Thirty Seconds to Air

The definitive field guide to live TV reporting, complete with real-world examples Thirty Seconds to Air is a pocket field guide that explains the procedures, experience, and skills required to produce live television newscasts that are noteworthy for their substance and style. The guide covers live presentation, delivery, and legal and ethical issues in a conversational style, and illustrates challenging situations with real-world, concrete examples. The book also includes exercises and references drawn from the Associated Press, professional broadcast journalism associations, and the Internet. Useful for students and professionals, this guide dives into the knowledge and mindset of an experienced, skilled television professional.

Foreword ix Introduction xvii Acknowledgments xxi The Basics 3 Overcoming Anxiety 4 The Live Shot 7 The Presentation 29 Models of Success 30 Tips for Finding Focus 36 Special Concerns 39 Notes---No Notes 51 Reading the Notes: Overreliance 51 Reducing the Need for Notes 53 Breaking News: Working without Notes 64 The Technical Side of Live 73 The Basics 73 Equipment 74 Communication 79 Glitches Happen 83 Finding Your Balance 85 Learning from Failure 85 Stress and Adrenaline 87 Extremes: Living without Balance 89 Finding the Balance: Managing Stress 97 Practice! Practice! Practice! 111 Why Practice? 111 Using Practice Scenarios 113 Sample Practice Scenarios 117 The ``Real World'': Internships 137 Internships in TV and Radio News: Paid and Unpaid 137 Making the Most of Internships 150 Sensitivity 157 Importance of Sensitivity 157 Special Concerns 158 AP Libel Manual 170 Resources 187 Codes of Ethics 187 The Internet 193 Television Markets (Ranked Numerically) 214 Suggested Readings 223