The Inbox...
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Here are some reactions to recent stories seen on FTVLive.
Email:
In response to your story about interviewing: it is amazing how many people in this industry are so bad at interviewing, considering our job is to interview people.
Just like a news interview your goal, in my opinion, is to turn it into a conversation. It should flow. You should be asking questions about the newsroom, the coverage, the values, issues inside the newsroom that need to be fixed, and how you can help fix them.
It should not be a one-way stream of questions from the person on the other side of the desk. Be outgoing in the newsroom. If you have some downtime, go up to people and introduce yourself. Ask them questions about the newsroom. Ask the rank and file what their issues are and what needs to change. That’ll give you valuable insight into if this is a place you want to work.
And make sure you send a thank you email to everyone you meet with and a handwritten note to the main hiring manager. Be confident and outgoing.
This email is in regards to stations adding more newscasts.
Email:
Greetings, Scott!!! Long time no email...
I love being able to keep up with the news as much as the next person but do we SERIOUSLY need the local stations to add any more additional newscasts?
Here in Philly alone in the FOX O&O (Fox 29) now has a 7 HOUR block for Good Day Philadelphia alone (a 2-hour newscast from 4-6am, the main Good Day show from 6-10am and now an "after-show" that airs from 10-11am and repeats from 2-3pm).
I think that reason why FOX 29 avoided adding an additional newscast in that 2-3pm slot has to be because they don't want to burn out their anchors and reporters who still have to come in and do a newscast from 5-6:30pm or overuse the morning team who have already been in place since 2 or 3 AM and are ready to go home and try to enjoy the rest of their day at home.
Even the CBS station here (CBS3 aka CBS Philadelphia) is the same way so to speak as they have news from 4-6:30pm (though their anchor teams can interchange out right before the 5pm edition), then do an additional live hour of news for the streaming side and sister station Philly 57 from 8-9pm (though that version is solo anchored by Ukee Washington or Jessica Kartalija) and THEN are back on CBS 3 at 11pm.
I think I can imagine which FOX O&O is having the clusterfuck issue with the adding of newscasts but it's because they are expecting to do so much yet their turnover ratio with anchors leaving has been...how can I put this lightly... ATROCIOUS. It is seeming that they are at a point where the anchors may as well throw their personal life out the window and work 12 hour shifts 5 days a week (and as someone who works 12 hour shifts I can attest that that schedule can be MURDER on you if you can't balance work and home).
If that O&O wants to avoid catastrophic problems that could sink their newscasts, they need to think about letting some of the younger generation reporters (the ones that fill in on the holidays while the rest of the station takes vacation on Christmas and other major holidays) take that new slot instead of trying to slave-drive the veterans into walking out the door into retirement or just flat out quitting.
Email:
Hey Scott,
I wanted to say thanks for all the work you do with FTVLive! I am one of those who starts each day logging onto FTV on my phone.
I feel like your website has made me a better journalist.
Following up on an email you posted last week. I subscribe to your YouTube channel (I’m also a Patron) and I really miss you posting videos. While I have read FTVLive for the better part of a decade (starting back in high school), I feel the videos let us learn more about you as a person.
I hope you will seriously consider vlogging again.
Thanks,
