If It Bleeds, It Leads!

Written by Rob Abramenko Tuesday, 23 February 2010 14:38

'Radio news is bearable. This is due to the fact that while the news is being broadcast, the disk jockey is not allowed to talk' - Fran Lebowitz.  Ahh....the good ol' news desk! This week I returned to my old stomping grounds as a news nerd since Glen Morrison is off this week basking in beautiful Puerto Vallarta. And it got me thinking about my start in radio, my years at BCIT and my first 4 years as a cub reporter here in Vernon. And let me tell you, it's one job that is not for the faint of heart. Today's blog...a look behind the scenes of a great newsroom.

IF IT BLEEDS...IT LEADS:
   "If it bleeds....it leads". I remember the first time I ever heard that term. In 1987,  I did a four week practicum at CHBC News. A couple of times a week, I job shadowed some of the reporters, sat in master control and hung  out in the editing bay. I recall asking one of the anchors, how they decided what stories would run on the nightly news. His response simply was "If it bleeds...it leads". Got it! Death at your doorstep was far more exciting then new lights at the corner of Richter and Pandosy. On my way to being a news cameraman, I became sidetracked by radio and started at CJIB two years later as the Summer Sports Scene reporter. I fell in love with the medium. After three summers, I left the station to get my Broadcast Journalism diploma at BCIT in Burnaby. I remember sitting in class, when the head of the department was talking about gathering news and how you select a line-up (the order you put the stories in). "If it bleeds...it leads"! Ahh there's that saying again. I also heard..."follow the money", "Get it first" and "No comment...is as good as any answer". Now don't get me wrong, this probably feeds into most people's beliefs that members of the media are blood sucking parasites. And to be honest...in the big city of Vancouver...those rules were adhered to by many a reporter. But after a short stint at BCTV, I returned back to Vernon to my hometown radio station and it's here where I learned a lot more about responsible journalism then I did in Van city.  I have worked with some amazing people who have chosen to stay in a smaller market, but if they ever wanted to...could easily blow the socks off many 'big city' news hounds.

  It is an ill thing to be the first to bring news of ill - Aeschylus 

    In 1989, Glen Morrison was my first News Director. He wanted the story first....but he also made a point that we should get it right as well. It didn't matter if we had the story on the air before anyone else...if it was wrong...it didn't mean squat. Doug Blackie (former morning news desker) taught me that its important to build relationships with news-makers. Burning bridges for the sake of a story was not something he tolerated. Kevin Rothwell taught me about paying attention to the little things. This guy could pull 12 stories out of a 15 minute meeting. He also taught me news is not 9 to 5....and that you have to be ready to hit the beat at any time. Mike Blanchard....showed me the importance of talking to the listener. A huge fan of 'streeters' (when we interview Joe Q Public literally on the street). He felt it was important to allow our listeners to have a voice. This of course was way before we had 'Say Of The Day online'. Current News Director Pete McIntyre who mentored me in sports reporting and hockey play by play proves there is a human behind the microphone. He genuinely cares about being local first. He always asks "how will this story affect me and my family?" He believes in honest journalism and is one of the most unbiased people I have ever met. And speaking of unbiased...often a news-maker, Patrick Nicol who is a city councillor and GM of the radio station taught me about being transparent and fair with our news coverage.
    Many people would think that having a city councillor as a GM or vice-versa would be a conflict of interest. But in my 20 plus years at the station, he has NEVER...influenced the news, tipped us off,  or scolded us for our coverage of a city story. IN fact...despite him being in the station, its sometimes even hard to get a quote. Patrick has always allowed the newsroom to operate with complete autonomy when it comes to covering local, regional and national stories.  Even when we have to run a difficult story that could potentially hurt the business end of the station, we have never been ruled by politics, sales, or personal biases. Heck I can honestly say, I have no clue which way my coworkers would even vote. Its one of the few places where I have worked where people check their egos, agendas and personal desires at the door. KISS News is about reporting what important to you, the listener. Sure we have the odd tabloid or wacky story...but its no longer about whether it 'bleeds or not'. Its about being fair and responsible....and truly being 'LOCAL FIRST'. As you can tell I am very proud to be a part of the news team.

BLOOPERS...IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE...RIGHT?: 
   Oh man...the blooper. Everyone loves it when those self righteous news guys crash and burn. As a former news guy, I am the first to admit...there is something wickedly satisfying seeing a news anchor crash. Those Ron Burgundy types with their perfectly quaffed hair-does and smug "I know everything" look. Those are the ones who we love to see on www.failblog.org. Well I have to admit, I've had a couple of doozies, including one of my early newscasts where I could not say the word 'redistributed'. It was the final word of my last news story, I jammed on it...tried it three more times...
collapsed on air....apologized to the listeners and then went and laid down in the fetal position under my desk.  Well for your enjoyment here are some best News Bloopers from youtube.

PICTURE OF THE DAY:
Had to go way back for picture of the day. The 1993 CJIB News Team. Afternoon News - Mike Blanchard, Morning News - Glen Morrison, Sports Director - Pete McIntyre, Weekends/Junior Reporter - Rob Abramenko and Head Beat Reporter/News Director - Kevin Rothwell.

CLICK THE PIC TO ENLARGE 

ODD AND ENDS:
I will talk more about the BCHL playoffs and maybe make the odd prediction or two. But I have to say, I am a little shocked that the Vernon Vipers are not being considered for more year end awards by the league. Marker Ferner is the only one up for Coach of The Year...and I think he is worthy of that. But where is Steve Weinstein for Most Sportsmanlike? You don't play 60 games on the blueline and not get a penalty without some recognition. Throw Dylan Walchuk or Blake Voth in to the pool for Rookie Of The Year honours. Maybe Connor Jones as an MVP candidate. Well who am I to say....I mean after all I am a wee bit biased. Oh yeah...biases don't matter when it comes to sports...yeeeehaawwww! Check back on Friday for your chance to win Vernon Vipers playoff tickets.