The crazy caller is the one constant

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 In : Assignment News Desk 

“CBS 4 News this is Misty.”

“Do you know the difference between a deer and an elk?” CLICK.

As my thought of “did we air a picture and get it wrong?” was forming the caller hung up.  I have no idea why he called.  He sounded upset.  He didn’t sound like he was prank-calling.  With the phone silent against my ear I went ahead and did a search of the rundowns just to check for any possible mistake we could have made.   There had been no pictures or stories of deer or elk for days.

I...


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Don't forget the simple steps when tracking down a source

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 In : Assignment News Desk 
So very much happens on the news desk that sometimes the little, usual steps are forgotten.  I’m guilty of this.  I work so hard on so many different tasks that I overlook a simple step that would have gotten me everything I needed.  Last week though the simple routine  helped us get an exclusive interview with Timothy Masters, a man who spent 10-years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.

In the middle of the afternoon we received a short release from Masters’ attorney saying the Cit...
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We live in a fractured technological society

Posted by Misty Montano on Sunday, June 6, 2010 In : Assignment News Desk 


I have repeatedly mentioned this in my posts:  I take calls weekly from viewers upset because they don't have easy access to a computer, let a lone the Internet.  They are upset because our newscasts direct them to our website for further information on the stories.  The calls are mostly from elderly folks, but increasingly the calls are from younger people.  Due to their economic situations, the computer or the Internet, was an expense they could no longer afford.

I try to give out all the i...
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Using Ustream in news collaboration

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 In : Social Media in the Newsroom 
Two more news collaborations have been completed.  Each utilized Ustream, but in different ways.  The first was Monday where we invited local artists Laurie Maves and Nemo to watch an investigative story by Brian Maass that looked at an art gallery in Aspen accused of plagiarizing art work.  They met Assistant News Director Kristine Strain, watched the story and asked some questions.

Soon after they left the station they broadcast their discussion of the story on Laurie's Ustream channel.  The...
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Start the conversation early with news collaboration

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, May 13, 2010 In : Social Media in the Newsroom 

We invited law enforcement officers and community members to come to the station to watch our story on Distracted Drivers BEFORE it aired Friday night. After they watched the story the panel reviewed and discussed the story amongst themselves and on their personal social networks. The discussion was broadcast live on Ustream allowing more participation from those who watched.

This is one of the news collaboration projects of which I’ve been writing. Those on the panel became supplem...

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Journalists, let's talk social media as marketing efforts

Posted by Misty Montano on Thursday, May 13, 2010 In : Social Media in the Newsroom 


When I say news collaboration out loud in the newsroom I get looks of confusion, uncertainty, and doubt as the response. When I say news collaboration through social media the looks tell me I’m crazy. Recently I’ve been trying a new tactic.

I’ve found it easier to explain why I chose to work with social media as a journalist by discussing it in marketing terms. I’m not sure why this is. I’ve said it before; rarely do we in the newsroom get in on the marketing plans for the ...

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News collaboration provides supplemental resource for viewers

Posted by Misty Montano on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 In : Social Media in the Newsroom 

Friday Dr. Robert Forto posted a blog that shared his thoughts, insight and personal story in reaction to watching a story that aired that night. We invited him to come to the station the day before the story was on the news. We asked him take the story to his social networks, website, and/or blog in any way he felt appropriate. We did not ask for any editorial control in any way he chose to share his reaction and opinion on the story.

Robert's blog: Forget Me (Not) Ca...

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News collaboration can be a business plan

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, May 8, 2010 In : Social Media in the Newsroom 
CBS4 News is not new to using social media. The station has been at it for well over a year. (Hey it’s longer than some, shorter than others, but more aggressive than other local media outlets.) I think though that I’m the only one who uses the actual term “news collaboration.”

Collaboration is exactly what we've been doing. From the surgery shared live through Twitter to the Join the Conversation campaign to the Interactive HelpCenter we’re collaborating with the public in our ne...
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News collaboration could cause giant shift in news time continuum

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, May 7, 2010 In : Social Media in the Newsroom 

As you probably know I believe in collaborative news projects. News is not dying. People are information hounds who will search out the information they want. The traditional news model is changing because of this. We must find ways to be relevant.

A coworker said today that the one benefit television news still has is the immediacy of live video along with the human contact. Notice she tagged on human contact. Twitter, facebook, YouTube, etc. may beat news crews to the scene and start sha...

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Good-bye press release I didn't even open

Posted by Misty Montano on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 In : Assignment News Desk 
Your hard work on that press release just went bye-bye with the click of the delete button.  You know what’s the saddest about this?  I don’t even know what I deleted.  There was no information, other than your name and contact info in the body of the email.  You expected me to open an attachment to find out what you’re pitching.  I don’t have time to open the attachment.  Delete.

I’m not making this up.  Earlier this morning during a rush on the news desk I deleted four of these ema...
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Misty Montano


Evolving Journalist I am a Journalist using Social Technologies and Interactive Media to connect with news consumers. I am taking on the new exciting and challenging role of Digital Content Manager at 9News in Denver, CO. Previously I was an Assignment Editor at CBS4 News in Denver where I won an Emmy for my work and spent the first 10 years of my career. I truly grew up on the news desk.

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