Mike Wallace raised this tough questioning to an art form.   Harry Reasoner  once said, “There is one thing that Mike can do better than anybody else: With an angelic smile, he can ask a question that would get anyone else smashed in the face.”   How did Wallace get away with it?   He was first and foremost a fearless questioner – but – and probably more importantly – he did his research.  He knew the answer before he asked the question – therefore he cut through the person’s spin – by asking the question the right way the first time – or following up relentlessly until the subject fessed up.

Mike Wallace had certain famous opening lines he used for this type of questioning.  For instance, “Forgive me for asking….but…”   OR    “Not my words….but some say…”   He used this technique during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979.   Wallace asked Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini —  a feared world figure at the time — what he thought about being called “a lunatic” by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

In the 1990′s Mike Wallace landed a rare interview with Barbra Streisand, and mocked her over 20 years of being in psychoanalysis by asking, “What is it you’re trying to find out that takes 20 years?”   That brought tears from Streisand who stammered, “I’m a slow learner.”

Wallace also was famous for his reaction to some stone-walling or lame answer by someone he was questioning saying  “Oh, come on…”   OR  “What do you mean you have no idea?”  Then he would sit and wait – letting the camera roll until the person felt compelled to say something – usually the answer to the original question.  I recommend this technique to reporters all the time – they don’t have to use the “come on” line – but don’t be afraid to sit there and let the camera roll  – usually the subject of your question will cave and say something to break the silence.

But for all his bravado – Wallace’s greatest asset was being armed with research.  I tell reporters that they MUST know the answer to the question before they ask the question.  That way the politician cannot wiggle off the hook with a lame, stock answer.  Remember this:  Most politicians rehearse answers to your expected questions – so you need to do your research to continue to probe until they give you an actual answer that responds to your actual question.

With the death of Mike Wallace, the Internet is filled with links to many of his famous interviews.  Spend time to watch some of them – and while you are doing that pay close attention to the demeanor and the questioning techniques exhibited by Wallace.  This will give you a masters degree in the art of accountability journalism.

In the end, the greatest compliment anyone ever paid Mike Wallace was most likely an advertisement taken out by the Coors Brewing company in the early 80′s.  It said – “The Four Most Dreaded Words in the English Language: Mike Wallace Is Here.”

Jim

I have a client station – that shall remain nameless – in a NSI LPM market – that shall remain nameless – that just lost half of their A25-54 audience in their morning newscast.  A number that had been cruising along at a steady 1 in the demo – suddenly dropped to a .5 and stayed there.  Now – we know that in this market – one A25-54 demo point equals a whopping two LPM boxes.

The other day, one of the anchors on this morning newscast received an email from a loyal viewer saying how much she missed her in the morning but the viewer’s work schedule had changed so she left much earlier each day.  And – the emailer added – “I also have one of those “Nielsen thingies that monitor my viewing.”

Ah Ha!  There is the answer to the riddle of why this station’s morning newscast suddenly lost half of its A25-54 demo.  ONE of their fans – who happened to have a NSI box – goes to work earlier now and misses the newscast.

So based on that little anecdote is Nielsen’s LPM system ridiculous and flawed?   I rest my case.

Jim

Now, I have partnered with stations for over two decades at AR&D and we have used that very approach – finding an unfulfilled viewer “desire” (balanced news, severe weather, accountability) – delivering that image – and rising to top dog in the market.  That’s why I was surprised to see legacy stations that brought the same response from respondent after respondent – “Gee, I really can’t think of anything they’re doing” that makes them noticeably different and better than their competitors.

It seemed unfathomable to me that these stations were market kings year after year – with no other local station taking a serious run at that them – when we kept seeing responses like this from viewers:

“I really don’t have anything specific.  I cannot think of anything that stands out,”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what the competitive advantage is that (station) has.”

“I’m not sure.  I guess it’s just habit.”

“I don’t know, they’re all pretty much the same, I’ve just always watched that one.”

After reading response after response like those – after seeing how the overall local TV news viewership numbers keep diminishing – after hearing for years that local TV newscasts are just not relevant anymore – it finally hit me.  The problem is most non-winning local TV newscasts are “ENABLERS.”

Those stations talk about strategy, talk about how their newscasts are really different than the #1 guys, talk about their great marketing campaigns.  But it’s all hogwash!  You are ENABLING the top dogs to stay on top because you are doing NOTHING noticeably different.  You are doing nothing that is bold enough, good enough, and valued enough to even get them to use one finger to push a different channel on their remote!   Am I being overly harsh?

