As long as I have worked in the TV news business there is one thing that’s been consistent the entire time; people complaining. People who work on air and behind the scenes complain about their salary, their job title, the city in which they live, they’re not getting enough airtime, they’re not getting enough respect, management is treating them badly.

Well I’m here to tell you that the only way things are going to change, personally or professionally, is if you make them change. I was listening to motivational speaker, Tony Robbins recently and he says that “we have to take personal responsibility for everything that happens to us.” He’s right because if you don’t you’re allowing what happens in your life, good or bad, to be dictated by someone else. We’ve all heard the quote “life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.”

Keep in mind that all those “bad things” that are happening to you could be the push you need to take a leap of faith that could change your life for the better. I know people who have been pushed out of horrible TV stations only to land on their feet at great TV stations.

I know working in small market television can be hard and emotionally draining, but depending on your goals and how quickly you’re improving at your craft it won’t be long before you’re moving on to bigger and better things.  

This is why I say don’t overstay your welcome at some TV station that’s taking you nowhere, there could be something better, no, no, no there is something better out there for you. You just have to find it. With the New Year upon us, there is no time better than the present to claim whatever it is you think is going to make you happy.

Happy New Year!! 

I hope 2014 was good. Let’s make 2015 great!

Ever since I started working for a CBS affiliate a couple of months ago I watch more of the CBS Evening News; it’s the lead-in to my station’s six o’clock local newscast.

I realized yesterday that when I watch this broadcast I talk to the screen. I’ll say things like “that’s crazy, that’s a shame, that’s sad, now why did they do that, how did they get that or great story!”  It’s almost like when you’re crazy uncle is watching a football game and he can’t shut up about what’s going on in the game. I know it must drive my Executive Producer crazy; if she’s even paying me any attention. Her desk is next to mine.

Anyway, I’ve always said that when you write stories you need to connect with your viewers on an emotional level and that’s exactly what the CBS Evening News does. It’s good old fashioned journalism that stirs my emotions. It’s unbiased, fair reporting that allows me to decide to how to feel or react to the subject matter that’s presented on the broadcast. And because I’m pulled in emotionally I’m actually paying attention and listening to what the team is reporting on that day.

This is part of what it takes to keep your viewers coming back to you to get the information they need to make informed decisions. A friend of mine told me a while back that when it comes to network evening newscasts he watches the CBS Evening News. I now know and see why.

As small market journalists, I know there’s a lot of emphasis placed on doing active stand ups and live shots to make your story interesting, but remember, you also have to incorporate good, accurate fair storytelling to connect with your viewers.  The CBS Evening News is proof that good old fashioned journalism still works.

Many broadcast journalists will tell you one of the coolest things about being on TV is the recognition that comes with it. Ron Burgundy, the star of the movie “Anchorman,” summed it up best when he said “people know me.”

The fact that people in your small market do know you not only means they’re watching your newscast, but they’re also listening to what you say. The comments on your station’s social media feeds should be more than enough to back up my claim. This is why it is important that you think before you speak.

You’re going to cover numerous stories throughout your career and you will have strong opinions on many of them; but guess what? Your viewers don’t need to know and quite frankly they don’t care.

A reporter in New York recently found this out the hard way. He was doing a story about a police officer who was killed in the line of duty. His story was fine. It was the controversial rant he made about young black men in his live tag that didn’t sit well with some of his viewers.

As a result, the station suspended the reporter. He later quit after the suspension was lifted, because he said the station made him an offer he had to refuse; one day of work a week.

Working in live TV, we all put our foot in our mouths at some point and usually viewers are forgiving, but not all the time. Again, that’s why it is important that you think before you speak.

Working in the TV news business you’ve got to expect the unexpected; after all it is live television.

Often when things don’t go as planned it’s usually on a day when you’ve actually had more than enough time to prepare, ensuring your newscast is ready when the lights come on.  Reporter packages are done early; reporters have more time to work on the intro and tag to their stories. The anchors are at peace over whether their assigned stories are written in a conversational style. Plus, everyone has a little more time to make sure they look good before stepping in front of the camera.

(Cue the record scratch) #$#@&*%

I remember one night a few months ago, right before the start of our newscast the entire news team was in place about 10 minutes (that’s an eternity) before the start of the show. We were sitting and standing around just waiting for the news open to roll.

Once the show began, we made it through the top story intro to the reporter just fine. The reporter also made it through their story intro just fine, but a few seconds after the story started to play, it froze on the air. Of course, this woke everyone up, especially the reporter who was expecting the story to roll on smoothly; it didn’t.

