Now THAT will be stuck in your head all morning! You're welcome.
So, last night I just felt like my world was coming to a crashing halt. And yes, I am being over-dramatic because that's how I felt last night -- over-dramatic. I was so frustrated because I was trying to figure out a technology-related problem and I just wasn't getting anywhere. So I felt like I'd wasted my entire evening working on this project. Then I went to work and didn't feel like doing anything productive. Then I started thinking about all of these things I needed to do by the end of the week, and I got so stressed out that I started to cry. Well, that was unnecessary, so I turned on some lady danville tunes and watched a couple funny videos and started to feel better about life.
And then it became breaking news city in that newsroom.
A car crashed out on one of the state roads, very unfortunately killing the driver, who was only 21. And it was like, my whole pity party was put into perspective and I just thought, "Sheez, Lisa, get a grip. What are you feeling sorry for yourself for?" And then I sort of got a jump-start to my work and started cranking out a script, making calls to update information, and cutting video. Then police released info about a shooting incident that happened last night (no one was seriously hurt, thankfully) and it was off to the races.
We had a fantastic show this morning, and I don't mean that to sound insensitive to the fact that someone died this morning. I hate when stuff like that happens. But when it does, it becomes my job to find out as much about it as I can as fast as I can, and this morning I think I did that. So I felt good about doing my job well.
And then the engineer pointed out the review in the paper of the play I'm currently in. If you remember from previous posts, these reviews make me really nervous, especially for this show, since there wasn't a large cast or leading actresses to take the focus of the article. I was the leading actress in this case. And according to the review, I did fine! Phew! So that made me feel great!
And then I came home and solved my little technology problem, and I think I can just go to bed as content as can be today!
Here's hoping I feel this good when I wake up tonight ;)
Showing posts with label journalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journalism. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Thursday, September 4, 2008
rants of a small-time news producer, part 2
(The Happy Ending)
So yesterday I was REALLY upset (see the previous post). And after 24 hours, I was still upset, but I had calmed down a little and I prayed about it and I wasn't sure what to do; should I confront the people who had upset me, or just suck it up because this is just part of being in this business? Was I being too sensitive, or did I have a valid reason to call them out on their behavior?
After the show this morning, I was talking to one of my anchors, and finally expressed my frusteration about feeling like I had to stick up for myself all the time back in the control room. He had heard some of the comments from the production guys yesterday and thought it was really wrong of them to say I was being biased about what I put in the show, because even joking about that is a big no-no in this business. I found out that he had stuck up for me out on the floor, which made me feel a lot better, and after having a good conversation with him, I felt much better about the whole situation--it was just good to know that someone else got where I was coming from and thought my feelings were justified. So he told me that I should talk to them and tell them that it upset me and everything.
Yikes.
OK, I am good at arguing for the sake of argument, but I am REALLY bad at confronting people about stuff like this. But I took a big gulp and went back to the production office to talk to the guys.
And, like a big dork, I immediately burst into tears the moment I started explaining why I was upset. I hate that I'm a crier, because it makes people feel really bad and really uncomfortable, and confrontation is uncomfortable enough without me being in tears. But I trucked on through and explained that I was really upset by their comments and that I considered them friends, which is why I cared so much about getting mutual respect from them. And they said they didn't realize it upset me that much and that they don't really think I'm biased about my job and that I'm the best producer they've ever had and that they were jerks and were just shooting their mouths off and that I shouldn't take them seriously, but that they would try harder to be more considerate of how their comments affected me. They gave me hugs and we were friends again, and hopefully they're not going to feel weird around me tomorrow!
So needless to say, I feel a lot better about things, and I want to thank Kelsey for the prayers because I think talking to my anchor was a little nudge from God to not chicken out of sticking up for myself.
And tomorrow is Friday! And a payday! And my internet is working again!
Lots of reasons to be happy. The end. :)
So yesterday I was REALLY upset (see the previous post). And after 24 hours, I was still upset, but I had calmed down a little and I prayed about it and I wasn't sure what to do; should I confront the people who had upset me, or just suck it up because this is just part of being in this business? Was I being too sensitive, or did I have a valid reason to call them out on their behavior?
After the show this morning, I was talking to one of my anchors, and finally expressed my frusteration about feeling like I had to stick up for myself all the time back in the control room. He had heard some of the comments from the production guys yesterday and thought it was really wrong of them to say I was being biased about what I put in the show, because even joking about that is a big no-no in this business. I found out that he had stuck up for me out on the floor, which made me feel a lot better, and after having a good conversation with him, I felt much better about the whole situation--it was just good to know that someone else got where I was coming from and thought my feelings were justified. So he told me that I should talk to them and tell them that it upset me and everything.
Yikes.
