The Digital Journalist - Latest Comments in How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Catriona — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:20:13 -0000

I am a videojournalist and a bean counter. There's a way that both can co-exist, but it is important for us as news producers to do both the stories people want and the stories that we want to do. They are not always the same thing.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

LCVaughn — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:37:21 -0000

One could assume that most large business entities are set up as corporations. There are good corporate citizens and there are the rest. The need to make a profit is not necessarily counterproductive to the desire to have a good product, and occasionally having a good product actually enhances profits. One key point to consider is the word newspaper. Since the channels currently exist to disseminate the news without actually using paper, the use of paper becomes an expensive alternative when competing with news outlets that have dispensed with the related costs of creating a tree based product.

I haven't purchased a newspaper in several years, yet keep up with currents events by viewing the online alternatives. I have also purchased products that are advertised in those same alternatives.

The days of an overweight cigar chomping crusty middle aged man wearing a green eye shade yelling "stop the presses" are nearly gone. This doesn't mean that profits will be gone with it, but the technology has changed and the dinosaurs are forced to change with it or perish.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Bob — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:48:42 -0000

As a Veteran TV Photojournalist with over 25 years under my belt, I still find myself constantly amazed watching the "Still Photographers", and their adventures into multimedia as of late.

Forgive me for being blunt and possibly rude, but I believe the still profession to a large degree has looked down at the video industry for a long time. Actually, they can be quite snobbish about it. Don't get me wrong, I totally respect their work. But video production takes a whole different skill set. I have friends who are very accomplished still photographers, but have told me they never knew that there was so much effort and detail into shooting video. Simple things like how to gather good clean sound, which a technique video professionals have to do all day long. I've been doing all of this for the last 25 years. Yes, the equipment has gotten smaller, but ultimately it comes down to good storytelling. Web based stories can be subject driven, and not neccesarily reporter driven. And that's OK. It's probably a good idea that they are not the same.

Working at a television station turning stories daily is very challenging. The deadlines are unforgiving, and even editing a "simple" news story takes a lot of effort. A different process than sending several still images through an ordinary laptop.

First of all, most TV packages are anywhere from 1:15-1:45 or more. These normally contain a lot of nat sounds "Hits", pertinent sound bites, and reporter tracks, all when covered properly can produce a stunning story.

Secondly, on most days the photographer is also the driver/tech of the live truck and edits 2 different stories on the same subject. It's a challenging job. Yes, it true that some photographers may shoot 3 or 4 Vo's, but most of the staff out in the field shoots and edits their own footage.

Thirdly, In the context of production value, with a reasonable amount of time on most days, it is possible to turn some creative stories. Some days, you can't. It can be very frustrating.

You are right. Don't be like Television as we know it. But pieces that are long better be worth it, because the viewer won't stay for long.

Still Galleries get more hits because they are faster to go through. People can control the speed and how many they want to see. Video requires somebody to sit through it.

You're right. Do great stories. With great audio, and great moments. No, they don't have to be turned on a daily basis, but most videos don't require weeks of production. There is a middle ground. I know the process. Working weeks ona project should be the exception.

Sorry to tell you. But you can't tell the bean counters to butt out. You can keep them somewhat at a distance, but the harsh cruel reality of the web is that it is now possible to accurately count web hits on individual stories. It might mean unpopular, yet artistic stories, might be a hard sell. Don't give up.

I am just being honest here. There is a lot and really good multimedia out there, and there is also some really bad stuff.

We are all artists. Let's work together, because if the web is the end all. we're all going to be in the same boat.

Lastly, I sincerely hope that most people are hear to tell good stories, not to win contests. I like the NPPA philosophy, but it is too formula driven, and contest driven. Entering a contest should be secondary.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Bob — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:07:45 -0000

ddd

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Matt — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:54:58 -0000

Interesting article - here in the UK web video is currently in fashion with newspaper proprietors, although few will spend any money on training or proper equipment, as can be seen on various websites. It's almost like 'we've got some video content on the website, so we can tick that box' regardless of content or quality.

And, yes, in the UK many regional papers would be happy to have untrained photographers taking photos, and work experience students writing stories as it saves money. Is it any wonder that sales of regional papers are in decline? There's a short termist view that by saving money profits on paper look OK, but at the expense of the product.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Charlé Lombard — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:15:04 -0000

My biggest fear is that we will do any junk to get the hits up. Where did all the good journalists go? Even in print I see (at least in South Africa where I work) more and more junk in the papers. All for the sake of more readers. I love this fragile lady called journalism, but hate that the beans counters made her whore on the street corners for a living.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Typist — Sun, 25 May 2008 10:03:45 -0000

Dirck and I and several others chewed over these issues in a series of exchanges on Chuck Fadely's Newspaper-Video mailing list so I won't rehash them here other than to say that Harold Owen's has got it more right than wrong with his "grab any camera that can shoot video and got out and shoot lots every day" approach. The reality is we'll need both the high-quality, award-winning storytelling that Dirck urges us towards AND the multiple newsey daily videos that Howard is talking about. How your mix works out will depend on your budget - and willingness to learn.
Bill
(p.s. - there is, as you promised Dirck, a lot of interesting material in the dj, thanks!)

