© Tom Petner 2012                       Reporter & MMJ Resources      Cherie Bank Comments Cherie Bank CHERIE BANK is a fourteen-time Emmy award winning journalist, who worked at NBC10, WCAU-TV in Philadelphia as an anchor and medical reporter for nearly 30 years.  She joined the station in July 1979 from St. Louis where she anchored.  Cherie left NBC10 and her “HealthWatch” reporting position in 2009 due to a serious eye ailment. Related Resources & Articles How VJs are changing TV news  Newslab NBC's Guthrie: A Case Study In New News Norms - NPR.org

Are Crazy People Running Your Life? Just Say Yes 12/08/2010 Want a long, lower-stress career in media? Just say yes! When your news director or executive producer tells you to do something, do it. And do it with a smile. That is what my friend in broadcast management tells me is the trick to keeping your job. It makes sense. They’re the boss. You’re not. So even though their ideas sound ridiculous and yours are much more brilliant, you have to agree to do what they say. That’s how you make them like you. That’s how you stay employed. Even if you hate the idea of reporting on the sludge pits across the river, or researching another Sweeps special about High Heel Hell (again), tough. They’re in charge. Just say yes. My management friend says I’m forgetting the possibility that the bosses might actually know what they’re doing. Maybe their ideas are based on solid audience research. Maybe their stories are what your viewers are clamoring for, It’s time to admit it. Some bosses are pretty darn smart. They could teach us a thing or two. But sadly, not all are. Personally I have lived through these dilemmas for decades. After moving halfway across the country to be an anchor in a major market, I was suddenly told I was finished, and replaced at the anchor desk. (It was the work of a vicious “newsman” who’s still wreaking havoc in the industry.) Horrified is the only word I could use to describe how I felt. But my agents told me to continue working hard there and do a good job on every assignment until they could find me another job. In other words, just say yes! I did it. I began doing medical reports before anyone ever heard of a TV medical reporter. Suddenly the same boss who “fired” me was begging me to stay and become “the medical reporter”. And, he even offered me the 6pm co- anchor job back as well. By just saying yes, I bought myself time and turned medical reporting into a very successful and coveted franchise. You can do it too. Look for an opportunity in your newsroom; find a weak spot and then turn it into a strength for your station. It will likely shore up your career in the process.  Come up with fabulous ideas and work them. Do what you can to grow something that’s yours. Either because you like it, you’re trying to keep your job, or you’re waiting out the crazy people running your life. You may actually develop a niche that makes your life easier and your career more rewarding. Now they may push you too far. You may feel you’re turning into a crazy person yourself for saying yes to them. In that case, don’t quit until you have a different job. A real one. And I’m not saying it’s ever easy to smile and suck it up. But in most cases, if they tell you to report on acid rain live at 11pm on a Friday night, 200 miles from the station, and you’re interested in staying in broadcasting: Just say yes! Editor’s note: If you have a comment or want to reach Cherie Bank, you can email her at cbank@the247newsroom.com 10/6/2010 Women in TV News...Finding That Balance      “There is a real-life fact that all women in broadcasting grapple       with: how to build a fulfilling personal life while keeping your       career on track.” What a shock. At the Mid Atlantic Emmy Awards recently, the two most powerful news directors in the room were women. When I started in TV news in 1972 I was the one and only woman who had ever even set foot in the newsroom. Starting as a secretary. Inching towards reporter. And I felt lucky to finally be able to do a story on kids pinching off the bright end of fireflies for scientific research.   These days, women are rarely pigeonholed to story types. In fact, the kind of reporting females used to be relegated to are now the prime spots on TV news; Medical and Consumer reporting.   And of course, women are now solo anchors on two of the big three network evening newscasts.  But that doesn't mean we've reached the age of equality in broadcasting.  In fact, age is still a big battleground for women who are on-air.   I've found that a key to success is to get the job you want by the time you’re 35  years old.  Because if your face is on TV, few people are going to hire you after that. If you’re established in a good broadcast job by age 35 and you’re good at what you do, you’re golden. If you're still bouncing from city to city at that age, you may have to kiss this career goodbye. Yes, Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters are old and successful. But they were already there. No one hired them at age 50 to be stars. I think you have to be in place by 35,  then make the most of that position. You can grow and flourish. But you can’t move. Most people believe women don’t age as gracefully as men. But if we have a good job, we work hard and are liked by our bosses and our viewers, we can continue to realize our greatness.    Women who work off camera don't face this kind of pressure, but there is a real-life fact that all women in broadcasting grapple with: how to build a fulfilling personal life while keeping your career on track. This industry can become an all-consuming job. We're expected to work on early morning, mid- day and late newscasts.  Not to mention station websites, and keeping our audience updated via Twitter and Facebook.  Our jobs are now 24/7 obligations.  But unless you marry someone in the business who understands, who’s going to put up with that?  And if you have children, when are you going to see them, let alone take care of them. And what about having fun?    That’s why many women in the business are not married. Most men are. They have wives taking care of the kids and making dinner. The men just worry about work. But working women have to do it all. Excel at work. Keep up with the news. Take care of their home, kids, significant other. So we juggle babysitters, au pairs, parents and in laws as our schedules change and expand. And we try to take care of our homes, pay the bills, buy the groceries, get our nails done and exercise. Good luck.   But women are super and they bend over backwards to accommodate. Here are some tips to keep in mind.  Your career can be a great part of your life. It is not all your life. Work especially hard at the beginning of your career so you become established. Then, try to set some parameters whereby you can refuse certain assignments; i.e. you can’t work weekends, you can’t work the early am shift then come back for the late news. Try to establish a valued niche for yourself. And then leave work at work and make the most of your free time.  Editor’s note: If you have a comment or want to reach Cherie Bank, you can email her at cbank@the247newsroom.com   Feeding the 24/7 News Cycle