I have been in this business for a while now and one thing I noticed is that every newsroom is exactly the same when it comes to food… WE WILL EAT ANYTHING! If I come back from a live shot with food, I’m the hero for the day. One of our old photographers said that you could put out cat food and surround it with crackers, it would be gone within the hour! SICK!
Now I know we are very busy, but sometimes we will let the food sit around way toooooo long… Here is an example of food and a cooler gone bad. I started to notice this cooler sitting by the studio for about three weeks…
(The old cooler – not opened)
(An open cooler with a very BAD SMELL)
Tips from TV Tech Tim when eating newsroom food:
1. Do a smell test and look for mold. If there is mold it can easily be removed.
2. Dips are best, even two days old. Just peal the layer of crust off the top, and voila it’s fresh.
3. Remember, the microwave is your friend.
4. If worried let intern eat it, and see what happens 10 minutes later.
5. If need be, a fork or spoon can be substituted for a knife. A Styrofoam coffee cup can be substituted for a bowl, and a paper towel can be substituted for a plate.
6. If you touch it, it’s yours. Do not break cookies, bagels, or cake with your fingers and leave the rest for somebody else.
7. Anything left at the assignment desk considered “fair game”.
8. When in doubt throw it out.
Ohhhh, and finally:
Have a great day, I am hungry!
-Paul
Goodness Gracious Paul! Those tips were hilarious and maybe enough to help me lose 10 LBS. in the next month! You’re so funny and it always looks like you’re having such a good time when on location doing the weather! Kudos to you for sleeping in a tent for a week at Fry’s grocery store to collect donations for St. Mary’s Food Bank! Unbelievable! U R Awesome! (By the way, even tho my last name is FRY, my hubby unfortunately is not related to anyone connected with the Fry’s grocery store chain…RATS!!)
Hi Paul, very funny piece…. and yet so true…. we humans can be very gross when it comes to food at the office…. We have food in our office fridge that could be used for toxic experiments and most certainly would be considered bio hazards.
Regarding your personal sacrifice at Fry’s for a week in a tent, “You Da Man Paul”. What a wonderful thing you have done for the community and others in need. You are building great dividends in your good karma bank account.
Look forward to reading your next adventure!
Don from QC
Hi, Paul. This sounds very much like our office. Sometimes food is brought in on the day shift and by the time the mid shift comes around, one is not sure just how long the food has been sitting out on the tables and not put away. Even worse, it could still be sitting out the next day.