Thursday, Feb. 26
9 a.m.
McClendon Room, National Press Club

Amy McArarney, the head of H&R Block’s independent tax research arm, The Tax Institute, will speak with RRA members to share the implications of pending legislation and resources the group has to bring DC tax policies and proposals to readers back home.

Please RSVP so I can get an accurate count.

Thomas Burr
RRA President
president@rra.org

Headline: Legislative sausage-making: How a bill does not become a law
Description: At the height of the health care debate, I did a story about the amendments our senators had filed. I figured I’d pick one and journal it from inception to passage as a nice little “how a bill becomes a law” bit. So in the interest of getting a successful one, I selected a one-word amendment that Democrats had pretty unanimously backed, seemed to simply correct an oversight in the bill drafting and even had a Republican co-sponsor.
Link: http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2010/01/12/14823/legislative_sausage-making_how_a_bill_does_not_become_a_law
Byline: Derek Wallbank, MinnPost, dwallbank@minnpost.com

Headline: Who bankrolls North Jersey House campaigns
Description: A look at 2009 contributions to three North Jersey House members and how those checks intersect with the Congressmen’s actions on the Hill.
Link: http://bit.ly/c9RRIk
By: Herb Jackson, The Record, jackson@northjersey.com

This program at the National Press Club might interest some regionals:

 CIA informants gone bad. Terrorists who slip through security. What’s the real risk? The National Press Club in Washington hosts two seminars to help you cover those and a host of other stories that involve risk. Plane crashes, food poisoning, climate change to terrorism, the environment, health and public safety: they all have key questions reporters must answer in order to tell audiences whether something is risky and, if so, how much. These sessions will also help you understand how people perceive risk — why some people are “freaked out” about relatively small ones but are not more concerned about really big ones.

 Our series of two 1.5 hour seminars will be held Wedneday, Jan. 13 through Friday, Jan. 15 at various times and will be presented by Harvard instructor and former Emmy award-winning television reporter David Ropeik. Ropeik is co-author of RISK: A Practical Guide for Deciding What’s Really Safe and What’s Really Dangerous in the World Around You and author of the forthcoming How Risky Is It, Really? Why Our Fears Don’t Match The Facts. 

SESSION I: The Basic Components of Risk (it’s more than statistical “odds) 

SESSION II: The Psychology of Risk Perception

These sessions are free for National Press Club members and $10 per session for non-members; coffee and snacks provided as are resource materials. See the various session times and sign up online at: http://press.org/library/riskreporting/.  

The seminars are sponsored by the NPC Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library’s Professional Development Committee with support from the Lounsbery Foundation, a foundation aimed at helping the public understand science and technology. Classes will be held in the library’s Bloomberg Center for Electronic Journalism classroom.  For more information, contact committee Chairwoman Susan Heavey at sheavey@reuters.com

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• Peter Urban (formerly of the Connecticut Post and now with Gannett) wrote about Minority Leader John Boehner’s high-flying lifestyle by searching campaign filings to show that he had stayed, for example, at a swanky California hotel where rooms go for more than $500 a night: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20091016/NEWS0108/910170340/
• Jerry Zremski of the Buffalo News quizzed his delegation on their thoughts on how to deal with Afghanistan, a good move as Obama plans to lay out his own plans: http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/821048.html
• Sylvia Smith of the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette has been on top of the Postal Service changes and wrote an interesting column this weekend: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20091018/EDIT0501/310189940/1002/LOCAL
• Yours truly spent some time stalking the D.C.-area homes of Utah’s congressional members and is glad to report no restraining order is forthcoming: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13572102?source=rss

As always, please let me know if you have a story in which others might be interested.

– Thomas Burr, RRA president

The board has approved some funds so that everyone should be able to enjoy at least one free drink. Members who have not yet paid their 2009 dues may do so at the event.

