Elizabeth Williams Allard or is it just Elizabeth Williams reporting for TV6 news? That young lady needs to make up her mind which one she is. If she can't get her own name straight, why should the viewers believe that she has anyone else's name correct?
And Miss Williams/Allard, you also need to be put in that class that is currently being tutored on how NOT to do a stand up! Are you doing yours just so we can see your face at the end of your story? We don't mind if it's tight, script-wise, but make sure you give your viewers pertinent information to camera that you have not already written into your script.
And your lipstick is too loud; leave it for Friday night at The Shade.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
MINCING WORDS
Sometimes we journalists, or should we say maybe the editors of journalists, sometimes try to make the point so succinctly that we tend to mislead just a little. The Newsday story about the first day's opening of the Parkade in Port of Spain was titled "Only 800 park at Parkade", suggesting at first glance that only 800 drivers CHOSE to park there on the first day. If that were the case, then the first question would have been, why? Is it that there was not enough advertisement of the space by NIPDEC? Or did drivers just stick to their usual haunts, suggesting there really was no urgent need for Parkade?
But when you read the very first sentence, it explains that "only 800 of the 1,600 car park spaces are currently available for parking." Ohhhhhh! Isn't that a big deal after NIPDEC has been touting the advantages of this space for months?
Media Watch is aware that the explanatory phrase could not fit into the space allotted for the headline, but in trying to tease your reader, perhaps the headline could have read...."Parkade not complete, 800 park on first day" or "Incomplete Parkade Opens", or something like that. What do you think Roxanne?
But when you read the very first sentence, it explains that "only 800 of the 1,600 car park spaces are currently available for parking." Ohhhhhh! Isn't that a big deal after NIPDEC has been touting the advantages of this space for months?
Media Watch is aware that the explanatory phrase could not fit into the space allotted for the headline, but in trying to tease your reader, perhaps the headline could have read...."Parkade not complete, 800 park on first day" or "Incomplete Parkade Opens", or something like that. What do you think Roxanne?
TAKE A BOW
Carolyn Kissoon, Richard Charan and Ariti Jankie of the Express South Bureau should be applauded for their well-researched and written stories, on a consistent basis. Some of your colleagues up north need to pay attention.
Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
WHAT'S GOING ON?
Steups...Media Watch tries to ignore Ms. Mohammed, but each night she is the first person on the TV6 newscast, putting us to sleep with her unnecessarily long pieces or her crooked stand-ups. Sasha why ask all those questions in your packages? Didn't you yourself get the answers, so why put the viewers through that? Where in hell is your producer to cut all that nonsense out? Steups. Media Watch is leaning towards recommending your return to the Guardian where it appears you are best suited: sparing the viewership your scary looks, your overly-dramatic voice and your annoyingly long scripts that are certainly not written for TV.
Media Watch sometimes wonders if the present crop of journalists was trained for the medium they are working in. Well, not just them, their producers too. How come Fabian Pierre got away with ending on a sound-bite, and a weak one at that? Media Watch is not going to repeat what should be an elementary lesson for you Fabian. But from here, it appears that most of you presently on national tv should be cutting your teeth at some community station.
And while on TV6, Samantha, get the pronunciation of that French firm awarded the contract for the construction of the rapid rail project. Check with Sasha or even Charlene Stuart. Shame on you. The name should be rolling off your tongue by now.
Media Watch sometimes wonders if the present crop of journalists was trained for the medium they are working in. Well, not just them, their producers too. How come Fabian Pierre got away with ending on a sound-bite, and a weak one at that? Media Watch is not going to repeat what should be an elementary lesson for you Fabian. But from here, it appears that most of you presently on national tv should be cutting your teeth at some community station.
And while on TV6, Samantha, get the pronunciation of that French firm awarded the contract for the construction of the rapid rail project. Check with Sasha or even Charlene Stuart. Shame on you. The name should be rolling off your tongue by now.
C NEWS
Mark Bassant, you are one of those reporters Media Watch feels has potential. Admittedly, your reading can do with some work but in the main you try, and your efforts to write to pictures show in every one of your packages and you understand that doing stand-ups add credibility to your stories. But please, when doing your to camera pieces, take the earring out. It's unprofessional and distracting. Leave it for your time at Zen.
Hema, you went on and on about a piece that supposedly come out of the police weekly press conference, but why all that narration, almost 40 seconds of it, before a sound bite from you? Hema, sound on tape is always more effective than anything you can script. It's a habit of yours, try to get out of it.
And who wrote that piece about the "secret burial"? One little note to you; there's a difference between 'secret' and 'private'.
Golda, very refreshing to see you back on set. You look put together, much easier on the eye than your sister, Naette. But young lady, don't bring up a soundbite that says exactly what you said when you introduced it! Use the time the producer has given you wisely.
