NEW GUY'S CREDIBILITY QUESTION: My news guy and I in the mornings are the only two players for the show. How should we handle making light of lifestyle type stories without hurting his credibility? He gives a few one-liners during the show but we don't want to hurt his credibility. Any thoughts? DAN REPLIES: The cleanest way probably is to allow him to report those news stories (light as they might be) and to leave the humorous comments to you -- especially any comments that might come off as judgmental (which in turn implies bias). Make sure he warns you (off-air) about any upcoming stories that you shouldn't joke about. He also should be sure to structure his newscasts in such a way that you're not tempted to joke at inopportune times. And he should avoid becoming a human laugh track for your jokes. Many weak morning shows think they have to force a laugh," so the audience will know it's supposed to be funny." If you say something that genuinely makes your news guy laugh, fine. But if he automatically laughs every time you open your mouth, his credibility goes down the drain. During the rest of your show, there's nothing wrong with him displaying a sense of humor. But the risque or tasteless or political remarks should come from you, not him.