GQ profiles WCAX

When I checked out the April 11 copy of GQ at Barnes & Noble, I thought, "Cosmo for men." Endless pages of ads showing impossibly handsome young men doing cool things wearing cooler clothes. Feature stories on uber-males Derek Jeter, Charlie Sheen, and Keagan Harsha.

For real. Well - the story wasn't all about WCAX reporter Keagan Harsha, but he has a prominent role in the toney man mag's profile of Vermont's biggest TV news station. Last spring GQ sent a woman named Raha Naddaf to learn what it's like to be a smalltown TV news reporter. Enroute to doing the voice-over for the Ice Out at Joe's Pond - which she cluelessly describes as the most trivial, out-of-the-way, who-cares kind of story - she stops in at the South Burlington office, which she describes as having "pumpkin-colored carpet," yellowing walls, and no-nonsense furniture unchanged since 1976. Harsha she describes as "square jawed, firm handshake, booming voice" but a Real Person who has nightmares about going live and not knowing what to say.

Naddaf meets Darren Perron ("whose name rhymes) and Anson Tebbetts, whose personal relationship with about half of Danville stuns her. She has never considered the possibility that a reporter might actually live amongst the viewers.

I won't give away the shocking ending, except to say that it makes WCAX look pretty good. The early reviews from former and current CAX'ers are pretty good. Speaking at a freezing outdoor press conference in Middlesex Wednesday, former reporter and Gov. Peter Shumlin's press secretary Bianca Slota said she liked it ("although they didn't write much about me") and Kristin Carlson said she and other staff got a good laugh out of Raddaf's descriptions of some of the station staff. Everyone seemed to appreciate Raddaf's conclusion: this TV news stuff is harder than it looks.

ABC 22, Fox 44 add staff, 5 am, 11 pm news shows

Fox 44 & ABC 22 continue local news expansion

Will produce 6 hours of local news daily

 

 

Beginning Monday, March 28, ABC 22 will add 90-minutes of local news to its programming line-up.

 

Viewers in the Burlington/Plattsburgh market will then be able to get local news starting an hour earlier at 5 am on ABC 22. The newscast will be anchored by Jackie Morlock, who recently joined the news team, and meteorologist Kerrin Jeromin.

 

In addition, ABC 22 will program an 11 pm news Monday through Sunday. The newscast will be anchored weeknights by Greg Navarro, meteorologist Nick Johnston and sportscaster Kristian Read. Lauren Maloney will continue anchoring ABC 22 News at 7 pm.

 

In December 2007, Fox 44 launched a 10 pm newscast to become the third local television outlet providing coverage to viewers in the market. In March 2008, a 7 pm newscast debuted on ABC 22. Since then, the 10 pm news has been expanded to one-hour. In the summer of 2008, morning news was added to both channels.

 

Once the change takes place Fox 44 & ABC 22 will have expanded to six hours of local news daily in just 3 ½ years.

 

Fox 44 is owned by Smith Media, LLC and manages ABC 22.

 

- source: Vic Vetters, for ABC 22

Press secretary for Gov. Peter Shumlin describes new video, social media initiatives

At the request of vermontpressconnections, Bianca Slota submitted the following explanation of how, as press secretary for Governor Peter Shumlin, she is using social media and video. As a former WCAX reporter, we new she knew video; but she's obviously up on Twitter, etc. too.

* * * * * * *

In the increasingly diverse and fast-paced world of online communication one thing is certain: you either learn how to use it or you get left behind. Here in the Office of Governor Peter Shumlin we are embracing this new media world and using it to make sure no one gets left behind.

While my official title is Press Secretary, I see myself as more of a social media director. Or maybe new media director. I help Governor Shumlin maintain a presence on Twitter (@VTGovernor), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vermont-Governor/155136287867671), YouTube (www.youtube.com/VTGovernor), and in the blogosphere on the governor’s official web site: www.governor.vermont.gov.

