Really THINK about what you do in here!

I've posted my initial "Let's get Started" speech but what I REALLY want to do is to get you guys thinking about what we really do in here. What is Eagle TV? Why is it important? Why do we win contests or get recognition? Do we just slap something together or do we work at it?

Dr. Rivera picked up a camera during the Washington trip to shoot video of some of our sleeping beauties, exhausted and on the floor from the rigorous schedule we had been keeping with the band. We were at the Pollard's house watching the parade from the comfort of their den after having spent 8 hours in arctic weather since 4am. He turned to me and said, "Is that all there is to it, Watson? Just point and shoot? I could pass your class!" I got to thinking that on the surface, it really does appear as if we just point a camera and push a red button, but it really is so much more.

I was reading a blog by Hillcrest High school's teacher, Mr. Dave Davis, and felt that he put into word some of the things that we do in this class that may not necessarily be obvious to the general student population or our teachers, but they are the things that make us good journalists. If you aren't already thinking and doing these practices, you need to start. Mr. Davis talks about these characteristics in the form of contests. I've reprinted Mr. Davis' blog in partial form here:


*Journalistic Integrity Contest. Say it, prove it, and be ready to defend it. As a student reporter, lesson number one is, “accuracy.” Don’t fudge, don’t cut corners, don’t cheat the viewer by providing only part of the truth. (Never prompt someone to give you a soundbite in your words, never stage news footage, never mislead by altering intended meaning in the edit bay) Play fair, all the time.

*Year-Long Improvement Contest. This one begins the first day of class and concludes at the end of the school year. Students must enter their first and last stories of the year. The winner is the one whose entry displays the most improvement. Hopefully, this will be a tight race.

*Magic Moments Contest. Stories that touch us the most have those golden “moments.” They can be soundbites, visuals, or occasionally, even a great voiceover. Teachers should be looking for those all the time. Students should be striving to find them and include them in their stories.

*Characters Contest. If “moments” are important, great characters usually provide them. Give an award to the most memorable character to appear on your show this year. That will only emphasize for future staffs the importance of people to any news program.

*It’s Not About ME Contest. This one goes to the best team player, the student who is always willing to help others, the one who makes the show the best it can be. It can be the kid who keeps the hard drives humming, the cameras clean, the assignment board up to date, or the reporter who does not insert him or herself unnecessarily into the story. It can also be the producer who always helps others find great topics. This contest should have a lot of candidates by year’s end if the staff is focused on what really matters: The Show.

For your blog this week, I'd like you to comment on these points above. Are you pursuing journalistic excellence? Why or why not? Is every story you do an award-winner? Where are you cutting corners? What motivates you to do your very best?

Mrs. Watson

Let's get started!

There is always a lot to talk about in Eagle TV! Writing it all down helps us put our thoughts in perspective, allows us to share our thoughts with others, gives us a chance to improve our story pitching techniques and gives us a forum to reflect on the projects and stories that we work on every day.

We are touched by the stories we come in contact with, whether we shoot them, edit them, produce them or watch them. They make us sad, happy, reflective, and hopefully a little wiser with each assignment. We meet new people, we learn new things and we get a chance to broaden our horizons by stepping out of our comfort zones every once in a while.

Sharing these stories is what we're all about. Educating, entertaining and informing our viewers is what we want to do. Hopefully we will reach others in what we present on Eagle TV.

We are passionate about some stories and some...not so much, but with every assignment, it is my hope that you continue to learn to be a responsible reporter; be fair, accurate and true and tell a good story. There are a lot of them out there!!

START WRITING AND PRODUCING!