Thanks to a recent comment saying KAKE will soon hire another video journalist, VJ, one-man band or reporter/photographer. (I would like to know if this replaces a photographer, reporter, both, or adds a staffer.) For those not familiar with the term it essentially means hiring one person to shoot, edit, report and everything else. This has happened for years in smaller markets, and apparently even here for some time. As a previous comment mentioned KAKE has had a history of Larry Hatteberg, Chris Frank and even Alan Shope with sports shoot their own material. I haven't really focused or know what Shope shoots, but Hatteberg's and Frank's stuff are just as good as the others in town. I guess I had heard about them shooting their own stuff, but forgot about it. Now as budgets shrink and the technology gets lighter and cheaper its happening at a faster pace. Recently stations in other towns have announced moves in that direction. A recent comment mentioned how sales staffs are even shooting in other places (is it happening here) and its all part of our YouTube generation. Is it a good thing? No not at all, but will viewers notice? I do not think they will, sadly. We live in a culture of more, more, and more. With that wanting of more, more, and more, the society doesn't care about quality. You can see that with Wal-Mart, many restaurants, other businesses and now I guess with broadcasting. We probably will get all the content we want from shootings, fires, car crashes, a cat stuck in a tree and even the blooper of a 80 year-old falling into their cake for their family birthday party all on-line. Its more content, but not memorable, except the cake on the old man's face, and sadly probably the industry. Sure there will be the comment to the dinosaurs who have to get over the old days and move to change, but you have to realize we are moving in this direction not for quality, but simply economics. -Hal
Update: Please vote in the Poll on the right as to when or if you think the majority of reporters in Wichita will be one-man bands. -Hal
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
26 comments:
I guarantee you Larry does not shoot any of his own stuff. Way to take everything someone from KAKE says as fact.
Truth is, sports as all stations usually shoots their own stuff. Right now, there are no one man bands doing news in the metro.
That was spin by KAKE to try and hide what they are doing which is cutting costs even further. As has been posted on here before, they are in a bad financial situation right now. Some of its corporate some of it is because of bad decisions on their part.
Television will not go away-- even if it merges with the computer. So, there will still be a demand for good programming. VJ's can't provide that. They CAN provide the run-and-gun stuff you might want for a shooting update on the Web. That's just fine-- let them do that. But what about the void for good programming? I don't think GMs have considered that yet. No one has a plan to fill that void, from what I can see.
Larry is a long time award winning photographer. I think he was a photog before he was an anchor. Anon 953, he does shoot his weekly feature piece Hatteberg's People and has been doing that forever. I think it is easily their best piece of the week.
Anon 953, stop guaranteeing stuff, because you are wrong. Larry has been shooting stuff forever, in fact I think he was a photog before he was an anchor and still does his weekly Hatteberg's People. Not only does Larry shoot his own stuff, Chris Frank is a one-man band and daily shoots his own stuff and has been for quite sometime.
Anon #1 you are an idiot!
Not only does Larry shoot all his own video he edits it as well. Larry is a top notch photojournalist as well as a still photographer and Larry has his own equipment and it superceeds anything any of the three stations in this market use. In addition the other posters are correct Chris Frank is a one-man band and has been for a long time. That's why his standups always start on a wide shot and he walks towards the camera...cause he is ALONE ya nard!
No one man bands in wichita....LOL
Next you are going to tell us KSN has a production staff instead of the Ignite system becaue "No station in the metro" is doing news without a staff.
Keep your mouth shut in the future until you know what you are talking about.
KSN fired most, not all but most, of their production staff when they installed Ignite. That's a fact. It's also caused a lot of problems which are quite visible on air.
Anon 10:04 I am not sure exactly what your point was with that comment.....the remark I made about KSN was sarcastic not an invitation to start a debate about the ignite. I was simply illustrating my pont that the first commenter has NO clue as to what is truly going on inside Wichita TV.
Yes, Hatteberg was a photographer -- and a damned good one -- long before he was an anchor. Here in the San Francisco market, KRON-TV has been using VJ's exclusively for a year or two now. Young Broadcasting paid way too much for KRON in a bidding war with NBC in 1999. NBC instead bought channel 11, licensed to San Jose, and revoked KRON's affiliation. KRON VJ's even do their own live shots and, yes, it's often painfully obvious. There was this one chick doing a live shot from a beach in Marin County and the viewer could actually see her reaching to pan the camera from side to side. Young has been trying to find a buyer for KRON, but has been unable to find any takers. Times are tough. Hell, yeah, there will be more VJ's in Wichita and everywhere else. I also foresee newspapers and radio stations getting into the act as the Web becomes more important.
I normally don't respond to blogs where everyone is anonymous because I think that doesn't help facilitate intelligent discussion. However since my name was brought up -- I can help set the record straight.