OK, I am good at arguing for the sake of argument, but I am REALLY bad at confronting people about stuff like this. But I took a big gulp and went back to the production office to talk to the guys.
And, like a big dork, I immediately burst into tears the moment I started explaining why I was upset. I hate that I'm a crier, because it makes people feel really bad and really uncomfortable, and confrontation is uncomfortable enough without me being in tears. But I trucked on through and explained that I was really upset by their comments and that I considered them friends, which is why I cared so much about getting mutual respect from them. And they said they didn't realize it upset me that much and that they don't really think I'm biased about my job and that I'm the best producer they've ever had and that they were jerks and were just shooting their mouths off and that I shouldn't take them seriously, but that they would try harder to be more considerate of how their comments affected me. They gave me hugs and we were friends again, and hopefully they're not going to feel weird around me tomorrow!
So needless to say, I feel a lot better about things, and I want to thank Kelsey for the prayers because I think talking to my anchor was a little nudge from God to not chicken out of sticking up for myself.
And tomorrow is Friday! And a payday! And my internet is working again!
Lots of reasons to be happy. The end. :)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
rants of a small-time news producer
(Warning - I'm pretty upset.)
OK.
I hate when people spout their opinions with blatent disregard for anyone around them who may not agree with what they say.
Working at a TV station, especially during an election year, it could go without saying that politics naturally becomes a topic of conversation during the newscast. And my show's production crew happens to have quite a few people who are passionate and opinionated about what they believe politically. Most of them share similar beliefs. I tend to hold the opposite viewpoint of the majority in the control room, and this has been increasingly difficult for me to deal with. Here's why: I am also passionate and opinionated about what I believe, and I also like to argue for the sake of argument. But I am also responsible for choosing the content of the newscast. So what happens is, I voice my opinion in response to the numerous opinions so eagerly shared around me, because it feels wrong to just sit there and have to listen to someone else's remarks without getting to add your own. But then those people call me out for putting content in the news that supports or is related to my personal beliefs, even though 9 times out of 10 I add stories that have nothing to do with my point of view, my political alignment, or my own personal beliefs. Most of the time, my preferences are not at all represented in the news. But when they are, I get a hard time for it. I get called "bias." And that's something that I take to heart, because I am very passionate about balanced and fair news reporting and I take very seriously my responsibility to balance my shows.
Here's the hardest part--the person who gets me the most upset, who makes the most arbitrarlity judgemental comments, who says things that offend me, who doesn't want to hear or respect MY opinions and beliefs even though I have to listen to all of HIS, is also the person that at one time I felt like was my closest friend there. And in the past few months, I feel more and more like he isn't really my friend, because he doesn't respect the fact that I have different beliefs and that I am entitled to those beliefs. He speaks condescendingly and gives off the attitude that no intelligent person would dare disagree with him.
I have NO problem with people having and sharing opposing opinions. But I don't think you should EVER make someone feel stupid for having an opinion or a belief that is different than yours. Isn't that what it's all supposed to be about here? And especially if someone is your friend, shouldn't you be all the more willing to respect--even if you don't accept--that person's point of view?
What really stinks is that I could argue all day with this guy and it wouldn't matter because he is the kind of person who finishes an argument with "you're stupid." Which makes me realize that all the intelligent arguments in the world wouldn't make a difference because they still wouldn't make him RESPECT (again, not "agree with" or "accept," just "respect") my beliefs. And so I often just give up debating altogether because I know it's pointless and it's going to get me nowhere.
If I didn't value this person as a friend, I wouldn't care this much. But the fact that I consider him a friend is what makes this bother me a lot! I have been thinking for months now about talking to him about it, but I'm just afraid he would think I'm being really lame and then make fun of me for it, or get mad and defensive and then get everyone else to gang up against me and act all weird around me. But I guess if he does either of those things, he really ISN'T my friend after all, and then the problem will be solved anyway because then I won't have to care about what he says. It'll just make my job suck a little bit. Because one of the things I liked best was working with people I love.
Anyway, this has really been stressing me out for a long time now, but it all kind of collapsed in on me mentally and emotionally this morning. It just gets to me after awhile, because not only do I feel like I have to single-handedly defend my personal beliefs, but I also feel like I have to defend the content that I put in the show, as well as stand up for the news reporters when the production people rip them apart for "stupid" news and "stupid" video and "stupid" writing. Because it's easy to bash someone else's work when they aren't there to defend it themselves, and when you're not the one who has to go out and cover all kinds of tedious meetings and fundraisers and then put everything together in an understaffed department. It just sucks to have to be the only one sticking up for myself or for others...ALL the time. Every day. It's wearing me out.
