During last week’s stormy weather, I got my first taste of the MMJ (Multimedia Journalist) life…kind of. Before my photographer and I could meet up for our morning news live shots, his microwave truck got stuck in the mud and because of the weight, it would be hours before he could get unstuck.

That’s when my Executive Producer asked me to improvise. So, using my work phone and my personal phone, a tiny tripod atop the roof of my car, a LumeCube light and the $25 microphone I used during the pandemic’s work-from-home days, and the Dejero app, I made air. It felt like a bit of a miracle.

Now, this was likely a one-time thing for me, but it really made me appreciate what our one-man-band colleagues do every day. In our chapter’s Emmy® contest this year, we certified 37 MMJ entries; 27 in the English contest and seven in the Spanish contest. The Call for Entries specifies that Emmy awards for Multi-Media Journalists are “for excellence by a cross-discipline individual serving as photojournalist, editor, talent, and writer.” That means no other person can do anything. Nothing. But, during the Emmy certification process, some of the MMJ entries were so slick, as a certifier, I had to reach out to ask, “how did you do that all by yourself?”

Because the contest is out for judging, I won’t identify the entrants, but I will just give you some of the explanations that I got.

One MMJ told me: “I left the camera on the tripod and recorded the video and then in post-production, I added a movement in Edius to zoom in or track my movements.”

Another told me: “The moving shots were done with a Gimble, using an app that tracks my face” regarding one standup, and regarding another, “I put the camera on a tripod, then zoomed in using Premiere and added a wrap stabilizer effect.”

Flying solo definitely requires creativity, skill, and focus. I wanted to get some MMJ tips and strategies, so I reached out to Kiet Do. He has four NorCal Emmys for his work as an MMJ with CBS Bay Area KPIX but will no longer be competing in this category as he’s left news.

Here are some of Kiet’s strategies:

-Prioritize “must have,” “nice to have,” and “luxury have” elements because every decision costs time. 

-Shoot efficiently to reduce logging and editing time; pre-interview off-camera for basic facts, save on-camera interviews for emotional reaction. 

-Focus on real people first; experts or officials second.

-Put the who/what/when/where/why in the anchor toss so you can focus storytelling and/or analysis.

-Think about where you’ll write and edit early to make sure you have a strong cell signal, a bathroom and food nearby.

Some of Kiet’s favorite tools:

-iPhone: small, quick, portable, waterproof, low-profile, image stabilization. 

-Knee-high, steel-toe rubber boots: allows safe access in weather, fire scenes, encampments. 

-Otter.ai: audio transcription.

-Google Maps Offline mode: allows navigation with GPS in areas with no cell coverage.

-Drone: study up and get the FAA pilot license; you won’t regret it. 

We can’t talk about MMJ’s and one-man-bands without talking about safety. In recent years, we’ve seen colleagues harassed, robbed, and in 2022, one reporter was hit by a car while working alone.

Some stations have banned solo live shots and enacted other safety measures, but there’s always room for improvement. Your safety should always come first.

Here’s a link to the call for entries, if you want to see the language of the MMJ contest: https://emmysf.tv/awards-2-2/call-for-entries/.

A body that had washed up near Pier 39 Wednesday, March 23, has been identified as Jeffrey “JV” Vandergrift, 55. 

The beloved radio host went missing from his home in San Francsico, February 23, after battling Lyme Disease since 2021. It’s been confirmed that no foul play has been suspected. 

JV was very transparent about his journey, and shared an insightful blog post about it, here. He spoke openly about the pain he was in, the brain fog he experienced and the need for relief. 

Today, Wild 94.9 published a statement on their website that reads:

“With a heavy heart, we must confirm that the body found near Pier 39 on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as our dear friend, family member & colleague, JV. We are devastated to know now that JV is gone. Please keep his wife Natasha, his family, and close friends in your thoughts and prayers.

JV, we’ll miss you. You are forever a Bay Area Icon.”

JV’s listeners would absolutely describe him as such as well. If you tune into the JV Show, then you know the types of talk-backs that have been coming in all month long. Fans often begin their messages with, “I grew up listening to JV,” and this rings true for Bay Area listeners for nearly 30 years. JV joined Wild 94.9 in ’94 (back then it was Wild 107.7) and was best known for his humor, the way he lit up a room and for especially making his listeners feel seen, heard and valued.  

Today is a sad day, not just for Bay Area radio, but for all who knew and loved JV. 

Kris Kuyper will be joining us as our next Chief Meteorologist. His first day of work will be Monday, March 27^th.  

He’s got nearly 30 years of weather experience which includes high profile events like the major wildfires in Northern California where he was on a weather wall for 12 hours at a time.

Kris has been a chief meteorologist in several places including Chico (KNVN), Anchorage (KTVA), Bakersfield (KBAK), and Grand Junction (KREX). He earned his B.S. in Atmospheric Science from UC Davis, is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist from the American Meteorological Society and has his Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association.

Kris will have a couple of Sinclair Buddy’s when he arrives. Michael Nunez will help him with iNews, Justin Willis/Mayra Franco and Christina Lopez will help him with the weather system. I’m really excited to learn from Kris as he’s had extensive experience with WSI and Augmented Reality.