I don’t think so.  The evidence clearly points to this fact: The second and third place TV stations cannot muster enough of a charge to pry these habitual viewers just a little bit out of their comfort zone – to even entertain the thought that maybe – just maybe – their favorite station (that hasn’t excited them for years) might not be the only one they should watch.  That, my friends, is a sad state of affairs.

But BOLD is hard for most TV stations to embrace.  After all, we all know that TV is a pack mentality business.  If I had a dollar for every time I suggested something bold, and a client said – “Who else does that?” – and I said “No one – you could be the first.” – and had the client say “Well let me know when someone else does it, and I’ll consider it.” – I could be retired on my bass boat right now.

So the message is simple – You can choose to be BOLD and go after viewer-desired opportunities in a major way – or you can continue to enable the #1 stations to sit on their well-worn, uninspired thrones and garner the majority of the revenue in your market.  The choice is yours.

Jim

It seems that most of the news audience (on all platforms) is “worried and concerned” and they point their exasperated fingers directly at politicians – local, state and national.  This is really not news, I know, but the anger and vitriol has become much more intense over the past couple years.

To sum it up – from the news audience perspective – most believe elected officials are only in it for themselves – now more than ever – and are much more interested in lining their own pockets, and wasting our hard earned tax dollars than looking out for their constituents.  Recent verbatim comments from AR&D research projects across the country bear this out – in a loud voice.

“I want to know who is accountable, and think the media should help inform the people who are watching the news.”

“We need more coverage of how much of the tax payers’ money is being blown.”

“News agencies have a better chance to ask questions of politicians and police, more than the public does.  I hate it when they sweep things under the rug.”

“Instead of our politicians working together, they want to fight every idea that is brought before them. I’m tired of our country tearing ourselves apart!!!!

“I am frustrated with the state of our country and I wish that Politicians would be held accountable.”

“Check whether the election promises made are not reversed once in power and don’t let the law makers be the law breakers,”

“Go after corporations and politicians more often, everyone knows they both are doing illegal things or immoral things at best.”

“Ask tough questions. Hold those in power accountable.”

I happened to be at the station for OPERATION CAMO DAY and watched as they held a quick rally in the newsroom.   “General” (manager) Kyle Krebs gave a fiery speech to send his troops into battle.  Everyone left with a glint in their eye – and an ice cream treat in their hand.  Very cool!

Jim

AR&D’s extensive national research database shows these – to many of you I’m sure – shocking numbers when it comes to TV station brand statements.  When we ask – “Are you familiar with the phrase (BRAND STATEMENT) being used by a local newscast? – 69% of respondents say “Yes.”  Not a bad number you say.

But then we probe deeper – asking “Which station uses (BRAND STATEMENT)?”  The number drops perceptibly to 43%.  What?  While 7-of-10 say they are familiar with the brand statement – only 4-of-10 can correctly connect it with the proper station.  As an advertiser would you continue to invest your dollars in this venture?

And then the other shoe falls when we ask those same respondents – “Does (BRAND STATEMENT) make you more likely to watch their local newscast?”  AR&D Vice President Of Research Rory Ellender says “that number falls to a pathetic 15%.”  Think about that – you spend millions of dollars in airtime, thousands of hours of staff time creating the promos and graphics – and less than half can name the correct station, and 2 people out of 10 say it compels them to watch your newscast. UGH!

So where is the disconnect?  Our research points the finger at a number of reasons:

• Aspiration Marketing – too many stations create promotional spots of what the newscasts “aspire” to be.  But the newscasts don’t deliver on the advertising promises.  That is a huge disconnect for viewers.
• Generic Brand Statements – using a brand message that claims something like, “Live, Local, Breaking News” – is too generic.  Viewers typically ascribe those attributes to their favorite station (after all that’s why they watch it) – so it is nearly impossible to stake an exclusive claim on any of them.
• No Emotional Connection – many brand statements become vanilla because they don’t generate any emotional attachment to the station.  For instance, “(Market’s) News Channel.”  Hard to imagine what’s in that for me as a viewer.
• Who Cares Brand Statements – these tout attributes that no one cares about, for instance, “(market’s) News Leader.”  First of all, our research shows no one cares about which station is #1 or which station has the largest news staff etc.  Once again, they assume their favorite station is #1 or has the best news-gathering staff etc.