A lot of times, people just don't know what they're talking about in general. Now I've moved on to our viewership. People call in asking why we only covered a story in the morning but not at noon or in the evening. Well, if they'd been watching any time during the ENTIRE DAY BEFORE, they'd realize we ran that story in every newscast--why do you think it was on this morning?!! Another guy calls in to say that police around here are racist because a white guy leaves his kid in the car while he's in the store and nothing happens, while a hispanic woman leaves her kid in a Walmart and there's a search warrant out for her. Well, if this guy watches the news more than once a month, he'd know that the woman has been ALL OVER the news because she ABANDONED her son...as in, never hoping to see him again!!! And then we have the folks on the opposite end of the spectrum who call in to tell me that they think there should be a law that bans the speech of foreign languages in public places, because "how do we know they're not saying something bad about us?" I don't know, maybe you should LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND EDUCATE YOURSELF!!! People call us to ask if they're going to get cancer from living by a wind farm. People call and tell me about how they saw Bigfoot while they were hunting. People call at 2 in the morning to ask me why a Mexican immigrant gets hired for a job while they are home unemployed. MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET SOME SLEEP AND LOOK FOR A JOB IN THE MORNING INSTEAD OF STAYING UP ALL NIGHT COMPLAINING TO ME!!!
Apparently, I'm not allowed to have an opinion. I just have to listen to everyone else's, no matter how misinformed I think THEY are, and give everyone the equal opportunity to express themselves while they display a total lack of sensitivity for the fact that maybe someone else disagrees with them. But no, apparently to some people, their opinions are as good as fact, and I'm just supposed to accept that. And if I don't, then I'm stupid, or bias, or unpatriotic, or racist, or out of my mind.
I devoted most of my college academic career to studying various topics of media and political science. I guess that's why I'm the producer and can make intelligent, fair decisions about how to put together a show. I devoted my heart to Jesus, who blesses me every day. I guess that's the only reason I have any patience to deal with the stuff I get thrown at me at work every day. One of the things God wired into my personality is a huge capacity for acceptance. Accepting people and ideas that are different than me. It just frusterates me that it's so hard for other people to be accepting sometimes.
God, help me to accept the struggles that face me, too! And please give me the patience to do it! Amen!
It feels a lot better just getting all of this out. I'm sorry to anyone who actually read all the way through it; I'm sure it took a long time. But thanks for listening, if you did read any of this!
Whew. I feel better.
OK.
I hate when people spout their opinions with blatent disregard for anyone around them who may not agree with what they say.
Working at a TV station, especially during an election year, it could go without saying that politics naturally becomes a topic of conversation during the newscast. And my show's production crew happens to have quite a few people who are passionate and opinionated about what they believe politically. Most of them share similar beliefs. I tend to hold the opposite viewpoint of the majority in the control room, and this has been increasingly difficult for me to deal with. Here's why: I am also passionate and opinionated about what I believe, and I also like to argue for the sake of argument. But I am also responsible for choosing the content of the newscast. So what happens is, I voice my opinion in response to the numerous opinions so eagerly shared around me, because it feels wrong to just sit there and have to listen to someone else's remarks without getting to add your own. But then those people call me out for putting content in the news that supports or is related to my personal beliefs, even though 9 times out of 10 I add stories that have nothing to do with my point of view, my political alignment, or my own personal beliefs. Most of the time, my preferences are not at all represented in the news. But when they are, I get a hard time for it. I get called "bias." And that's something that I take to heart, because I am very passionate about balanced and fair news reporting and I take very seriously my responsibility to balance my shows.
Here's the hardest part--the person who gets me the most upset, who makes the most arbitrarlity judgemental comments, who says things that offend me, who doesn't want to hear or respect MY opinions and beliefs even though I have to listen to all of HIS, is also the person that at one time I felt like was my closest friend there. And in the past few months, I feel more and more like he isn't really my friend, because he doesn't respect the fact that I have different beliefs and that I am entitled to those beliefs. He speaks condescendingly and gives off the attitude that no intelligent person would dare disagree with him.
I have NO problem with people having and sharing opposing opinions. But I don't think you should EVER make someone feel stupid for having an opinion or a belief that is different than yours. Isn't that what it's all supposed to be about here? And especially if someone is your friend, shouldn't you be all the more willing to respect--even if you don't accept--that person's point of view?
What really stinks is that I could argue all day with this guy and it wouldn't matter because he is the kind of person who finishes an argument with "you're stupid." Which makes me realize that all the intelligent arguments in the world wouldn't make a difference because they still wouldn't make him RESPECT (again, not "agree with" or "accept," just "respect") my beliefs. And so I often just give up debating altogether because I know it's pointless and it's going to get me nowhere.