One of our communications priorities coming into office was using video to keep the Governor in contact with Vermonters and vice versa.  I am quite proud of what we have done. The most exciting development is our Ask the Governor feature on the governor’s official web site. We invite people to submit their questions to Governor Shumlin through a standard web form. About once a week we go through the questions and select a few that the governor can answer through a brief video response. Submissions range from questions about our single-payer healthcare reform effort, to questions about tax policy, and sometimes questions about personal experiences with a particular department of government. Our selection process is pretty simple – we try to pick out questions that can be easily answered in a few minutes and that might be of interest to the state as a whole, or to a particular group of people. The governor generally answers two or three questions at once, and I edit together the clip before posting it to YouTube and to our site.

I think Ask the Governor is a fantastic way for Vermonters to be in touch with their Chief Executive. While we do not have time to respond to all the questions through video, every question does get answered by the Governor’s Information and Referral Office.

In addition to the Ask the Governor section, we have a video page that includes all the footage from Governor Shumlin’s weekly press conferences. Sometimes we post a video with the governor’s thoughts on a particular subject, like this one that we taped the day after a fundraiser for Pete’s Greens: http://governor.vermont.gov/video-petes-greens-fundraiser. In the near future you will also be able to watch videos about some of the governor’s priorities or a video about what some of our agencies and departments are up to.

We also have a great online photo gallery filled with hundreds of pictures. You can check out the places Governor Shumlin has visited, the people he has met, and see what the great companies and people in this state are up to. Who knows, you might even see yourself or someone you know in one of photos.

What all of this boils down to is access. Vermont has always been a place where ordinary citizens can reach their elected officials with ease. As online communication becomes a bigger part of the way you communicate with the world, we want to make sure it is a bigger and easier part of the way you communicate with us and how we communicate with you.

-Bianca Slota

How DOES a reporter address an acting governor?

On the March 7 WCAX evening news, Lt. Gov. Phil Scott was interviewed live about the March Blizzard by WCAX evening anchor Darren Parron. LG Scott was acting governor while Gov. Peter Shumlin was on vacation, and Parren wanted to know how the State had responded to the day's record blizzard. After announcing he would interview acting governor and lieutenant governor Phil Scott, Parren addressed him directly as "Mr. Scott."

Now, Lieutenant Gov. Scott, a racecar driver and professional contractor, is certainly handier with tools than the average pol, but he's no Montgomery Scott, chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise and the only other Public Figure (real or fictitious) I know of with the honorific of "Mr. Scott." What, exactly, SHOULD a reporter call a lieutenant governor who is acting governor?

According to the Washington School of Protocol website, here is the proper form: "Don’t directly address an Acting Governor as "Governor (name)". The rule is "address by rank, identify by office" -- so address as "Senator (name)" and identify as the Acting Governor.

So according WSP, Parren should have addressed Acting Governor Scott as Lieutenant Governor Scott. And now back to the real world - if the search engines have to do much of this, they'll blow apart.

NESN Red Sox announcer got his start in St. Michael's College journalism program

My son Joe has expressed an interest in attending St. Michael's College next year. Not surprisingly we receive lots of recruiting material from the liberal arts school in Colchester. So far the most interesting piece has come from New England Sports Network (NESN) Red Sox pregame and postgame host Tom Caron, though.

According to the one-page flyer, TC is a 1986 SMC grad. He majored in journalism, did his first sports play-by-play, interned for WPTZ, and edited the campus newspaper, The Defender. He reports that "I spent hours in class and after class discussion media ethics (when I wasn't debating the value of the Designated Hitter)....for me, choosing Saint Michael's proved to be a home run." He promises to discuss his days at SMC during upcoming shows this summer.

TC isn't the only bigtime baseball announcer with Vermont roots. Tom Cheek, the longtime voice of the Toronto Blue Jays, was the sports director for WJOY in the early 1970's. He was preceded by Bob Lobel, a longtime fixture in the Boston TV market. And finally, the late, great Ken Coleman, the longtime voice of the Red Sox, got his start at a Rutland radio station. Someone once asked him for advice on getting started. He hearkened back to his Rutland days and said, "be willing to do anything and everything. Sweep the floors, everything." That's good advice for anyone trying to break into the media.