So, I know what you’re saying – tell me already what works?  How do we fix this situation?  It is actually a very simple answer – but the solution is complicated.

The simple answer – Find out what attributes are most important to viewers where you live?  Then ask them, “Is any station, including your favorite, delivering that important attribute (i.e. brand)?”  Researcher Ellender says, “we call that the Opportunity Gap – it is an attribute that viewers really value and desire, but no station, not even their favorite, is delivering it.  So, if your station can deliver on it you will attract more viewers to your newscasts.”

The complicated part – showcasing this brand attribute in your newscasts every day in a way that makes them unique and sets them apart from the competition.  Once this is achieved then you can begin using the brand statement.  You also must create and deliver an image campaign that promotes the viewer-value of this unique, and most desired, brand attribute.

And, if you doubt the power of this research-newscast delivery-clear marketing promise combination let me give you the most extreme example during my two decades with AR&D.  I was consulting a TV station in Honolulu – the land of sunshine, swaying palm trees, warm tropical breezes – and SEVERE WEATHER!

That’s right, AR&D research showed a huge opportunity gap in severe weather coverage.  When I suggested my client become Hawaii’s Severe Weather Station you can imagine the shock and skepticism.  The general manager questioned my sanity.  The competition teased our news crews mercilessly when they were in the field together.  But the power of exploitation of the Opportunity Gap was amazing even in what many considered a radical idea.  The station’s news and marketing departments did a terrific job on making it happen.

The station’s newscasts delivered on the promise, and made weather coverage a priority in their newscasts.  The marketing followed with some great Hawaii-centric promotion.  The station broke out of the pack – and knocked off the longtime Honolulu leader.  The weather cooperated with torrential rains, mud slides, flooding and hurricane threats along the way.  Some Hawaii natives even blamed the station for this crazy weather – saying “this never happened before you started calling yourself Hawaii’s severe weather station.”

There are many other AR&D client markets where this strong exploitation of the Opportunity Gap has taken stations to #1.  How about your brand statement?  Does it sell something viewers in your market really care about it?  Is it a unique promise that is delivered every day in every newscast?  If the answers are no – it is time to stop throwing away all those dollars.

Jim

Of course, the fingers of blame get pointed in many directions.  The media pundits have for decades blamed those dastardly news consultants for fostering this sea of sameness in local TV newscasts.   To that – I say – “Balderdash!”  Local TV news departments point the finger at staff reductions, and a lack of feet on the street – causing them to repeat many of the same news stories.  Once again that is rubbish.

No – the real culprit in this “they all look alike” problem is the advent of computer newsrooms – and the dreaded “cut and paste” philosophy.  Hey, I’m a busy producer – and this story looks OK – I’ll just cut and paste into my newscast.  Why re-write it?

Well, Conan O’Brien proved “why” on a recent program.  Conan had announced the day before that he would perform a gay marriage ceremony on his program.  It was going to be the last night in New York for the show – where gay marriages are legal – and one of his show employees was going to tie the knot.  That announcement was an item in local TV newscasts across the country.

Unfortunately – “Cut and Paste Fever” was at a high pitch – as Conan proved with this clip the next day on his program.   Every local anchor read the same story – with the exact same wording – and it seemed to go on forever.   Take a look for yourself - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GME5nq_oSR4.

So – to avoid such nonsense – you would do well to heed the words of KPHO, Phoenix News Director Michelle Donaldson – who sent a note to her staff after seeing Conan’s clip with these words – “EVEN IN HASTE – DO NOT COPY AND PASTE.”

Jim

It was Sunday afternoon and my older son had invited friends and family to his Plano, Texas home for a cookout and a little Cowboys football.  Zak was using his Droid X texting buddies in other locations throughout the game.  My younger son, Josh, was using his iPhone to check on his teams in a number of Fantasy Football Leagues.  I had brought along my iPad to watch other late games from the NFL Sunday Ticket “To Go.”  I, of course, also had my trusty Droid X at my side for texting and emails.  Wives and other guests were active on their cell phones keeping up with messages from their friends.  All of this mobile activity occurred while we also kept an eye on the TV – hoping the Cowboys could hang on to win a close game against the Patriots. (No such luck!).

Suddenly Mark received an alert on his iPhone that a popular Indy Racing League driver had been killed in one of the worst accidents anyone had ever seen during a race in Las Vegas.  Immediately we all peered into our mobile devices – smart phones and the iPad – looking for information and a replay of the accident.  The elephant in the room – the 50-inch HD TV was ignored as the Cowboy-Patriots game droned along.

