WEBINAR: A Conversation with Kim Godwin, Vice President of News, CBS Network

VP-Broadcast Dorothy Tucker hosted a webinar earlier this evening with Kim Godwin of CBS News. It was a lively discussion on her rise from an investigative reporter to one of the highest-ranking black women in the news business. Click HERE for a recording of the webinar.

Godwin also discussed open jobs at CBS News and why they would be of interest to NABJ members. Click HERE for a full list of open jobs and internships, and check out the list below.

CBS THIS MORNING:                    Broadcast Marketing Associate (contact John Peck)       

                                                          Office Manager (contact Ray Ortiz)

                                                      

CBS THIS MORNING                     Associate Producer (contact Brian Applegate)

SATURDAY:                                     

 

CBSN:                                               Media Manager – freelance (contact Lindsey O’Connell)

Associate Producer – freelance (contact Rob Gifford)

                                             

DALLAS BUREAU:                          4.03(g) Maintenance Technician (contact Dan Klos)

 

DC BUREAU:                                   Political Director (contact Chris Isham)   

 

ELECTION AND SURVEY UNIT:    Unit Coordinator – part-time (contact Jennifer De Pinto)

 

EVENING NEWS:                            Senior Broadcast Producer (contact Mosheh Oinounou)  

                                                          Producer (contact Mosheh Oinounou)  

 

FACE THE NATION:                       Administrative Assistant to Anchor (contact Mary Hager)  

 

LA BUREAU:                                   Assistant Business Manager (contact Karen Stefanelli)

Producer/ Assignment Editor (contact Eleanore Vega/Chris Myers)

Soundperson/ 4.03(g) Technician (contact Eleanore Vega/ John Weiser)

Library Archivist/ 4.03(g) Technician (contact Eleanore Vega/ John Weiser)

                                                          Associate Producer, Assignment Desk (contact Eleanore Vega/Chris Myers)

Soundperson/ 4.03(g) Technician – San Francisco (contact Eleanore Vega/ John Weiser)

 

NETWORK NEWS SERVICE:         Broadcast Associate, overnight (contact Mike Sims)

 

NEWSPATH:                                   Producer, MoneyWatch (contact Maura McHugh and Bob Bicknell)

Associate Producer, Regional Hub (contact Chuck Senkier and Megan Tennyson)

Associate Producer, MoneyWatch (contact Maura McHugh and Bob Bicknell)  

4.03(g) Technician (contact Bob Dries)

 

NEWSPATH DC:                             Camera Technician (contact Lorna Jones)

Editor (contact Lorna Jones)

 

NEWSPATH LA:                             Camera Technician (contact Tim Gaughan)                                                          

 

NORTHEAST BUREAU                  4.03(g) Camera Technician (contact Armando Gonzalez)

CHICAGO:

 

OPERATIONS:                                4.03 (g) Technician (contact Kathy Butler)

 

OPERATIONS DC:                          4.03(g) Technician Editor (contact Bob McKinley)

 

RADIO NEWS:                                Digital Content Producer (contact Craig Swagler)

4.03(g) Technician (contact Craig Swagler)

                                                          Editorial Manager (contact Craig Swagler)

Unit Manager (contact Craig Swagler)

 

CBS INTERACTIVE:                        Associate Video Producer for CBSNews.com – freelance (contact Paul Kim)

The Digital Journalism Task Force will continue hosting these members-only webinars.  If there’s a topic you think we should cover or if you want to host a webinar between now and August, please contact us HERE.

#MediaBoss: How to Break into Newsroom Management

I’ve been in the journalism business for more than 30 years. I have worked my way up into management, with some companies doing a great job training me, while others not so much.

I was delighted when NABJ partnered with the Poynter Institute in 2016 to create the Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media. The class of 25 represent emerging leaders in digital media who have demonstrated an aptitude for leadership through current projects and references.

They come to Poynter’s St. Petersburg campus for a week to receive guidance on navigating newsroom culture, leadership styles, the business of journalism and entrepreneurship, as well as networking and one-on-one coaching. I’m honored to be one of the instructors of this amazing program, which trained its second class in December 2017.

It’s important that the next generation of diverse leaders get training here, because they may not be in newsrooms that support their efforts. So when I put out the call for the 2016 cohort to do a management webinar, Nicole Smith of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution stood up and created this webinar.

