Sweeps, Influenza, and Caffiene

Let's start with sweeps. Sweeps is the four-week period where the Nielsen group gives ratings for television shows. It's important for local news because it determines how many viewers watch a particular show and gives potential advertisers a guide to when and with whom they should pay for commercials. The more viewers the better. All the stops are pulled. No one gets vacation time, there are live shots as often as possible, and people come in early and work late to squeeze out as much good product as possible. (Networks do this, too. That's why Watson is on Jeopardy and Mr. Sunshine is premiering now. During sweeps.)

Taking a sick day is reserved for only when sickness is really keeping you down. That is the case for NewsWatch 12 this week. My roommate, Chris Leone, was sick this weekend. Monday and Tuesday saw sickness take down morning anchor, Ron Brown, and evening anchor, Brian Morton. They may have influenza. Or something.

Anywho, in the local news biz, reporters often tell feature stories. They're called "Sweeps Pieces." With so many people sick, our sweeps pieces were a little off schedule. Monday evening we realized there was no story set for Tuesday. I was asked to fill that spot.

I didn't have a story set up, but I did have an idea. Noble Coffee in Ashland was a cafe I enjoyed when I went back in October.

I woke up early Tuesday morning and called up Noble, setting up interviews with the co-owner and some of the employees. I got there around 9:45, and they already had a latte made for me. Score! Got a ton of great visuals and a two great interviews!

Shaking Off the Recession: Noble Coffee

When I pitched the idea of doing a story on Noble, the only thing I really knew about the roaster was that their coffee was delicious, and the atmosphere in the coffeeshop was pretty great, too. But there's more to Noble than that. They pride themselves acting with social responsibility.

Noble buys coffee beans from Columbia, Brazil, Kenya. Only the best. Taste-wise and otherwise. The coffee beans must come from sustainable, fair-trade, and organic farms.

The roaster's coffee falls into two categories: High-end and organic. Most roasters will pick one, but not both. That's what makes Noble different. Better.

I spent about two hours at the shop, interviewing, shooting video, and enjoying three different kinds of coffee, all on the house. It was basically all I ate during the workday. The caffeine coursed through my veins and I was jittery all afternoon.

Today, Thursday, I'm finally coming down off the caffeine buzz.

Or maybe it's the buzz of telling a story I really like.