Audible Blog: "In Praise of TV News Swooshes"

When news breaks on television, do we really need all that dramatic music and those swooshie sound effects?  Apparently we do.  Confessions of a former TV news director, as heard on the Forrest Carr show on PowerTalk 1210.

Depression: How to know it, and how to get help in Tucson

Veda Kowalski, Mental Health Outreach Specialist for Tucson's Interfaith Community Services, discusses the warning signs for depression, and what do to when they appear.

Radio Skit: “The Department of Homeland Security Press Room”

The radio skit above was, as they say in the movies, “Inspired by actual events.”  Which is to say, there’s quite a bit of truth to it, but take it with a grain of salt.   The dialogue is made up, but the outcome of the Department of Homeland Security's reporter-stiffarming tactics is exactly as described.

I'm now resorting to a new strategy in trying to pry some information on the current immigration crisis out of DHS for Powertalk 1210 listeners.  More after the jump (click the "continue reading" button.)

News directors: Support your people

It's a sad fact that newsmakers, including public officials and even supposedly professional public information officers, sometimes retaliate against reporters, using inappropriate language and/or making threats, up to and including physical ones.  A news director's response, or lack thereof, can make or break the reporter.

I had to handle plenty of such cases when I sat in a news director's chair.  And in recent months I've heard from reporter colleagues who are facing similar situations.  Some of them are taking withering incoming fire for doing their jobs, and not all of them are getting the support they need and deserve from their bosses.  

I wrote an essay about the issue and submitted it to the Radio Television Digital News Association, which is the main professional organization for TV news directors.  The piece is now live on the RTDNA website, and you can find it here.

Attack of the Cybercats

Something is wrong with my spouse, and I think I’ve figured out what it is.

Our two housecats, Mina and Ellis, seem to have some kind of control over Bride of the Bloviator (BOTB).  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, she spends an inordinate amount of time with them, hovering over them, cooing in their ears, rubbing and kissing them, while catering to their every need.  For the longest time, I thought there was nothing going on other than an exuberant affection on her part for cats.

Interview: Palo Verde High School Principal Eric Brock

Tucson's formerly struggling Palo Verde High School has just earned an "A" from the state of Arizona for its AIMS score achievements.   How did it turn itself around?  I had the pleasure of discussing that question on PowerTalk 1210 with the principal, Eric Brock.