I shoot all my own video. I own all my own equipment. I edit at home on an AVID Media Composer. I shoot a Canon HD-1 high-def camera in the 16X9 mode and reformat for 4X3 for local air.
I have been a fan of one-man bands for years -- but....they have to be intelligently used by management.
Chris Frank, as mentioned in this blog, is a wonderful example of a photojournalist who is a true master of the one-man band. He's good at it and he's been doing it for years.
Good one-man bands enjoy what they do. But the issue is this -- If someone doesn't want to both report and shoot -- they won't be good at it and some just don't have the talent to do it.
Also good management knows when to use them and when to insert a reporter-photographer team. Some stories require the 'team' concept, others can be done quite well with a one-man (or woman) band.
There is no question that it is the future, the question is: Are their enough people in the business who have the capabilities to do the job?
If you think that is a problem in TV news - imagine being a still photographer at a newspaper. Now, most of them have to be trained as video photographers too. Our business isn't unique in this regard. Change is a part of life.
When I post, folks should know who is talking...again, that's why I don't post anonymously.
If anybody has any questions, give me a call.
Larry Hatteberg
KAKE TV
Larry,
Thanks for taking the time commenting and sharing with readers how you do things and the type of equipment you use. I enjoy watching your segments. -Hal.
And finally someone has the guts to post under their true indentity. No surprise that it is Larry Hatteberg... he is all class unlike the rest of the cowards on this blog.
Thank you, Larry. We need more broadcasters like you.
I think KSN had a great piece on Greensburg last night. I write, "I think" because I couldn't hear the whole thing because the background noise was way too loud at times. Is this another example of technical glitch messing things up when they are trying to do something well? I think the people over there really try hard but they constantly are punished when cost saving measures (Ignite) get in the way of their product.
I'm glad to see that Larry posted to clear things up. Contrary to anonymous #1's statements, Mr. Hatteberg is known nationwide for his work (Wichita is just lucky enough to have him).
Case in point, one of the Marines I work with in Washington DC was surprised to hear I was from Kansas. Over the course of our conversation he told me how Mr. Hatteberg had taught a class during his military broadcasting school and what a cool experience it was.
As far as the VJ movement goes it's not a question of if, but a question of when. As the bottom line for stations continues to shrink GM's are going to continue to look at ways to cut costs; that includes combining jobs.
Why hire another person when you can hand a former employees work onto someone else (without giving them a pay raise)?
Back when I worked at KSCW (after the KWCH 12 acquisition) I started being sent out on Catchitkansas.com shoots, even though my official title was "Writer/Producer". This was on top of my normal work load. I realize that occasionally people have to pitch in and do a job that's not necessarily in their job description, but as someone who has very little sports knowledge, sending me to shoot a sports game was probably not the wisest decision. While my job description did include the shooting of commercials, these shoots were generally planned shot-by-shot in advance; hence the high quality end product. While my sports footage came out ok (I'd had run and gun shooting experience), it's quality level would have been greatly improved had they hired an intern, with sports knowledge, who wanted to be a sports photographer. In my opinion it would have worked out better for everyone involved, I could have done my real job, the intern would have honed his skills and acquired a portfolio tape, and the catchitkansas site would have received better footage.
I mention all of this to demonstrate that as the changeover to VJ occurs, stations may not make the best judgment when deciding to combine roles. Some reporters will make fine photographers, and some photographers may make fine reporters, but I suspect that overall there will be a high level of mediocrity. The end result of this cost-cutting experiment will be that more and more viewers will flee to the internet for their news, never to return to broadcast again.
It's time for news stations to evolve and try something new; to aim at a younger demographic. Otherwise they may go the way of the dodo.
Lee Whitman
Writer/Producer
Can somebody please explain to me how a v-j would cover a breaking news situation? As we all know, during breaking news, a reporter has to gather info, while the photog gets video. It would be very difficult to combine the two.
I am new to the Wichita news blog, but I agree with Larry Hatteberg about all of the anonymous posts. I think it is funny that after Larry posted his response, an anonymous poster congratulated him for posting under his real identity. I understand posting on a blog could be a sensitive issue and you would like to have some anonymity, but why not use your first name or a fake first name, even.
Breaking news as we know it would cease to exist.
It would be similar to back in the day when you'd find out about news a few hours later when the film, as it was back then, finally came back to the station.
VJ's mean an end to photographers or any other newsroom staff to run liveshots or use the camera.
OMB's usually shoot a dozen versions of a standup to get one that works. No imagine them trying to work a live shot by themselves, not to mention they wouldn't have time to get the information.
You are all forgeting that technology is changing so fast that within a few years you'll be able to go live basically from something the size of a current PDA. That's not necessarily a good thing but that is where things are headed. Several years ago would you believe if someone said so much video would be sent from laptop computers and the internet, without the use of a satellite truck now?
