On the Road

In some circumstances you will be surprised to find that it takes longer to plan returning your material to base than it does to gather it in the first place. Even in Europe and the United States, where communications are generally excellent, reporters and their camera crews often face frustration over basic mistakes or accidents which result in delay and missed deadlines.

At your own pace

Wherever possible always allow yourself enough time to do the job as you would wish it to be done. Only you know how long it takes to learn a piece-to-camera or write a commentary. Don’t let the approach of hunger, tiredness or fear of offending the camera crew persuade you into a rush job or the acceptance of a performance you suspect is not up to your usual standard. Lunch can wait–the story can’t.

The hazards of going live

The revolution which has taken place in television news has put extra pressure on reporters. Live news is something the public is now conditioned to expect– to see events as they happen. When you are asked to ‘go live’ you will be linked directly to the programme, either in vision and direct to camera, or out of vision as a commentator to the sound and pictures the viewers will witness. This is the thrill and immediacy of television news. There are practical precautions the reporter/commentator can take. You should make sure you know when you expect to perform–and be ready well in advance. Do not go wandering off in search of the latest information and risk not being back in front of camera or behind the microphone in time. There’s not much point in having all the latest information if you are not there to deliver it–or, worse, being the subject of an apology: ‘… Well, we’re sorry. We don’t seem to be able to get through to our reporter at the moment …!’ When live make sure you have at least three or four vital points to put across, and make sure you have memorised them. Each point will kick-start your brain to help you elaborate. Stick to short sentences. Long monologues make you sound out of breath. Numbers and statistics in a live report can cause problems. These are the most likely things to get wrong in a slip of the tongue–billion, when you meant million, for example. If you really need to quote from notes make sure your notebook is in vision, otherwise you appear to be staring at the ground.

Coping with spectators

Crowds are still attracted by television activity, or by the very events which television seeks to cover live. If they are good-natured but noisy, you can often take control by seeking out the loudest bystanders and give them the responsibility of keeping the rest quiet! Do not give spectators money to shut up. If they are hostile and your instinct tells you that the presence of yourself and the camera could actually encourage violence, then tell base, and then get out.

The hazards of going live

It can be extremely distracting to have spectators watching you report live. At least the crowd on this occasion was not hostile. (courtesy BBC Central Stills)