Texas Association of Broadcasters
10/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/01/2024 09:08
Master MMJ Techniques at TAB’s Oct. 19 Southwest Broadcast Newsroom Workshop
posted on 10.01.2024
- Early Registration Ends Monday, Oct. 7
Stations should act now to take advantage of the early registration rate for TAB's Oct. 19 Southwest Broadcast Newsroom Workshop in Dallas.
The discounted early rate will expire on Monday, Oct. 7, and regular registration kicks in on Oct. 8.
The day-long seminar takes place in the Umphrey Lee Center on the SMU Campus and is packed with 17 sessions for professional broadcast journalists, as well as students pursing a career in a Texas broadcast newsroom.
One of the workshop's tracks focuses on developing and mastering multi-media journalist skills and it's not just for television news staff. Increasingly, broadcast radio reporters are getting in on the MMJ action by producing video stories for distribution on the station website and elsewhere.
In three decades of on-air reporting, Brendan Keefe of WANF/Atlanta News First has won Murrow, Peabody, Emmy, and IRE awards for excellence. He is a nationally-recognized MMJ, working primarily alone as his own photographer, video editor, researcher and producer. He is also WANF's chief investigative reporter.
Keefe pioneered MMJ's use of multiple cameras for interviews, but didn't stop there in finding creative ways to make stories visually compelling. He will present two specific MMJ skills sessions, a visual storytelling session, and a newsgathering tech tools session at the Oct. 19 workshop.
In MMJ Basics, Keefe will impart the need-to-know basics of being an MMJ in today's world of newsgathering. This session will cover basic lighting, compelling shot composition, capturing great audio, and putting it all together on deadline.
In the Advanced MMJ Technique and Tips session, Keefe will show MMJ's how to step up their game with advanced techniques and specific gear.
Keefe's Visual Storytelling session will demonstrate how to capture and use great visuals, graphics and even documents to tell stories that hook and keep audiences.
In his first session of the day, Tech Tools for Investigations and General Assignments, Keefe will demonstrate great tech tools to assist in the newsgathering process as well as telling the story for broadcast, websites, and podcasts. Learn the latest cool tools that are out there for journalists.
Other Newsgathering Skills on Display at the Workshop
In addition to Keefe, two other nationally known presenters will be presenting multiple sessions at the workshop - Al Tompkins and Deborah Potter.
Longtime journalist and former Poynter faculty member Tompkins will explore AI's impact on the newsroom and newsgathering in the opening and lunch sessions at the workshop. Artificial Intelligence advancements are arriving like a tsunami and flood journalists with mind-blowing challenges to determine what is real and what is computer-created in ways that were unimaginable only a couple years ago. But it's not all doom and gloom. There is also promise as artificial intelligence can be used to benefit newsgathering such as sorting massive databases, preparing for interviews, and making sense of complex legal and legislative documents. Attendees should come ready for a wild ride into the present and future.
Former network reporter and longtime newsroom trainer Potter will cover best practices for productive interviewing, sharpening writing skills, as well as covering election night and holding the elected accountable. The latter session will feature DFW-area political reporters Jack Fink, KTVT-TV; Phil Prazan, KXAS-TV; and Jason Whitely, WFAA-TV.
Texas members of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) will present three panels focusing on Open Records request basics; utilizing government data in spreadsheets for enterprise reporting; and telling those tough, non-visual stories that are data-based. These sessions provide a fantastic opportunity for newsrooms to learn how to use the Texas Public Information Act to hold government, elected officials, and other powerful individuals accountable.
There are two legal-related workshop panels at the workshop. One will focus on covering court proceedings and the justice system. Another will center on the Texas and federal law impacting newsgathering and will feature attorneys Emily Carlton and Marc Fuller with TAB's general counsel law firm, Jackson Walker LLP.
The workshop also features three student-specific sessions on seeking careers in broadcast news.
The complete workshop schedule may be seen here.
Questions? Contact TAB's Michael Schneider or call (512) 322-9944.