Smith has created a unique master class — with panelists Erica Henry of CNN, Herman Wong of the Washington Post and Indu Chandrasekhar of Wired magazine — for those who are ready for the next level. In this webinar, attendees will learn how to bolster your leadership skills, gain career allies, nurture relationships, and articulate vision to a team. Click here for more information and to register for this free, hour-long webinar.

New Year, New You: So You Want To Be A Sports Journalist

According to Marketwatch, Americans spent $100 billion on sports in 2017. Nearly $60 billion of that was to attend sporting events, while another $33 billion was spent on sports equipment, on which Americans spent $33 billion.

And according to Forbes magazine, 50 sporting teams — from the Dallas Cowboys to the Los Angeles Angels — made its list of the world’s most valuable sports franchises valued at a minimum of $1.75 billion. Forbes noted that 36 franchises worth at least $1 billion — including three NFL teams, eight Major League Baseball teams and seven of NBA teams did not make the top 50.  And this doesn’t include other sports like Nascar, tennis, soccer, track and field and other categories.

There’s a lot of sports to be covered, and even more journalists who want to cover them all. So the NABJ Digital Journalism Task Force partnered with the NABJ Sports Task Force to show members what it takes to make the cut covering sports teams.

The moderator is Task Force Chair Marc Spears, senior NBA writer for ESPN’s The Undefeated. He’s joined by former Task Force Chair and NABJ President Greg Lee, editorial director of NBA.com and Malika Andrews, a sports reporter at the New York Times and the 2016 winner of the Task Force’s Larry Whiteside convention scholarship.

So join us on Tuesday, January 16 at 8:00 p.m. EST for the webinar, which is open to everyone. Click here to register.

 

New Year, New You: Manage Covering LGBTQ Communities (Better)

One of the goals of the NABJ Digital Journalism Task Force’s New Year, New You webinar series is to help members do their jobs smarter and better in 2018. A big way of doing that is learning how to write respectfully and with knowledge about communities and groups that may not always be ones you cover.

So we were delighted when the co-chairs of the NABJ LGBTQ Task Force — Tre’Vell Anderson and Ernest Owens (who also is the current NABJ Emerging Journalist of the year) stepped up and created this webinar.

This webinar will discuss industry reporting standards, emerging trends and areas of improvement regarding coverage of the LGBTQ communities in print, broadcasting, and digital platforms. After this one-hour event, attendees will leave with ways to intersectionally improve their newsrooms’ coverage of LGBTQ people.

Join us on Monday, Jan. 15 at 7:00 p.m. ET for what we expect to be an interesting and informative conversation. Click here to register.

 

3 DJTF Webinars To Prepare You For #NABJ17

It’s amazing, but the 42nd Annual NABJ Convention and Career Fair in New Orleans is now only 65 days away!  So while the clock is ticking, NOW is the time to get ready for our convention.

You need to have a resume that’s on point, and you need to have an online portfolio to point potential employers to.  It also doesn’t hurt to start either working on or sharpening up your personal journalism brand.

Lucky for you, the Digital Journalism Task Force did three great hour-long webinars on these very topics.  So now is the time to review these webinars so that you’re ready to shine in New Orleans.

• Developing an Online Portfolio, with Michelle Johnson
• “Brand” New You, with  Dr. Sybril Brown of Belmont University
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Resumes, with NABJ VP-Digital Benet Wilson, owner of ResumesByBenet.com

You need to submit an email address, but the webinars are free to view. Register for the convention here.  I hope they help, and I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!

RECORDING: Boss Moves: Content Is King

The NABJ Media Related Task Force (MRMTF) held a members-only webinar with tips on how journalists and media professionals can transition their skills into six-figure salaries with less stress, fewer deadlines and more flexibility in a digital world via content marketing. Member Tenisha Mercer, a content marketer and brand storyteller and owner of HireAnSEOWriter.com, gave tips on how to break into content marketing and answered questions on being effective in that segment.

Maria Pitts Roberts of writing/marketing/social media consultancy RiaRob Media explained about the task force’s new media-related mentorship program for Mid-Level Career Journalists and Media-Related Professionals. The program will connect members to people within the MRTF membership to help with your transition. Click here to view the webinar.

The Media Related Task Force asks that you take this survey so they can meet your needs.

There were some questions that we weren’t able to get to during the webinar, so here are the answers from Tenisha Mercer.

A major food company asked me to write a 2000-word story for their website, but they didn’t want to provide a contract or work out details of pay. How should this be handled?