The deets:

When: Tuesday, July 7, starting at 6:30pm
Where: National Press Club’s McClendon Room (529 14th St, NW)
Who: The White House Media Affairs Office and the Regional Reporters Association

Best, Tommy

Thomas Burr
RRA President

Fellow regionals,

At a general membership meeting today at the National Press Club, your entire slate of Regional Reporters Association officers and board members were re-elected to serve another term. A list of those elected by acclamation is below.

I am again humbled by your support to serve for one more term as president of the group and hope that we can do all we can to help boost opportunities for regional Washington correspondents and promote our important work to the masses.

As you well know, it’s a difficult time for us correspondents given the economic downturn and the industry troubles. But as you also are aware, no one in this town can sift through and dig out hometown news better than those of us regional correspondents working the halls of Congress and pressing officials from departments, agencies and the White House.

As always, please feel free to suggest ideas or offer suggestions on how RRA can help you as a regional correspondent.

Best, Thomas

Officers

President:Thomas Burr, Salt Lake Tribune
Vice President:Joe Morton, Omaha World Herald
Secretary: Lisa Mascaro, Las Vegas Sun
Treasurer: Malia Rulon, Gannett News Service

At-large directors

Alex Daniels, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Todd Gillman, Dallas Morning News
Michael Coleman, Albuquerque Journal
Bart Sullivan, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Jessica Wehrman, Dayton Daily News
Paul Merrion, Crain’s Chicago Business
Josh Drobnyk, Allentown Morning Call
Keith Chu, Western Communications Newspapers (Oregon, Calif.)
Herb Jackson, The Record ( Bergen County, N.J.)

About the RRA: The organization was formed in 1988 by Washington-based regional reporters who found they could help each other without compromising competition and who had more success asking to interview a high-ranking administration official as a group than they did individually. The group currently has nearly 50 paid members, who represent papers from Detroit to Houston and from St. Petersburg to San Jose and many major cities in between.

General membership meeting and board and officer elections:
Today, Monday, June 22
Noon
National Press Club, Mezzanine, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC

The following positions are up for election:
President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and nine board of directors spots.

Please feel free to nominate yourself or another member by emailing president@rra.org. Nominations also will be accepted at the general meeting.

In accordance with our bylaws, members who have paid 2009 dues will be eligible to run for office and vote. You must be in attendance to vote. No proxy votes are allowed. Uncontested races will be voted on by a raise of hands or voice vote; contested races will be resolved by secret ballot.

Please feel free to email with any questions.

I recently attended a boot camp at the National Press Club to help
prepare print journalists for television interviews. The boot camp was
led by two longtime Washington, D.C.-area television journalists
Andrea McCarren and Alisa Parenti. I thought I would share some of the
things I learned with other regional reporters. Hope they are useful.

Tips for being on television

How to look your best:

Wear an outfit you feel good in.

White and black are not good on the screen. Go for primary colors like
red and blue instead. Gray looks good too.

Avoid patterns like pin stripes and polka dots that will “buzz” on
camera. Solids are best.

Go for a polished look with a blazer or jacket. Button the top button
of your jacket so it’s not flopping around.

Don’t forget about footwear. Your feet might show in certain settings
and you don’t want mismatched socks on TV.

Don’t slouch but don’t look too stiff.

If you talk with your hands, go ahead and use them. Just try to act as
you normally would.

Ask the producer or your contact where you should plan to look during
the interview. Should you look at the camera, at the interviewer, at
the audience if it’s a live studio audience. If you are being
interviewed remotely, it’s fine to look directly at the camera.

If you have a pen or other object in your hand, don’t twirl it.

Don’t swivel in your chair or fidget.

Be mindful of other nervous ticks you might develop.

Don’t forget to smile.

Don’t back away or lean out from the camera, don’t lean into or hunch
over a mike.

Women:

MAC brand powder foundation holds up the best under harsh lights. Wear
foundation, under-eye concealer, blush, lipstick, eye shadow and
mascara. You may not go out like that in public but you’ll look good
for TV. Go to a makeup counter and ask for advice on makeup for a
television appearance. Practice your look with a home video camera
before you go on television.

