Course Descriptions
Marissa Parra
National Correspondent
NBC News, Miami, FL
FINDING HOME ON THE ROAD
Whether you’re a new journalist in a small town or you’re a network correspondent living out of your suitcase, blooming where you’re planted will help both your well-being and your storytelling flourish. We’ll talk ways of making a home away from home, developing sources on the road, and finding common ground in uncommon places.
Matt Pearl
National Correspondent
Scripps News, Atlanta, GA
FINDING THE DEEPER STORY
The story you pitch should never be exactly the same as the story you end up producing. The best pieces are built on the discoveries, both thematic and visual, that emerge along the way. In this session, you'll learn how to push past the surface of your stories, whether long-form or day-turn, and spot the moments that take them to the next level.
Casey Clark
News Director
WJZY, Charlotte, NC
DO INTERESTING SH*T: STANDING OUT THE RIGHT WAY TO LAND THE RIGHT JOB
It's the age-old question, how do I land my dream job?Unfortunately, not enough people are asking the questions that will make sure the job is actually a dream come true. This discussion will look at the current news/media landscape. What's going on inside a news director's head during the hiring process. The research you should do before ever applying. What to include on your reel and what to strategically hold back. How to get the ND's attention without being annoying. And once they've engaged with you... how to close the deal!
Anne Herbst
Director of Visual Journalism
KUSA, Denver, CO
THE RADDEST JOB
May 2024 will mark my 20th year as a professional journalist, and I still feel lucky nearly every single day to be helping my community through telling stories. In this session, I’ll give you concrete ways to keep the stoke high and your stories as sparkling as a teeny, baby journalist fresh out of j-school.
Brendan Keefe
Chief Investigator
WANF/Gray, Atlanta, GA
VISUAL STORYTELLING
Brendan Keefe is an MMJ by choice. He pioneered the use of multiple cameras for interviews while working alone as an investigative reporter/photographer. In this course, Brendan will show you how to create visuals for creative storytelling, even on a budget. Stand-ups, graphics, documents, multi-cam interviews -- he'll show you step by step how to engage the viewer with your content.
Ben Otte
Chief photojournalist
WBFF, Baltimore, MD
CAPTURING WITH A PURPOSE
When you're thinking about your assignment, what elements are you looking for? What are you planning for? There's more than just your typical cover VO and SOTs strung together that will make your story stand out. It's time to think about your assignments differently - especially when you're capturing and editing your material together. I will show you how to make your stories sing louder by helping you anticipate and capture moments that will reflect your character's personalities in a deeper way. Building up your characters is an art, and fine audio adjustments paired with an attention to shot variety will help make viewers care even deeper. I will show you tricks that can make you more comfortable and confident the next time you explore with your lens. Not every story will be your proudest nor memorable, but getting into strong habits on the smaller assignments will make your bigger ones stand out. Plain ice cream is good, but if you don't give viewers a chance to enjoy whipped cream, sprinkles, fruits, or a cherry on top -- they could be missing out.
Lorenzo Hall
Anchor/REporter
WUSA, Washington, D.C.
I WANT TO REPORT…AND ANCHOR
I’ve always loved reporting in the field and anchoring newscasts. It’s tough to find the balance, but it’s possible. During this session, I’ll show you why being a great storyteller is critical as an anchor and how it can help build your brand.
Jason Lamb
Executive Reporter
WTVF, Nashville, TN
“I’LL NEVER FORGET HOW YOUR STORY MADE ME FEEL!”: TIPS TO MAKE YOUR STORIES MEMORABLE
Time and time again, viewers tell us they want to feel connected to their communities through journalism and storytelling that makes them feel something. So how can you break through the sea of sameness that afflicts so much of local news? Step-by-step, I'll show you several tried-and-true writing and storytelling techniques you can bring back to your newsroom to immediately boost the connection and feeling viewers will have after watching your stories so they'll remember them long after they're over.
Samie SOlina
Multiskilled Journalist
KARE, Minneapolis, MN
HOW TO THRIVE AND HIT DEADLINE
Samie Solina worked as an MMJ in Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii and Minnesota. Whether she’s on a tropical island or braving a snow storm, she has always managed to hit deadline. Samie will talk about the importance of back-timing your day and finding a focus of your story. She’ll gives tips and tricks of how to get to the heart of an assignment fast.
Chris Womack
Sports Director
WLOS, Asheville, NC
THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY: TELLING MEANINGFUL SPORTS STORIES
When you think about the ingredients that make up a memorable and powerful story, they can all be found in the sports world. Emotion, characters, active video, storylines, triumph, adversity, it’s all there! However, as similar as sports stories are to general assignments and news features they are also just as different. WLOS sports director Chris Womack lives in this world every day and during this course we will explore how to find those powerful sports stories that stick in your mind, how to execute them within the stringent restrictions sometimes placed upon us, and why local sports coverage still matters in an era where more and more sports departments are being whittled to the bare bones or eliminated altogether. Few types of stories hit as hard as a good sports feature, and it is vital that we continue to find these and share them!