My dearest Joanne, did you not call Sonya or Barbara? Your voice needs work. Until then, hand over your scripts. That piece you did too was more deserving of space in the newspaper, that is how poorly written it was. It's a feature piece; get creative, use your nat. sound, and you will notice there is no need for all that script. It's called writing to pictures. You killed the piece with all that talking and you managed to annoy.
Mr. Head of News, please send your reporters and seemingly your producer - since some of this crap, sorry, errors, make it on the air - for some training.
Hema, you went on and on about a piece that supposedly come out of the police weekly press conference, but why all that narration, almost 40 seconds of it, before a sound bite from you? Hema, sound on tape is always more effective than anything you can script. It's a habit of yours, try to get out of it.
And who wrote that piece about the "secret burial"? One little note to you; there's a difference between 'secret' and 'private'.
Golda, very refreshing to see you back on set. You look put together, much easier on the eye than your sister, Naette. But young lady, don't bring up a soundbite that says exactly what you said when you introduced it! Use the time the producer has given you wisely.
My dearest Joanne, did you not call Sonya or Barbara? Your voice needs work. Until then, hand over your scripts. That piece you did too was more deserving of space in the newspaper, that is how poorly written it was. It's a feature piece; get creative, use your nat. sound, and you will notice there is no need for all that script. It's called writing to pictures. You killed the piece with all that talking and you managed to annoy.
Mr. Head of News, please send your reporters and seemingly your producer - since some of this crap, sorry, errors, make it on the air - for some training.
Monday, September 24, 2007
NEWSDAY AGAIN
Can the editors at the Newsday PLEASE explain how that story titled "Pleasure Cruiser sinks" made it to print with so many mistakes on Monday?
"...while out on sea.", "...which eventually sunk.", "...a 'SOS' call...", "...evacuate the sea vessel...", and here it is again "...completely destroyed by the fire, collapsed and sunk."
Steups! Media Watch could poll a group of ten year olds who could say exactly why those phrases are all wrong!
Come better than that Newsday! Maybe you were in too much of a hurry to celebrate the holiday??
"...while out on sea.", "...which eventually sunk.", "...a 'SOS' call...", "...evacuate the sea vessel...", and here it is again "...completely destroyed by the fire, collapsed and sunk."
Steups! Media Watch could poll a group of ten year olds who could say exactly why those phrases are all wrong!
Come better than that Newsday! Maybe you were in too much of a hurry to celebrate the holiday??
EXPRESS TV (NOT!)
Trinidad Express TV is the newest thing to hit T&T, but can anyone over there tell me why they have posted shots of their "presenters" which are truly unflattering? Aretha Welch and Kristy Ramnarine look like they are unhappy to just be internet presenters and should have been given a shot at the real thing on TV6. While Rowan Gould looks like the cat's meow to have been given this "privilege" at all. Multimedia Editor Miss Lashley needs to take another look at the picture of her new stars.
And pray tell Miss Lashley, has there been even minimal success to your "new venture"?
And months after TV6's former Head of News Natalie Williams vacated that position, her name is still posted on the company's website in that post. Acting Head of News Carlisle Hinkson must not be too bothered by that at all. And Media Watch has been reliably informed that Express Editor Alan Geere is also no longer holding that position, yet again his name is still holding pride of place on the website. Maybe the good people over there don't want anyone to know that there's an exodus?
And pray tell Miss Lashley, has there been even minimal success to your "new venture"?
And months after TV6's former Head of News Natalie Williams vacated that position, her name is still posted on the company's website in that post. Acting Head of News Carlisle Hinkson must not be too bothered by that at all. And Media Watch has been reliably informed that Express Editor Alan Geere is also no longer holding that position, yet again his name is still holding pride of place on the website. Maybe the good people over there don't want anyone to know that there's an exodus?
NEW THINGS
Well, well, TV6 has another new catch. None other than former poster girl at WIN TV...Bobbi Jeffrey. She has joined her former boss Sunity Maharaj and co-anchor Fabian Pierre. Well she may be able to give Cherise D'Abadie, Samantha John and Fabian a run for their money in the news reading department. But Bobbi, don't let it go to your head just yet. We have not seen or heard you on camera yet, so maybe they are keeping you under wraps for the elections. But Media Watch will keep a close eye on those developments, particularly if you fail to pay attention to our (sometimes) gentle criticisms.
And speaking of TV6, Media Watch hears that anchor Colleen Holder is in China. We hear that she is the talk of the morning radio shows, with one announcer questioning whether she is on special assignment for the station ahead of next year's Olympics.