In less than a minute, Mark found a web site that had a replay of the crash.  I immediately went to it – and my iPad played the carnage – with cars spinning out of control and flames everywhere.  It was a horrible crash brought to us in living color on the Apple mobile device.  We were able to replay it, and freeze it – while trying to determine what caused the crash etc.  We also watched interviews with drivers and saw the CEO of the racing league announcing that the race had been cancelled – but that all the drivers would return to the track for a slow, five-lap tribute to Dan Wheldon – who had been killed in the crash.

It was only when Zak received a text message from a buddy of his – saying that the tribute was about to begin on ABC television – that any of us took our eyes off of our mobile technology and looked over at the big elephant in the room, as Zak switched away from the football game to watch the tribute live from Las Vegas.

Not even the 60-something, child of television, who has worked in the TV business for four decades, gave a second thought to the big screen HD TV until that moment.  And that night, my friends, I thought about another lesson I’d learned that day about new media versus legacy media.

Jim

Well, if you are one of those “walk-in-without-a-story-idea-hand-me-an-assignment” new breed of reporter – you need not apply at WSPA, the Media General station in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  They demand that their reporters come to work armed – not only – with daily story ideas – but also ones that fit the station’s On Your Side brand of journalism.  It has become   part of their newsroom DNA.  They call it “managing the brand.”

Longtime WSPA Managing Editor Karen Kelly says it starts when reporter candidates are initially contacted by the news managers.  She says, “We are very specific about our expectations.”  The managers explain the On Your Side brand and Karen says, “We look for reporters who exhibit an aggressive reporting style, are prepared to ask smart questions, and are not afraid to ask those tough accountability questions.”

WSPA News Director Dan Cates says, “From the very first interview reporters understand that daily, and special report pitches must fit the On Your Side brand.”  And by the way, those reporters are not only expected to offer one fresh, branded story idea each day – they are required to have two of them.

Kelly says the WSPA news managers believe the success of their enterprising reporting is based on four elements:

• Knowledge – All the reporters understand not only the daily requirements but the market research and strategic plan for executing the brand
• Consistency – The managers are relentless in their demand that the reporters pitch two strong, branded stories every day – no one gets a pass
• Reputation – The reporters know what the station demands right from the first interview – and the On Your Side brand is well-known in the market
• Teamwork – Everyone – not just reporters – build on the reporter story ideas in the editorial meetings with managers and producers monitoring progress all day

The main elements of the WSPA On Your Side brand are displayed in the news conference room.  It keeps the news staff focused on the brand every day in these meetings.  As the meetings progress, each reporter either makes their story pitches in person, or by phone from bureaus in the far flung Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville market that spans two states.  I have been in plenty of those WSPA editorial meetings – and the one thing I have never heard (which I ALWAYS hear in most every other newsroom) is – “I don’t have anything today.”

The WSPA producers don’t skate through these meetings either.  The meeting leader always starts with the question – “What’s the buzz?  What are people talking about today?”  After several minutes of everyone pitching in (and this is before most of the reporters usually join the meeting) the list usually has 15-to-20 items on it.  Then the reporters start pitching their ideas – and get feedback and questions from the producers and news managers.  The reporters are always required to begin with their On Your Side story ideas for the day.

Managing Editor Kelly says these enterprise story pitches become a habit due to WSPA’s consistent approach.  Karen says, “It’s not something we do for a couple of weeks, and then forget it.  It is not a fleeting idea, but takes years of daily reminders of our expectations.”  I have been in those WSPA editorial meetings, and have witnessed more than once, when a reporter is sent out of the room to work the phones because they dared to come in empty-handed.

News Director Cates says, “Our viewers know what we do.  They expect it.  We get dozens of calls and emails each day with story suggestions.”  Cates goes on to say, “We make sure that viable leads are assigned to specific reporters for follow-up.”  Viewers also call, email or Tweet specific WSPA reporters.   Kelly says, “Our reporters develop contacts and turn exclusive branded content because of our reputation and brand recognition.”

With everyone engaged in the editorial meetings at WSPA, the reporters don’t just get the okay to cover a story they have suggested, but the direction and elements of the story are discussed before they head out the door.  What are the anchor breakout possibilities?  Are special graphics needed?  What will the viewers want to know?  Cates says, “If the On Your Side angle isn’t evident, everyone works together on ways to dig deeper, and add relevance and perspective.”