If I didn't value this person as a friend, I wouldn't care this much. But the fact that I consider him a friend is what makes this bother me a lot! I have been thinking for months now about talking to him about it, but I'm just afraid he would think I'm being really lame and then make fun of me for it, or get mad and defensive and then get everyone else to gang up against me and act all weird around me. But I guess if he does either of those things, he really ISN'T my friend after all, and then the problem will be solved anyway because then I won't have to care about what he says. It'll just make my job suck a little bit. Because one of the things I liked best was working with people I love.
Anyway, this has really been stressing me out for a long time now, but it all kind of collapsed in on me mentally and emotionally this morning. It just gets to me after awhile, because not only do I feel like I have to single-handedly defend my personal beliefs, but I also feel like I have to defend the content that I put in the show, as well as stand up for the news reporters when the production people rip them apart for "stupid" news and "stupid" video and "stupid" writing. Because it's easy to bash someone else's work when they aren't there to defend it themselves, and when you're not the one who has to go out and cover all kinds of tedious meetings and fundraisers and then put everything together in an understaffed department. It just sucks to have to be the only one sticking up for myself or for others...ALL the time. Every day. It's wearing me out.
A lot of times, people just don't know what they're talking about in general. Now I've moved on to our viewership. People call in asking why we only covered a story in the morning but not at noon or in the evening. Well, if they'd been watching any time during the ENTIRE DAY BEFORE, they'd realize we ran that story in every newscast--why do you think it was on this morning?!! Another guy calls in to say that police around here are racist because a white guy leaves his kid in the car while he's in the store and nothing happens, while a hispanic woman leaves her kid in a Walmart and there's a search warrant out for her. Well, if this guy watches the news more than once a month, he'd know that the woman has been ALL OVER the news because she ABANDONED her son...as in, never hoping to see him again!!! And then we have the folks on the opposite end of the spectrum who call in to tell me that they think there should be a law that bans the speech of foreign languages in public places, because "how do we know they're not saying something bad about us?" I don't know, maybe you should LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND EDUCATE YOURSELF!!! People call us to ask if they're going to get cancer from living by a wind farm. People call and tell me about how they saw Bigfoot while they were hunting. People call at 2 in the morning to ask me why a Mexican immigrant gets hired for a job while they are home unemployed. MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET SOME SLEEP AND LOOK FOR A JOB IN THE MORNING INSTEAD OF STAYING UP ALL NIGHT COMPLAINING TO ME!!!
Apparently, I'm not allowed to have an opinion. I just have to listen to everyone else's, no matter how misinformed I think THEY are, and give everyone the equal opportunity to express themselves while they display a total lack of sensitivity for the fact that maybe someone else disagrees with them. But no, apparently to some people, their opinions are as good as fact, and I'm just supposed to accept that. And if I don't, then I'm stupid, or bias, or unpatriotic, or racist, or out of my mind.
I devoted most of my college academic career to studying various topics of media and political science. I guess that's why I'm the producer and can make intelligent, fair decisions about how to put together a show. I devoted my heart to Jesus, who blesses me every day. I guess that's the only reason I have any patience to deal with the stuff I get thrown at me at work every day. One of the things God wired into my personality is a huge capacity for acceptance. Accepting people and ideas that are different than me. It just frusterates me that it's so hard for other people to be accepting sometimes.
God, help me to accept the struggles that face me, too! And please give me the patience to do it! Amen!
It feels a lot better just getting all of this out. I'm sorry to anyone who actually read all the way through it; I'm sure it took a long time. But thanks for listening, if you did read any of this!
Whew. I feel better.
Friday, June 20, 2008
why i hate the paparazzi
What would you do in a situation like this?
Check out the looks on their faces.
Can you imagine going to a McDonald's drive-thru and having people taking pictures of you, standing in the way of your car, and yelling while you were trying to order food?
How do you not flip out and start running people over?
Here's another video that I think is VERY interesting.
Notice how defensive this woman is right from the get-go. I hate how these people try to justify what they are doing as if they're just doing "journalism" and not doing anything wrong.
I don't care if they call it "citizen journalism." This is NOT journalism. This is sensationalist crap. Unfortunately, the "real" news media is moving further and further into this sensationalist territory. So help me GOD, I will do everything in my power during my career to not follow that trend.
Check out the looks on their faces.
Can you imagine going to a McDonald's drive-thru and having people taking pictures of you, standing in the way of your car, and yelling while you were trying to order food?
How do you not flip out and start running people over?
Here's another video that I think is VERY interesting.
Notice how defensive this woman is right from the get-go. I hate how these people try to justify what they are doing as if they're just doing "journalism" and not doing anything wrong.
I don't care if they call it "citizen journalism." This is NOT journalism. This is sensationalist crap. Unfortunately, the "real" news media is moving further and further into this sensationalist territory. So help me GOD, I will do everything in my power during my career to not follow that trend.
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