Before you touch a camera or script, answer these three questions. Your answers will determine every tool, source, and workflow decision you make.
Anchor-Led Studio
You on camera reading script. Most credible. Needs backdrop, lighting, good mic. Best for YouTube long-form.
Voiceover + Footage
Your voice over B-roll and news clips. Easiest to start with. No camera needed. Works on all platforms.
Talking Head / Vlog
Casual direct-to-camera commentary. Lower barrier. Popular on TikTok & Instagram. Less formal.
Morning Research & Story Selection
Identify your three stories before writing a single word. This is the most important decision you make all day.
- Scan Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, BBC simultaneously using a multi-tab setup or RSS reader
- Set Google News Alerts for: "Middle East", "Iran war", "Israel strikes", "Gaza", "Lebanon" — delivered to email
- Check X/Twitter lists of 20–30 top conflict journalists (follow: Bel Trew, Ayman Mohyeldin, Kim Sengupta)
- Check Telegram channels for raw on-the-ground footage and civilian reports
- Score each potential story: Is it new? Is it significant? Do I have footage access? Pick your top 3
- Note 3–5 key sources per story that you'll cite on screen
Use Feedly or Inoreader (both free) to aggregate RSS feeds from 50+ news sources into one dashboard. This cuts your morning scan from 90 minutes to 30.
Script Writing — All Three Videos
Write all three scripts back-to-back before editing any of them. Staying in "writing mode" is far more efficient than switching between writing and editing.
- Each 8-minute script = ~1,100–1,300 words at a broadcast pace (140–150 words/min)
- Structure: Hook (20 sec) → Context (90 sec) → Main story, Seg 1 (2 min) → Seg 2 (2 min) → Analysis (90 sec) → Closing (60 sec)
- Write clear [FOOTAGE CUE] notes throughout: e.g., "[B-ROLL: Beirut explosion, AP March 6]"
- Note exactly which visual you need for each paragraph — this speeds up footage sourcing dramatically
- Read aloud once — your ear catches what your eye misses
- Use Claude (me) to help research, verify facts, and draft scripts daily ✅
Keep a script template with your standard intro, outro, lower-third cues, and transition language. Reuse it every day — this alone saves 30 minutes per video.
Footage Sourcing
Source footage for all three videos at once. Open your footage cues from the scripts and systematically hunt each clip.
- Start with free sources (AP Archive free tier, UN Web TV, C-SPAN, government releases)
- For paid wire clips: download only what your script explicitly calls for — don't browse
- Verify every clip: confirm date, location, and source before downloading
- Use Google Reverse Image Search and InVID to fact-check any social media clips
- Organize by video in labeled folders: Video1_clips/, Video2_clips/, Video3_clips/
- Download maps from Datawrapper or Flourish for geographic context
- Always keep a "generic B-roll" folder: city skylines, flags, military hardware — reusable across videos
Record Audio + Edit All Three Videos
Record your voiceover or anchor segments first, then edit each video. ~90 minutes per video is achievable once your workflow is tight.
- Record in a quiet room — hang blankets if needed, close windows
- Record the full script in one take, then fix errors with punch-and-roll recording
- In DaVinci Resolve: lay audio first, then drop footage to match the narration
- Add lower-thirds for names and locations — they build enormous credibility
- Add maps at key geographic references
- Color-grade footage to match: news content should look clean and slightly cooled
- Add a consistent intro bumper (5–10 sec) for brand recognition
- Export at 1080p 30fps minimum; 4K if your footage supports it
Review, Render & Publish
Never publish without a final review. One factual error damages credibility that takes weeks to rebuild.
- Watch each video once at 1.5× speed — catch any audio glitches, wrong footage, or pacing issues
- Write YouTube titles with strong SEO: "[BREAKING] + main topic + date"
- Write descriptions with timestamps for each segment (boosts YouTube SEO significantly)
- Add accurate tags: country names, event names, key people involved
- Create a thumbnail — high contrast, bold text, clear face or image (use Canva free)
- Cut a 60-second clip for Instagram Reels / TikTok while videos render
- Schedule all three posts — stagger by 2–3 hours for maximum algorithm reach
C-SPAN Video Library
c-span.org/videoComplete archive of US government proceedings, press briefings, Congressional hearings, and presidential statements. Fully free and public domain.
