joe little

5 lessons from the NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism 2020 video winners

Commentary, , , , , , , , , , ,

We were all tested in 2020.

Every life was touched in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic, which remains a constant factor in our activities and decisions more than a year since it began. Video journalists faced a wave of limitations and restrictions as we attempted to stay safe while doing our jobs, in a year where our jobs felt more vital than ever.

I was reminded of this as I watched this year’s winners of the NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism awards for video photography and video editing.

Some were shot before the pandemic. Most were shot during. All reflected dedication to the craft of journalism and storytelling – with an extra dose of perseverance.

Here were five lessons I learned from five winning entries:

THE STORY: The Uprising, by Corinne Chin, Lauren Frohne, & Ramon Dompor (Seattle Times)
THE LESSON: Cover the macro and the micro.

After George Floyd was killed in late May, protests broke out across the country. So many visual journalists arrived on the scene and produced moving, powerful stories, often through the raw emotion on display. At a time of massive unrest and racial reckoning, these stories were essential in conveying the anger, heartbreak, and frustration of those in the middle.

I particularly appreciated those that found the big picture through the journeys of individuals.

That’s what this trio of Seattle Times photojournalists accomplish here. They cover the evolution of the protests in Seattle, from the days after Floyd’s death to the creation of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP). But they deliver this narrative through the eyes of three protesters, each with distinct personal histories and outlooks, to show the micro in the midst of the macro.

(more…)

Introducing The Solo Video Journalist, 2nd Edition, an updated how-to guide for aspiring MMJs

Commentary, The Solo Video Journalist, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I used to be an anomaly.

When I arrived in the 10th-largest market in the country, I was one of the few who worked as a solo video journalist – or a reporter who shoots and edits my own stories. There were maybe a handful of us, and the newsroom wasn’t geared towards our interests.

More than a decade later, the state of my newsroom – and most others – has been upended.

According to the latest RTDNA survey, more than 90% of local TV newsrooms use solo video journalists – or multimedia journalists, or MMJs. More than half of newsrooms in market 51 or lower use “mostly” MMJs, and four out of five newsrooms in Top 25 markets use them in some way. Soloists are no longer a position of the future; we are present across the board in local news, and we’re finding opportunities beyond broadcast as well.

But for a long time, no book existed that offered a comprehensive overview of the position and gave instructions and advice specifically designed for it.

That’s why I wrote one.

Four years ago, I announced the release of The Solo Video Journalist, which featured interviews with nearly a dozen MMJs and broke down every step of the solo storytelling process, from shooting to interviewing to writing to editing.

Today I’m thrilled to announce The Solo Video Journalist, 2nd Edition, with more interviews, significant updates, and advice tailored to the updated landscape of video journalism.

(more…)

Storytellers: want new-decade inspiration? Watch these stand-up collections

Commentary, , , , , , , , , , , ,

I began my new year like many inspiration-seeking storytellers: by watching Joe Little’s annual montage of stand-ups.

Since 2008, the San Diego soloist has compiled his most creative stand-ups from the previous year into one giant reel. The original edition barely cleared four minutes; his 2019 collection neared nine. But that wasn’t the only change.

This year, Little’s montage wasn’t the only one.

A few days after Little posted his video onto the TV News Storytellers group, a reporter named Kendria LaFleur did the same. She’s been in the business for five years, more than a decade less than Little. She works in Lafayette, La., a market 1,600 miles east and 92 sizes smaller than San Diego. And her collection of stand-ups lasted 81 seconds. But they all worked. She used sound effects. She put a camera in a trick-or-treat bag. She made herself disappear. Her techniques looked smooth, sophisticated, and – above all – not cheesy.

A few posts down in the Storytellers newsfeed came a story from Will Pitts. He’s a solo video journalist at KPNX in Phoenix. He posted a package that included a flashy, camera-in-a-mailbox stand-up and also slick effects work where he highlighted the words of a handwritten letter.

It was all so impressive. A few years ago, the standard “creative” stand-up or story too often seemed forced. The graphics looked amateurish, the effects cartoonish. Exceptions like Little could squeeze slickness out of limited equipment, but few of us had access to technology that would make creativity seem too much like, well, local news.

That has changed. Today many of us use After Effects and edit on software that offers a myriad of potent effects. Many news departments supply MMJs with GoPros in addition to their traditional cameras. The equipment and technology has caught up to our ambition.

And we’re taking advantage.

I should pause here and say I’m not a huge shooter of stand-ups. I typically produce long-form stories where the characters are so rich that my appearance seems intrusive. My station also prefers we introduce and tag our stories, making a stand-up superfluous without a compelling reason. But that doesn’t mean I’m averse. I have experimented with effects, multi-camera shoots, and green-screen backgrounds to sizzle my stand-ups when necessary. I applaud innovation and don’t put down others’ efforts to shake up their storytelling.

(In the interest of full disclosure, here’s one recent example …)

So when I see a collection like Little’s or LaFleur’s – or I watch a story like Pitts’ – my first instinct isn’t to emulate. It’s to appreciate.

I appreciate the hustle. Any solo video journalist can tell you of the job’s extraordinary demands; you’re doing two traditional jobs as one person. But the workload doesn’t suppress most MMJs’ desires to produce meaningful work – and to take advantage of advanced tools to do so.

