Reporting from COVID 19 Frontline by National Emmy-Winning TV News Reporter Joe Vazquez

April 20, 2020
min
By Shruti Sharma, HP Communications Specialist
Reporting from COVID 19 Frontline by National Emmy-Winning TV News Reporter Joe Vazquez

In last week’s #FridayForum, National Emmy-Winning TV News Reporter Joe Vazquez, gave us an inside perspective the COVID-19 news environment. He said 80 to 90 percent of coverage at KPIX5 is related to the pandemic, as it is with most news channels all over the world right now.

“We are trying to find the heart-warming stories that keep us out of utter despair”, Joe said. “If you have a relationship with a reporter, bring them stories that are heart-warming. I look out for stories that are local, visual, and unique.” (Psst, you can pitch Joe on Twitter @joenewsman. Time your pitch with his news deadlines. And clear audio and image quality are big factors for news credibility.)

Joe said these days, most in-person interviews have migrated to FaceTime or Zoom calls. He admitted that it’s difficult for him to stay completely isolated, as most stories are better captured close to the source.

To PR professionals Joe says,“We need you guys to be our eyes and ears…to send us those pitches and keep this relationship going. We need to keep communities alive and make it through this together.”

Joe discussed a topic many of us can identify with: the challenges of working from home. We got a sneak peek into his home-based studio set up to get that “killer soundbite” and crisp video. Joe gave us tips and tricks for lighting and advised sending him audio and visuals as separate files to make editing easier.

To hear more about how journalists keep up with the rapid evolution of the news industry, and get insight into the future of stories in the next phase of this pandemic, watch our #FridayForum recording here.

Join our next #FridayForum on Friday, April 24 at 11 AM PT for What’s Really Going on in Comms and PR Hiring and Recruiting with top recruiters Heyman Associates’ Jessamyn Katz, KC Partners’ Brooke Krueger, Lindsey Careers’ Angee Linsee and PR Talent’s Jim Delulio will tell you what you need to know to keep your career going and take your questions.

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