 Following the Lost Jobs: Maytag Moves to
Mexico
An in-depth look at where the jobs went when a major employer closed a plant was produced
by WQAD-TV, Moline. "We decided to go to Mexico and follow those jobs to see what
happens to them --- why the company moved there and how much money they are saving,"
explained News Director C.J. Beutien. Kmart Crashes, Executives Fly High
As hundreds of Kmart stores closed and thousands of workers lost their jobs, an
investigation by WXYZ-TV, Detroit, raised serious questions about how the company's
managers were spending its money in 2002. While clerks earning $10.35 an hour were
being asked to make sacrifices to save the company, executives were flying in a fleet of
private jets, driving luxury cars and living in palatial homes.
The station's General Manager, Grace Gilchrist, told us, "These compensation packages
seemed to be so out of tune with the ethics the company was built on that it struck a
chord with us. This behavior was also very puzzling to the shareholders and to the
employees."
Exposing
Outrageous Perks: Workers Take Cuts, Execs Fly High
Auto industry executives were flying high in company jets on personal business, while jobs
were slashed and workers were being asked to take cuts in salary and benefits. It was
examined in 2006 by WXYZ-TV, Investigative reporter Steve Wilson documented the use of
corporate jets by executives --- and often their families ---for purely personal trips.
Trip after trip after trip, the camera rolled as the executives climbed aboard to travel
to their second homes or on vacations.
Tornadoes
Drive Record Web Traffic For Live Blogging, Viewers' Photos
Live weather blogging proved so popular that response far surpassed the initial
expectations.
Valuable local information flowed in from people as they simultaneously received the
specific details of the storm and connected with an authoritative source. The general
manager at WIBW-TV, Topeka, Jim Ogle, told us, "As they interacted with us as the
storm approached their area, they would write things like, 'You don't know how much it
means to me to be able to hear this from you first person."
Dog
bite zones: Hot spots were identified
Anchor Artie Ojeda of KNSD-TV, San Diego, created a franchise of "zones" pieces,
in which he built stories around public statistics, sorted the data and posted the numbers
online by zip code or neighborhood.
Official
cars: Should the mayor be riding in a gas guzzler?
The cars the politicians were driving on the public's dollar were investigated by reporter
Bill Sheil of WJW-TV, Cleveland.
Dirty
and dangerous swimming pools exposed
Half of the swimming pools county flunked their first inspection of the summer. In
Charlotte, WCNC-TV reporter Stuart Watson revealed that problems ranged from medical
issues to safety hazards.
Officers
raiding meth labs: Many are ill from exposure
Former Utah narcotics officers, who put their lives on the line when they raided illegal
meth labs a decade or two earlier, have died or are battling unusual illnesses.
The chemicals used to make the meth are deadly.
The story was investigated by the team at KSL-TV, Salt Lake City. Reporter Debbie
Dujanovic found 58 police officers who had investigated meth labs in the previous two
decades.
News Director Con Psarras explained how they put the project together, and told us,
"We only found a few officers who didn't have a serious health problem. When compared
to the average rates of illness and cancer among that age group, the statistics were
indicative of a pretty big problem."
Of the 58 officers, 40 were sick or dead.
High
on meth, speeding, killing --- and still driving
A log truck driver kept on rolling, in spite of overloading his truck and causing a fatal
accident. The driver was off the road for only about one week after the accident.
KING-TV's Chris Ingalls found there was no penalty, no suspension of his license, nothing
---he just went right back to driving. There should have been three strikes against him.
He was speeding. His truck was overloaded. He tested positive for meth.
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Online talent service
opens
to non-represented talent Collective Talent, the online talent resource
by Michaels Media, has opened its service to non-represented talent.
When the service was first unveiled, it was designed to be supported
primarily by talent agents.
That approach made sense because the majority of talent in larger markets are represented
by agents. The biggest agencies can represent several hundred people.
Here are links to resources useful for planning potential career moves.
Find the job you're looking for
Here are current job opportunities for television professionals --- executives, on-air
talent, photographers, producers, promotion writers and more.
Book is a valuable tool for staff development
Don't get distracted:
Stay focused on your core product
 An
updated edition of a valuable newsroom resource has just been published.