UN Web TV
webtv.un.orgLive and archived UN Security Council meetings, General Assembly sessions, press conferences. All footage is free to use with UN credit.
Al Jazeera Creative Commons
creativecommons.aljazeera.comSelected Al Jazeera footage released under Creative Commons license. Excellent Middle East coverage. Must credit Al Jazeera.
NASA Earthdata / Satellite
earthdata.nasa.govSatellite imagery of conflict zones. Excellent for showing damage, fires, and geographic context. All NASA content is public domain.
Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.orgMassive archive of freely licensed photos, maps, and some video. Check each file's individual license. Great for historical context images.
Pentagon / DoD Media
defense.gov/MultimediaOfficial US military footage, photos, and press releases. All US government content is public domain. Good for military operations visual.
IDF Spokesperson Media
idf.ilOfficial Israel Defense Forces press releases, photos, and video clips. Clearly identified as official military source.
Pexels / Pixabay Video
pexels.com/videosGeneric B-roll footage. Good for city skylines, crowd scenes, establishing shots. Not breaking news but useful for contextual cutaways.
UNHCR Media
media.unhcr.orgUN Refugee Agency's photo and video library. Excellent for humanitarian crisis coverage, refugee camps, displacement stories.
OCHA ReliefWeb Media
reliefweb.int/mediaUN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Reports, infographics, and maps for crisis coverage. Strong on Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen.
White House Media
whitehouse.govOfficial White House photos, press briefing transcripts, and some video. All US government content is public domain.
European Parliament Media
multimedia.europarl.europa.euFree footage of EU institutional proceedings and responses to global events. Good for European diplomatic reaction coverage.
AP Archive
aparchive.comThe world's largest video archive. Free to browse and preview. Download licensing required for broadcast/commercial use. Educational use sometimes free. Essential resource.
Reuters Video
reuters.com/videoFree to watch embedded Reuters video on their site. Professional footage licensing via Reuters Connect (paid). Watch and research free; license for broadcast.
Getty Images / iStock
gettyimages.comPremium news photography and video. Free watermarked preview for editorial reference. Paid license for publication. iStock is cheaper for generic content.
BBC News — Embed
bbc.com/newsBBC video clips can be embedded for free in online content. Not downloadable for editing. Useful for referencing in livestreams or link in descriptions.
FRANCE 24 YouTube
youtube.com/@FRANCE24EnglishFRANCE 24 posts many clips publicly on YouTube under standard licenses. Check individual video licenses. Good Middle East and Africa coverage.
Videvo
videvo.netMix of free and premium stock video. Many clips free to download with attribution. Good for generic B-roll: cities, flags, aerial shots, crowds.
Reuters Connect
reutersconnect.comProfessional wire service subscription. Real-time access to Reuters photos and video. Industry standard for news organizations. ~$300–500+/month.
Storyful
storyful.comSpecializes in verifying and licensing social media video for news use. If you want to use footage from X/Telegram legitimately, Storyful handles clearance. Enterprise pricing.
Getty Images Video
gettyimages.com/videosPremium news and editorial video. Per-clip licensing or subscription. High quality, fully cleared content. Expensive but legally airtight.
AFP Forum
afpforum.comAgence France-Presse photo and video licensing. Strong Middle East and European coverage. Professional subscription required.
Shutterstock Editorial
shutterstock.com/editorialEditorial news footage and photos. More affordable than Reuters or Getty for smaller creators. Subscription plans from ~$50/month.
Pond5 Editorial
pond5.com/editorial-footagePer-clip pricing for editorial news footage. Good for one-off purchases without a subscription. Often cheaper than Getty per clip.
InVID / WeVerify
invid-project.euBrowser plugin for verifying video authenticity. Reverse video search, keyframe analysis, metadata extraction. Essential for any social media clip.
Google Reverse Image Search
images.google.comRight-click any image → "Search image with Google" to find its origin and previous uses. First step in verifying any photo's authenticity.
