Finding And Keeping News Topical Talent
Creative services directors are finding it harder and harder to find good news topical writer/producers. Some grow their own, plucking them right out of college, perhaps as interns, and train them. Others look internally, finding someone already at the station who wants to be creative. This is Part 3 of a five-part series, Building Viewership with News Topicals. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
This article was originally posted on tvnewscheck.com
This five part (laughably overkill) series about news topicals is as irrelevant as the news topicals themselves.
Only 2 more to go….. This is painful but it shows the disconnect…. Even the station management seems confused if this should be a news writer type or a creative marketing type. Who does this person report to… Creative Service Director or News? If they do figure out then they normally do not pay for the talent and that person leaves for a better paying job. Again taking an 80’s concept and trying to continue in 2017 could have been covered in 1 part…. If the story being teased is so important and a must watch then why is it not the lead story in the A block of the news? Viewers are not dumb!! Most stations tease the tease and the story does not air until after the 2nd weather report.
Disconnect is a good word for it. If you haven’t turned your topical producers into content producers by now, go ahead and retire.