Browsing Archive: June, 2009

Today I yelled at the interns & then I apologized

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 27, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 

"I NEED ALL THE INTERNS IN THIS NEWSROOM TO ANSWER THE PHONES!!!!"

I'd cupped my hands around my mouth to amplify my voice and shouted out into the newsroom in a very stern voice.

I didn't even think.  I just yelled.  The entire newsroom went quiet.  Then a couple of the producers chimed in, "Please. Please help answer the phones." 

The phones were ringing constantly and the afternoon storms were just starting to cause havoc.  My coworker on the desk and I were working to gather information and...


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Walking into the middle of the dance with no rhythm to add

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
Drove back from Vegas this morning. Rushed to work. Walked into a newsroom that was buzzing with urgency of covering tornadoes. I've been gone for a week. Almost every day that I was gone there was severe weather coverage. (Many have joked tornado alley moved, but actually I believe this is more traditional to Colorado weather patterns and what's been out of the ordinary is the lack of such weather.)

It was obvious this dance had been done quite recently and people were in auto-mode; which doe...
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Two too many Jennifers...

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
Friday night, 9:58pm: I hear the producer say over the RTS "Misty - Somebody tell Jennifer Zeppelin we're less than a minute away from the show!"

My head snaps up and I see Jennifer McRae half-way between me and the weather center. "Jennifer! Go tell Jennifer Zeppelin we're less than a minute away!"

Jennifer looks at Jennifer Miller standing across the producer pod from her. "Jennifer! You've got less than a minute! RUN!"

Me: "NO! Wrong Jennifer! Jennifer Zeppelin, ZEPPELIN!"

I'm not heard becaus...
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Abortion stories are never taken lightly in the newsroom

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
Yesterday I took a call from a woman so upset I knew she was shaking from head to toe to yell at me. She and a man in the background were furious that the newscast used a statement from a local abortion doctor, Dr. Warren Hern, and his picture. The statement was released to the media by the local doctor himself on his reaction to the fatal shooting of Kansas abortion doctor, Dr. George Tiller.

The caller truly believed our phones were "ringing off the hook" with furious complaint calls like he...
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Oh the frenzy one missed email causes

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
I've mentioned this before and will mention it again: we received HUNDREDS of emails DAILY from PR professionals, viewers, and Public Information Officers. To handle all of the emails we have one email address that goes to all of us on the news desk as well as all of the producers. The more eyes that can see what is sent to us, the better the chance something isn't overlooked.

This is exactly what happened today. A police department sent out additional information to a situation we'd covered t...
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No, I don't watch TV while I'm on the news desk

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
I have the Nuggets playoff game on the TV to my right and I actually have the volume up just enough so I can make out what is being said, but it's no louder than any one of the 11 scanners that surround me. This is rare. I have so much else to pay attention to I rarely pay any attention to the TVs. Same goes for the producers and writers doing their job to get ready for the newscasts. Unless we're watching another station's news lead or breaking news coverage, the TVs get little attention.

Ju...
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In the silence

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
It's as silent as it ever gets in the newsroom. I only hear background noise of scanners, keyboard keys clicking and a far off television. My shift is only half over but I feel spent for a job that is relatively sedentary.

I'm spent because from the moment I walk in the door until about this time every night it's go go go time. I may walk off the desk to track down photographers, editors, engineers, producers, etc., but I'm mostly confined to the news desk where everything comes at me. Constan...
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"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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...

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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 ...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Getting a mug shot shouldn't be this hard

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
Last night I received the below press release and thought it was written odd because it's missing information that is usually included like description of the suspect, the date of birth, hometown, etc. I figured it had been sent out because of the unusual crime: an angry man throwing a computer monitor across the room in a store. This is something you'd normally see on TV dramas only. We don't receive releases on criminal mischief such as this often.

Lone Tree Police Department
News Release
Type...
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You don't know me. How dare you make assumptions!

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
I understand hot button issues. I expect to receive calls on issues that people really care about. But, PLLEEEAASSSE, please, I implore you, keep your temper in check and just talk to me. I am a reasonable human being. I will discuss your concerns with the story with you. I will pass on your complaints to the reporter, producer, and even the news director.