“I’m 6’ 4”, so I might be the tallest meteorologist in the Central Valley, haha. My 2 teenagers are also tall. I ran the Olympic Torch for about a block in Sacramento before the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games. My dad was an aerospace engineer, and worked on the Saturn V rockets of the Apollo program, that took men to the moon in the 1960’s and 70’s. I’m a fan of the Dodgers and Lakers, and I like to work out a bunch, so I don’t block too many temperatures on the screen, lol.” – Kris Kuyper

I send him links to my articles and packages for feedback. He always replies with suggestions for improving my storytelling and challenges me to try something new in my reporting. Mike is always upbeat, encouraging, and ready to share words of wisdom. Working with Mike has been an absolute pleasure, and I look forward to continuing working with him.

To learn more about the Mentor Match Program, become a mentor, or mentee, click here. 

Dozens of protesters, counter-protesters and supporters of an anti-transgender “de-transitioner” rally at Sacramento’s State Capitol whacked a TV camera person with a lead pipe Friday afternoon, March 10^th. The makeshift weapon just missed Photographer Ken Day’s head and instead hit his camera. Producer Toby Momtaz, a member of the NorCal/SF NATAS Board of Governors, was with Day during the assault. Neither was hurt.

Violence erupted between extremist groups on the West Steps of the Capitol where the permitted Detransition Awareness Day rally took place. Day and Momtaz were covering the event to be included in a KVIE/PBS documentary that airs in June about a transgender woman.

The organization putting on the rally believes that if a person feels a discrepancy between their sex and gender – that it is a psychiatric problem. The Sacramento Police Department said that there were three reports of assault and theft.  

One person was arrested for an alleged assault. Day and Momtaz have been contacted by detectives who say they believe the suspect who attacked the crew is in custody. An investigation is underway. An unidentified man was injured and cared for by State Capitol CHP.

The documentary Day and Momtaz are working on is called Never Too Late? It’s about the oldest woman in the country to undergo gender reassignment surgery. The half-hour program is being produced by NATAS Governor Joyce Mitchell, narrated/co-written by NATAS Governor and Awards Chair Wayne Freedman and edited by Governor and Activities Chair Steve Shlisky.

With all eyes focused on the Emmy Awards Gala coming up in June, let’s take a moment and look ahead to the other premiere event held by the NorCal/SF National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Gold & Silver Circles. The Circles are an honor society and members are inducted after being voted in by peers. Suggestions for the 2023 classes are welcomed right now for consideration to appear on the ballot. The deadline is April 15^th – and quickly approaching.

Often, someone’s name is put forward by an industry co-worker or friend. In other cases, people nominate themselves. Either way, once names are selected for the ballot, they go out to a vote by members of the Gold & Silver Circles. Silver Circle honors 25+ years working in the television industry. But it’s not about time alone.

Also considered is the service and contributions the individual has made to TV, the community, or both. Gold Circle recognizes 50+ years employed in television. To be eligible, the majority of time working – for both Circles – must be in the NorCal/SF region.

To nominate someone, please put together a brief bio that includes an email address and phone number along with a photograph. Please send it to Joyce Mitchell, chair of the Gold & Silver Circle committee at joycemitchell50@gmail.com.

After names are submitted and voted on, inductees will be notified via email. They will be introduced at the Gold & Silver Circles event held in fall. It truly is an honor society that documents the history of people working in the television industry who are making a difference.  

To celebrate Women’s History Month, NATAS is profiling female journalists who are making their mark in the profession. One of those women is Emilie Raguso, the founder of a new news site called The Berkeley Scanner.

An interest in crime and how it impacts a community is in journalist Emile Raguso’s blood. When Raguso was growing up on the East Coast, she’d visit her grandmother, Nini in upstate New York and to this day, fondly remembers the woman’s interest in policing.

“Nini had a police scanner in the kitchen and she often had it on. She loved to listen to it and also check the crime blotter in the local paper to see what was happening,” said Raguso, 44. “It was a small town so the names in the blotter were often familiar, often the kids or grandchildren of people she knew. It just felt like those granular reports were so much a part of the community fabric. Everyone knew what was going on with everyone else.”

Fast forward several decades and Raguso earned a degree at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and then hit the ground as a reporter. Since then, Raguso has done it all – reporting, writing, editing, community engagement, you name it.

But at a time when newspapers continue to close, colleges struggle to recruit journalism students and many people get their news on social media, Raguso has taken a leap that few working journalists ever do.

Last September, Raguso left a solid journalism job after 10 years to launch The Berkeley Scanner, an independent daily news outlet devoted to crime and public safety reporting in Berkeley.

“I realized that the only way to keep covering the community the way I wanted was to do it myself,” she said.

Financially supported by readers, The Berkeley Scanner will tell you why there is a fire truck on your street or a helicopter hovering overhead. But Raguso said the site will also follow crime cases through the criminal justice system and report on efforts to reshape Berkeley’s approach to policing and fire safety.

The path to becoming the founder of a news site comes after two decades as a journalist.

After college, Raguso had dreams of pursuing long-form journalism, but she landed a crime beat reporting job at the Modesto Bee, an award-winning newspaper that has a reputation for solid community journalism.

“I reported on the Central Valley and people started talking to me,’’ she said. “It was a huge learning experience. I got a better understanding of law enforcement.”

After a few years at the Bee, Raguso returned to the Bay Area, still with thoughts of pursuing magazine style long-form journalism. But community journalism was calling her name.