Ira Glass, who is the executive producer and host of the weekly themed reporting show This American Life, offers the most realistic advice for every person pursuing a journalism career.
In part one, Glass mentions the two basic building blocks of broadcast reporting: the anecdote and the moment of relection. The anecdote is the sequence of action (i.e. how one thing leads to another, etc.) that keeps the story going. According to Glass, it is the story in it’s “purest form.” And as you relay the action, you, as the reporter, should be raising questions and answering them at the same time. I believe this is to help the audience move on to the next subject with you without any confusion or having any unresolved topics in the story. The moment of reflection is, simply, the aspect that makes you wonder why is this important? Why does this matter? This helps the audience relate to the story after the reporting is done.
In part two, Glass looks at what causes every young journalist to have nightmares. Finding great stories can be a very daunting task for somebody who is just starting out in the business. Glass explains that the reason other professionals are able to find these stories is because they are really good at being ruthless when it comes to cutting the crap. You should be able to get rid of what’s not good or what won’t pan out later early enough to not waste a considerable amount on it. He recommends putting yourself on a schedule. Interview somebody or a group of people every week until you find something that is interesting and able to stand on its own.
Part three, was by far, in my opinion, the most encouraging. Glass talks about how it feels when you seem to be in a rut of producing unsatisfactory pieces. This can be very depressing and discoraging as a journalist. His solution? He says to produce a large volume of work. Just keep churning out pieces. Keep setting and meeting deadlines. Eventually you’ll get it. Eventually you’ll realize what you are doing wrong and will be able to rise above the same dull pieces and start reporting compelling stories.
In Part four, Glass points out two pitfalls to watch out for. First, he says that trying to copy reporters you watch on TV or hear on the radio is a bad idea. The story is always going to be better if you talk normally and be yourself. And second, he says to identify both the person being interviewed and the person who is doing the interview in the piece. Having different characters interact is very important.
And perhaps the most important thing of all. Always remember that “failure is a big part of success.”
1 Comment
November 5, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Nice summary of the material, Saman. I have watched these three times now, and each time, I still enjoy hearing what Ira Glass has to say.