It’s long been understood that viewers invite TV anchors and reporters into their homes when they turn on the news, but the coronavirus outbreak has flipped the script a little bit.
With more and more businesses asking people to work from home, TV reporters around the country, and here in Chattanooga, find themselves doing interviews, editing stories and doing live reports from their home offices or living rooms.
WRCB-TV 3 News Director Callie Starnes said the station has invested in new equipment such as tripods and lighting systems for phones, and Chief Photographer Lee Broome has created boom poles for microphones for reporters to keep them at a safe distance from interviewees.
“This is what I call an aggressive phase 1,” she said
She said the station did some testing last week so that the reporters, producers and editors could be comfortable with going live on Monday. Phase 2 will involve adding additional equipment for digital editing at home that would allow reporters and editors to access the archives for file video and information.