Nuclear Crisis and Fears of Exposure: Reflecting on Journalism

No one can watch, read or listen to the crisis in Japan without feeling some emotion about what the people there are going through. The stories come halfway across the world to us through dedicated journalists. As I have been following the story, the thought came to me: what risks are journalists taking in traveling to Japan to tell its story? Apparently I am not the only one asking.

Much of journalism is thinking logically and asking questions critically. I think this is something that Doualy Xaykaothao does well in this story.  Much of the reporting has been on those living in the area that were affected, but fewer stories have covered those who have stayed to help (doctors, nurses, etc). I think Xaykaothao does a good job of telling this story from a different yet important angle. She describes her story very well. She expresses feelings while still giving the numbers. I enjoy this story because she makes it human and provokes thought about not just the victims of the disaster in Japan, but also those who were not affected yet might be because they chose to help.

 Listen to the story for yourself; just click on the play button.

The Story Behind the Story: Gas Price Increases Impact Local Businesses

Every great broadcast news story starts with just an idea as its seed. No one can be a good journalist without having the ability to come up with story ideas.

I woke up Wednesday morning earlier than usual. I needed to find a good day-turn story idea with people that were able to be interviewed that day in order to make my assignment deadline. Since the story wouldn't air on the local station, fewer people were interested in lending me some of their time.

I found several ideas and started calling people. I made several calls but nobody was really coming through and I needed a story. I was getting desperate. The people that I thought would be most likely to give an interview weren't. I made so many calls that by the time I got the first call back agreeing to an interview, others called as well and I had to turn some away.

I went all over town and got what I needed to tell, I think, a good story on how gas price increases affect local business.

There is no magic bullet to finding stories; if there were, most journalists would be out of a job. Broadcast journalism starts with story ideas. No matter how good a journalist, if one doesn't have an idea then there will never be a great story.

Watch my story about gas price increases affecting one local business below.

Questions are KEY: Reflecting on Journalism

Questions are key to good reporting and storytelling. This is true for at least two reasons: good questions  initiate stores and they drive the rest.

Questions Initiate Stories

The key behind every good news story is thinking of and asking questions. Reporters don't have to know everything, they just need be curious and ask questions whose answers might be interesting for viewers. In everyday situations, hundreds of questions come into our mind. Good journalists write these down and use them as a story ideas. Some examples might be: Who cleans up after a parade? When it snows and the streets are horrible, how do snow-plow drivers make it in to work? What happens at the city council meeting and why should people care? Good questions are key to finding great stories.

Questions Keep Attention 

Leslie Stahl

In addition to being the source of story ideas, questions can move a story forward by teaching and entertaining. I recently watched an episode of 60 minutes about Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook, and a new movie The Social Network hosted/reported by Leslie Stahl. The topic has been in the news a lot lately because of the recent movie about the creation of facebook.com. Beyond being an interesting topic, one thing that really sells the story are the questions and the answers they provoke. Answers provide viewers with knowledge and dialog. Both inform and entertain which is the goal of television news.

Some hard questions Stahle asks are: how many people use facebook on a mobile device? Will email become obsolete? Are you trying to turn everything on the web into a social function? Can you feel the tectonic plates shift from google to facebook? Is the goal to own the whole internet? How would you grade yourself as CEO of Facebook? These are a few examples of some of the good questions that Stahle askes the people she interviews.

She addresses issues people want to know about. She uses play on words to make the questions entertaining. In addition to the hard pressing questions, she askes lighter, fun ones as well. For example: was it hard to watch the movie? How did you actually find out he was working on a different project? Why are you pounding away at this when you already have so much money? Are you (the Winklevoss twins) on facebook? Do you feel any remorse for the twins? Do you ever pinch yourself to see if this is real?

The truth is, good questions are key to great storytelling.

I have posted the videos below, in case you too would like to watch the episode of 60 minutes.

Part one:


Part two:

The Story Behind the Story: Missouri State Auditor's New Citizen Summary

Dry, unexciting story ideas can make really interesting stories--it all depends on how they are told.

Everybody loves the story about their favorite team winning the championship, the blizzard story, or the child prodigy. I also enjoy those stories, but true journalistic ability is taking a hard subject and making it simple; taking a boring subject and making it entertaining.

In addition to my broadcast class at the University of Missouri, I am also taking an investigative reporting class. It was while I was searching through state audit reports that I came across this story. The Missouri State Auditor had just taken office a few weeks prior and was changing the way things are run. He was implementing a new "citizen summary" so that it is easier for the average Joe to understand which government agencies are wasting money and which ones are running effectively--that is to the Auditor's standards.