Essex Reporter co-founder wins South Carolina Press Association awards

Essex Reporter co-founder Tim Callahan won four 2010 South Carolina Press Assocation awards, including two first place honors.

Callahan started his third community newspaper, The Murrells Inlet Messenger, last year and earned instant recognition from his peers, capturing first place among associate/individual members in the best editorial/opinion category for a column on his younger brother's funeral.

He swept the best feature writing category, winning first second and third place.

As a general assignment reporter for the Coastal Observer, Callahan won SCPA awards in 2006 and 2007 for beat reporting - courts and education - and sports and news writing. He spent 2008 and 2009 finishing a novel and freelancing 121 articles for a local paper.

Callahan also attended Denver Seminary and earned a master's degree in journalism from Regent University in 2001. He was a Washington, D.C., correspondent for Christianity Today from 2002-2004. In the 90's, he earned statewide press awards in Pennsylvania, where he met his wife of 13 years, Debbie. They live in Pawleys Island, S.C., and are active members of Grace Church Waccamaw, where they are starting a Celebrate Recovery ministry.

"Without the Lord and recovery, I would have been dead 25 years ago," Callahan said.

"I am a Vermonter at heart," Callahan said. "I read Vermont Press Connections without fail. I have known Guy Page for 30 years and he is a good friend and fellow publisher, who learned a trick or two from Kit Wright and myself after we started the Essex Reporter [in 1981, after Suburban List folded]. In turn, Kit and I were taught the basics by The Other Paper. "Guy stayed with the Cochester and North Avenue papers a lot longer than I did with the papers I founded," Callahan said. "I am now learning from him. And I am glad he is doing Vermont Press Connections and keeping me informed. It's needed. The Vermont Press Association has to be the only one in the country without a web site."

vermontpressconnections is back; Digger gets new digs

Dear vermontpressconnections readers:

After taking a month off due to the passing of my wife, I am "back in the game" of reporting on developments in the Vermont media. Many thanks for the many kind expressions of support.

As always, I welcome your story ideas.

Below, I have printed verbatim Vermont Digger's report on its next stage of development. Anne Galloway is really trying to make a go of this seerious, e-news-only operation. In another posting, Digger is welcoming help acquiring a new video camera to improve its audio and visual capturing of, say, press conferences in which state officials wonder out loud whether certain daily newspaper reporters are working on behalf of large, controversial corporations.......

.....And it's interesting to see that Bill Porter, longtime editor at the Times-Argus and father of former Vermont Press Bureau chief and current CLF policy/communications director Louis Porter, is lending his expertise.

Guy Page

Editor & Publisher

vermontpressconnections

 

Editor’s notebook: 501C3 in hand; VTD gets new digs; Redesign on the way

By Anne Galloway on March 6, 2011

As of Tuesday, VTDigger's new home is located just above the Langdon Street Café. Photo by Josh Larkin.