If there is breaking news the WSPA managers use these meetings to ask questions of producers and reporters like – “How do we cover this story differently?” and “What perspective and relevance can we add that is impactful to our audience?”  No one leaves the editorial meeting without a complete understanding of the important, branded stories of the day and with initial plans on how those stories will be told by the producers, reporters and anchors.   Of course, many times those morning plans change during the day – but strong communication between the news staff in the field and the Managing Editor, Executive Producer and each newscast producer back at the mother ship allow for the needed adjustments.

So, the all but lost art of enterprising reporters is alive and well at WSPA.   What about at your shop?

Jim

There is one constant in these emotions – the power of seeing these events live while we sit in our homes thousands of miles away.  For all its foibles, live television news has been a powerful force in our lives – in my life – for decades.  Yes, there are many things wrong with television news – but nothing ever invented has gripped my gut like live coverage on television.

I remember sitting in my freshmen high school English class on November 22, 1963.  It was a Friday and I was looking forward to our football game that night.  Suddenly the principal came on the school’s public address system to tell us President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas.  We were instructed to stay in the same room for the remainder of the school day, and he put the live radio coverage on the P.A. system.  While it was a sad, gripping drama the radio coverage was missing something I wanted to see – live pictures of what was happening right now.

I remember two days later, a Sunday morning on November 24, 1963.  I was a 15-year-old glued to the TV set as I had been all weekend, watching live coverage of the aftermath of the JFK assassination.  They were transferring the alleged shooter – Lee Harvey Oswald – to a different location when suddenly, as I sat in my living room, a man walked in front of him and shot him live on television.

I remember the next day watching the JFK funeral live on television, when suddenly his 3-year-old son John F. Kennedy, junior stepped forward as the horse-drawn casket passed by. He stood erect, at attention, and snapped a salute to his dead father.  I can still see that image in my mind’s eye 48 years later.  I remember the announcer saying it was the very young man’s third birthday on the day his father was being buried.

I remember July 21, 1969 as I watched on live television – a man walked on the moon for the first time.  It was surreal – the video was a bit grainy, it was black and white, but it was amazing to see Neil Armstrong bounce down the final steps of the lunar lander as I sat in my home.

I remember January 28, 1986.  I was now vice president of news at KPNX-TV in Phoenix.  I had CNN on in my office as I always did.  Another space shuttle was being launched from Florida.  The Big Three networks were not covering it live – these launches had become old hat.  I was walking out the door of my office when suddenly the Challenger blew into pieces live on television.  I remember the smoke was oddly colorful – blue and brown shades against the clear Florida sky – as the tragedy unfolded live on TV.  I quickly rushed an anchor to the set – and we reported on the explosion five minutes before NBC scrambled to do a live report.

I remember September 11, 2001.  It was an unusual Tuesday for me – I was not traveling that day – something I did almost every Tuesday.  My wife Sherri had arrived home late the night before after working at American Airlines – where she assisted customers who needed a flight somewhere, or were stuck somewhere trying to get a flight home.  Sherri was also on the airline’s Care Team.  If there was a crash – she would be one of the people taking the calls from friends and relatives of people on that flight.

I remember tuning to the Today Show where I saw a smoking tower at the World Trade Center, live on television.  They were saying a small plane had crashed into it on a clear, cloudless morning in New York.  As I watched live suddenly a large plane crashed into the other tower.  It happened so fast, and seemed so unbelievable, that it took a few seconds before I realized what I had just seen on live television.  Then the reports started coming in of commercial airliners being unaccounted for in a number of locations, and the one that had become a fireball into the side of the second tower may have been from American Airlines.

I woke Sherri up, and she headed into work to start taking those calls – those terrible, grief-stricken calls – from people wondering if their loved ones had been on the American flights that crashed on that horrible day.  My wife was gone for three days while I sat in front of the live television coverage of the horror of 9/11.  It takes a special person to deal with those calls that kept coming in from around the country.  Now, she too, was forever connected to the day America was attacked at home.

I remember May 1, 2011, late in the evening, when the word started spreading on television and social media – that gutless bastard Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. Navy Seals.  In minutes live television began showing the spontaneous celebrations outside the White House as Americans rejoiced that an evil man had been gunned down.  Some waved American flags.  It was a stirring scene brought into my home on live television.

And now, on 9/11/11 – once again live television is bringing pictures – in HD now – into our homes so we can be joined as a nation watching another historic day in America.  The live pictures are powerful.  It is what television does best.

Jim