Media at Nationals

[Tom Schindler]

Originally Posted by Scooter

Oh...and the camera booms were for TechTV

I know at least one of the booms was for TBS, they are doing a special on team...

Tom

[Amanda Morrison]

Originally Posted by Tom Schindler

I know at least one of the booms was for TBS, they are doing a special on team...

There was also a cameraman that Dave and I talked to from MTV, I believe they were profiling some students.

I completely agree with Dave Lavery... restrict those cameras, but don't necessarily just leave them on the wayside. In St. Louis, there had to be announcements made because the media flocked the field and ended up just getting in the way (students being blocked from putting up their controls because there are pictures being taken, robot carts running over camerabags lying everywhere, etc.). While this can't get out of hand, it's still an important part of FIRST. We may need publicity, but we don't need field fiascos every few minutes.

[DCA Fan]

I would strongly support changes in media policy....for one, I'd prefer 2 passes for team media people, one for video and one for camera. This wouldn't clutter the field because FIRSTers know when to get out of the way (or at least I assume they do)

Second, create an interview area somewhere...In the pits, on the side of the field...some place other than right during competition. It really irritated me when I was trying to watch or get a camera shot from the stands and media people were swarming around the field.

Third, introduce the use of lighting truss mounted cameras so the booms don't get in the way. Limit these to about 2 per field.

[Jessica Boucher]

Originally Posted by DCA Fan

This wouldn't clutter the field because FIRSTers know when to get out of the way (or at least I assume they do)

This I can vouch for: they don't, because not everyone thinks the same way. Teams want different things out of their footage...some are just happy with match footage, some want 10 minutes before and after. Then there's the teams who want "setup time" so that the shot is to the team's liking. There's nothing wrong with any of this...I can sympathize that the media persons are trying to get the absolute best footage for their team, because this footage is extremely important year-round. But along with having the access to the field, there has to be some regulation so that everyone has a fair chance of getting the best footage possible.

The most fair thing to do in this situation is let teams into the area right after the score was released for the match before them, and ask them to leave right after the score is shown for their match.

Once again, this regulation used to be in place, at nationals with the media platform. What happened to this regulation?

[dez250]

Originally Posted by DCA Fan

I would strongly support changes in media policy....for one, I'd prefer 2 passes for team media people, one for video and one for camera. This wouldn't clutter the field because FIRSTers know when to get out of the way (or at least I assume they do)

If you talked to the pit admin table at nats this year or just knew where o go, your team could obtain a media pass which allowed the holder to go to the field and do video or photos. Though if you were in the way you would be asked to move and your media pass could be repossessed. This was one way to keep the amount of people to a minimum where there were strict "rules enforced". Also at all fields there are media crates you can hook into with your own equitpment and record what is displayed on that fields big screen. Next year read the section (this year #10) at the events and you will see info mentioned on media and what is and isnt allowed.

[SilenceNoMore]

I was disturbed to see that the event was being covered in great detail by America's top Communist propaganda machine, the Communist News Network (CNN). They appeared to be getting in everybody's way and from their reporting (at least what I saw on NEXT) didn't seem to grasp what people are doing in FIRST (besides being brainwashed by Dean Kamen).

It was ALMOST as intrusive as Jesse Jackson was at Houston in 2003.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by SilenceNoMore

...the event was being covered in great detail by...(CNN).

Well, CNN does live right next door to the GeorgiaDome, after all.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by SilenceNoMore

I was disturbed to see that the event was being covered in great detail by America's top Communist propaganda machine, the Communist News Network (CNN). They appeared to be getting in everybody's way and from their reporting (at least what I saw on NEXT) didn't seem to grasp what people are doing in FIRST (besides being brainwashed by Dean Kamen).

It was ALMOST as intrusive as Jesse Jackson was at Houston in 2003.

Are you off your medication or something?
There is just a constant dark cloud hanging over your head and you just seem desperate to spread it to everyone here.
If FIRST is such a cauldron of misery for you why don't you just do everyone a favor and just leave.
Seriously.
We are actually trying to accomplish something here instead of just being negative about this that and the otehr thing. Is there anything about FIRST that you can honestly say something good about because I'm sure we'd like to here it.

