By Sammy Fernandes
Communications Chair of RTDNA
Knowing what to prioritize comes with journalism experience.
When Yvette Sanchez was a student journalist, she was more worried about the creativity of her standups than actually getting solid standups.
With poor time management, she would take hours to decide where to record and what to say.
Now, as a multimedia journalist for WHNT 19 NEWS in Huntsville, Alabama, she drives to the field already thinking of what to say before it even happens.
With deadlines haunting journalists, Sanchez is more cautious of time and not so worried anymore about her standups' creativity.
As her station likes to have reporters go live every hour, sometimes packages do not require a standup.
But when they do, Sanchez says a lot of standups have to do with scriptwriting.
“News loves live,” Sanchez said. “They love live because it shows a sense of urgency in the news that you’re giving.”
Doing a package during COVID-19 can be tricky, but Sanchez has tips for recording your audio at home.
“You can always go into a closet,” she said. “Shut your doors and record your audio. If it’s still too echoey, throw a sweater or towel over your face and talk into the mic.”
Here are Sanchez’s tips on the basics of doing a standup:
Get comfortable speaking in front of a camera.
Make sure the camera is on eye-level.
Don’t look at the viewfinder on camera.
Use your hands moderately.
Always do the standup and hold it for five seconds in case cuts are needed when editing.
The purpose of a standup is to bring reliability and authorship so the audience knows the face behind the story.
Therefore, knowing which type of standup works better is crucial:
Bridge Standup: Reporter appears in the middle of the package, bridging one point of the story to another.
Informative Standup: Reporter walks, moves around or shows something. This is recommended in a bridge standup or in the last scene of the package.
Look-live Standup: Reporter introduces the package in the beginning or sums it up in the end.
For foreign reporters, Sanchez said they should own their accent and not be shy about it.
However, if there is a specific title, name, or disease, they should practice beforehand to say the proper pronunciation. Even for native English speakers, pronunciation is key.
Sanchez says women reporters can sometimes have special challenges.
“Your safety is number one. Always be vigilant, always be careful, always know your surroundings,” Sanchez said.
She said if “things are getting stinky,” go to the news director, and if it continues to happen, take it to the president of the station and H.R., so it’s all documented.
“Be cordial. Don’t talk about anybody, even if someone is talking about them, and they’re talking to you,” Sanchez said.
Watch the meeting to get to know more about Sanchez’s experiences as a multimedia journalist:
If you want to invest in extra equipment to use in your iPhone or Android, here are a few suggestions from the CSUN RTDNA President:
Using only your iPhone and Android to record a package and standup can work just fine — but having that extra equipment can help to have a steady shot and audio.