about changing some relations with other countries.

It's a usual lively and fast-paced discussion by three New Yorker writers that keeps your attention throughout the 12 minute podcast. The "moderator," New Yorker executive editor, Dorothy Wickenden, doesn't waste any time getting into the topic. She gets right into a SOT of Obama addressing Iran on March 20. It's a striking statement about how the United States wants Iran to take it's "rightful place in the community of nations." It's something simple that gets dissected further by the New Yorker writers. It's something President Bush could have said and not much attention may have been paid to it, but it prompts the New Yorker writers to see if there is something more here with Obama.

Wickenden brings in great insight from New Yorker writer John Lee Anderson, who had just been in Iran and wrote an article on Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He says this statement from Obama was significant because it was made on the eve of Iran's new year, which shows great respect towards the Iranian people. It's that respect, Anderson explains, that is what Iranians want from America. He says respect is a touchstone of new diplomacy between the nations.

The podcast discussion continues as the writers discuss international relations between Russia, Afghanistan and Iran. There is also a discussion of Obama's budget resolutions that are passing through Congress. New Yorker Washington reporter Ryan Lizza explains that Congress is being more cautious with what Obama is proposing on matters such as health care. It may be that change is coming slower, but it appears it still coming from Obama.

I had a very active week with my reporting. I had two VO Patrols and a reporting shift since my last lab a week ago.

On Wednesday, I had a VO Patrol for the 10 p.m. news. I came in with three story ideas, but producer Lisa Russell handed me a story to do that Stacey gave her. It was a fundraising event by Mizzou's Air Force ROTC at Wal-Mart on Conley Road. It was a fairly easy assignment and was the "kicker" for the 10 p.m. newscast. I was at Wal-Mart at about 6:15 p.m. I was a little worried that management at Wal-Mart may not let me shoot on the property, but I just started shooting and ran into no problems during the night. I got all kinds of shots of the cadets doing push-ups to raise money for the Relay For Life. It was a story that provided for many great shooting opportunities and natural sound. I got low angles, high angles and close-ups of the cadets' tired faces as they did hundreds of push-ups. I started off my VO with natural sound of the cadets counting off some of the push-ups after Angie read an intro on cam. Then, after the VO, I had a SOT with one of the cadets. He explained how this was "their thing" to do to raise money instead of doing a bake sale or something. I think that was a good way to understand the meaning for the cadets being out there.

The next night, I ran into some breaking news. As I was heading out the station for another VO Patrol for the 10 p.m. news, I saw that the road was blocked off at the roundabout at Old 63 and Bearfield Road. As I got closer, I saw there was a pretty bad accident. A Columbia Transit bus had run over top of a car waiting at the roundabout, crushing the driver's side of the car. I immediately called the station to find out if they knew about the accident. They said they did not and I parked my car to talk with people on the scene watching. I got a call back from the station a few minutes later that they were going to send a camera out to me and the crash would be my VO Patrol assignment for the night. I really had to think on my feet now and use all the knowledge from my journalism classes to be able to report all that I could find out about this crash. I talked with passenger on the bus that were standing around after the accident. I asked them what happened and how the bus hit the car. One person said the bus was probably going too fast. Another person said they thought the bus hydroplaned. I wrote down this information in my notebook and got their names. Alex showed up with the camera a few minutes later and I rolled almost as soon as he got it out of the car. It was a pretty dramatic shot of a car pinned beneath a bus. Almost as soon as I started shooting, a man from the Columbia Fire Department came over and identified himself as the public information officer (PIO) and told me I had to stay a certain distance away from the scene. That wasn't a problem, as I still had a clear view of the activity of trying to rescue the man from inside the car. The PIO was very helpful and kept giving me updates on the man trapped inside the car, saying he was conscious and that they were planning on towing the bus off the car so that rescue workers could get to the man. After about 45 minutes, the man was finally pulled out of the car. I shot rescue workers putting him on a stretcher and the stretcher being wheeled into the ambulance. Not long after that, the PIO came over to myself and the other reporters for an interview about the information he had gathered so far. He basically explained the timeline of events and the condition of the victim first. Then, I asked him if this was an especially difficult rescue for the fire department. He said it was "complex" because it required bringing in tow trucks to lift the bus off of the car. I ended up using this SOT because it explained the unusual nature of the accident better than just him stating facts about the accident. It humanized the story, if only a little bit.

For my first reporting shift, I did a story on a bond issue in the North Callaway School District. Randy assigned the story to me in the morning and I made calls to the superintendent and to the high school. I was able to set up interviews with the superintendent and a teacher at the high school. I headed out to Kingdom City about 10 a.m. and was able to get my shooting done by noon. I shot some video of the teacher and his classroom in a trailer after I interviewed him. He was going to be my CCC so I shot lots of B-roll of him teaching in his trailer. My main focus of the story is that teachers will be able to move out of the trailers and back into the main school building if the bond passes. I talked with the teacher about how teaching is different in a trailer. He had some good bites and I think the package for the 6 turned out well. I also did a VOSOT for the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows.