Newton's Law

Covering a war is pretty heavy stuff. Not only must you dodge the noise--bullets, bombs and bust ups--you must also get the story.

This past weekend in Indianapolis, I sat in on a presentation by Jeff Newton (he's on the right), a producer with 60 minutes. Newton's primary job at CBS is covering wars--as a cameraman, reporter and producer. Since 1992, he has done stories in 66 countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

Newton works primarily with correspondent Lara Logan, although he has also worked on pieces with Scott Pelley, Bob Simon and Dan Rather.

He gave the nuts and bolts about equipment--always have plenty of batteries--but he also shared intriguing insights on how journalists or anyone in any industry should think about their craft. Whether you are a beat reporter covering city hall in Gary, Indiana, covering politics in Columbus or running a software company in Toronto, they are principles that are impactful, no matter what your business.

I wanted to share 3 of Newton's Laws:

1. Don't let resources keep you from the story. Jeff shared an anecdote where he was called away on Christmas for a breaking news event in the Middle East. He had nothing but the clothes on his back and an AMEX card. He hopped on a plane anyway. You can always get what you need on the way.

2. Less is more. Too many characters can make for a noisy story. Overloading a piece with too many interviews will drive away your audience. Learn the art of cutting.

3. It's always the story that matters. Don't get bogged down what you don't have. It doesn't matter. Great storytelling is often hatched from the jaws of limited resources. Find great people. They are your muse.

Anyone want to add to this?

Do you have a 'Newton's Law' of your own?