I want to share five lessons from broadcast news that can help you in your everyday work. It’s been nearly 15 years since I left the world of TV news. Since I moved from that career, I realize I’ve taken a lot skills from it that I use on a daily basis.
On the technical side, I’m creating my own videos though YouTube, recording a weekly podcast, and writing articles and books.
I also want to highlight a few other lessons from broadcast news that have served me well. These are the kind of things you never learn in journalism school but are valuable for all professionals:
Respect Your Deadlines
In broadcast news, you don’t have the option to push back a deadline. If a story is slotted for the 5 p.m. newscast, you have to deliver something. It may not be pretty or very good but you have to have some information to pass on to the viewers.
I was surprised to learn in other industries, you have the ability to move deadlines. While this may reduce stress, I don’t think it helps productivity. While there will be exceptions, getting the job done, on time, is an important skill.
More time does not guarantee a better outcome. It just means it took you longer to do something and while doing it, you’re not able to focus on something else.
Get Along with People
I worked with more than 65 photographers during my broadcast news career. They ranged from experienced to brand new, male to female, and extroverted to introverted.
As a reporter, you’re spending much of your day with this person and likely much of the week. It’s important to communicate well and develop a sense of trust and teamwork.
Time spent not liking your coworkers is ultimately wasted time. The people who are a part of your business are there for a reason. Figure out a way to make it work, if there are issues.
Things Change and Things Break
Your story can change. In one example, I went from covering a balloon festival to a manhunt for fugitive, who shot a police officer. While this was an extreme case, when the call comes to shift gears, you have to let go of any frustration you may feel.
It can be easy to keep thinking about the story you just left, rather than the one you now need to discover. This is a distraction, as you need to let go of what isn’t going to happen and focus on your new task.
Along those lines, you’re going to spend a certain amount of time battling technical issues. Heavily used electronic equipment can be temperamental. Focus your attention on overcoming equipment problems, rather than getting angry at an inanimate object.
It’s a valuable skill to learn how to let these challenges not impact your performance. The problems are inevitable.
Every Story is Important to Someone
You’re going to cover a lot of accidents, murders, and annual stories like Black Friday. After a while, you can do them in your sleep. Resist this urge because for someone, the story represents something very important.
The victim of crime is someone’s relative or friend. For a new store owner, coverage during the holiday season may help them realize dreams of success.
While your experience may make the telling of the story an easy process, don’t do it on autopilot. Treat every story like it matters. The same applies to customers.
Tomorrow Brings Opportunity
Some days will go perfectly. You’ll be engaged and love your story. Others will be dull or challenging in a negative way.
The good thing about news is that you get a clean slate every day. Success and failure can be fickle. You learn a lot about both when you experience them on a regular basis.
Celebrate the good days at work but realize every day gives you the opportunity to prove yourself. And factors out of your control may determine your level of satisfaction.
Time to bring Ken Okel to your next meeting…