TinEye
tineye.comReverse image search focused on finding where and when an image first appeared. Better than Google for tracking recycled/misleading photos.
Bellingcat Toolkit
bellingcat.com/resourcesIndustry standard for open-source intelligence and conflict verification. Free guides on geolocating footage, verifying claims, and tracking military movements.
Yandex Images
yandex.com/imagesRussian search engine image search. Surprisingly powerful for finding Russian and Middle Eastern image sources that Google misses. Use alongside Google.
Snopes / PolitiFact
snopes.comEstablished fact-checking services. Search any claim before including it in your script. Also check: AFP Fact Check, Reuters Fact Check, BBC Reality Check.
SunCalc
suncalc.orgVerify when and where footage was filmed by checking shadow direction against sun position. Used by Bellingcat and professional verifiers to confirm dates and locations.
Google Earth Pro
google.com/earthFree desktop tool. Use historical imagery to compare before/after conflict damage. Critical for verifying claims about specific locations being struck.
Datawrapper
datawrapper.deCreate professional interactive maps and charts in minutes. No coding required. Used by NYT, The Economist, BBC. Export as PNG or embed. Free for non-commercial use.
Flourish
flourish.studioBeautiful animated data visualizations and maps. Free public plan. Great for conflict timelines, troop movement visualizations, and casualty data charts.
MapChart
mapchart.netSimple, fast map creator. Color countries and regions. Perfect for quick "conflict zone" overview maps. Export as PNG for free.
ACLED (Conflict Data)
acleddata.comArmed Conflict Location & Event Data. Free access to real-time conflict data, maps, and visualizations. The most cited conflict monitoring database. Also used by journalists.
Canva Maps & Graphics
canva.comFree design tool with map templates, lower-third templates, and infographic layouts. Use for thumbnails, social media graphics, and basic motion graphics.
OpenStreetMap
openstreetmap.orgFree, open-source world map. Export any region as a clean base map for your graphics. Community-updated — often shows conflict zones faster than Google Maps.
DaVinci Resolve FREE
Industry-standard editing suite. Free version is more powerful than most paid alternatives. Color grading, audio mixing, and effects all built in.
blackmagicdesign.comCapCut Desktop FREE
Faster and simpler than DaVinci. Great for news editors who need speed over complexity. Auto-captions and subtitles built in.
capcut.comAdobe Premiere Pro PAID
Industry standard in broadcast news. Best integration with After Effects for motion graphics. ~$55/month. Worth it if you scale up.
adobe.comKdenlive FREE
Open-source video editor for Linux/Windows/Mac. More stable and full-featured than most free options. Good for beginners.
kdenlive.orgAudacity FREE
Free, open-source audio editor. Noise reduction, EQ, compression — everything you need to make a voice recording sound broadcast-quality.
audacityteam.orgAdobe Podcast (Enhance) FREE
AI-powered tool that removes background noise and makes any microphone sound like a studio mic. Free to use online. Remarkable quality improvement.
podcast.adobe.com/enhanceKrisp FREEMIUM
Real-time noise cancellation for recordings. Free tier available. Removes keyboard noise, room echo, and background sounds during live recording.
krisp.aiPixabay Music FREE
Royalty-free music for news intros, bumpers, and transitions. No attribution required. Also check: Freesound.org for ambient and SFX.
pixabay.com/musicFeedly FREEMIUM
RSS aggregator. Follow 50+ news outlets in one dashboard. Free plan covers essential feeds. Cuts morning research time in half.
feedly.comClaude (Anthropic) FREE TIER
AI for research, script drafting, fact-checking, and summarizing complex geopolitical events. Use it daily to write and refine your news scripts.
claude.aiGoogle Alerts FREE
Set keyword alerts (Iran, Middle East, Gaza, Lebanon) and receive email digests of breaking news. Free and instant setup.
google.com/alertsNotion FREE TIER
Build a story tracker, script template library, and source database. Free personal plan. Keeps your daily production organized.
