Great News Stories: From a News Photographer's POV

Excerpted from an email sent to me in response to an email about basic writing skills. Budding reporters should take note. Seasoned vets, feel free to add your own tips in the comments.

"Also, great stories have a few things in common.  

Some of my favorites.

Great audio = great video ------sound always moves a story

capturing a moment  -------the football players putting the hood over the [boy with Down's syndrome] at practice. 

action-reaction      ------a great fire is nice but Joe Blow saying "holy facck look at the smoke."

your story begins in the Explorer  ------i've never shot a good story without talking about a plan first...usually in the car on the way there.

sick kids, puppies and the homeless  -------people love this shit.

wearing underwear  ----i've never shot a great story without wearing AT LEAST 2 pair at the same time."

I think he was kidding about the underwear, but I can't be sure.



Gary Vosot

This is an all too-close-to-home send up of what our reporter resume tapes have looked like at one time or another. The scary thing is, if you're not really paying attention, he sounds totally legit.

In our collective quest for "active" live shots and "reporter involvement" in our stand ups, we admittedly go too far. Because if we don't, "it could kill you."

So hilare.

Young reporters, take heed.

Things Reporters See

1. Photog buttcracks. Never on purpose.

2. How people really act. 

3. Real life hoarders.

4. The ugly side of government workers.

5. The good side of government workers.

6. Lots of road rage. Inside and outside our vans. We spend inordinate amounts of time on the road. 

7. Firsts. Like the cabin of the first JetBlue jet that had in-seat TVs way back in the day.

8. TVs on their desks at work. (Which was the whole reason Garvin Thomas got into this business--so he could watch TV while on the clock.)

9. Catfights in their newsrooms. Between men and women.

10. Attempts to slow the signs of aging.

11. How their co-workers really look without makeup and nice lighting.

12. The good in people.

13. Endless, poorly written press releases.

14. Drama. Professional and personal.

15. Through people.

16. Every personality disorder known to man. 

17. People doing just enough to keep their jobs.

18. Subjectivity and volatility.

19. Unpredictable situations.

20. Bad decision making.

21. The man behind the curtain.

22. People lying to your face without remorse.

23. Incompetence.

24. Situations that always make you think about life and how you live yours.

Emmy Awards Photos

A few fun snapshots from the night. I can't believe I don't have a candid with Jeremy Carroll, my teammate for this award. We do have our official photos though--the ones they take after you exit the stage and walk all giddy to the black backdrop with all the gold Emmys printed on it.

The Good Doctor is thinking, "Finally. She can stop being a nutjob about this."

Thuy Vu, Eye on the Bay host and multiple award winning super journalist and a role model and mentor to me from my early days at KTVU.

Garvin Thomas, my teammate at KNTV, perspective keeper, a great inspiration and kvetching partner.

Pam and Vera--the lovely ladies who work magic and promote our stories and our station.

And Rob Mayeda. Unflappable. When I first began filling in for Kris Sanchez on weekend mornings here and there, I had many a trifle and tumble and awkward transition into weather. You could toss to Rob with, "And it looks like my hair's on fire, Rob" and he would segue out of it into some clever weather-speak that would tie right into the maps and the 7 day forecast. He is smooth like butter. 

"Emmy Award Winning"

As Uncle Mike said, "Just like the president they can never take the title from you." George W. and I are very relieved about that.

Good things about winning an Emmy:

1. See above. The Good Doctor has been instructed to refer to me as his "Emmy award winning wife" and I now refer to myself in the 3rd person, "The Emmy award winner is thirsty. The Emmy Award winner wants some Ben & Jerry's." 

2. It's really shiny and pointy and has a nice hefty feel to it.

3. You see who is really happy for you.

4. You get wear a pretty dress and a feather in your hair.

5. You get to scream and shout and clap and burst with pride for your friends when they win.

6. Mike Sugerman, someone I've admired and listened to on KCBS and watched on CBS5, comes up to you after he co-wins the category for best reporter and says, "Man, I just wanted you to know, I watched the entries in our category and if I was judging--I would've voted for you. Really." Almost as good as having my name on the best reporter Emmy. But very, very kind and a compliment well taken.

7. You get awesome texts from your family and friends who are watching the webcast. Especially my "punctuation free spirit" dad.

After I bumbled through my speech:

Dad: "No need to thank husband or .... ? :-)))"

After I lost the last 3 categories I was up for (Specialty Assignment Report, Reporter, Writer-News):

Me: "We lost." Mom: "Next year babe. Looked,that guy has 40 yrs in the business." 

Less fun things about winning an Emmy:

1. The ceremony is loooooong. And not as interesting as you might think.

2. It is -- shockingly-- a teeny tiny little bit anticlimactic. This was THE single most astonishing thing to me once we got in the car. I was holding the Emmy, and thinking, "DUDE, this is what I've been fiending for like a maniac and obsessing about and wanting to win so badly?"

Don't get me wrong, I am SUPER HAPPY to finally be an Emmy winner. But it surprised me how quickly it put things in perspective--awards are fantastic, but your health, your family, your life, all the things you can't "win" are so important in the big picture and even if you don't win an award, having all those other things and making sure your priorities are straight is a W in its own way. That said, the night is WAAAAAY better when you leave with a shiny golden ladyfriend. (That's what he said.)

3. You give a terrible speech because you're flustered and unprepared and a rambler when you're nervous. And you forget to thank THE most important people--the Kim family and adorable Sophie, for being such incredible people to welcome us and share their story and for trusting us to tell it. 

4. Raj Mathai teases you endlessly and asks you if you will "still talk to the little people." Last time I checked, he was a MULTIPLE Emmy award winner. 

5. Sometimes really average, run of the mill stories win. I don't mean in my categories. Losing to Wayne Freedman (who now has 51 Emmys, that's five-one as in FIFTY-ONE) and Mike Sugerman (who has 40 years in the biz) and Anna Werner (one of the top investigative reporters in the industry) is as close to not winning-winning as I can get.

But some of the stories that win do not fall in Garvin Thomas' "You have to have really good stuff to win, but really good stuff doesn't always win" philosophy. And that part is what dilutes the Emmys and adds in that element of total randomness that comes from this process. By and large, Emmy winning stories are worth watching and they do represent the best stories of the year.

But a few slip in there that make you say, "That won?!?" And people who you think are just spectacular, and who've won best reporter in the past, can submit 5 things and not even get nominated. The beauty of subjectivity.

6. In two of your categories, there were four nominees and two winners (Writer-News and Reporter) and you were in the losing half. #ouch But still not as bad as a very talented anchor I used to work with. He boycotted the Emmys altogether after he was up for Anchor and there were 3 winners out of 4 nominees. They called every name but his. #thatreallyhurts

Now comes the fun part. Where do I put it? Suggestions? 

It's currently on our buffet, between a lily White Grandma gave me for Mother's Day, and the shrimp and snail biosphere I got The Good Doctor for his birthday. 

Here is our story in the "Feature News Report--Serious" category: "Saving Sophie"

The other story that also won in this category is here. (Emmys are supposed to be judged against the Emmy standard, not against each other, so some categories can have multiple winners.)