Prepare for success at the deadline

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”-John Wooden

This week was a little different than previous weeks as it was the grand opening of the Wallis Annenberg Hall, the new 88,000 square foot building for USC’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. I knew that producing on Wednesday would be a tough task, but I was willing and up for the challenge.

The key to to the day was preparation. My team and I knew that coming in with story ideas that had tangible elements that could captivate the audience and really tell a story would ultimately be pivotal in producing a solid newscast. My fellow producers and I did our homework and figured out the elements that could tell our viewers the best story from the events of the day. The entire A-block was made up of stories about the grand opening of the state of the art building and we were able to keep our viewers interested because we mixed up the types of stories we were telling. We also played around with how we told the stories as we had two live shots from the media center. We varied the coverage by implementing straight copy stories, sound on tape interviews, and full packages. Coverage of the main event as well as a perspective and overview of what the new building means to current students and alumni were presented in a detailed manner through the various elements of the newscast.

I cannot stress how important it is to come into the morning meeting with detailed and thoughtful story ideas and package ideas. If I know exactly what I want to cover that day, I have a better chance of accomplishing my goals. While stories can change throughout the day, based on what multimedia journalists are able to obtain out in the field, my having a clear picture and vision for the newscast can help to keep elements organized and carry out a solid plan. It is important to keep this plan in mind when formatting the show.

At the end of the day, I was proud of my first newscast as the Lead Producer. I kept the energy high, managed the rundown relatively well, and coached my anchors throughout the production. Afterwards, my anchors shared with the entire team how they felt more comfortable and at ease on air when I was talking to them during packages and breaks.