Maybe you've read about Mickey Gantich from San Leandro, California.
He’s a 92 year-old Pearl Harbor survivor who speaks to schools and
groups, sharing his history and passion. Last month, Mr. Ganitch made
news when someone broke into his car and stole his Pearl Harbor medals,
along with his Navy sextant.
“It is so meaningful. I would like to have it back. Please give it back to me,” Mickey told us through tearful eyes.
It’s the compelling stuff of good local television. We secured a
very good interview, but few pictures. Photographer Dean Smith and I had
roughly four hours to shoot and edit different versions for two
broadcasts...
By Kathleen A. Kirby and Maria L. Mullarkey, Wiley Rein LLP
On May 8, 2012, RTDNA along with a group of media organizations
filed a brief as amici curiae in support of Judicial Watch, Inc. urging
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to uphold
a lower court decision finding that White House visitor logs are agency
records subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Judicial Watch, Inc. v. United States Secret Service, Case No. 11-5282 (D.C. Cir.).
In 2009, the U.S. Secret Service denied Judicial Watch, Inc.’s FOIA
request seeking access to official visitor logs and records concerning
visits made to the White House, claiming that the requested records were
not agency records subject to FOIA, but instead were presidential
records governed by the Presidential Records Act...
Some years back, when I was serving as VP of News at the CBS station
in Tampa/St. Petersburg, one of my responsibilities was to write the
station’s editorials. Steve Mauldin, who’s now running KCBS in Los
Angeles, was a big believer in the power of the editorial word when it
came to helping effect positive change in the community.
Local schools and education were a big focus for us and I think our
twice-weekly editorial statements were quite effective in calling
attention to issues and, from time to time, helping spur needed
improvements in the system. After all, isn’t community service what we
all try to be about?
Terry Scott, Director of Broadcasting at The Canadian Press and Region
14 Director of RTDNA, has been named this year's recipient of the RTDNA
Canada President's Award.
RTDNA Canada's highest honor is presented annually to individuals or
groups that have brought distinction to, or made major contributions
to, broadcast journalism.
"Terry Scott's impact on the Canadian broadcasting scene over the
past 37 years has been significant," said RTDNA Canada President Andy
LeBlanc. "I've only known Terry for a few of those years and I've
witnessed his continuous and passionate contribution to the industry and
our Association."
Mother's Day is Sunday (remember the flowers? the reservations?).
Good. Once your audience has made its plans for Sunday, it's probably a good time for them to let mom
know that throughout all the years, she's always known best.
And according
to a poll by CreditCards.com, it appears that when it comes to finances,
she really has! According to creditcards.com,
a poll found that adults most often identified their mothers as the
family member with the most influence over what they know about managing
money and handling personal finances. More than a quarter (26 percent)
of the 1,000 adults surveyed gave mom top billing for shaping their
financial habits. Dad was a close second with 21 percent.
The Sunshine in Government Initiative, a coalition of media organizations including RTDNA, recently sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor protesting its new Press Lock-ups Policy.
The policy, as stated in the letter threatens to undermine the
accurate, complete and timely dissemination of independently produced
news.
Under the DOL’s new policy participants would be required to remove
their software, hardware, and dedicated lines from the DOL by June 15,
2012. Reporters would be required to use only government owned software
and hardware. The use of modern news-producing software would be
prohibited. All transmission would be via the internet, not via secure,
redundant line. The DOL would own and operate the data lines, internet
access and internet connections. As the government grows more concerned
about cybersecurity, the proposed policy would create a single point of
failure.
From the Chicago Tribune: "A federal appeals court in
Chicago ruled Tuesday that Illinois’ eavesdropping law “likely violates”
the First Amendment and ordered that authorities be banned from
enforcing it.
The ruling from the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago is
the strongest blow yet to the law, which is one of the strictest in the
country and makes it illegal for people to audio record police officers
in public without their consent.
