Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of August 28, 2022

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of August 28, 2022

Film Screening

You're invited! Please join us for a special live screening of our documentary "Scaling Up: Hawaii's Food Future" on September 8 at 6:30 pm. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, local farmers, and agriculture advocates. Register for free at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/399769008867. Click here to view our flyer.

Accessibility

We upload the audio of your episodes as podcasts (without the video) to Spotify and Apple Podcasts, so please keep that in mind when you do your shows, like by reading and describing the websites and graphics you refer to so that listeners will know what you’re talking about even when only audio is playing.

Deliverables

Email us sooner rather than later if you're having trouble with deliverables such as show information, graphics, and permission forms. They are all due 10 pm HST the night before your show. If you submit them after that time, we may not be able to produce your show or use your graphics. The links to our Show Information Form and Graphics Guidelines (which includes the permission form) are always the same, so we recommend bookmarking them and submitting as soon as you can, even before the deadline.

Our Mission

ThinkTech’s mission is to raise public awareness through civic engagement. We value all of our citizen journalist hosts, and we greatly appreciate when you engage and educate your viewership by posing compelling questions, addressing difficult topics, and evoking unique perspectives on local, national and global issues and events. Our hosts are the heart of our content.  Let’s make every day, every show, better.

Promotion Tip

Now that we're using the LTP (Live to Playlist) system, you’ll have more time to promote your episode before it airs the next day. For example, you can take a clip from the links we send you the night before and share it as a preview for the upcoming show. You can also share those links as a private screening for your family, friends and associates before the episode premieres the next day on thinktechhawaii.com.

Please make sure to review these Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.

Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of August 21, 2022

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of August 21, 2022

Dates

Don't state the date during the show unless the content is date-sensitive. We want to avoid fixing a date on episodes so they remain timeless. Avoid stating the weekday during your intros and outros too, since your shows are aired the following day and it may confuse viewers when we play them again as encores.

Takeaway

Use the Takeaway in your Show Information Form to express the message viewers should remember from your episode. We'll display it on our stream before your episode airs, so please summarize it in 1-2 sentences. See the example below.

Keep The Spirits Up

If you're covering a gloomy or distressing topic, make sure to offer advice and resources such as links to educational material, helplines, and supportive organizations. Please add such resources in the Website to Display field on your Show Information Form. It's important to end the episode on a high note so viewers are gratified and interested in watching your next show.

Beverages

We'd like to keep our productions professional, so if you need to sip your beverage during the show, please wait until you're offscreen. The engineer's Zoom window shows you what's being recorded. If your face is not there, it means you’re offscreen and thus free to sip your beverage.

Promotion Tip

Have you tried using QR codes to promote your show? You can use them in emails, flyers, business cards, etc. for quick and easy access to your shows. (For example, see the QR code for Community Matters below.) You can generate them for free at https://qr-code-generator.com.

Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of August 14, 2022

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of August 14, 2022

Distinguished Guest Election/Survey

Voting is open! Thanks to everyone who made nominations. Click here to cast your ballot for our ThinkTech Distinguished Guest. Vote only once, but feel free to share the link. Our Distinguished Guest for last month was Khendum Gyabak who appeared on "A Nation of Immigrants," hosted by Chang Wang. We also appreciate your response to our Current Events Survey. Voting closes on August 17 and we will announce the results in our email advisories on August 20.

Content

Ask guests concise questions and follow up on their answers. If there is more than one guest, address every question to a specific guest. You may need to interrupt if the guests repeat themselves or go off topic, then guide them back on track. Successful hosts don't just ask questions, they respond and add value to what guests are saying. This may shift the direction of the content, but with the host guiding it may lead to interesting discussions.

Joining Zoom

If you see one of the following messages when you join the Zoom call, leave the window open and wait for the engineer (the meeting host) to let you in. You can email shows@thinktechhawaii.com or call (808) 784-3426 if you have any trouble connecting.

• "Waiting for host to start the meeting.” (Our engineer hasn’t started the meeting yet.)
• "The host has another meeting in progress.” (The participants from the previous show are still chatting.)
• "Please wait, the meeting host will let you in soon.” (You are in the Zoom waiting room.)

Connection Solutions

Having connection issues? Try rebooting your router and modem once a month to keep them running smoothly: https://www.allconnect.com/blog/reboot-your-modem. You can also try:

• Connecting your computer to Internet via Ethernet
• Rebooting your device
• Using your smartphone as a hotspot (if available on your phone plan)
• Recording in a location with better wifi

Promotion Tip

Digital flyers can be helpful tools in promoting your show. See examples below from fellow ThinkTech Hosts. You can create them for free on Canva, which is available on the Web, Android and iPhone.

Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.