Making of a Newscast: From an idea to a story
Joe Raineri pitches a story idea to the KVAL news staff. By KVAL Web StaffEUGENE, Ore. - Long before most KVAL news crews arrive at work, assignment editor Dawn Marie Woodward hunts and gathers information. "We have a small stack of mail this morning," she says. She culls through newspapers, news releases and hundreds of e-mails.
"A lot of them I know," she says. "A lot of them are junk and spam." The phone rings and the police scanner blares with potential news tips. Woodward shares the information with the producers and news director in preparation for the morning news meeting. Reporters, anchors and photographers share more ideas.
News director Jenny Kuglin wrangles the concepts into concrete ideas. News manager's look not just for news but perspective. The goal: to be fair and accurate. "We talk about that before the reporter ever walks out the door," Kuglin says. "How are we going to be sure we get the right interviews? Who should we talk to?"
By mid-morning, reporters hit the phones and head out the door to research stories. Producers John Tierney and Bob Wernick check The Associated Press, CBS and CNN for other stories of interest to people in Eugene. The producers all check in with KVAL's sister stations in Roseburg, Coos Bay, Portland and Seattle. "We have people with a wide age disparity, wide interests, different," Wernick says. "It's always good to get a different perspective on it as the day goes on." As the newscasts take shape, facts change. News breaks. Reporters can't make contact with sources.
"Stories often end up going in a different direction but it's better because it's what's really happening so we have to be really flexible," Wernick says. Stories that make the cut are read and re-read, scrutinized by producers, the news director and anchors for accuracy. "Our job is to see the big picture," Tierney says. When those ideas finally turn into stories and hit the air, the journalists remember why they love their jobs. "Nothing's better than knowing we made a difference, we got it right, we may have changed someone's life or we uncovered something," Kuglin says. "That's the reason that I do this." |
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