Breaking News: A Book Deal!

For years, clients have been asking when I will write a book that incorporates my coaching techniques. Mark your calendar for Fall 2010, when "Power Performance: Reporting for Multimedia Journalists" will be published by Wiley-Blackwell. I'll be co-authoring with Tony Silvia of the University of South Florida, who shares my global outlook as well as the belief that first-rate, on-camera storytelling will continue to be in demand as journalism increasingly moves from traditional broadcast media to the internet. The book will be the outline for a college-level reporting class that incorporates writing, researching AND talent performance.
I'll still be available for coaching sessions while working with Tony on the book next year.

Reflections on 2008

Here's a scene from my final coaching trip of the year to Calgary. It's a town that takes hard news seriously and there's plenty of it. Somewhere in the back of this snowy shot you can see the skyline.

What a year for Terry Anzur Coaching Services, from wintry Canada to sunny Spain and the island paradise of Maldives! On Christmas Eve I'm grateful for all the fantastic people I've met on my travels, new clients and longtime friends alike. Former USC students came of age, buying houses or finally landing that dream job in their hometown. Meantime, the economy has been tough on friends who lost their jobs, despite years of experience. It's definitely a mixed bag.

The new year will bring a new relationship for me and Smith Geiger. While I will continue to freelance as a talent coach for their client stations, I will have a lot more freedom to provide custom coaching packages for other stations as well.

The big challenge for everyone is to work smarter in this tough economy and do more with the resources that we have. It's easy to get started on your custom coaching package at www.terryanzur.com to make your talent the best in the business. With our competitive rates and 2009 discounts it's more affordable than you think.

Obama Fever!

I don't blog about some of my coaching clients because there are confidentiality agreements involved, which I take very seriously. However, my travels give me an opportunity to make some fun observations along the way.On the streets of Washington DC, it feels like Barack Obama is already the president, even though the inauguration is more than a month away. This cardboard cutout was at Reagan National Airport. No Bush t-shirts to be had anywhere and the only souvenirs bearing the current president's image were packages of "Dum Gum" and "Embarrass-mints." The Obama t-shirts didn't seem to be selling very briskly, but I am sure that will change as we get closer to the big day. However, only a few shirts were left with the slogan "Don't blame me, I voted for McCain-Palin." I guess the Republicans are stocking up as they turn over most of the power to the Democrats. After my experiences in an emerging democracy, it was especially exciting to be in the capital city during this peaceful transfer of power. There is an almost electric energy in the air, mixed with concern about how the nation will ride out the economic downturn.

State Department Visit

While coaching a client in the Washington DC area, I had time to visit the US State Department to talk about Maldives. I'm hopeful that the incoming administration will continue to support media training projects as a way to win the hearts and minds of democracy-loving people all over the world. Topics of discussion: the Maldives Media Training project and other countries in which that type of training might be needed. I also met with a savvy program development officer in the Bureau of International Information programs. It will take some time for the new administration to get settled in and approve budgets, but I am hopeful that some opportunities will develop in the new year. Maldives was right in the middle of the lineup of world flags, the mostly red one in the center of the picture.

Holiday Help for Our Troops

Pick up the December issue of Newsmax magazine to find out how you can help American troops and their families, hard hit during the holidays by tough economic times.
My article, "Comfort Zone" begins on page 56. There are sidebars pointing you to various charities that will put your donation to good use, including Operation Baghdad Pups, which brings home the sad stray dogs that Americans adopt during their tours of duty in Iraq.
Cultural note: These canine morale-boosters face a grim fate if left behind in a Muslim country, where dogs are not kept as pets and considered to be unclean.
I love doing freelance writing whenever a good assignment comes along. If you'd like me to research and write a story for your publication, please go to http://www.terryanzur.com/ and send me an email.

Hollywood Power Women

The Hollywood Reporter's Top 100 Women in Hollywood event was a lot of fun. I had the pleasure of being the offstage voice announcing such stars as Glenn Close and Sigourney Weaver.
Here's a look at the technical team on the balcony of the ballroom at the Beverly Hills hotel, with me as the "voice of goddess." The celebrity participants didn't exactly follow the script but everyone improvised and the program came off quite well.

We also got a sneak peak at "Prayers for Bobby," a new Lifetime movie starring Sigourney Weaver as a conservative mom who can't accept her gay son. Weaver gave an impassioned speech about Proposition 8, the recent decision by California voters to ban same sex marriage. Glenn Close was a class act as she accepted the Sherry Lansing award for leadership in the entertainment industry.
Oprah Winfrey joined studio chiefs Anne Sweeney and Amy Pascal for a panel discussion. Despite having the combined net worth of a medium-sized country, all of these women were authentic and down to earth.

Many thanks to my friend Jacquelin Sonderling for inviting me to participate. She produced the program for the Hollywood Reporter and its ace events coordinator Karen Smith.

I also got a chance to catch up with USC adjunct professor Gretchen Goldsmith, now the proud mother of twins along with her partner, Joann Alfant of Lifetime. Seeing all these accomplished women gives me hope that Hollywood will be more accepting of what we have to offer the industry.

Mumbai Terrorism Coverage: Why Journalists Should Care and Prepare

I watched the coverage of the terrorist siege in Mumbai from the perspective of just having written a booklet on emergency and disaster coverage for journalists in the Maldives, only a few hundred miles off the Indian Coast.

Many observers have noted the role of "new media" such as instant messaging, email, texting and Twitter. While these sources were often first with the breaking news, journalists know that being FIRST is no good unless you also get it RIGHT. The role of the journalist is to supply the public with the most up to date and confirmed information and the twittering of citizen journalists armed with new technology -- but few facts -- won't change that.

This brings me to the main point of my booklet on how TV journalists should prepare to cover emergency situtations,whether the disaster is manmade or caused by nature. The time to work out your relationship with the responders is BEFORE disaster strikes, not while the emergency is in progress. Previous hostage situations in the United States showed that live TV coverage can often tip off the hostage takers to the movements of law enforcement. Journalists should use common sense in withholding the details that could compromise the safety of the hostages or the responders. Journalists should have confidence that officials will give them access to the latest information and officials should in turn trust that some sensitive information will be withheld when necessary.

When there is no working relationship between officials and the press, officials are likely to react by pulling the plug, as the authorities did in India. Incompetent or unprepared authorities don't want their mistakes shown on live TV. A broadcaster who is not on the air cannot serve the public interest in an emergency. It is vital to have a plan that will enable you to STAY on the air with a direct pipeline to the most reliable information from a variety of official and unofficial sources.

When I left Maldives, my booklet was being translated into Dhivehi and the text is available for any public broadcaster to translate for use in their own language. If you're interested, visit my web site at http://www.terryanzur.com/ and send me an email.