I left Columbia, uneager to head south to Jefferson City. There was snow on the roads and several accidents on the highway. I finally made it to the Capitol building and passed the only open parking space near the dome. Don't you hate it when that happens? I thought it was too good to be true so I passed it thinking it wasn't a spot but then when I realized it was I had to do the loop again and by then it was filled. I would have to park far away.

Finally I got to the building and did my interviews. B-roll was very hard to come by, but I did my best. I was hoping that the person I would wrap the story around had worked at the office for a long time but that was not the case. (In a few ways this is a good example of the difference between preplanning and prewriting.) Nevertheless, I got what I needed, filmed my stand-up and headed back to Columbia. I am proud of the end result. It might not be the best story I have ever told, but it is one I don't mind putting my name on.

It is up to you as to decide whether I made this dry topic entertaining and human. Even if you think I did or didn't, I learned about journalism in the process and I hope to do even better in the future. After all, everybody will take an interesting story any day over a dry, boring one.

Watch the video and leave me your comments below.

How to Choose a Professional Camera on a Personal Budget

Photography 101: How to Purchase a Great Camera on a Low Budget

Common Questions People Ask Themselves When They Consider Buying a Really Nice Camera:

What is the best camera I can buy for the least amount of money? What type of camera should I get if I just want great pictures but don't have time to become a professional? Which camera brand is the best: Nikon, Canon, or some other? Every person that gets into photography has asked these questions. When I was asking these questions, I couldn't find a great post that answered them. Now that I have the answers, I want to share the information.

Cameras 101, What You Need to Understand

When I was getting into photography, I found myself asking many of the questions above. I asked my professor, colleagues and friends. I even searched the internet to find the answers, but I found none. The truth, there really is no one correct answer to these questions. With that said, after many hours of searching, learning, and researching I can offer some advice. It is advice and knowledge I have compiled  from several people and experiences, but I specifically want to thank my friend Lars. Over the years, he has given me great advice and I want to pass it, along with other things I have learned on to you.

My Answer: Buy a Canon T2i with a 18-135mm 3.5-5.6f Lens

The Canon T2i takes great photos!!! It is also the least expensive professional grade camera that I am aware of. If you are just beginning it has totally automated features, but-for those developing their skills as an advanced photographer-it also allows you total manual control. Another great feature about the Canon T2i is it will take amazing HD video.

The Canon-made 18-135mm zoom lens with an aperture of 3.5-5.6f is a great lens! It will make small rooms look big when you are zoomed all the way out, and when you are zoomed all the way in it will get you up close and personal with the subject. It is about as good a lens as you can afford, unless you have thousands of dollars to spend on a lens. It is really versatile and works great for most situations. In low light settings you will need to bump up the ISO to its max (6400), but in all other situations you can get great photos from this lens.

Another Lens to consider getting:

I should mention that if you want to get a bigger aperture than 3.5f you might consider buying a second lens like this one. This is a 50mm fixed lens, meaning you can't zoom in or out (you zoom with your feet). The camera sees things at about the distance as your eyes. The great thing about this lens is its ability to provide a shallow depth of field. That means even if you are in a small room you can get that professional look where the subject is in focus but the background is totally blurred out.

Canon vs. Nikon: Which One is Better?    

Canon and Nikon are definitely the leaders of the D-SLR still camera industry. I have heard that Sony is also on par with them, but I have seen a lot more professionals go with Canon or Nikon cameras. Besides manufacturer, the only real difference between the two is the camera menus and user interface. Each has a unique camera menu system and slight button changes. If you haven't used either, then that won't make a difference. I have heard that Canon is a little more well known for innovation/being on the cutting edge of technology and that Nikon just follows very closely behind, but that isn't really verifiable. Both manufacturers are great and if you buy from either you can't go wrong. It really just comes down to user preference and brand loyalty.

Where Should I Buy a Camera?

BHphotovideo is the best site to purchase equipment from, but definitely check amazon. Both are great! Amazon is nice because you can get really good deals, and use amazon credit card rewards, and/or other discounts. However bhphotovideo.com is where professionals go. I have found BHphotovideo is just as cheap if not cheaper than everyone else and I have heard they give great customer service if you have an issue with your equipment. (I have never had an issue with something I bought from them, but other people have told me that is the case).

To learn more about still camera basics check out these other posts I have written. As always, if you have a question just leave a comment below.
Camera Lens 101 Basics: Things You Should Know or at Least be Familiar with When Buying a Camera Lens.
Light and Photography; a Few Things You Should Understand