Quick Recap of One-Man Banding Webinar
Good information during an INBA webinar on working alone in the field: how to do it better both technologically and ethically.
Veteran broadcast journalist Jessica Machetta shared some of her favorite apps: Twisted Wave (or wavepad for Android users), for capturing and editing audio, with a good microphone like an EV 635A. She recommends Dropbox (free!) as a spot to hold and transfer files. She likes TapeACall, which she says has unlimited space for even the longest conversation. And she recommends Splice for video editing. Like most reporters, Machetta has covered a wide range of stories, from flooding to executions, at stations that include KMOX and the Learfield network. She also uses Facebook Live, and says she is the only one doing that at her current station, KTRS.
That led into the information on how to retain ethics when one-man banding, especially when deciding whether to go live or not. SLU Professor Amber Hinsley says livestreams are not governed by the FCC, so journalists have to police themselves more. She says it’s wise to have an organizational policy, so a one-man band isn’t left to make decisions alone. She advises her students to remember “The Breakfast Test” – is this information someone wants to see or hear over their cornflakes? And she says it’s important to think about whether we’re going live because we CAN or because we SHOULD. Dr. Hinsley provided a PowerPoint that she uses in class, outlining some of the points about livestreaming. It is attached here.
INBA Board Member Rachel Lippmann organized and moderated the webinar, using Google Hangouts. Unfortunately, due to changes in their system, it was not recorded, and cannot be played back.