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Aim for the Heart
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Aim for the Heart
Write, Shoot, Report and Produce for TV and Multimedia

Third Edition


January 2017 | 496 pages | CQ Press

Al Tompkins teaches students about broadcast journalism using a disarmingly simple truth—if you aim for the heart with the copy you write and the sound and video you capture, you will compel your viewers to keep watching. With humor, honesty, and directness, award-winning journalist and author Al Tompkins bottles his years of experience and insight in a new Third Edition that offers students the fundamentals they need to master journalism in today’s constantly evolving media environment, with practical know-how they can immediately put to use in their careers. Aim for the Heart is as close as you can get to spending a week in one of Tompkins’s training sessions that he has delivered in newsrooms around the world, from which students:

 

•       Learn how to build compelling characters who connect with the audience

•       Write inviting leads

•       Get memorable soundbites

•       See how to light, crop, frame, and edit compelling videos

•       Learn how to leverage social media to engage audiences

•       Gain critical thinking skills that move your story from telling the “what” to telling the “why”


 
PREFACE
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
INTRODUCTION
 
CHAPTER 1. AIM FOR THE HEART
Can Great Storytelling Make You Sexier?

 
All That Is Great, But I’m on a Deadline

 
Finding Focus: Aim for the Heart of the Story

 
Use Sound Bites That Connect to The Viewer’s Heart

 
 
CHAPTER 2. THE SHAPE OF THE STORY
Stories Need Surprises: Give Viewers Gold Coin Moments

 
Story Frames: Structure and Restructure

 
The Big Close: Resolve the Story

 
Sentences Have Shapes, Too: Power at the End

 
 
CHAPTER 3. FIND MEMORABLE CHARACTERS
Put a Face on the Story: You Remember What You Feel

 
Little Pictures, Big Stories: Focus on People, Not Events

 
How Many Characters Do You Need in a Story?

 
 
CHAPTER 4. WRITE INVITING LEADS
First Impressions: Get Them Hooked

 
Some Do’s and Don’ts for Leads: Don’t Stall; Get On With It

 
Kill the Clichés: Especially the Clichés of Thought

 
 
CHAPTER 5. VERBS AND ADJECTIVES
The Thing About “ing”: A Passive, Verbless Style

 
“To Be” or Not “To Be”: Verbs Drive Sentences

 
Avoid “Fantastic, Unbelievable, Gut-Wrenching” Subjective Adjectives

 
 
CHAPTER 6. THE ART OF THE INTERVIEW
Learning to Listen: Using Your Ears More Than Your Mouth

 
Asking Better Questions

 
Interviewing Reluctant Sources: Explain the Rationale

 
Interviewing Juveniles and Other Vulnerable People

 
A Few Interviewing Don’ts

 
 
CHAPTER 7. WHY PICTURES ARE SO POWERFUL
A Little Bit of Visual Theory

 
The Power of the Picture

 
The Fannie Lou Hamer Story

 
 
CHAPTER 8. THE VITAL ROLE OF LIGHTING
Lighting Sets an Editorial Tone

 
Construct the Light and Go for the Shadow Side

 
In Bright Sunlight Add Light

 
Be Careful

 
 
CHAPTER 9. VIDEO AND VISUAL TECHNIQUES
Let’s Get Visual: Capturing Compelling Video

 
Principles and Techniques for Photographic Objectivity

 
Special Effects Are “Special”: Use With Care

 
 
CHAPTER 10. CAUTION, THIS MAY GET GRAPHIC: THINKING VISUALLY
Think “Shapes”: A Checklist for Effective Graphics

 
Get It Right: Graphics Are Precision Work

 
 
CHAPTER 11. THE SOUND OF THE STORY
Capturing Powerful Sound

 
Ethical Concerns With Adding Music and Sound Effects

 
Do Not Rearrange Audio or Sound Bites

 
 
CHAPTER 12. WHAT EVERY JOURNALIST SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GUNS, AMMUNITION AND ARMED VIOLENCE
What Is a Caliber/Gauge and Why Does It Matter?

 
Guns in Crime

 
Buying and Selling Guns

 
 
CHAPTER 13. FIELD TRICKS FROM THE PROS
First Things First in the Field

 
Story Ideas

 
Assessing Threats and Staying Safe

 
 
CHAPTER 14. TELL THE STORY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE
Why Online and Social Media Are Important to Local TV

 
Reporting and Writing for Online

 
Ethics and Social Networks

 
Online Skills You Need to Get Hired or to Keep Your Job

 
 
CHAPTER 15. ETHICS AND BROADCAST JOURNALISTS: SEEK TRUTH AND REPORT IT AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE
Seek Truth and Report It as Fully as Possible

 
Who Said That: Evaluating Sources for Your Stories

 
Be Honest With Viewers About Your Reporting and Your Mistakes

 
Attack Dogs, Watchdogs and Guide Dogs: A Journalist’s Commitment to Seeking Truth

 
File Tape: Truthful Reporting or Lazy Journalism?