The director dumped out of the story; came back to the young reporter who looked shocked and a little terrified, on camera, at what was going on. The package just failed to air, the prompter wasn’t where it was supposed to be and we were getting little to no direction from the booth about what was happening and where to go next.  These are the times when you feel the heat and the hair stands up on the back of your neck.

After a few stumbles, the reporter eventually recovered; no doubt with some newly grown hair on their chest and some experience on knowing how to better handle these types of situations.

This is one of many examples of why as a reporter working on live television; you’ve got to be ready to tell your story regardless of what happens unexpectedly to and around you. I discuss, in detail, one of the ways on how to make sure you’re ready in my book, and that’s by knowing your story.

 When you truly know your story, you won’t need a script to tell viewers what they should know about the subject. You’ll be able to clearly and confidently deliver the information even when your newscast experiences a meltdown. If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will, so be ready!

I was talking to a friend recently who shared a very uplifting story. It was about how an act of kindness paid off for one of his coworkers.

My friend and his fellow coworker found out their radio station was being flipped to a different format. The surprise announcement from management essentially meant they would soon be out of a job. Of course, that also meant they would have to start looking for new jobs; never fun in the world of broadcasting.

The coworker, a salesperson who we’ll call the Good Samaritan, was soon offered a sales position at another radio station group all because of his unselfish attitude in an attempt to help out another coworker.  Right now, I bet you’re wondering what he did. Well, he offered a helping hand to another salesperson who was struggling; a person who was new on the job and under extreme pressure to produce with little training on how to successfully close a sale.

The Good Samaritan noticed this and without being asked, took the initiative to help his struggling coworker. He went on sales calls with his struggling coworker; told the person what they were doing right, what they were doing wrong and what area of their sales pitch needed improvement. Not only did he take on the role of a mentor and manager, the Good Samaritan didn’t ask for any of the commission on the sales he helped the struggling coworker successfully close.

Thanks to his efforts the struggling coworker was able to keep their job, but eventually quit because of the extreme demands the company was placing on its sales force. 

A few months had gone by and out of the blue, the Good Samaritan received a phone call from the owner of another radio station group. The owner told him, he was sorry to hear about what happened at his current place of employment.

The owner then told the Good Samaritan about how he had heard about how the Good Samaritan came to the rescue of a fellow coworker who was struggling and in danger of losing their job. The owner went on to tell the Good Samaritan he was extremely grateful for his actions because that struggling coworker was his daughter.   

The owner was so grateful; he offered the Good Samaritan a job over the phone. They had never met or talked to each other before that phone call, but the owner, impressed by the act of kindness the Good Samaritan had extended to his family member, came to rescue of the Good Samaritan.

When you work in TV news you’re always told not to burn any bridges, but we probably should be told: be nice, because how you treat others will determine how others treat you on your journey to the top.

Do you know of any amazing stories like this? Please share.

If you’re a journalist working in a small market, I encourage you to take some time to smell the roses. We hear this a lot throughout our lives, but it seems once we get into the hustle and bustle of working to beat the clock every day the desire to do so falls by the wayside.

I know you’re working to get to a bigger market, make more money and cover some better and bigger news stories, but remember the only time you’ve got is now, so make the most of it. I don’t want to sound like I’m preaching to you, but tomorrow is not promised to us.

It may not always seem like it, but I’m sure there are some great things about the market you’re living in; the people, the local cuisine or maybe it’s big on history. Learn about some of that stuff and I guarantee you it’ll help take your mind off the fact that you’re going to work every day with the hope of moving on in the near future. How monotonous is that? It’ll only make you miserable.

I wish I would’ve spent a little more time getting to know the small market I worked in for a year and a half; after all it was a year and half of my life. I did meet some great people though, mostly coworkers who’ve become some great friends.

Part of the reason many of us get into the TV news business is because we get to live in and experience different places on the way to reaching our goals.

So again I say take so time to smell the roses, and if you don’t like roses, there are carnations, lilies, sunflowers; whatever you like, just make it happen.

For reporters, especially those new to the TV news business, there’s nothing like going live. Exciting, invigorating and electrifying are some of the words that describe how it feels to go live. Nerve-racking, overwhelming, and downright scary are some other words that also can be used to describe what it’s like to go live for rookie TV reporters.  

Seriously, I’ve seen people who looked like they were getting ready to have a heart attack right before a live shot.

It doesn’t have to be that way for you if you’re new to the business. The number one thing to keep in mind when you’re going live: know your story; I can’t stress that enough. When you know everything there is to know about a story, you can talk to anyone about that story, including your audience.