notion.soCanva FREE TIER
Thumbnails, lower thirds, social media graphics, and motion templates. Free plan is sufficient for daily news production needs.
canva.comAdobe After Effects PAID
Industry-standard motion graphics. Create broadcast lower-thirds, animated maps, and news transitions. ~$55/month (included in Creative Cloud).
adobe.comGIMP FREE
Free Photoshop alternative. Use for thumbnail creation, image cropping, and adding text overlays to stills. Available on all platforms.
gimp.orgSubtitle Edit FREE
Create and sync subtitles for your news videos. Subtitles increase watch time by 40%+ on YouTube. Free, open-source, easy to use.
nikse.dk/subtitleedit| Tier | Monthly Cost | What's Included | Footage Sources | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STARTER | $0 – $30 | All free tools only — DaVinci Resolve, Audacity, Canva free, Pixabay B-roll | C-SPAN, UN Web TV, Al Jazeera CC, government releases only | First 3 months while building audience |
| GROWING | $50 – $150 | CapCut Pro, Canva Pro ($13), select AP Archive clips per story | Starter sources + select AP Archive licensed clips, Shutterstock Editorial | Channel with 1,000–10,000 subscribers |
| SEMI-PRO | $200 – $500 | Adobe Creative Cloud ($55), Shutterstock Editorial sub (~$50), AP Archive plan | All the above + Pond5 per-clip purchases, Getty select images | Monetized channel, small media outlet |
| PROFESSIONAL | $1,000 – $3,000+ | Reuters Connect subscription, Adobe CC, full wire access, studio equipment | Full Reuters, AFP, AP wire access + Storyful for social media clearance | Established outlet, broadcast-level production |
Start at $0 and grow: You can produce professional-quality news videos entirely free for your first 6 months using C-SPAN, UN Web TV, government releases, and Al Jazeera Creative Commons. Once monetized, reinvest revenue into your first paid footage subscription.
| Time | Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00–8:00 AM | Research Scan all sources. Select all three stories. Note footage needs for each. | ||
| 8:00–9:30 AM | Script Write full script (~1,200 words). Include [FOOTAGE CUE] notes. | Script Write full script. | Script Write full script. |
| 9:30–11:30 AM | Footage Source all clips for all three videos in one session. Download, verify, organize. | ||
| 11:30 AM–1:00 PM | Record + Edit Record voiceover. Assemble cut. Add lower thirds, maps, graphics. | — | — |
| 1:00–2:30 PM | — | Record + Edit Record voiceover. Assemble cut. | — |
| 2:30–4:00 PM | — | — | Record + Edit Record voiceover. Assemble cut. |
| 4:00–5:00 PM | Color & Audio Final review, color grade, audio master all three videos. | ||
| 5:00–6:00 PM | Publish Render. Write titles/descriptions/tags. Create thumbnails. Schedule all three posts. Cut social clips. | ||
Key principle: Batch all scripting together, all footage sourcing together, all editing together. Switching between modes (research → edit → research) costs 20–30 minutes per switch. Stay in one mode as long as possible.
Click each item to check it off. Resets on reload — use it fresh each morning.
📰 Research Phase
- Scanned Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, BBC
- Checked Google News Alerts inbox
- Checked X/Twitter journalist lists
- Selected 3 stories with clear news value
- Confirmed footage exists for each story
- Noted 3–5 credible sources per story
✍️ Script Phase
- Script 1 written (~1,200 words)
- Script 2 written
- Script 3 written
- All footage cues noted in scripts
- All scripts read aloud once
- All facts verified against primary sources
🎬 Footage Phase
- All clips sourced from licensed sources
- Every clip verified (date, location, source)
- Social media clips cleared via InVID
- Clips organized in labeled folders
- Maps / graphics created for each story
🎞️ Editing & Publish Phase
- Audio recorded and cleaned
- Video 1 edited and reviewed
- Video 2 edited and reviewed
- Video 3 edited and reviewed
- Lower thirds added to all videos
- Subtitles added to all videos
- Thumbnails created (all 3)
- YouTube titles/descriptions/tags written
- All 3 videos uploaded and scheduled
- Social clips cut and posted