Answer: Definitely get compensated if it is not a part of your regular role. Something like, “Thank you for the opportunity to write the story, now what will the compensation be for this additional project?” And then leave the ball in their court and let them answer. Stay firm.

How important is it to establish a niche in content marketing? It is important if you want to command top dollar and land projects easier.

Answer: Niches like technology, medical and health care tend to be much higher paying. Clients pay even more for subject matter expertise. But if you do not know your niche, just get started! I did not know I wanted to specialize in SEO writing until I had several projects under my belt.

How can I get started?

Answer: I would encourage you to take advantage of NABJ’s mentorship opportunities or, shameless plug, enroll in my master class for Content Marketing for Journalists.

How different is content marketing writing from journalism?

Answer: Content marketing will not require sourcing, necessarily, and there is less of an advertising push. It is informative, but you are writing content for a different audience. The same principles of good journalism — accuracy, a well-written story and factual info are typically used.

What is the editing process for CM like?

Answer: Similar to any editing process, but depends on the type of project. If it’s for a large organization, it may have to go thru several rounds of approvals and revisions before it is finalized.

Content Marketing Brand Examples

• Marriott Traveler
• VIDEO: Google 360 “Pearl”
• Cuervo Stories
• Visit California
• MEL magazine (created by Dollar Shave Club)
• VIDEO: Always #LikeA Girl campaign (created by Procter & Gamble)
• Van Winkle’s (blog for Casper mattresses)
• Red Bull
• Tablespoon (by General Mills)
• Nerd Wallet

Further resources

• COURSE: Content Marketing for Journalists 
• Udemy.com Course: SEO for Content Marketers: Boost Your Rank with Ahrefs
• Content Marketing company NewsCred, which hires freelance writers
• Content Marketing company Contently, also for freelancers
• The Content Marketing Institute, a great resource for job leads

RECORDING: How to Negotiate A Contract You Can Live With

 

The good news is that the television station has offered you the job. The next step is signing your contract. We were fortunate to have attorney Exavier Pope, Principal Owner of The Pope Law Firm, P.C., conduct the latest NABJ members-only webinar. During the event, Pope, who is also the host of #SuitUP Podcast and treasurer of the NABJ Sports Task Force, offered great advice to members on six key things to consider before putting pen to paper. 

 

1. Length of a Contract
2. List of Job Functions
3. Compensation
4. Morals Clause
5. Non-compete Clauses
6. Termination

You can listen to a recording of the webinar here.  Contact Exavier Pope via email, on his website or via Twitter.  And below are more resources for dealing with contracts.

• 5 Ways to Negotiate Media Contracts to Get More Money and Benefits
• Talent Agents and Your Media Career

• Career Crossroads: 5 Tips for TV Reporters on Hiring an Agent

• What a journalism student should expect in his first broadcast employment contract

RECORDING: Internships 101: The Guidebook to Success in Journalism

In the latest NABJ members-only webinar, a panel discussed the importance of internships and why you need to get one and how you can maximize your intern experience. The event, hosted by NABJ Student Representative Wilton Jackson,  featured veteran journalist Wendy Wilson, students Malika Andrews and Tierra Smith, along with recent graduate Clayton Gutzmore. They shared their experiences and answered questions. NABJ members can listen to the webinar here. 

Wilson offered six golden tips on what it takes to have a successful internship here.  We ran out of time but still had questions. So panelists Malika Andrews and Clayton Gutzman took a crack at them, below.  Finally, our next NABJ members-only webinar, “How to Negotiate A Contract You Can Live With,” will be held on Tuesday, March 21 at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Attorney Exavier Pope will reveal six key things you need to include in your next contract.

What is the best way to follow up with an internship program regarding your application?

MA: I think an email is generally the best way to follow up. Remember, following up doesn’t necessarily have to be “when will you decide?” When I was applying for SJI, I sent Greg [Lee] (the coordinator) a Happy Thanksgiving email, a happy holidays email, happy birthday (okay, I didn’t go that far) — but I did send him a happy holidays note and “I look forward to hearing from you” note.

CG: Give it about two to three weeks before sending an email. Do your research first and find out how their process goes. If it’s not listed, ask before you apply.

What if you have 3-4 years of freelance experience? Would you recommend still going for internships?

CG: Yes still apply for internships. Apply for the internship you believe will take you to the next level. Internships that are different than your current line of freelance work. If you are good enough to freelance, you are able to still earn money while seeking new opportunities. Fellowships can also be something to seek out.