Knowing your story also prevents you from being completely dependent on a script. Think about it, what happens when you’re standing in the rain trying to read a sheet of paper? What happens when you have to move around and show different elements of a story? Those scenarios may not work out well if you’re relying heavily on a script.

You have to trust yourself. Trust yourself to know your story and to be able to have an intelligent conversation about that story. It’s the only way you’ll get good at going live and once you are good, you’ll start to feel like a rock star when you pull off great live shots. You can thank the adrenaline rush for that and, oh boy, you’ll find it’s addictive.

The daily rush of adrenaline is why many of us love going live, but pressure to be perfect while performing; well, that’s the reason why some of us hate it.

Do you remember what it was like when you went live for the first time? Share your memory with us.

JMC Internship & Career Coordinator Christine Mahoney had a chance to meet Yahoo! global news anchor Katie Couric on March 14.  Below is Couric’s advice to journalism students today.“Now?!”

One word and a rather startled expression was the response I got when I plopped down next to Katie Couric at the Denver Press Club’s 20th annual Damon Runyon Award Banquet, and requested a quick interview.  Couric was the evening’s keynote speaker and winner of the Runyon award, celebrating her remarkable decades-long career in television news, as well as her empathy in covering sensitive stories like the Columbine High School shooting in Denver in 1999.

My request – for career advice for young, aspiring journalists – came out of the blue, but Couric’s response was thoughtful.  It even put a new twist on the standard advice journalism students often hear:  Be persistent.  Don’t give up.  Evaluate your skills.  Her perspective, as a professional journalist and mother of two girls, added a layer of intention and purpose to the process of job-hunting. She suggests a more passion-driven strategy.

Here are Couric’s nuggets of advice:

•  ”Be persistent:  You may not get offered the job you want right away, but go back and ask again.  Don’t give up.”
• “Take a critical look at your skills, and understand which part of the (journalism) business you really like. For example, if you’re really detail-oriented, you might make a good assignment editor. If you’re reticent about intruding and asking a lot of questions, you might want to re-think becoming a reporter. Find out what you love and what you’re good at, and pursue it.”

During her acceptance speech, Couric recounted her own early struggles in the TV news business. During college at the University of Virginia, where she earned a BA in English with a focus on American Studies, Couric wrote for what is now the Cavalier Daily, UVA’s student-run newspaper, and interned at radio stations each summer.

Even with that relative wealth of experience, Couric says it was hard to land her first on-air job. She worked as a desk assistant at WJLA, the ABC news affiliate in Washington.

“I basically got sandwiches for the anchor,” she said.

Then, she happened to be in the right place at the right time. CNN launched nine months into her sandwich runs, and she jumped ship.

“CNN was a non-union shop – a start-up,” Couric recalled.

She was able to jump onto the update desk as a fill-in anchor. The experience wasn’t exactly confidence-building.

“In my earpiece, I could hear the other anchors asking, ‘Who is that? She looks about 12 years old!’” she said.

But she persisted – working on her on-air delivery and presentation skills, staying at CNN for four years and working in every imaginable role:

“Assignment editor, producer, you name it,” she said.

Couric’s first “real on-air job” was at then-WRC Channel 4 in Washington. There, she met Tim Russert. Couric had found a mentor.

“It only takes one person to believe in you, and my person was Tim Russert,” she said.

Everyone is familiar with Couric’s career trajectory. The TODAY show, CBS Evening News, Katie. Through it all, she maintained her journalistic principles.

“Asking questions is not enough,” she said. “A journalist’s job is to get answers.”

At her new post as global anchor at Yahoo!, Couric says she’s going to bring old-fashioned journalistic practices– fairness, accuracy, experience – to this new platform. But she’s also going to keep her favorite new acronym in mind:

“TMI and NEU – Too much information and not enough understanding,” she said.

Couric will provide coverage with compassion.

So, aspiring journalists, keep Couric’s advice in mind when plotting your own career

path. What’s your passion? How can you align your career goals with your life goals? How can you stay true to yourself while pursuing success? Keep Couric’s advice in

CU JMC student Annie Melton, winner of Tim Russert Scholarship, with Katie Couric at the Damon
Runyon Award Banquet, March 14, 2014

mind, when considering job offers.

“There are a lot of opportunities in journalism today,” she said. “Find one that matches your skills and your passion.”

I had to wonder if Couric had heard that same advice from her mentor, Tim Russert, way back when. And I hope journalism students are listening, when they hear it from her today.