Well Media Watch has been reliably informed that Miss Holder resigned from TV6 last month and China is the first stop of many for her. Maybe she's job-hunting? By the way George, do your homework....we hear she is in France now.
And speaking of TV6, Media Watch hears that anchor Colleen Holder is in China. We hear that she is the talk of the morning radio shows, with one announcer questioning whether she is on special assignment for the station ahead of next year's Olympics.
Well Media Watch has been reliably informed that Miss Holder resigned from TV6 last month and China is the first stop of many for her. Maybe she's job-hunting? By the way George, do your homework....we hear she is in France now.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
NEWS AT 10
Dear TV6,
For Pete's sake, who decides on the order of stories for the News @ 10? It's bad enough at 7 sometimes, politics and more politics, and Sasha Mohammed back to back with seemingly no let up. But the trend over there is usually to improve and get it right at 10.
But recently it's been a mess, night after night over this last week. Could someone explain how a story about a floating hospital and another about the launch of a UTT campus, made it to the air before a piece about the Minister of National Security, Martin Joseph talking about Fresh's murder?
Both stories, the one about the floating hospital and the other about the campus, had poorly written lead-ins and sounded to Media Watch, especially in the case of the hospital, as deserving of nothing more than some video, a sot, more video and another sot; in order words, a VSVS if so much. Reporters, tell the viewers what's in it for them, don't do P.R. for Minister Rahael; choose what you put your voices to.
Producers send them back to cut it down. And to reporters, again please find some news value before you decide your assignment is worthy of making a national newscast.
Fed up,
Media Watch.
For Pete's sake, who decides on the order of stories for the News @ 10? It's bad enough at 7 sometimes, politics and more politics, and Sasha Mohammed back to back with seemingly no let up. But the trend over there is usually to improve and get it right at 10.
But recently it's been a mess, night after night over this last week. Could someone explain how a story about a floating hospital and another about the launch of a UTT campus, made it to the air before a piece about the Minister of National Security, Martin Joseph talking about Fresh's murder?
Both stories, the one about the floating hospital and the other about the campus, had poorly written lead-ins and sounded to Media Watch, especially in the case of the hospital, as deserving of nothing more than some video, a sot, more video and another sot; in order words, a VSVS if so much. Reporters, tell the viewers what's in it for them, don't do P.R. for Minister Rahael; choose what you put your voices to.
Producers send them back to cut it down. And to reporters, again please find some news value before you decide your assignment is worthy of making a national newscast.
Fed up,
Media Watch.
TRYING BUT IT'S STILL NOT RIGHT
Media Watch is really not picking on you but if you are the first thing viewers see every night they turn on their tvs at 7, Sasha Mohammed, you are going to have to do a whole lot better than you are doing right now.
Today we shall begin by saying that your stand-up tonight was an improvement from the others we've seen so far. Tonight there was less movement altogether and it came across alot more professional and controlled. However, Ms. Mohammed you need to work on the hair, clothes and moreso the script. Your pieces are too long. They go on forever. Yes, we know it's probably close to 8 hours of testimony but it's your job to condense it all and make it succinct. Leave half of those details for the newspapers when people have time to read them at their leisure; your viewers just want to know the main points. Try to keep your story under two minutes, nothing more, and for god's sake, cut out the parentheses; Media Watch and your viewers cannot follow all those thought interruptions. Besides which, this style of writing has no place in television.
Charlene (R), you are learning nothing night after night with those stand-ups. Given you don't make Ms. Mohammed's mistakes and your pieces are much tighter, but you still need to watch what you are doing with your hands; they get way too high in the camera shot and this defeats the purpose of what Media Watch knows you are trying to do. You can do better. Act like you've been doing this thing for a while and you know what you are doing.
Today we shall begin by saying that your stand-up tonight was an improvement from the others we've seen so far. Tonight there was less movement altogether and it came across alot more professional and controlled. However, Ms. Mohammed you need to work on the hair, clothes and moreso the script. Your pieces are too long. They go on forever. Yes, we know it's probably close to 8 hours of testimony but it's your job to condense it all and make it succinct. Leave half of those details for the newspapers when people have time to read them at their leisure; your viewers just want to know the main points. Try to keep your story under two minutes, nothing more, and for god's sake, cut out the parentheses; Media Watch and your viewers cannot follow all those thought interruptions. Besides which, this style of writing has no place in television.
Charlene (R), you are learning nothing night after night with those stand-ups. Given you don't make Ms. Mohammed's mistakes and your pieces are much tighter, but you still need to watch what you are doing with your hands; they get way too high in the camera shot and this defeats the purpose of what Media Watch knows you are trying to do. You can do better. Act like you've been doing this thing for a while and you know what you are doing.
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