PLANNING FOR GROWTH IN YEARS OF RESTRICTED RESOURCES

Again, news directors generally stressed good story-telling skills and simplicity;anything extraneous that tended to detract from this was frowned upon. Dan Acklen ofKPDX-TV in Beaverton, Oregon writes, “Keep it simple.” Also encouraging simplicity,Mona Alexander, News Director at WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, Ohio, explains whyapplicants should not “put famous people on your tape to try to impress me.” Shewrites:Don’t put huge/national stories on it to try to impress me. I am notimpressed by that. I am impressed by you doing a great job on routinestories. Anyone can go out and cover a presidential candidate, a hugespot news story. Not every one can take a routine story and make itrelevant to viewers. Also, don’t try to impress me with your greatproduction skills, I will know that you may have had weeks to work onthe story, when for my reporters, you get a day. I want to know howyou cover general assignment news; I don’t need to see music videos.Also, things students may think are cool, like drug raids and ridingaround with the cops, are overdone in markets and old news. Take asimple, everyday story and make that good. Hint: Put those thoughtsin your cover letter.Once an applicant understands what news directors seek and reject in a résumé tape,it becomes necessary to understand how to capture and demonstrate on tape only thedesired qualities. This is where a well-thought organization of the tape comes into play.Résumé Tape OrganizationThe responses by news directors regarding tape organization did slightly vary.Personal tastes and the needs of the news stations appeared to be reflected. Whenreviewing the comments, however, it was possibly to find consistencies even in thisarea. What several news directors suggested was a structure that entailed beginningwith a montage of the reporter, followed by a few of the reporter’s choice stories. PhilHendrix, Assistant News Director at WJRT-TV in Flint, Michigan, explains:There is no one way to put a tape together. Typically reporters willput a montage of stand-ups at the front of the tape. This gives theNews Director an idea of what you look like and sound like. Then youcan add four or five of your best stories. Now, keep in mind, the personlooking at your tape may watch anywhere from 30 seconds to all fivestories. Again, you need to put the best stories first. You will want totailor your tape to fit the job you are trying to get.Jim Garrott of WEEK-TV of East Peoria, Illinois concurs with Hendrix. He wantsrésumé tapes that begin with a “quick montage and then get to the best written storyno matter if it is a feature or a hard news story.”Dave Busiek of KCCI-TV at Des Moines, Iowa and president of RTNDA wants a“brief slate (some run on too long), [a] montage of from 3 to 8, stand-ups that showmovement, creativity” and then a “”isual packages that hooks” him in some way. Hegoes on to write, “I want to see some personality, writing, and reporter involvement inthe story. Don’t necessarily lead with the hardest story. A murder trial showing a perp[sic] in an orange jumpsuit looks the same all over. I want to see something unusualsomething different that stands out.” Also, asking for a montage first, MonaAlexander, News Director at WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, Ohio writes:BEA—Educating tomorrow’s electronic media professionals 36