There’s a website called Overheard In The Newsroom. It’s a place where those in the business (and out of it) can find funny saying, quotes, and stories about the industry.
It helps to relieve some of the stress and anxiety that comes with covering fires, shootings, car accidents, and other disasters on a daily basis.
This got me thinking of all the different industry words and sayings reporters, producers, editors, and anchors don’t think twice about but anyone else would questions.
Here are just a few I’ve come across:
Word/Saying: “You’re hot!”
What It Means In A Newsroom: You’re live/on air.
Word/Saying: “The story’s dead” or “We killed the story”.
What It Means In A Newsroom: The story will not be airing or taking place.
Word/Saying: Beat check
What It Means In A Newsroom: Calling in with sources to see if there’s anything newsworthy going on.
Word/Saying: Kicker
What It Means In A Newsroom: The final story of the newscast, usually consisting of something silly, funny, humorous, or unusual.
Word/Saying: Feeds
What It Means In A Newsroom: Services or networks that supply stories and/or video via satellites.
Word/Saying: Floating
What It Means In A Newsroom: When a story is supposed to air in a newscast but for whatever reason will not make it’s scheduled time slot, is “floated” and can be reinserted by the producer later in the newscast.
Word/Saying: Brick
What It Means In A Newsroom: A camera battery.
Word/Saying: Dub
What It Means In A Newsroom: To make a recording of something.
Word/Saying: Break
What It Means In A Newsroom: Designated place in a broadcast where commercials run.
Word/Saying: Reader
What It Means In A Newsroom: A story read by a news anchor without any video.
Word/Saying: Slug
What It Means In A Newsroom: A phrase that identifies a story when it’s being compiled.
Word/Saying: Windshield
What It Means In A Newsroom: A foam covering used to protect a microphone from picking up wind noises.
So if you ever find yourself in a newsroom and hear one of these sayings or hear a reporter yell one of these words while on location for a story, consider yourself in the know.
The TV Mommy 