Ok, so I'm starting my first TV job in like a week...

[NC Guy]

After years and years of local and market radio, I am finally moving up in the world after finangling myself a job as a reporter for a Top 100 market.

All that being said, I have had a varying degree of moods and emotions and reactions about the job.

When I got the offer, I was excited. After I signed the contract, I was nervous and excited. Now, with the date approaching (and the last few days of the job I have now just inching and inching by), I have this slight nagging sense of "can I really do this?"

I mean, hell, I got plenty of experience doing news and everything, but TV to me just seems like a different animal from radio, and I think that's what I am slightly nervous about.

So, from newbies and veterans alike, is the 'pre-job starting apprehension' before your first TV job and a sense of 'holy mother of god can i do this' a normal thing? ...because I don't recall feeling like this with my other jobs.

I think that part of it, too, is that I'm putting all my pennies in one piggy bank, as it were, and taking a bit of a gamble here with this job.

But...again...the varying degrees of excitement and apprehension have been a little weird for me. Does this change once you actually get into the newsroom and start doing the job?

And I'm sort of inviting an open comment on this, too--what was the family reaction to your first TV job? Mine has been a collective 'ohmygod you're gonna be a celebrity' and 'bring tapes back home to show us'. I'm flinching at both those comments because I a)see this as just another job (one right down my career path and that I am really happy about taking, despite the apprehension) and b) I know I'm gonna be rough the first couple of weeks.

[Omega Man]

You'll be fine. It ain't brain surgery. ;)

[WalMartNation]

Remember this because it's one of the most true statements you'll ever here about television. There's plenty of bad talent in the business... even if you can't do the job, you'll still be better than a lot of the people out there today.

It sounds rude to say... but I believe it's true. Just do YOUR job the best YOU can do... don't get caught up in worrying about anyone else.

[Signature on File]

Never wear a striped tie with a striped jacket. You will screw up the calastriophonical memory calibrater on the camera. It will make you look green and heavier than you are. :eek:

[Sir Dropham Pants]

The fact that you have experience in news will automatically give you more insight than some of your co-workers.
Your challenge will be to think visually, tell the stories with pictures and words, not just words. Remind yourself of that every time you leave the newsroom on a story.

[Bureau Chief]

Sorry, your are DOOMED! We are only hiring blondes with a nice rack nowadays, preferably, female. :eek: :eek: ;)

[TV Dad]

I suspect you'll do just fine. Your radio experience gives you an advantage over most folks who are starting their first job in tv. I think your pre-job jitters can be chalked up to being older and wiser now. You KNOW bad things can happen, so you're understandably concerned. Don't let those fears paralyze you. Instead, use them to motivate you to learn all you can about television and to turn out good work. Good luck.

[NC Guy]

Originally posted by TV Dad:
I suspect you'll do just fine. Your radio experience gives you an advantage over most folks who are starting their first job in tv. I think your pre-job jitters can be chalked up to being older and wiser now. You KNOW bad things can happen, so you're understandably concerned. Don't let those fears paralyze you. Instead, use them to motivate you to learn all you can about television and to turn out good work. Good luck.For most of the people I am working with--reporter-wise, at least--it's at least their second job in television.

And, as for the "older and wiser" thing...well...heh...I'll be the youngest person on the air at the station (which is fairly representative of my radio jobs). Guess that's the bad thing about starting in radio in high school.

[NewsMom]

Look at all the TV reporters on air in the market. Are they all just plain MORE BRILLIANT than you? Not likely.

You simply need to learn how to do the job, technically. Then, make the effort to do it really well.

Then, keep working to do it better.

Done.

[cobracat]

Where you can, let the pictures and sound tell the story. Don't overwrite. Otherwise, the 5 Ws still apply...radio or tv. Be open to suggestions from other reporters and camera staff. And don't try to copy someone else's style; develop your own based on your personality and your interest in news. Good luck...and enjoy yourself.

[ March 29, 2007, 07:46 PM: Message edited by: cobracat ]

[The Mockingbird]

Buy a lot of Ramen, Chachi.