I just hung up the phone on a woman extremely upset with how a reporter did a story on a bill in legislature regarding in-state tuition for...
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News can't always help

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
I received two calls today from the same gentleman who desperately wanted to know if I could tell him if a company was legit or not. At first he couldn't remember the correct name of the company. I used what he had to do an archive search to see if I could find any story that may have been on the company. While I'm doing the search he tells me how he left a message on the CBS4 News investigation tip line earlier and wanted to know if we'd found out anything on the company yet.

The search ende...
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A bitter chuckle at Sesame St. layoffs

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
Sesame Street is eliminating 67 positions! http://moourl.com/3945c

While we all know the seriousness of having more good people out of work, once the news about the Sesame Street layoffs broke some chose to make fun of it as a way to lighten the mood, or to be satirical.
http://moourl.com/rd68z
http://moourl.com/xc8ge
http://moourl.com/nyl1y

I believe I saw on Twitter a campaign to save Kermit. While I chuckled at what I read and watched, I felt reality weigh on my shoulders. In the last week...
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President Obama on 1st reference. Mr. Obama on 2nd

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
I say it all the time, we've done our job right when in the same day, on the same stories, when we're accused of being too conservative/right AND liberal/left by viewers. When this happens this means we've aired the story with all sides/angles represented. Yeah for unbiased, fair journalism!

Unfortunately, in the issue of referencing the president in our stories we will always be conservative/right for the next 4 - 8 years, as we were always liberal/left during the last 8 years. The difference...
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When good days go bad

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
It's day two of book (Nielsen ratings period)and we're chugging along just fine. To be honest, the stress of scheduling all the special shoots and edits for stories that are going to be aired in the next few weeks seems to have eased up. I'm not sure why. There's still a lot of blue ink on our assignment board.

Oh, I should explain blue ink. We keep tracks of assignments on a big dry erase board and several smaller boards depending on the day/stories, and of course in the computer. Assignments...
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Shawn Montano has a shift in attitude

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
WAIT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ MY POST Future of news/media & how Twitter is moving me there - YOU SHOULD. It explains why I chose to post this article. Cheers! :-)

Below is my article that I wrote for the November 2008 NPPA News Photographer Magazine on my husband, Shawn Montano. He was honored as the Editor of the Year with a party in the newsroom & exactly one week later he was laid off. He asked me to write the article over the complaints of the magazine editor, who thought I would write a fluff...
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Future of news/media & how Twitter is moving me there

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
I started this blog over a week ago and every time I sit down to write it, I can't seem to get out what I want to say. This block has left me feeling like there's nothing else I can blog about until I get this out. So please, if ramble and take tangents, remember it's my way of trying to connect the dots. I'd love your feedback and ideas.

I agree Lacey, it's been too long since I blogged.

Last week was a horrible week for journalism in Denver. The Rocky Mountain News closed. There were lay offs...
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Lessons & Reflections

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
I can't turn off my mind after a day like today. I'm at home and in comfy pajamas trying to turn it all off. I can't so I write. And now I have this long blog. When I sat down to write, with the cranberry/pomegranate martini I made, I only had two or three things to say. Really...

before 1pm
I knew today would be a busy news day with President Obama in Denver & signing the stimulus bill. I didn't have to come in early though for the coverage so I had hoped it would all be running smoothly. When...
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Not so helpful call

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
We are just human & humans make mistakes. It is unfortunate when misspellings and typos show up in the news. Several eyes look over the scripts and graphics to check for errors and to make corrections. Sometimes, the mistakes just get by us and end up on the air. My recent favorite was in a story listing the symptoms of e-coli where the graphic said STOMACH CRAPS instead of STOMACH CRAMPS. (Seriously. I couldn't make that up.)

I expect people to call to correct us. Some people do it out of wan...
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Combat the desk fat

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
I have a relatively sedentary job. I'm supposed to sit at the desk to monitor EVERYTHING. People get antsy when I or my coworkers walk away, even to just use the restroom. So I sit at an over sized desk, on a chair where my feet dangle a few inches off the ground (I'm only 5') for hours.