Don’t wear dangly earrings or distracting jewelry.

V-necks are most flattering.

Be mindful of skirt lengths. You might want to consider tights or
pantyhose if your legs will show.

Avoid distracting hairdos.

Men:

Don’t be afraid of a little make up, use foundation or powder to tamp
down the shine.

Sit on the tail of your jacket to keep a clean line on your shoulder.

Use a tie clip to make sure your tie is not crooked.

* The idea behind all of these tips is to avoid distractions that can
keep people from paying attention to what you are saying.

What to say and how to say it:

Have 2-3 talking points and practice different ways to say them. Float
some lines with your friends to see how they come across.

If you need to, write a couple talking points, facts or numbers on
your hand or a piece of paper.

Come up with a telling detail or anecdote. Use people to clarify your
points. Your message will be more memorable that way.

Think of the “who cares” factor. Be short and to the point. What’s the
main thing people should know?

Think about news you can use. Offer tips or a Web site. Mention your
story or book.

It’s ok to offer suggested questions to a producer or tell them you’d
be prepared to talk about 3-4 specific areas. Producers are generally
really busy and would be grateful for the suggestions.

Ask a producer how long the interview will last and prepare for that.

Try to answer questions during a live taping in 20 seconds or less.
You can use up to 2 minutes if it is a taped interview or less newsy
format.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, go back to your talking
points or answer the spirit of the question if not the precise
question itself. Examples: That’s an interesting question, but the
heart of the matter is… The real question is… I don’t know about that,
but what’s really important here… I can’t answer that but what people
should know is…

If you are asked for your opinion, you can always use the opinions of
others. Examples: Well the argument you hear from business leaders is
this… but others say this. What I’m hearing from my sources is… The
defense’s position is that… I spoke with a homeowner today who thinks
this… Public opinion on this is that …

If you are asked a question you have already answered, you can say:
Just to recap. Just to clarify.

If an interviewer has wrong information, don’t be rude about
correcting them. You can say something like: Well actually, the event
is on Friday, but organizers are really looking forward to it… To
clarify, the victim has died.

Ask the host to repeat the question if you need to buy time to think
about how to respond.

Show energy in your voice and mannerism. Be passionate and animated to
bring the audience in. Be authoritative. Punch up certain words. Don’t
allow your voice to trail off at the end of a sentence.

Avoid too many numbers, long answers and jargon. Speak in a
conversational tone. Explain the subject clearly as though you are
talking to someone who knows nothing about it.

Avoid these phrases or ticks: You know; um; gonna; like.

Don’t use the reporter or anchor’s name. They tend not to like it and
it sounds a bit hokey.

Watch or listen for cues to wrap up what you are saying. Know that
when a reporter starts to look at you funny, touches your arm or steps
closer to you, you are being “wrapped.”

At the end of an interview, it’s better to give a nod to acknowledge
the host or reporter than to have an awkward goodbye that cuts off at
the end because you went on for to long.

How to pitch yourself as an expert TV commentator:

Figure out who the producers of different local television shows are.
There are a number of different local news talk shows that are always
looking to fill their air time with expert commentators. Do your
homework about them. Mention you saw their piece on salmonella or teen
drinking so you show that you respect their work.

Send producers a short, to the point pitch with a newsy hook. Make
sure the subject line of your e-mail grabs their attention. Example:
Tax expert available for deadline story tomorrow.

Holidays are great times to get on TV because newsrooms have skeletal
staffs and they will be desperate to fill their time slots.

Don’t overpromise. Be honest about what you can talk about and your
time constraints. Try not to say no to an interview so you are asked
again. You want to make sure you are on their go-to list of people who
can deliver at a moment’s notice.

Practice, Practice, Practice:

Do local radio shows or web casts or television in small markets or
shows with small audiences so you can work your way up to feeling
comfortable when you land on CNN.

Replay your interview and figure out what you need to do to get
better. Watch the clip without sound. Hear the clip without video.

Other tips:

Drink some water before a television interview to prevent dry mouth.