 
 
CHAPTER 16. ETHICS AND BROADCAST JOURNALISTS: ACT INDEPENDENTLY
Avoid Conflicts of Interest

 
 
CHAPTER 17. ETHICS AND BROADCAST JOURNALISTS: MINIMIZE HARM
Rights to Privacy for Private People and Public Officials

 
Covering Criminals and Criminal Acts

 
Identifying Suspects, Covering “Off-Limits” Stories and Other Tough Ethics Calls

 
Questions Before You “Go Live”

 
 
CHAPTER 18. LET’S GET CRITICAL
Kill the Zombie Stats

 
Critical Thinking and Polling

 
Using Critical Thinking to Investigate Charities

 
Al Gets Duped: Be Skeptical

 
 
CHAPTER 19. THE POWER OF ENTERPRISE REPORTING
Enterprise From the Start: Morning Meetings

 
How to Generate Enterprise Stories

 
Look for the Story Behind the Story

 
 
CHAPTER 20. SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN TODAY’S TV NEWSROOM
How to Succeed

 
Surviving Layoffs, Cutbacks and Reassignment

 
Stressed and Overworked

 
Time Management

 
Avoid Office Gossip and Politics

 
Leaders in the Newsroom

 
The Meaning of Life

 
 
INDEX

"For those of us in journalism, our world is quickly changing beneath our feet. Aim for the Heart will give you something solid to stand on, with insights on how to be a better storyteller and how to make the most of the newest technology.”  

Byron Pitts
ABC News Nightline Anchor

 "In the midst of a changing industry, Aim for the Heart is more important than ever. It reminds journalists that no matter what the platform, the story is still key. Writing matters. Every manager should have this in their library; it is a great way to inspire newsrooms.”

Carolyn Mungo
News Director WFAA Dallas, Texas

 “Aim for the Heart offers outstanding lessons for students at all levels. Tompkins’ approach is smart and engaging, bringing multimedia stories into focus through effective and ethical practices. His emphasis on improving technique in writing, shot composition and the marriage of the two moves students forward.” 

Kathleen Culver
University of Wisconsin-Madison

"Knowing about ‘the next big thing' is meaningless without thinking carefully about how those 'big things' enhance the fundamentals of journalism—the fundamentals that give our audiences stories that are ethically sound, engaging and informative.  Al Tompkins gets that connection, and he stands for journalism that matters. Anyone who has ever attended one of Al Tompkins’ workshops knows that he brings amazing insight, energy and passion into the classroom. What’s even more amazing is how he manages to convey that energy and passion in print. Aim for the Heart inspired ordinary journalists to do extraordinary work.”  

Lisa Taylor
Ryerson University

"Aim for the Heart is the book I wish I could have read 20 years sooner. Al Tompkins reveals the secrets of compelling visual stories. As an award winning broadcast journalist, Al taught himself the ‘magic” years ago. His willingness to share and teach is his gift to the rest of us.”

Boyd Huppert
Reporter, KARE-11, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION

  • New chapters on reporting news for social media and online offer readers essential tools to help them respond to the fast pace and ever-changing shift towards digital and mobile media.  
  • A new chapter on how to report stories that involve guns helps readers confidently cover f gun issues by equipping them with comprehensive background knowledge of the different types of guns available in America, how they are bought and sold, and the crimes connected to gun violence.
  • A new focus on interviewing and critical thinking skills guides readers through the “dos” and “don’ts” of the interview process, including how to interview reluctant sources, juveniles, and other vulnerable people.
  • A new chapter includes practical advice from working professionals that gives readers a glimpse into the everyday struggles experienced by today’s journalists and tips for surviving in the field, especially when working alone.

KEY FEATURES

  •  Offers a nice balance of reporting fundamentals and technical how-to instruction in a concise and accessible format
  • Develops the mindset of a journalist while teaching essential multimedia and visual storytelling skills
  • Professional experience drives the book as it is authored by an award-winning journalist with real-world advice for students
  • Valuable career advice is contained in the last chapter on "How to Survive and Thrive in Today's Newsroom"
  • Includes fresh, topical case studies with historical references that are journalism cornerstones
  • Contributions from the “Who’s Who” of today’s broadcast journalism including top names in television news such as ABC's Byron Pitts, NBC's Bob Dotson, CBS' Steve Hartman, KARE-11 reporter Boyd Huppert, and PBS' John Larson as well as top photojournalists Les Rose, Mark Anderson, and Lynn French.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 16


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