My movement of the day consists of:
Walking to the conference room in the middle of the newsroom for a daily meeting
Walking to use the restroom
Walking to fill my water bottle
Walking to the break room to warm ...
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I have your number

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
A race for high definition. Sony XDCAM vs Panasonic P2. Final Cut Pro vs Avid. You Report vs I Report. TV news is a whole world of advancing technology.

So why is it callers are surprised the station has caller I.D., which has been a staple of households since the 90's? That's right our phones, like most home and cell phones, have caller I.D.

This means when you want to take out your frustrations on the person who answers the phone, usually me, I have your phone number, and even your name.

Toni...
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News tip: In the event of my death...

Posted by Misty Montano on Saturday, June 20, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
The news desk receives hundreds of emails every day from PR types, organizations like police, schools and hospitals, and viewers. Viewers email what they think are news tips, which is everything from witnessing something that could be considered breaking news, to letting us know of their child's school play, to rants on conspiracy theories.

I sift through it all and within a glance I know if it is:
1. to be shouted out to the newsroom because it's breaking or developing news
2. to be filed unde...
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State of economy measured by press releases

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, June 19, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
Today: a chocolate sheet cake celebrating the 50 years of the Colorado Garden & Home Show.

Yesterday: a beautiful heart box filled with Godiva heart chocolates from a local hospital promoting a weekend event.

Tonight: tummy ache

I am not a sweets person. I am not a chocolate woman. I am chips and salsa. But I couldn't stay away from the heart chocolates that melted in my mouth. I couldn't say no to one, plus a small, pieces of cake.

What normally would have taken hours, if not the entire day, to ...
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Breaking News?

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, June 19, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
Sometimes breaking news is only covered because of timing and resources. Shootings, bank robberies, fights, chases, searches, stand offs, auto/pedestrian accidents, etc happen regularly on a daily basis. There is simply no way to cover everything that happens. Plus, this may be cold but true, who really cares about all of this? Incidents happen and resolve without injuries or without road closings, school lockdowns, evacuation. Sometimes there are injured victims, sometimes there are road clo...
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When fire alarms go off at the station

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, June 19, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
I'd just hung up the phone. I heard laughter coming from the 10 p.m. newscast meeting in the news directors office. The rest of the newsroom was relatively quiet, even the scanners.

BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ

Blared from the ceiling. The fire alarm was going off.

No one moved except the assistant news director who came out of the meeting to look around. She looked at me and I said, "I'll call the security guard."

Security guard, "I think it's the main water line."
Me, "So I don't have to evacuate th...
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I am not a map

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, June 19, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
4:55pm
I'm listening to Denver police conduct some kind of undercover bust. I've already moved Copter4. I've asked Doug to track down a photographer to go on the ground. I've told the producers what I'm hearing.

We're on alert for a homicide suspect that has been wanted since Wednesday night when he allegedly forced his girlfriend off the road, walked up to her car, and shot her. I can tell the officer on the scanner is tense as he moves other officers into location to move in on a suspect. Cou...
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Definition of Assignment Editor

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, June 19, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 
Friday, January 30, 2009

When I give tours of the assignment desk I describe the desk and my position as the central nervous system of the station, or compare it all to that of a teacher in a classroom. Everything in the newsroom has to come through the desk or there will later be mass chaos.

There can be way too many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to figuring every part of the newscast that include the stories, reporters, photographers, edits, live trucks, locations, etc. When left to one...
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I am an assignment editor

Posted by Misty Montano on Friday, June 19, 2009, In : Assignment News Desk 

Thursday, January 29, 2009

There really is no better look to describe my feelings about my job than my profile pic - taken of me on my wedding day as a pin stuck me in the process of fixing a strap on my dress. Anticipation. Excitement. Pain. Emotions a bride can experience on her wedding day. Emotions I live through on the job. At the end of the work day though, the job isn't going to be sweeping me away for a honeymoon.

The honeymoon in my career ended just a short three months after I la...

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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.

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