The Next Step

Rachael Ray, Journalist?
It seems like more and more people are getting their news from daytime talk shows. At least I know I find myself tuning into a couple minutes a day and getting a peak at what's going on in the world. And more and more daytime talk shows embrace the growing trend. Shows like The Dr. Oz Show and Dr. Phil even cater to specific topics day-in and day-out. People who I wouldn't think to label as "journalists" have become journalists.

I was flipping around the other day and stopped to watch Rachael Ray's show. She was doing a segment on the bed bug epidemic and had "expert" Dr. Ian Smith exploring commonly infested locations. Dr. Smith is also the lead physician on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, so I don't exactly know what qualifies him to explore bed bugs, which was the first thing that made me nervous about the segment. If we slap "expert" under someone's name, are we supposed to automatically believe everything they say? On a segment as routine as bed bug infestations, maybe it's OK. But Ray brings Dr. Smith back for segment, after segment, after segment about every health crisis hitting America.

CLICK HERE to read the online story / watch part of Ray's Wednesday show

Ray's bed bug story plays into "fear" reporting, blowing a story somewhat out of proportion and making it a scarier topic than it has to be. Yes, bed bugs are an issue, but not everyone will be affected, or infected, by them. As someone studying journalism it's scary to watch scare-tactic reporting like this because millions of people watch daytime shows and get their news this way.

NBC's The Today Show also did a story on bed bugs recently. Theirs is far more informational, and uses the fear viewers may have as a launching point for discussion, instead of a breeding ground for hysteria. There are strong graphics and solid information. Instead of trying to give tips to viewers about how to avoid bed bugs, like in the Rachael Ray segment, we see a humanized story about an exterminator. While there are still some moments of fear-mongering, like the anchor intro, the viewers are respected more than in the Rachael Ray segment because they aren't being walked through steps like they don't have common sense. Instead, they're learning that extermination is key and that being conscious of your surroundings, and not weary, is the best way to avoid the spread of bed bugs.

Wait, I need visuals??
My challenge this week was figuring out how to make a non-visual story visual. I was working on a story about the housing market in Columbia. There had been some recent announcements that the national housing market was on the rise and I wanted to know how Columbia's housing market was doing. Turns out it's doing great. I got interviews with a local realtor and builder who gave me hard facts and plenty of information. And that's where I got stuck.

I had a bunch of numbers - no people, no images and nothing to make the story pop on TV. I started to think in visuals: how could I get people moving in this? How could I make this interested? I somehow landed on the idea of using a for-sale sign as my central character. I incorporated the sign into my opening shot, my stand-up and my close. To get people involved, I went to an open house and moved around as much as I could to get interesting and different shots of the families touring the house. I also had some luck on my side. The one random open house I decided to go to that day happened to be in a very busy neighborhood. Almost every street I turned on had three or four houses for sale. And there were multiple houses under construction, which provided different visuals than just for-sale signs and houses.

I learned you always have to be thinking outside the box. When you don't have much video to work with, you still have to make it work. Writing to static video is harder, but incorporating graphics and having a little fun while you're reporting helps. I always have issues with my stand-ups, because I'm never sure how to make them stand out or be interesting. I'm going to challenge myself a little more to think outside the box. From time to time I check up on former MU broadcast students and I came across Ryan Takeo's stand-up reel. These are the kinds of stand-ups that make stories memorable and make viewers keep tuning back into the news.

Even with informational stories, you can have interesting, visual moments. I just have to keep seeking out inspiration and keep pushing myself to get better and more creative.