The ruling follows last month’s announcement by Chicago officials
that they would not enforce the law during the May 20-21 NATO summit
when potentially thousands of people armed with smart phones and video
cameras are expected to demonstrate in the city."
Click here to read more and to view the amicus brief RTDNA participated in
In our business, internships have always been popular among students
and news managers alike. And given the sorry state of the job market
these days—they are particularly appealing. But now, it’s not just
students who are clamoring for the chance to use this way to get a foot
in the door. Some formerly-employed professionals, with all levels of
experience, see internships as their best chance, at the moment anyway,
to work toward a full-time newsroom job.
Internships can be valuable opportunities—for both the interns and
for their employers. The intern gets solid, valuable exposure to the
various aspects of life in a newsroom, while the employer (and staff)
benefits from an extra set of eyes, ears and hands to help out with all
sorts of tasks (hopefully ones they’ll learn from.)
"The Radio Television Digital News Association is writing in strong support
of AB 1270, which seeks to restore the
media’s ability to conduct pre-arranged in-person interviews with specific people
in prison under the discretion of the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR). This bill would allow the media to provide more balanced
information about our prison system, keep the public informed, and keep our institutions
both transparent and accountable..."
Is working in TV news hard? Of course it can be. Is it stressful? A
lot of the time. Does it require long hours and physical labor?
Absolutely! Do you get paid a lot? Well, let's just say most of probably
didn't pick this career to make millions.
So, does that make it one of the worst jobs around? A recent report believes so, but I and I'm sure many of you would disagree.
In what other career do people get to hold the government, companies
and individual people accountable every single day, 365 days a year?
I'm not sure there is one. And if there is, could it really be more
exciting than being a journalist?
People often question what the right retirement "magic number" for
them is - the dollar amount at which they can stop working and live a
lifestyle comparable to what they enjoyed during their working years.
That number typically incorporates several personal factors like:
"What's your spending like?" "How old will you be when you retire?" "How
much inflation do you expect?" "What will my major expenses be?"
Being married to someone in the news business isn’t easy. Our
spouses deal with our long hours and travel, our preoccupation with news
when we’re at home, unexpected interruptions on holidays and weekends,
and our refusal to accept those free family tickets offered by the
nearby theme park.
Lots of families have to deal with long hours and work that follows
you home, but that theme park ticket example separates journalists from
many other professions. We have an ethics code to follow.
You may model your activities on the RTDNA code of ethics, or the
SPJ code of ethics, the PRNDI code of ethics, or perhaps like my
station, you have your own rules...
On World Press Freedom Day, the Radio Television Digital News
Association pays tribute to journalists who have been restricted,
attacked or even lost their lives in the name of journalism. We owe
special thanks to the people who work tirelessly on behalf of RTDNA in
defending journalists from attacks on their independence and their
lives.
May 3 was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day at the UN General
Assembly in 1993 following a recommendation adopted at the 26th of
UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. It serves as an occasion to inform
citizens of violations of press freedom - a reminder that in dozens of
countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended
and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed,
attacked, detained and even murdered.
Since 1946, RTDNA has been an advocate for journalists on both the
national and local levels working to preserve First Amendment freedoms,
lead the fight for electronic access to courtrooms, oppose government
efforts to control program content, and address important ethical issues
facing the industry
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
9:00 AM-12:00 PM
The
First Amendment Lounge at the National Press Club
529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor
- Washington, D.C., 20045
Seating is limited! Please RSVP to Karen Riley: kriley@asc.upenn.edu;
(215)
746-0045
RTDNF scholarships are open to
enrolled students (freshmen excluded) who are pursuing careers in
radio, television and digital news. Winners also receive an
expenses-paid trip to the RTDNA National Conference.
Become a RIAS fellow in Germany this fall. Join with over 500 other American radio, TV, and online journalists who have been to Germany as an RTDNF-RIAS fellow.
