The Inbox....
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The Inbox is where FTVLive shares some of the email that we receive and give you a voice on this website. Often the email that we share is email that is critical of a story that we have done or about us.
Today, we want to show you some of the positive email we get. We appreciate everyone that reaches out to FTVLive, with story tips, praise, and yes, even the haters.
But emails like this warm our heart.
Email 1:
Hi FTVLive,
I just wanted to send a note of appreciation for the hard work you all do. Thank you for your devotion to reporting on the news...about the news :)
I am a subscriber (Patron) and have followed your work for several years. Your content has been really helpful and informative, especially as someone who had no family or anyone to really to talk about the real issues when I was coming up through journalism school and looking for my first job. You’re a canary in a coal mine! There’s so many unique things about working in TV news that no one tells you about until you’re in the trenches! So thank you for helping us stay informed about what’s really going on.
I know working through the pandemic and other stressful issues amid the national and global crises is also no joke! I’ve worked at the ****** (omitted by FTVLive) bureau as a correspondent for the past couple of years. All I can say is I count myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunities to work in this business, to have a job I really love amid these tough times, and to have managers that really care about me and all of our team. I realize how very lucky I am!
Anyway, just wanted to send you my thanks for the work you do! I know it can’t be easy. You are making a difference!
Wishing you the best! :)
Email 2:
Scott,
First off your work ethic is impressive! But, I really think you deserve and need to take some time off. Burnout is real!
I really don’t have a tip, but I wanted to just say thanks for the work that you do. I know my bosses read your site every day and you are really the only one that is holding this industry accountable. I log onto FTVLive before I even get out of bed in the morning and I appreciate someone that is giving us an honest look at today’s TV news.
All that said, I still feel that you should take a couple of weeks off, unplug and go enjoy yourself. You’ve worked hard, developed a great website and totally deserve a vacation.
Thanks again for all you do.
And about the story on the Australian Traffic Reporter
Hey Scott,
Longtime reader, first time writing in. Don't always agree with your views, but I respect the platform you've built from your experience.
Just wanted to chime in with some context about the Australian traffic reporter. Ivanovic doesn't work at the Today Show, but for the Australian Traffic Network. She's part of a team that provides traffic reports to channels 7, 9, and 10 in Sydney during the day. My hunch is that probably involves more specialized work than a multipurpose talent at a TV station. But I think there's a lot of crosshatching of threads when it comes to traffic reporting:
1) In Australia, traffic reporting has almost always been outsourced to a state Royal Automobile Club (think AAA) or ATN. Traffic segments are comparably even lower priority there than in the U.S. because reports generally air during commercial breaks (pedantry: 10 Sydney is the only station I know of in the country to have a live chopper (ATN's chopper) report during their 5pm news.
2) Back here and in the past, stations tended to also heavily rely on private traffic-tracker companies like Shadow or Metro or SmarTraveler (shoutout to WCVB) to provide reports. I think as morning news started taking a larger share of importance in ops budgeting, you saw more in-house reporters and, thus, a new low rung in the ranks.
3) Nowadays, with the MMJ-ification of the industry, a lot of traffic reporters may sub for a reporter or anchor or both or even get their own shows for those roles. That pretty much makes them no different or even higher-rank to other reporters - they go to the talent shoots after all. Maybe it's not so in special cases like L.A. or N.Y., but hell, if Charleston, S.C.'s got a traffic reporter, you can bet she's filing for the noon show.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is that Marina isn't equivalent to an Alaina Pinto or Breanna Pitts (can you tell I'm from Boston?) and that we should probably take another look at the "lowly" traffic reporter.
Thanks for the insights, hope you might appreciate mine.
