Get rid of emails in Talent lower thirds...

[bw3508]

Had a conversation with a few people today, discussing the purpose of anchor/reporter email addresses in lower thirds. At a station I interned at just a few years ago, upper management pulled the addresses from the graphics due to constant problems they were having with people emailing employees for no purpose, usually harassing them.

In my opinion, they just look tacky, but why are some stations, especially in larger markets than I interned in, still doing this. Do they do more good than harm?

[thenewsleader12345]

well... mostly so viewers can contact them. Send them story ideas... send opinions on stories... make the reporter more accessable to the viewer. I got a lot of story ideas that way. And viewers could send feedback on my stories. I want them to know how to contact me at the station. Thats how I stay connected with them and get story ideas.

[DoneThatToo]

Originally posted by bw3508:
. . . At a station I interned at just a few years ago, upper management pulled the addresses from the graphics due to constant problems they were having with people emailing employees for no purpose, usually harassing them. . .One, why the heck was management worried about this? And two, the delete key just didn't work?

I would rather have an email from the psycho saying they were going to come get me and thus have the chance to alert the police then to have the 'viewer' just show up in the lobby. And yes we have stopped such things from happening after getting threatening emails . . .

[The Mockingbird]

Gosh, who was ever gonna figure out that John Smith of WABC could be emailed at jsmith@wabc.com?

That's like an unbreakable code...

[FD2BLK]

Wouldn't it cut down on the crank emailers if you just posted email links on the station website? Puting them on screen is just asking for wise ass comments from the masses.

[facts]

I'm always a bit jealous of the newspaper reporters who get a good story .. and then at the end of their story it reads "to contact this reporter.."

I bet they get a lot of leads that way.

[On Air]

It's no big deal to me. I get some emails from viewers responding to stories, which is good, actually. It shows they are watching and they are engaged in what we're putting out on the air.

I usually don't respond, but there was one time I explained the No Child Left Behind Act and 'adequate yearly progress' to a viewer, because she was irritated over a story that didn't make sense to her. It made more sense after she understood AYP.

Also, I had a drastic haircut not too long ago, and a got a lot of viewer email about it. Some ladies wanted to know what hair salon I went to, and so I would respond and thank them for the compliment and for watching us and I would give them the name of the salon.

Of course, I haven't gotten any psycho emails (knock on wood!) The weirdos -- so far -- send snail mail.

Generally, I would rather deal with viewer email than viewer phone calls or voice mail.

[CKMD]

Giving viewers/readers all the information they need is our job. Since when is letting our audience know how to contact us a bad idea?

[ISTHISTHINGON?]

Originally posted by Mockingbird Peeps:
Gosh, who was ever gonna figure out that John Smith of WABC could be emailed at jsmith@wabc.com?

That's like an unbreakable code...DAMN IT Mock. Four years of my life with intense investigating and research trying to crack the newsroom email code....down the toilet!

[SamG]

Originally posted by Mockingbird Peeps:
Gosh, who was ever gonna figure out that John Smith of WABC could be emailed at jsmith@wabc.com?

That's like an unbreakable code...Or is it johnsmith@wabc.com, john_smith@wabc.com, john.smith@wabc.com, or j.smith@wabc.com?

[The Mockingbird]

It's not that hard to figure out.

[WalMartNation]

I used to get some pretty good story ideas for sports features from people who e-mailed in... so giving them info that helps them get in touch with a reporter isn't bad to me.

Usually station bios have e-mail links too, but the bio page is sometimes buried in the website and hard to find.

Sure, I got some people who b:tched, that's why there's a send to trash option.

[wxgeek]

Originally posted by Can't Keep Me Down:
Since when is letting our audience know how to contact us a bad idea?Clearly you have never answered a newsroom phone. There are a lot of whackos out there.

[Pennywise]

Originally posted by wxgeek:
Clearly you have never answered a newsroom phone. There are a lot of whackos out there.Not as many as there are IN the newsroom.

[CKMD]

Originally posted by wxgeek:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Can't Keep Me Down:
Since when is letting our audience know how to contact us a bad idea?Clearly you have never answered a newsroom phone. There are a lot of whackos out there.</font>[/QUOTE]Clearly, you are a weather guesser with that comment.
I have answered plenty a crazy viewer phone call. And, usually, at the end, when they start to use bad language or yell, I give them the phone numbers of the other TV stations in own, tell them to watch those stations because I would rather not have ignorant people watching my product.

[ April 08, 2007, 11:49 AM: Message edited by: Can't Keep Me Down ]