Offer photos, video, Web sites or other material to the television
producer. They could use it during the interview to break up the
monotony of a talking head.

If you are going to do a lot of TV, you may want to consider an
internal feeback with a molded earpiece that you can bring with you
and won’t fall out of your ear. A feedback lets you hear cues for when
the interview is about to start and when to wrap up your interview.

Here’s some takeaway points that RRA members shared:

• When networking, be specific about what type of job you are looking for so that people think of you when a job like that opens up. People won’t necessarily think about you if you are too vague about what you are looking for.
• If you already have a job, get personal business cards to hand out to people while actively networking. www.vistaprint.com will let you design cards online and print them for you free, just pay shipping.
• Make sure that you meet a set number of people at each networking event you attend. Do not spend more than five minutes talking to anyone unless you think that contact could lead to a job at that moment in time. Work the room. Get an exit strategy so that you can go on to the next person. One tip: introduce the person you are talking to to someone else.
• Make yourself a resource. Send people a story they might find interesting or useful as a way to maintain contact but also be seen as a resource.
• You might want to consider reading this book: “How to win friends and influence people.”
• Do not gossip or say negative things about an employer, colleagues or others. It will reflect badly on you.
• Pay attention to your first impression. Smile. Make people feel like you want to meet them. Dress appropriately. If unsure of what’s expected, dress one level higher than you might otherwise to avoid, for example, being the only one without a tie.
• When shaking hands, always say your name. Looking at name tags is OK, it’s what they’re for. Use the person you meet’s name when talking to them to help remember it.
• Prepare to be spontaneous. Think of a few short points, your speech you’ll want to tell people, and practice it beforehand. Research something about the group, its sponsors and officers
• Help others feel comfortable meeting you.
• Reserve your own domain name and create your own Web site where you can show off your work. If you don’t know how to build a web site, the Apple Store offers one-on-one training. A $99 fee covers as many as one visit a week for a year to the store for personal training.
• Take stock of your own situation and figure out what you want more or less of in your life. A useful web site: www.authentichappiness.org
• Make a plan, set a deadline, set clear-cut goals, figure out if you’ve met them
• If you’re laid off, expose yourself to positive people and ideas. Don’t hang around with those, such as former colleagues, who are only going to bring you down.
• Pay attention to your intuition
• Clarify your goals in conflict. If you have two goals and they would conflict with each other, you need to prioritize those goals. Which one is more important?
• There is hope if a newspaper job disappears. Niche publications are hiring. Some pay very well and have a good outlook because they’re actually selling the news they report to readers who want to buy it, as opposed to using the news as a vehicle to get advertising into people’s homes.
• Begin to plan financially for a lay off. Press club members are eligible for a credit union membership that offers one-on-one sessions with a financial planner. The club also has a health plan you can buy into that might be cheaper than buying health care on the open market.
• The stimulus bill provided a 65 percent subsidy for unemployed workers who buy health coverage from their former employers through COBRA, but it is not permanent.
• There’s such a job as a certified professional resume writer, one of whom spoke at the panel. Here’s some of her advice: Two or two-and-a-half pages are OK for a resume if you’ve been working 20 years, not so good if you’re still in your 20s. Stress your skills and what you actually did, rather than tired phrases such as “supervised” or “had responsibibility for” something. Don’t say you were a staff writer, talk about your skills, use action-driven words. www.linkedin.com is a good place to look for getting resources.
• If you are out of work, try volunteering so your resume shows you still were doing something. www.idealist.org matches skills needed with volunteers willing to help nonprofits.
• As angry as you might get, be wary what you say on Facebook or other sites if laid off. Future employers may search and find it.
• If laid off, weigh whether to keep your 401k with your company or transfer it to an IRA. Some 401ks have fees that employers pay for employees, but that you would have to pay after you stop being an employee. Those fees could reduce investment earnings compared to lower-priced mutual funds in an IRA.

– Herb Jackson, The Record (NJ); Bob Keefe, Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Anonymous