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by SilenceNoMore

I was disturbed to see that the event was being covered in great detail by America's top Communist propaganda machine, the Communist News Network (CNN). They appeared to be getting in everybody's way and from their reporting (at least what I saw on NEXT) didn't seem to grasp what people are doing in FIRST (besides being brainwashed by Dean Kamen).

It was ALMOST as intrusive as Jesse Jackson was at Houston in 2003.

Well, errr, I'm gussing FOX is the only god saving grace in all of the US media, right? Frankly, keep all slander and negative personal opinions to yourself. While you may believe that CNN is far left, some people see them as too far right, and then see them in the middle (like me). Personally, do some reasearch on the amount of negative to postitive stores in the 2000 election, and you'd be surprised to see a higher ratio of good to bad stories for Bush than Gore, and most of the bad one for Gore were of stupid (my opinion) things, compared to Bush's negative stories.

To each their own.

[SilenceNoMore]

Originally Posted by JosephM

Well, errr, I'm gussing FOX is the only god saving grace in all of the US media, right? Frankly, keep all slander and negative personal opinions to yourself. While you may believe that CNN is far left, some people see them as too far right, and then see them in the middle (like me). Personally, do some reasearch on the amount of negative to postitive stores in the 2000 election, and you'd be surprised to see a higher ratio of good to bad stories for Bush than Gore, and most of the bad one for Gore were of stupid (my opinion) things, compared to Bush's negative stories.

To each their own.

FOX would ask where the strippers are and if there is any sexual activity going on. Or you could have that populist Bill O'Reilly come and ask if Dean Kamen is looking out for you. MSNBC would just sit there and pretend to be FOX.

BBC is the way to go.

[Jessica Boucher]

Hey guys?

Back on topic, please. This thread was originally about the general problems with the media at FIRST events, and if you want to talk about specific stations/persons, take it to the Chit Chat forum.

[Pierson]

When we talk about team's "getting pulled out to be interviewed," I don't know if this is a media problem or a team problem. As part of human nature, people naturally have ego's and as such want to be on TV, in the Newspaper, or on the Radio.

Is there anything wrong with this? No.

But, what would I suggest? I was recently selected as the Top Youth Volunteer from the State of Washington for the 2004 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. As part of the program the top High School and Middle Student from each state traveled to Washington DC last week, we had a 30-45 min discussion on "How to Work With/Handle the Media." It was wonderful!

Maybe FIRST should either create a document given to the teams on how to handle the media with lines such as "Yes, I would love to give an interview, but let's move out of the way first" or there should be 2 "Media Reps" on each field. These people would serve as "Media Traffic Cops" and make sure that during the matches interference is kept to a minimum and then after the match is done direct interested media and the team/people being interviewed to a specific part of the field that has a good background but is also out of the way! This would cost FIRST nothing because it would just be another assigned volunteer position.

[Nate Edwards]

We got interviewed by Channel 11 NBC Atlanta. It was very exciting and they just interviewed us in the stands. It might have been the time the Drive Team was late but it was their fault not the medias. They just asked us questions as we watched matches and it was very cool. We only got in the words "We are WATSON Robotics from West Albany High School in Albany, Oregon" but hey it was still cool and they picked a good time to talk to us.

Nate

[Carol]

I was a ref on Curie/Einstein, and the media did at times get in our way. So, what we ended up doing was just ignoring them and stepping in front of the camera if we needed to see the field. If you see a lot of shots on the videos of the back of people's heads, that probably why!

I was more worried about safety however. Their cables were easy to trip over, especially when you're running to catch up with a robot (refs were assigned to a particular robot and were supposed to follow it around the field. Some of those bots are fast!). And a lot of them were not wearing safety glasses. If the drivers have to wear glasses, and they are behind a screen, why wouldn't the media? They can get hit in the eye by a bolt flying from a bot too.

Then there was the cameraman who hit me in the head with his camera during the finals on Einstein......that's why, in the video, the scene suddenly jumps at a critical moment......