This two week program in Berlin, Prague, and Brussels features meetings with German policymakers and correspondents, Czech journalists and diplomats, and EU and NATO staff. All expenses (excepting some meals) are covered.
I’ve been on the road a good bit these past few weeks. And despite
living in an increasingly digital world, when I came back, I found my
desk continued to sprout paper as if there’s no tomorrow.
While digging through it all, I spent some time reading about some
of this year’s major industry research, such as the 2012 State of the
News Media report by the Pew Center’s Project for Excellence in
Journalism and Nielsen’s latest State of the Media: Digital Consumer
Report. The findings are interesting, if not all that surprising...
Take a look at this literature review of a marriage study:
"Research shows that marriages are most fragile during the first few
years, with 20 percent of divorces occurring within the first 5 years
of marriage (National Center for Health Statistics, 2001). Money is one
of the topics couples fight about most often during the newlywed years
and is a contributing factor in many divorces (Amato & Rogers,
1997). Stanley, Markman, and Whitton (2002) found that money was the
most frequently reported issue that couples argue about, and
Terling-Watt (2001) found that for both married males and females,
disagreements over money were significant predictors of desired
divorce."
By Dr. Lydia Reeves Timmins, University of Delaware
Last Friday I had the chance to do something I can’t imagine doing
in a newsroom - taking my daughter to work with me! It was the day
before she turned four, and her daycare was closed for professional
development (those teachers need training too!)
Because I had been at BEA/NAB until late Wednesday, it completely
slipped my mind that I would have the joy of her company for A WHOLE
DAY. My daughter is a charming child, but how do you do a professional
job with a pre-schooler in tow? Let me tell you, much easier in a
university than trying to haul a small child into a live truck or a
control room!
Edward R. Murrow was born 104 years ago today in North Carolina. His legacy is abundantly prevalent in our industry and is brought to the forefront of our minds each year when RTDNA announces and presents the Edward R. Murrow Awards in April, June and October.
On this day, we like to take a few moments to reflect on Murrow's contributions to our profession. There is perhaps no better way to do that than by listening to and reading Murrow's 1958 "Wires and Lights in a Box" Speech from the then RTNDA Convention. Enjoy!
"This just might do
nobody any good. At the end of this discourse a few people may accuse
this reporter of fouling his own comfortable nest, and your
organization may be accused of having given hospitality to heretical
and even dangerous thoughts. But the elaborate structure of networks,
advertising agencies and sponsors will not be shaken or altered. It is
my desire, if not my duty, to try to talk to you journeymen with some
candor about what is happening to radio and television..."
When there is a big local trial it usually means team coverage, lots
of live interviews with your legal expert and more use of file video
than you would probably like. Whether it was a murder or a corruption
case, the community wants to know all the details about the person or
people in their town that is involved.
For news organizations in South Florida the recent case involving
wealthy polo mogul, John Goodman was just that. A jury found Goodman
guilty of DUI manslaughter in connection with the death of 23-year-old
Scott Wilson who died after his car was pushed into a canal in
Wellington, Florida. The case was brought into the national spotlight
several times, most notably when Goodman adopted his girlfriend as his
daughter late last year.
Writing to video intimidates many reporters. They hear the work of
benchmark writers, and assume they can never measure up. “Writing
scares the heck out of me,” a very fine photographer-turned-MMJ
confessed recently.
It shouldn’t. She didn’t get those great pictures for so many years
by being a dunderhead. Memorable writing is a product of your
knowledge, subtle observations, and wisdom. The same clear-headed
curiosity that led you to journalism can also help you find appropriate
words. We’re pre-wired that way...
A recent poll on smartaboutmoney.org shows that putting together an emergency fund is a top priority for people, right below saving for retirement.
In 2011, 64 percent of American households had an unexpected major
expense or a financial setback. Of those, 26 percent were transportation
issues, like a car replacement or repair; 21 percent needed house
repairs and 19 percent needed medical care. Debt was also at the top of
the list at 17 percent.