Delivering viewer- centered information is the focus of The Producing Strategy, Version
2.0, by veteran consultant Larry Rickel and longtime successful anchor Ed Sardella.
Their premise: everyone in the newsroom is a producer. We must all be involved
in strong storytelling and making the newscast a special experience for the viewer.
Don't abandon your power base while upgrading your new media, says Rickel.
As broadcasters move onto new platforms, it is more important than ever to stay
focused on the role the TV newscast plays in your four-screen strategy.
Please continue here, Rickel and Sardella
explain their theories, and the value of their book.
 Learn successful television
reporting
A top reporter explains how to produce memorable stories.
KGO-TV's Wayne Freedman has won 44 Emmys.
We feel that this
book is a must buy for reporters or students who are serious about their careers.
 Latest edition
of Investigative Reporters Handbook is available
The newest version of this indispensable reference includes
examples investigative reporting and easy to find Internet address lists to help in
computer-assisted investigations.
 Producer
handbook provides
guide to success
Chapters cover ratings and research, ethics and decision-making, and more. The appendix
has information about helpful web sites, publications, training opportunities and career
advice.
Veteran broadcaster and professor Dow Smith gives producers and aspiring
producers practical information they can use at once to further a career.
 Aim For The
Heart
This is a guide for TV reporters, producers and photojournalists who want to
learn how to tell clearer and stronger stories.
This is practical material, real world techniques.
Al Tompkins is currently at the Poynter Institute. He spent 25 years as a reporter,
producer, photojournalist and news director.
Copyright 2008, Standish Publishing Company. This material is for
your personal use as a subscriber, and may not be reproduced or transmitted to other
parties of any kind.
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The Rundown has reported weekly on local
television news, programming, and community service projects since 1981. This material now
fills a massive hard copy archive of 7,000 pages --- easily the largest record of hometown
television's activities. Key articles are available in our online archives.
Resources
Al's Morning
Meeting at Poynter Institute
Former News Director Al Tompkins updates current stories and coverage issues.
Advancing the
Story: Broadcast Journalism in a Multimedia World
Information and advice about excelling in a rapidly changing media world.
Free 45-page Report
Hostage
Crises:
Do You Let Gunmen Control Your Air?
When an upset, armed individual is threatening to kill
someone, the police commanders supervising the emergency response and the news executives
in charge of covering the confrontation have many sensitive decisions.
Here's how broadcast executives have dealt with these dangerous emergencies.
TV News Case History
When A
Flooding Disaster Strikes: Who's in Charge?
In Sacramento, KCRA-TV news documented serious weaknesses in the emergency response
system in the state. Here's how they executed this major project.
Public Safety
Workers Face On The Job Hazards
Many people who keep the public safe have been injured or sickened because of workplace
accidents or exposure to harmful substances.
Prisoners:
Escaping and Not Pursued, Inmates Housed at Secret Locations
Two investigations showed how important it is keep track of how corrections officials are
--- or are not --- doing their jobs.
Intelligence
Report Breaks News Every Day
WLS-TV, Chicago showcases investigative stories on a daily basis. Many news executives
have been working to get their investigative units on air more frequently.
Into Child Porn?
No Problem, Have A Nice Day
Most men who are arrested in Wisconsin for Internet sex crimes do not go to prison. Three
years of cases were analyzed by WITI-TV, Milwaukee.
Airport
Restaurants: What's on the Plate?
For your airport meal: Spoiled food and big rats. There was a lot to reveal when
restaurants were visited by investigators from WAGA-TV, Atlanta.
Duke Rape
Scandal: Aggressive, Yet Measured Reporting
Allegations of rape and the subsequent stories led to days of protest, tensions and
lawyers maneuvering for any possible advantage.
It's Hard To
File A Complaint Against Police In South Florida
Only 3 of 38 departments had complaint forms available when undercover checks were run by
investigators at WFOR-TV, Miami.
Don't Count On A
Siren To Warn You Of A Tornado
Serious problems with tornado warning sirens were revealed by investigators at WTHR-TV,
Indianapolis.
Teachers With
Records Are In The Classroom
The backgrounds of more than 50,000 school employees were checked by news investigators at
WOAI-TV, San Antonio. |
