Communication Breakdown
Communication Breakdown. It's a great song by Led Zepplin. It's also what plagued my high school soccer team. (Yes, I'm still bitter...)
In television news production, communication is king. As a producer, you can have a fantastic vision of your show, but everyone has to be on the same page in order to make that vision a reality. The director has to be there to implement the ideas from a technical standpoint. The stage manager has to be there to make sure the anchor does what the director wants. The anchor needs to listen to the entire production team to make sure that vision looks the same on air as it does in the control room.
And that doesn't even include the MJs--wonderful, terrible, interesting, annoying, talented, clueless, (insert adjective here) multimedia journalists who shape a ball of unmolded content into your artistic vision.
You'll have varying sentiments about your MJs, and that's okay. Some will save the day for you and some will make your 11.5 hour shift drag on... But never forget: you were in their shoes once too. And be realistic: It's only Week Two.
As the 1:00pm or the lead producer, you'll really feel a sense of empowerment. You're in charge! Don't let it go to your head. But don't forget it either.
If you're tasked with one of these jobs, grab the bull by the horns. Take control. Don't be a dictator--but don't be too lax or too hands-off.
I ran into trouble in the 1:00pm broadcast when I tried a laissez-faire approach to producing. Anchors will want to do things differently and directors will see things from another angle. If you don't pick a direction, who's to say where the show will go?
Have the courage to say, "I hear what you're saying... and the answer is NO."
It's easy enough to make compromises. Work with your team to make sure everyone is on the same page. Avoid breakdowns in communication. Questions may seem annoying, but I'll bet you when your 1:00pm show goes to black you'll find that more annoying. (At least that's what I hear... from a friend.)
Everyone has a role to fulfill. As a producer, it's about organization and direction. You're supposed to be making decisions, so just do your job.