Anonymous asked if somebody could explain to them how a v-j would cover a breaking news situation?
Well I guess the answer depends upon your definition of "breaking news". I can think of very few instances where a story would be deemed worthy (by management) of sending a true team out if it came down to cost. A 9-11 type event would more than likely warrant both a cameraman and a reporter, but even a BTK-like story of a days court proceedings could be covered by a VJ. (Note I didn't say it would be covered WELL).
Severe weather might be another team situation, but then again, it might not. Do you really need two people to report on rain in West-Wichita?
The majority of news today isn't "breaking news" anyway and in many stories a live-shot is used when it isn't really necessary.
Case in point, Hilary Clinton 'winning' in PA. She was expected to win but a margin of more than 6 points. She did. It was news, yes, but certainly not 'breaking news'. Breaking news would have been if Obama had come out the winner in that state. Then a live shot would have been approprate with the 'breaking news' bug in the lower 3rd.
Similarly I saw something like this last night:
"Well Bob, I'm standing outside the courthouse where this morning District Attorney John Smith..."
This, during the 10pm newscast. The hearing was in the morning. Why do a live shot at a scene where nothing's happening?
These are the types of questions management will start to ask as purse strings get tighter.
I give it two years before VJ's start to become the norm.
Tops.
Yes your PDA will be a camera, editor, live truck and printer all rolled into one. Smaller yes. That small, no.
Also, I guess Lee was fired since he said "back when." As such, it may be good to take his comments with a grain of salt.
Encouraging news this sweeps period. KAKE had a great day-of turn on the history of a train crossing where one person was killed today. KSN has had very nice Greensburg coverage and appears to be preparing a prime time Greensburg show. And KWCH is teasing an interesting story where (I think) they take on a police department ticketing drivers for profit. (at least, the promo looks good at this point) Nice stories all around. This is a truly competitive market and I think this month it's showing.
To correct something that anonymous said below my previous post, I was NOT fired "back when". I got tired of working for what I was making and I didn't see much of a future for myself in the Wichita market. I decided it was time for a move career wise so I sent out tapes and resumes to various stations and marketing agencies. I was offered a job in Washington DC and after weighing the benefits (increased pay, better working hours, and a larger city) I accepted. I gave my two weeks notice and left on good terms with my then current employer (Sunflower Broadcasting Inc/KWCH/KSCW).
To clarify my previous post, I have no beef with my previous employer. I was simply using a real-world example of how stations compound jobs for maximum profitability; it's the nature of the business.
If you're going to make accusations you should have big enough stones to use your real name. Also, someone doesn't jump to market number nine because they were "fired".
Lee Whitman
Writer|Producer
The KWCH ticket story was a letdown.
The concept of one-man-band reporting might be relatively new for some in the industry, but as for the classroom, it’s something we all are learning to do rather quickly.
As both a college student and a full-time reporter in Topeka, I can vouch for one thing: this is where the industry is turning. And all of us preparing to graduate know it… and are prepared to showcase our skills.
Larry is right in saying one-man-bands need to be used intelligently by management. Working in Topeka, I strictly do one-man-band work. At the beginning, it certainly was tough to manage and edit in time.
Soon enough, however, I could return to the station and have the piece written – and edited – within 30 minutes.
Though there might be particularly appropriate times to use a one-man-band crew, some coverage events might be easier to manage with two. I often find it hard to write down my sots, interview and record in an effective manner, but again, after some time, I’ve got my work down to an art.
While it’s not for everyone, personally, I love one-man-band work.
It’s entirely rewarding to know that I can achieve the work of a two-man crew. What I find to be much better with the one-man-band concept is how an entire package can turn out. I write to my video better because I’m well-acquainted with my work.
With my contract coming to a close, I’ve noticed a lot larger markets, including Wichita that are looking for a person who can encompass the skills of a one-man-band crew.
As a native of the area, this job at KAKE particularly interests me because of it’s potential. After all, this is where the industry is heading.
-Annette
KAKE has done 3 stories in the past day that KWCH did last week, some multiple pieces on. Old Town Flooding, Sally D still being sold and allegations of abuse at a youth facility. Pathetic. So far sweeps is looking like this:
KWCH
KSN
and somewhere down here KAKE with their dieting tips and a 9 minute, it's all about Susan Greensburg piece.
how can one man banding be new? i was taught (very few years ago at the number one rated journalism school in the country) that that's how EVERYONE starts...that the best reporters know how to one man band. in fact i did it for two years and covered breaking news just fine. while i do think relying on them to save bucks is crap, and my job is more enjoyable with a photog, i don't understand what's "new" about it
The only thing that I dont like about Chris Franks Packages is how he always walks toward the camera so fast. It looks un natural! Larry I enjoy all of your pieces. Great Transitions!!!
Post a Comment