Tuesday, July 31, 2007

BAD NEWS ABOUT NEWS

For FUN today I checked out a popular newsletter for TV folks and learned:
  • Robin Roberts has breast cancer
  • An TV producer depressed after being let go for drug abuse fell off a building and died
  • A Pittsburg anchor who'd been depressed is off the air
  • Tom Snyder died
  • Four chopper pilots and photographers died in a crashed covering a chase
  • A few more news people died and retired

and the GOOD news:

  • Another chopper came down but all 3 survived

Fun? Not. A coworker said: "People used to complain that the news was depressing. Now the news ABOUT the news is depressing."

I've got to wonder if we've fallen in a rut and don't know HOW to report good news --

or is the business really that bad?

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

CHANGE

Most people who watch TV news have little idea of what goes on behind the scenes -- not just getting stories on the air -- but the environments in which we work.

News changes constantly and so can our surroundings. I remember reading the average tenure for a news director is two years. When news managers come and go, they often take our co-workers with them. And digital TV is forcing all sorts of personnel changes.

It's challenging to do great work on deadline when you're concerned about the livelihoods of yourself and your co-workers. In a way, that's a good thing. It reminds me I'm not just a news machine, but a real, caring human being.

Facing change can be scary -- or exciting, depending on how you look at it. Some of my best opportunities in life have come after what I initally thought was a disaster. Of course, that lesson is best understood after the storm -- not when you're in the middle of it.

Today we're reporting on wounded soldiers having trouble getting benefits. These are men and women who lost limbs, can’t sleep, have terrible headaches and live with horrible nightmares that are REAL – yet they can’t get a doctor’s care or money to support their families when they can’t work.

Talk about being in the middle of the storm!

Perspective helps us put a fresh look on everything, doesn’t it?

Friday, July 20, 2007

HIATUS OVER!!!

If anyone's still out there... WE'RE BACK!

After taking several months off to re-assess, I decided I missed this blog! So many of you asked "What happened?" that I realized we must have made an impact. Or at least made you laugh. Or think.

I'm hoping to recruit other News Moms to contribute from time to time. In the meantime, look forward to some interesting tidbits, news-you-can-use, and personal reflections.

It's good to be home!

T