"Thank you, I'll pass on your comment"

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 
In less than an hour I took three calls where with a sigh I just said, "Thank you, I'll pass on your comment."

The first was from a viewer who claimed no news media until today had EVER done a story on waterboarding and the government use of it. At first I was going to interrupt to tell him of the multitude of stories the station has aired on both the national and local levels. I couldn't because the caller was on a rant and I couldn't get a word in anywhere. At one point I wondered, "Has he t...
Continue reading...
 

Can I handle any more news?

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 
Today is so not yesterday. Today was busy to start because of back-to-back meetings followed by the rush to actually get caught up on everything with only an hour to go before news-time. Yesterday started off with my coworker saying, "Oh, by the way your night side photographers are screwy today" and ended with this Tweet "WMF PIO: confirms 14-yr old arrested for arson and reckless endangerment for starting the fire. Suspected of playing w/a lighter near bushes."

It was so busy that I realized...
Continue reading...
 

Lesson of the day - communicate

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 
Today was a comedy of errors on the assignment desk. We didn't miss any breaking news or mess up any big news stories, but it did cause a headache! In less than an hour we found out that an event wasn't shot as planned and found out the photographer in the satellite truck for a reporter's live shot at 6pm was at point A, which was miles away from reporter, who was in the actual location point B!

The event we missed was for a short story, a vo/sot, for the 5pm newscast. The photographer receive...
Continue reading...
 

Arbor Day. Who knew?

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 
This afternoon was another comedy of errors for the news desk. I walked out of a meeting with the news director to hear a reporter say into his cell phone, "Now, that's an answer out of my pay range. Let me have you talk to someone else." He handed to phone to my coworker on the assignment desk.

I logged into the computer and kept an ear out on the conversation. It sounded like my coworker was trying to have a picture emailed to us for use in a story. The reporter then started telling us in t...
Continue reading...
 

Email tips that make you go "what?"

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 

Email tips that make you go "what?"

EMAIL RECEIVED THIS AFTERNOON:

This is what I sent the ASPCA.

I would like to report cruelty against some poor squeal's in a tree. I was taking my dog out today at about 10:30am and I was standing in my front yard. Then I heared these tree removal people cutting a branch off a large tree to clear for the "under-constuction" Light Rail behind my house. I didn't think anything of it at first, Then one guy up in the tree w/ a chainsaw said "Check out this sque...

Continue reading...
 

I'm responsible for the verdict

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 
Yesterday the jury in the Ward Churchill lawsuit against University of Colorado decided the verdict. I listened on the phone (no live feed from the courtroom) to the reporter who repeated the judges words as the verdict was read. I shouted out what the reporter told me and I Tweeted it at the same time. I shout a lot in the newsroom when I need to get out information or move crews! It had been hectic leading up to the verdict because we only got a 15-minute warning before it was read. We had ...
Continue reading...
 

How Twitter & I work together

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 
Twitter allows interaction with the viewers I'm trying to reach. Twitter allows Tweeps to share in my day, share my journey of news each night. Twitter makes the news more than just headlines. Twitter allows transparency in news coverage. Twitter allows Tweeps to have ownership in the news.

All of that is possible in Twitter because Twitter is what you want it to be. You can make Twitter work for you in any way that you want. I use Twitter for all the above reasons.

I have two simple Twitter R...
Continue reading...
 

If you're a saint, why don't you ask God?

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 
Yesterday I was on the phone helping a viewer when I hear my coworker say into the phone, "If you're a saint, why don't you ask God?" Pause. "What do you mean, what do I mean? You say you're a saint, so ask God."

It took all that I had in me to hold my laughter as I helped the kind, sane viewer on the phone with me.

It's been quite a while since I have talked to a someone like that on the phone. For a while there, especially after 9/11 there were tons of these callers. These people called so of...
Continue reading...
 

Twitter tips & apps for journalists & everyone else

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 
An effort to understand and utilize Twitter in the newsroom and in life has lead me and my husband, @Edit_Foundry, to search the web and read, read, read. We've found many articles and followed many Tweets on using Twitter. I've decided to start listing what we've found that has been helpful to me as a journalist. My goal is to keep everything in one place so I can easily access it all.

Please use my list, add suggestions and check it out occasionally as I will update it as I find new informa...
Continue reading...
 

Twitter has made me a better assignment editor

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009 In : Assignment News Desk 
I have seen several blogs and news stories about Twitter and how Twitter is changing journalism. Previously I've discussed the future of journalism in the face of new media a.k.a. social media a.k.a. advanced media. I've decided to throw out my two cents on how social media has recently affected me as a journalist. I hope to give fellow journalists some ideas on what they can do as well.

CBS4 News launched Twitter a few months ago and then created a CBS4 News Facebook Fan Page last month. It's...
Continue reading...
 
« Newer posts
Older posts »
 

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.

Comment Policy