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

peter — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:35:15 -0000

Will your customers put up with "good enough" video? -- Isn't that a question for the marketing department and the statisticians, rather than the philosophy & history of media gurus?

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

numbernine — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:35:20 -0000

Owens, some good points but those smaller newspapers that may not be as big as one you work for don't always have a staff large enough to produce MULTIPLE videos per day. Remember the small guys here, we all don't have the luxery of a super large staff.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

PF BENTLEY — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:46:04 -0000

Dear Mr. Owens-

So what exactly are you saying? Produce a lot of crappy video to get the hits up with the idea that the public will watch anything? Sort of the YouTube-ization of the web? I'm just trying to understand your comments.

By the way, the person who wrote that editorial was Dirck Halstead, who has been doing online journalism for a while now and started his photojournalism career in the 1950's.

Sincerely, PF Bentley

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Howard Owens — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:04:09 -0000

It's a pretty good bet that I've been doing online journalism, online audience development, longer than whomever wrote this misguided editorial. And my efforts to promote newspapers doing video goes back many years. So call me a corporate bean counter if you like, but what I say isn't some shallow "oh, gee, we should do video" position, but a strategy developed over many years of experience.

If you're not approaching your job with an eye how to help the online edition grow, please go apply for a job at Wal-Mart.

If you're not producing MULTIPLE videos per day, you're doing your employer and your profession a disservice.

The only way to grow online video audience is to "get the hits up." If that isn't a major concern of yours, then your part of the problem, not the solution.

Forget the NPPA awards, forget all of the awards. If you're making video win awards rather than win readers, you're part of the problem, not the solution.

Grab a camera -- any camera that shoots video will do -- and start producing lots and lots of video.

Otherwise, go start your own web site and see how well you do at supporting yourself with your "award winning" video.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Gasper DSouza — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:51:36 -0000

Yes that is true. It could be a blessing... or a curse! As a result of good numbers in print, it is difficult if not impossible to propose online multimedia content at this stage in the game.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

markloundy — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:26:04 -0000

Gaspar,

The India newspaper industry is in the enviable position of being generally popular. Its various owners are not forced into reexamining their business model -- yet.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

j. smith — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:46:33 -0000

As a network news staff cameraman (ABC) I agree with most of what you say - except for the length.

The average pkg is 2.15 to 2.30 - not 45 seconds.

Something that is 45 seconds is usually an anchor read, usually agency material or pool.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Mark Loundy (Common Cents) — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:32:29 -0000

How can one not be intimidated by the beancounters at a corporate newspaper? The sole purpose in life for corporate managers is to support the fiduciary interest of the stockholders. In other words: keep the stock price up. Wall Street has zero interest in journalistic quality or integrity.

Corporate ownership is not compatible with quality journalism.

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Dirck Halstead — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:10:12 -0000

Gasper, first congratulations on being the first to use our new comments board.

In the US, newspapers over the past few years have gone through an evolution. First they started using photo galleries, then slide shows, then they moved to multimedia slide shows.Finally, in the last two years they have moved on to video. This last part was hard to do, since newspaper photographers had no real experience in producing for this media. Thanks to the many Platypus workshops around the country, that is in the process of being remedied. The problem with multimedia is that it is very time consuming. Mediastorm for example will spend weeks working on a project. Video is relatively simple. It can be produced on deadline once it is mastered. If you want to spend time lingering on stills, you can easily do that in Final Cut Pro.

For an example of a paper that has mastered this go to the Detroit Free Press site at freep.com

Be sure to look at their Emmy-award winning package on Michigan Marines in Irag
http://www.freep.com/apps/p...

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Gasper DSouza — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:14:18 -0000

First of all, congrats on the new format of the DJ! I have been a regular reader for many months now.
In India, the concept of web video is not even considered in a big way by newspapers who are still content in their print world. As a pj, I am looking at making the transition to multimedia journalism instead of only web video, and make integrated packages that include video, slideshows, audio and text to tell the whole story. Is this considered in a big way by US newspapers? If so, are there any successful examples?
I am also looking for online source (paid or free) that conduct short courses in visual storytelling (online) for a global audience. Any recommendations?

Re: How Not To Do Newspaper Video - The Digital Journalist

Dirck Halstead — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:58:13 -0000

WELCOME to the new comments area on The Digital Journalist. From now on you will be able to comment on all our features and articles.

PLEASE no anonymous messages. No flames.

Dirck Halstead