Where's the Motivation?

I'm beginning to see the downfalls of having 60ish free (or very low paid) workers at the dispense of a News Director or news manager. It's not enough for students to be at the station one day a week, because the skills they learn, they forget within a week. It's unacceptable for reporters to be "seasoned" and still not understand the correct way to script -- especially after they've been told and shown.

These are the times where journalists need to know EVERYTHING. They can't be picky anymore with location, salary or title. It has to be about the craft and the purpose it serves in society as a watchman for those that govern. It can't be about getting on T.V. No longer is it about going LIVE to have the experience, but telling stories that change the status quo and make a difference.

It's frustrating to me to see that week after week reporters still not knowing how to script a live shot, or how to script period! Granted, I think they need to be taught from the beginning to read a rundown, to understand the purpose of dummy lines and know 2/2 MEANS camera 2 on a 2 shot and that using the macros on the number keypad are going to give you the same result.

Seeing the breakdown (for lack of a better word) has made me want to modify my way of managing. This summer when I will produce at least 3 shows a week, makes me want to make sure my reporters understand the importance of their responsibility at the station. And those are not limited to importing, writing, and editing. Producing involves story flow, and construction, and most importantly the elements that go along with the story like animation or OTS's or Mapflys. When reporters understand those elements, their story looks better and flows better and the show that they are apart of is better.