It’s been a banner week for VTDigger.org. Our fledgling media operation has completed the merger with the Vermont Journalism Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing in-depth reporting on Vermont issues; we secured office space in Montpelier; and we are in the final development phase for our redesign of VTD.
On Monday, the Vermont Journalism Trust (VTD’s umbrella organization) received notice that the Internal Revenue Service had granted the Trust’s request for 501(c)(3) status under the Internal Revenue Code, which means donations to our effort are eligible for a tax deduction under the Trust.
Until now, VTD had operated under the 501(c)(3) of the Online Journalism Project based in New Haven, Conn. We owe a debt of gratitude to Paul Bass, the executive director of OJP. Without his belief in the VTD project, we couldn’t have embarked on this journalistic venture.
With its 501C3 in hand, the Vermont Journalism Trust hopes to generate $188,000 in revenues this year to support three full-time VTD employees and a large stable of freelance reporters. We’ve met half of our fund-raising goal so far, and on Feb. 1, the Trust hired two full-time paid staffers, myself, and Josh Larkin, director of design and technology.
News production is a team effort. An individual writer gets a byline and can seem like a star on the home page for a little while, but there is a great deal more work that goes into what you see on the screen – and much of it isn’t related to the editorial side of the operation. Every newsroom depends on a business office to generate the necessary revenues to pay for those bylines.
Unlike larger operations, we don’t have administrative assistants, advertising sales reps, grant writers, marketing personnel or development officers. We rely on our most dedicated volunteers, the members of the Trust, to help us with these duties.
In just four months, the Trust has transformed VTD into a viable news organization. Henry Chauncey has created the structure for our day-to-day operations. Bill Schubart has led the fund-raising charge and secured the financial footing necessary for VTD to professionalize its operations. Fran Stoddard, Doug Clifton and Steve Terry have worked hard to find funding. Don Kreis spent many hours perfecting the Trust’s bylaws and successful 501(c)(3) application. Cyndy Bittinger and Allen Gilbert have brought their invaluable insights to policy discussions. Nick Monsarrat is the editor’s editor – he shapes my less-than-perfect copy and offers much-needed advice. Con Hogan and Bill Porter have been stalwart supporters who were among the first VTD boosters. Lastly, a special thanks to Kate Robinson who understood the VTD vision long before it became a reality.
I also want to give a shout out to Peter Dannenberg, an avid reader, who faithfully lets us know about errant apostrophes, dashes and commas, misspellings, incorrect factoids and the like. Peter never misses a typo, and I’m sure I’ll hear from him shortly — regarding this post.
We sure wouldn’t have gotten very far without the financial backing we have received from readers and supporting organizations. So far, about 100 readers have generously supported us. We have also received grants from the Vermont Community Foundation, the High Meadows Fund, the Permanent Fund, the Harris and Frances Block Foundation, the Haymarket People’s Fund and J-Lab (Knight Foundation). In addition, businesses and nonprofits have generously sponsored advertising on the VTD website. We have received ad sponsorships from Cabot Creamery, Champlain College, the University of Vermont, CCTV, the Committee on Temporary Shelter, the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Vermont, the Vermont-ACLU, Energize Vermont and Capitol Connections.
We are grateful to the individuals and organizations that have made VTD possible.
We still have an audacious fund-raising goal to meet of $90,000 this year in order to realize the full reporting potential of VTD through 2011, so any help you can give us would be much appreciated.
If you would like to make a contribution, send a check made out to the Vermont Journalism Trust to Henry Chauncey, Treasurer, 42 Hawthorn Dr., Shelburne VT 05482. We also offer Paypal for your convenience, though the company takes a 3 percent cut from donations, so checks are preferable.
If you would like an advertising kit and a rate sheet, contact me at vtdigger@gmail.com or 802-441-1016.

Digger’s new digs

On Tuesday, VTD opened its first office space in Montpelier, located above the Langdon Street Café. Up to now, I’ve been logging in long days at the Statehouse, then writing into the wee hours. Josh, too, has been burning the midnight oil posting dig-deeper boxes, photos, video and stories.
The new office space will enable us to steal away to post more timely reports during the daylight hours (and get some much needed nighttime rest). Josh and I enjoy spending time in the Statehouse with our many sources, but we are delighted to have a place to retreat to when we need to process photos and video and write stories. That said we won’t be far away. If you need to be in touch with tips, comments or complaints, call my cell at 595-9159. Or, give Josh a ring at 595-1966.

Redesign in the offing

This week, Josh put the finishing touches on the VTD redesign. The layout includes changes to the navigation, more space for stories and advertising, a spot for video on the front page, a news aggregation section and an improved system for bringing comments to the front page. In short, it’s still flavored with elements of VTD’s old-fashioned styling, but the meat of the matter, the news presentation, is more up front and center. Our hope is that the new format will improve usability and make it easier for folks to keep up with our reporting and locate archived stories, series and source material. Josh is working through a new mobile interface for this iteration of VTD as well, allowing you iPhone, Blackberry and Droid users a more comfortable digging environment. I wish I could show it to you now because it’s really boss, but we’re not quite ready yet. We plan to launch the new VTD in a couple of weeks.
~Anne Galloway
Editor, VTDigger.org