KDVR: 2019 Heartland Emmy award – Breaking News – “I-70 Inferno”
At 4:48 p.m., the first images of a fiery crash came into our newsroom. I immediately went into the control room knowing we would broadcast ahead of our scheduled time of 5:00 p.m. I also knew right away that at least the next hour would be dedicated to this big news event. In the control room, I was coordinating with other newsroom managers, communicating with reporters and photographers in the field, and sharing new information with anchors in the studio. I was making decisions on which camera shots to take and which reporters should go on air.
KDVR: 2018 Heartland Emmy award – Team Coverage – “Emerson Place Apartment Fire”
This newscast was a great team effort. My primary role was to determine the order in which reporters would appear throughout the show. A newscast is full of stories, and the right sequence of reports should flow seamlessly. The most impactful and informative stories should come first, followed by supplemental stories that help humanize what people are watching.
KWGN: 2018 Heartland Emmy award – Best Daytime Newscast – “Walmart Shooting Suspect Arrested”
Three people were shot and killed at a Walmart in Thornton, CO. The next morning, our news team captured the arrest of the suspect. For the 4:00 p.m. newscast, we had multiple angles to cover. I helped write and select the video for the “cold open” to start the newscast. I also was responsible for assigning reporters to different time slots in the newscast. We profiled the victims, we shared what we learned about the suspect, we had a reporter give his unique perspective of following the police chase for the suspect, and we had many other compelling elements.
KOB: Breaking News – “The Carlisle Fire”
This segment opens with dramatic video of a fire at an apartment complex still under development. We expanded our coverage throughout the morning.
KSTP: Producer Reel
During the summer of 2014, I made a more concerted effort to include more emotion in writing, and break free of the unmoving, matter-of-fact language. I also tried to incorporate more eye-popping pre-produced setups to major stories. This reel also demonstrates how I showcased coverage on the death of an officer, and his wife who spoke just 20 minutes before showtime.
KSTP: Additional Producer Reel
This clip features headlines and teases from the last week of February 2014, as well as a weather-focused newscast from that month.
KSTP: SPJ Page One Award – Best Newscast – “Shoreview Shooting”
The next sample is how I incorporated breaking news into a newscast and dealt with a developing situation. I communicated with a reporter who arrived on scene minutes before the newscast and gave a live report over the phone. Minutes later, he was live via microwave truck. We also had a law enforcement press conference in the middle of the newscast. When stories like this occurred, I was willing to drop older stories and stories with low-impact in order to prioritize breaking news coverage. The Society of Professional Journalists MN chapter deemed this the best newscast of 2013 for its Page One Awards (newsroom 50+ employees), calling it “aggressively produced.”
KSTP: Morning Newscast After 2012 Election
Our lead story for the morning newscast changed several times, due to updates on several races. The Society of Professional Journalists MN chapter deemed this the third best newscast of 2012 for its Page One Awards (newsroom 50+ employees).
KIRO: Producer Reel
This video has a headline and tease montage, and an above average 4:30 a.m. newscast.
KIRO: Stormwatch Coverage
This is one of my favorite newscasts I ever produced. This is a truncated version of our wall-to-wall Stormwatch coverage of a crippling snow and ice storm in January that forced all three runways at SeaTac airport to close.
Michael Brannen 