Hrm, that was too vernacular. Let's get you some real tips:

1. If an anchor asks you an ad-libbed question on your live shot (and they will) and you don't know the answer, just say:

"Well, Nancy, that is an excellent question, and I'm checking into it, but we don't know at this time."

2. Roll up your sleeves on a warm weather live shot.

3. After every show, dub that night's story onto archive tapes, so you can go over them. Actually, you're just keeping material for a tape, but that's what you'll tell everyone.

4. If you have a mic on, don't say anything you don't want to see on YouTube next week.

5. If you're on a live shot, and there's a problem, you can't hear, there's no way you can be cued, etc., step out of the frame. Better to have to walk into frame than to sit on camera with a vacant stare.

6. When wrapping up a live shot on one of those ongoing breaking news stories, summarize the major points of the story quickly. It will let the producer and anchors know you're about to give it back to them.

7. Get new reporter notebooks regularly, and dispose of your old ones.

8. When you meet everyone at your new station, say their name when you shake their hands for the first time. Spend a few minutes at the employee wall memorizing names and faces.

9. If you don't know something, ask. Don't pretend to know, and have something snowball into a big mountain of stupid because you were afraid to look foolish.

10. Label your brown bag lunch with your name and a 4 day old date before putting in the station refrigerator.

11. Keep receipts for everything you have to buy on a story. Expense it in a timely fashion.

12. Decide when you want your vacations for the year, and submit requests for those days on January 2.

That's off the top of my head.

[ISTHISTHINGON?]

Well said MOCK.
graemlins/cheers2.gif

[The Mockingbird]

I would never have given away the brown bag secret if I was still in the industry, though.

That has to be the single most effective way to make sure your food isn't chosen by Free-Range Engineers.

[Pregnant Reporter]

Originally posted by Mockingbird Peeps:
Buy a lot of Ramen, Chachi.

Hrm, that was too vernacular. Let's get you some real tips:

1. If an anchor asks you an ad-libbed question on your live shot (and they will) and you don't know the answer, just say:

"Well, Nancy, that is an excellent question, and I'm checking into it, but we don't know at this time."

2. Roll up your sleeves on a warm weather live shot.

3. After every show, dub that night's story onto archive tapes, so you can go over them. Actually, you're just keeping material for a tape, but that's what you'll tell everyone.

4. If you have a mic on, don't say anything you don't want to see on YouTube next week.

5. If you're on a live shot, and there's a problem, you can't hear, there's no way you can be cued, etc., step out of the frame. Better to have to walk into frame than to sit on camera with a vacant stare.

6. When wrapping up a live shot on one of those ongoing breaking news stories, summarize the major points of the story quickly. It will let the producer and anchors know you're about to give it back to them.

7. Get new reporter notebooks regularly, and dispose of your old ones.

8. When you meet everyone at your new station, say their name when you shake their hands for the first time. Spend a few minutes at the employee wall memorizing names and faces.

9. If you don't know something, ask. Don't pretend to know, and have something snowball into a big mountain of stupid because you were afraid to look foolish.

10. Label your brown bag lunch with your name and a 4 day old date before putting in the station refrigerator.

11. Keep receipts for everything you have to buy on a story. Expense it in a timely fashion.

12. Decide when you want your vacations for the year, and submit requests for those days on January 2.

That's off the top of my head.these are great tips. I'd just add-

learn who people are in the building and what their job is. chances are, they are doing something behind the scenes to make you look good- whether it's potting up your mic after your package, helping the photog you're with tune in a live in a timely manner or choosing whether or not you get added to the promo. treat everybody in the building with kindness and respect, it IS worth your time!

also, I think you have this advantage coming from radio. Radio reporters seem to have even less time to tell a story than tv. Use your training in brevity to your advantage. Most young reporters have to learn how to write more concisely. While you will need to seek out good tips and feedback for writing to video, I think your radio background will serve you well. I've seen several people make the jump and do just fine. Check out Quita Culpepper at KVUE sometime, she's a good success story.