I appreciate the defiance. Even nearly two decades into the widespread use of soloists in local news, so many traditional journalists still decry the concept. To be sure, the MMJ life has its issues – and it’s absolutely not for everyone – but it also creates advantages for those journalists (and their managers) who recognize them. Creative autonomy – used in stand-ups like these – is one such benefit.

Mostly, I appreciate the opportunity. When I graduated college in 2003 – in the earliest months in Facebook and before social media existed as we know it – I couldn’t go online and watch a bunch of local TV news stories. Few stations posted videos to their web sites, and few forums existed to showcase people’s work. Today, LaFleur can post her montage and write in the comments how she used Little’s for inspiration, and someone soon will no doubt say the same of hers.

The current media environment possesses so many flaws and issues, all of them worth discussing and examining. But it also enables storytellers to do so much despite limited resources. As the new year and decade begin, I salute all of us who use those resources – and our platforms, energy, and talents – to produce meaningful work.

Cheers. And let’s keep moving forward.

svj-cover-2

The Solo Video Journalist is available for purchase. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the publisher’s web site.

Matt Pearl is the author of the Telling the Story blog and podcast. Feel free to comment below or e-mail Matt at matt@tellingthestoryblog.com. You can also follow Matt on Facebook and Twitter.

PODCAST EPISODE #48: Best of 2016 edition

Podcasts, , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

This is a special podcast.

Normally I have one special guest from the news industry, offering insights about his or her career and advice for young journalists and storytellers.

This time, I have four.

Episode #48 is a compilation of some of my favorite clips from the past year’s episodes of the Telling the Story podcast. I chose snippets that specifically focused on advice for those just getting into the business — all from some of the best in the business at their respective positions.

You’ll hear from Jed Gamber and Catherine Steward, two photojournalists who in 2016 were named the NPPA’s Regional Photographers of the Year for the East and Central regions, respectively. (Listen to the full episode.)

You’ll hear from Boyd Huppert, the 100-Emmy-winning, world-renowned feature reporter for KARE-TV in the Twin Cities. (Listen to the full episode.)

And you’ll hear from Joe Little, who provided great insight for both the podcast and my book, The Solo Video Journalist, which is a how-to guide for young MMJs like Little and myself. (Listen to the full episode.)

(more…)

PODCAST EPISODE #46: Joe Little, solo video journalist, KGTV

Podcasts, The Solo Video Journalist, , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Last week I made an exciting announcement that, I hope, will greatly benefit the journalism industry.

I introduced my new book, The Solo Video Journalist, dedicated to providing a unique how-to guide for TV multimedia journalists — also known as MMJs, backpack journalists, one-man and one-woman bands, and VJs. The book can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and my publisher’s web site.

Throughout the book, I interview some of the country’s best MMJs — and journalists period. I use each chapter to break down a specific step of the storytelling process, combining my advice with that of the journalist I interviewed for that chapter.

In the case of shooting solo stand-ups, I knew exactly who to call.

Joe Little of KGTV is my guest on Episode #46 of the Telling the Story podcast. He has gained notoriety in media circles for his annual YouTube compilation of his stand-ups that have continued now for more than half a decade.

(I actually just got sidetracked writing this post while watching one. Check it out …)

He brings creativity and fearlessness to a task that would deter many solo acts — myself included. I shied away from shooting my own stand-ups for a long time but have seen from Little and others how they can benefit my work. Now I do them regularly, and I am more empowered because of my solo status.

(more…)

Introducing “The Solo Video Journalist”, my how-to book for aspiring MMJs

Commentary, The Solo Video Journalist, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I am a television news reporter for the NBC affiliate in Atlanta, Ga., the 10th largest TV market in the country. But I am also my own photographer, shooting and editing the video that becomes my pre-produced reports. From the start of my day to the finish, I am almost always on my own.

And I represent a growing reality in TV news.

The term “multimedia journalist” gets thrown around in the news business, but in television it has a clear meaning. It refers to a journalist who produces a report from start to finish, combining the jobs of a traditional reporter (researching, interviewing, writing) with those of a traditional photographer (shooting, editing). We now occupy a substantial part of TV newsrooms; per the latest survey, roughly nine of every ten local network affiliates use them in some capacity. When aspiring television journalists go to college, they are warned they will almost certainly start their careers – and likely spend a good chunk of them – as one-woman and one-man bands.

Yet no book exists that offers a comprehensive overview of what the job entails, with the insights and authorship of journalists working in the business.

So I wrote one.

I am proud and excited to announce the release of The Solo Video Journalist, available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It is a how-to guide for a position in TV news that is long overdue for such analysis: the multimedia journalist, or MMJ.

(… or backpack journalist, or VJ, or any number of titles bestowed upon this position through the years. I went with “solo video journalist” because I think that term most accurately describes the job: producing video stories and journalism on one’s own.)

I have held this title since I entered the business more than a decade ago, and I have remained astounded at the lack of explicit instruction exists for those who do it. So many, both inside and outside the business, continue to envision newsrooms full of traditional reporters and photographers, neglecting the vital role MMJs have come to play.

The reality is far different.

(more…)