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!

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.