Like many in the broadcasting industry, I spent a few days in Vegas
this week at the National Association of Broadcasters show. RTDNA
produces a day of programming and panels for the NAB, and as chair-elect
that job this year fell to me.
There was great information and discussion at the sessions, including
how to better use social media in our newsrooms and how news managers
and sales departments can work together without destroying the
traditional “firewall” between them.
That’s all been covered on our web page already. Instead of
recycling all that, I want to share eight things I learned at NAB that
wasn’t in the curriculum...
Today, RTDNA will be presenting a day of programming at the 2012 NAB Show in Las Vegas! Follow along below and tweet us @RTDNA throughout the day if you have questions for our panels!
By Donna Francavilla, CBS News, and Owner of Frankly Speaking Communications, LLC
(Editor's note: Francavilla, an RTDNA former board member,Edward
R. Murrow judge, and CBS Radio News reporter, spoke with National
Public Radio trainer, Edward R. Murrow Judge and WBHM News Director,
Tanya Ott about what elements make up award-winning journalism.)
What do judges listen for when selecting an award-winning piece?
What elements must a story have to qualify it to win some of the
toughest contests in the country?
The Edward R. Murrow award winners were announced recently. Did you
kick yourself for not submitting one of your stories? Did you say to
yourself, “Should I have entered that special piece I crafted last year?
I wonder if it would have won in its category.”
This year, RTDNA judges awarded 645 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards in
14 categories, including Overall Excellence, Breaking News,
Investigative Reporting, and Website. Awards are broken up by medium
(radio, television, online) and by market size (small and large.)
RTDNA received more than 3,500 entries during the 2012 awards
season, eclipsing 2011 by more than 500 entries and setting an all-time
record for entries in what proved to be one of the most competitive
Edward R. Murrow Awards seasons in RTDNA history.
Listed after the jump are the 2012 RTDNA
Regional Murrow Award recipients, organized by region.
Be sure to visit the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a nonprofit association dedicated to providing free legal assistance to journalists since 1970
By Wayne Freedman, KGO-TV
Print Story
Email Story
RSS Feed
By Kathleen A. Kirby and Maria L. Mullarkey, Wiley Rein LLP
By Mike Cavender, RTDNA Executive Director
Terry Scott, Director of Broadcasting at The Canadian Press and Region
14 Director of RTDNA, has been named this year's recipient of the RTDNA
Canada President's Award. 
From the Chicago Tribune: "A federal appeals court in
Chicago ruled Tuesday that Illinois’ eavesdropping law “likely violates”
the First Amendment and ordered that authorities be banned from
enforcing it.
By Mike Cavender, RTDNA Executive Director
By Lynn Walsh, RTDNA Blogger
By Ryan G. Murphy, RTDNA
By Vince Duffy, RTDNA Chairman Elect
On World Press Freedom Day, the Radio Television Digital News
Association pays tribute to journalists who have been restricted,
attacked or even lost their lives in the name of journalism. We owe
special thanks to the people who work tirelessly on behalf of RTDNA in
defending journalists from attacks on their independence and their
lives.
Become a RIAS fellow in Germany this fall. Join with over 500 other American radio, TV, and online journalists who have been to Germany as an RTDNF-RIAS fellow. 
Take a look at this literature review of a marriage study:
By Dr. Lydia Reeves Timmins, University of Delaware
Edward R. Murrow was born 104 years ago today in North Carolina. His legacy is abundantly prevalent in our industry and is brought to the forefront of our minds each year when RTDNA announces and presents the Edward R. Murrow Awards in April, June and October.
By Lynn Walsh, RTDNA Blogger 
By Wayne Freedman, KGO-TV
By Ryan G. Murphy, RTDNA 
By Vince Duffy, RTDNA Chair Elect
By Donna Francavilla, CBS News, and Owner of Frankly Speaking Communications, LLC
