Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1186820
Broadcast News 30 SAG-AFTRA | Fall 2019 | sagaftra.org National Native Media Conference S AG-AFTRA was a sponsor of the 2019 National Native Media Conference from Sept. 15–18 in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Hosted by the Native American Journalists Association, the conference, now in its 35th year, brings together journalists from indigenous tribes with a focus on training, career development and diversity. In addition to its sponsorship, SAG-AFTRA presented a panel called Going Viral: Leveraging Social Media to Amplify Indigenous Stories on Sept. 18. The panel was a tutorial for journalists navigating an ever-changing digital world. Featured speakers included Cherokee performer and National Native American Committee Chair DeLanna Studi, Chicago Local broadcast business rep Jayne Bower and members from Minnesota Public Radio, political reporter Briana Bierschbach, photojournalist Evan Frost and digital producer Matt Mikus. Throughout the session, speakers highlighted the use of social media and other digital platforms to engage indigenous and non- indigenous audiences and spotlight their work. KPBS AND SAG-AFTRA CELEBRATE WORK OF SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS D uring the month of September, KPBS, a SAG-AFTRA-represented broadcast station in San Diego, presented the GI Film Festival. SAG-AFTRA members participated in the festival's kickoff on Sept. 6 at the Family Movie Night aboard the USS Midway. Later in the month, the SAG-AFTRA Military Personnel & Families Support Committee members from coast to coast came together in San Diego to represent the union to festival filmmakers and performers, which included both active and retired military. In addition, several SAG-AFTRA MPFS Committee members contributed as film judges. As an event sponsor, SAG-AFTRA members and staff participated in the festival opening night and screenings from Sept. 24–29. "The GI Film Festival enables the members of the national SAG-AFTRA MPFS Committee, who are veterans, active duty and military family members, to intersect with filmmakers and point them to the benefits of utilizing union performers in their films, if they have not already utilized a union agreement," said MPFS Committee Chair Rik Deskin. Member Erik Anderson of KPBS and his daughter at the GI Film Festival Family Movie night DIGITAL REPORTERS POWER UP D uring the summer of 2018, ABC-TV member leaders across four SAG-AFTRA stations — WLS-TV Chicago, KGO-TV San Francisco, KABC- TV Los Angeles and WABC-TV New York — came together to bargain a first contract with ABC to represent digital reporters. The new contract was finalized in the fall of 2018, and the first digital reporters were hired in early 2019 at KABC-TV in Los Angeles. Other markets covered by the agreement — WLS-TV, KGO-TV and WABC-TV — soon followed, and currently, SAG-AFTRA represents digital reporters in all four markets. Their work is primarily for the ABC digital platform, as viewers increasingly seek news coverage on their tablets and mobile devices. This new contract reflects the effort of both SAG-AFTRA and ABC to represent an evolving industry. KABC-TV digital reporters and SAG-AFTRA members Gabriela Milian, Rachel Jordan and Eric Resendiz hit the ground running in Southern California as the first ABC digital reporters hired in 2019. From left, broadcast business rep Jayne Bower, Minnesota Public Radio political reporter Briana Bierschbach, MPR photojournalist Evan Frost, MPR digital producer Matt Mikus and SAG-AFTRA National Native American Committee Chair DeLanna Studi. SHOP STEWARDS GET THE SCOOP From left, SAG-AFTRA Senior Broadcast Manager Amy Rose, Chris Stimpson from Carter Broadcasting Group, Lori Butcher from KCTV, Rachel Coleman from WDAF and Missouri Valley Local President Andrew Zimmerman from KCTV came together in Kansas City in August for shop steward training. Members reviewed shop steward roles and responsibilities and discussed strategies to engage broadcast members in their region. The gathering was part of ongoing training that brings together members from different shops to share best practices.