 

MA: I think internships can apply across the board. One of my good friends Rhiannon Walker (now full time with The Undefeated) took back-to-back internships for a year or two before committing to a full-time job. If you are looking for that full-time gig after freelance and nothing is biting, reworking what you are applying for and going for an internship can be a great thing.

How does one find the hiring manager, especially if it’s at a big media corporation? I have tried LinkedIn, but that has not helped. 

CG: Check the website. There should be contact information at the bottom or on a tab on their website. Call the station and politely ask. Check with your professors. If it’s a big company, they should know somebody that knows somebody.

MA: Ask! Usually, someone will know in your network. For instance, when I was applying for the New York Times internship, I asked someone I had met at a conference very briefly who to address my cover letter to. It turned out, I was supposed to address it to him! He was glad I asked. Or you can always call the newsroom.

I am in the process of applying to internships at local TV stations. What advice do you have to set myself apart?

MA: Find your voice and hone in on it. Are you a great features storyteller? Great. Hold that up. Can you edit as well as be in front of the camera? Say that. And be versatile- make sure you are more than just the face in front of the camera or the behind-the-scenes person.
Also, in your cover letters, make sure not to just say that this is why you want this. A lot of kids want it. Make sure you also say how you are a good fit for them and what sorts of things you bring to the table.

I have just received my first internship at a news station in Greensboro, N.C. I am extremely excited. What can I do to prepare for that internship now? What are the things that would make me stick out in the internship? What are some of the tasks of an intern at a news station?

MA: This may seem basic, but make sure you watch the station. Familiarize yourself with their content style and also the content they have already published so you make sure you aren’t pitching stories that double dip into what they’ve already done. Also, know the names of producers and talent!

As far as sticking out: be the person that goes above and beyond. If there is an assignment after your normal nine to five shift, stay late. Something on the weekend? Be there. And pitch stories! Don’t make your producer constantly come to you. Even if you get shot down, keep pitching. And remember, no assignment is too small. When I was at the local Portland TV station, we begged a producer to stay late so we could read off the anchors tape and cut out own highlight reels. That was really helpful for me to have.

How do you feel about tracking the progress of your work in the internship? Would it be too much to ask for evaluations from the people who I work with?

CG: I say give it time. Seek critiques on your second project. You will know a little bit more about how you are supposed to do work for the outlet.

MA: Seek feedback. But don’t forget it’s easier to fix things before they go to print or on web or the package airs. So if you have a complex story, seek out your editor or producer beforehand.

I have just begun researching different graduate schools. Is there a time to do an internship while in grad school?

MA: I can’t speak from experience but from what I have heard, it depends. For instance, I know Columbia J-school doesn’t recommend it. They put you to work. I know [NABJ Student Representative] Wilton [Jackson] has done internships while in graduate school at LSU so I think it depends on your specific program and how many credits you take. It also depends if you can balance keeping your grades up and having an internship.

RECORDING: 10 Reasons Why You Didn’t Get That Interview – Or That Job

Veteran hiring managers Glenn Proctor of REDDjobb LLC and Ebony Reed of the Boston Business Journal answered the 10 reasons why you didn’t get that job in great detail.  They also gave solid advice on what you need to do as a job applicant to stand out from the pack.

If you missed the webinar, you can listen to a recording of it here.  And below are some relevant links that can further assist you in your job search process.

• Glenn Proctor’s REDDjobb — “Energy Gets Opportunity” (You *need* this service)
• Ebony Reed on LinkedIn
• How to Make the Right First Impression
• What Mom never told you about filling out applications
• Tis the season to search for a job
• Why didn’t they call me for an interview?

RECORDING #FreelanceFebruary: Stop Putting Off Your Website

The latest NABJ members-only webinar, “Stop Putting Off Your Website,” Marissa Evans of the Texas Tribune offered her tips and tricks for creating a portfolio website. She critiqued two journalist websites — including mine — and explained the four elements every journalist’s website should have.

Evans answered questions about everything from best platforms to host a website to how much one should pay a designer.  Click here to view the one-hour webinar. And below are links to some of the sites mentioned in the webinar.

• Marissa’s presentation slides
• Access to a downloadable website worksheet
• Marissa’s “Get Your Website Right” online course

We are working on the next webinar series for March and April under the hashtag #NABJSpringClean. These webinars will be all about things that are blocking us in our careers and what we can do to remove them. Topics we’ll cover include the need for internships, tips on job interviews and women dealing with Impostor Syndrome. We are still in the planning phases, so if you have webinar ideas, please send them here.