TV NEWS - Lecture notes 6 PDF

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Summary

TV NEWSINTRODUCTIONIt's not all about the glitz and glam in television news. It's a difficult job for those who are willing to put in long hours of hard work on a daily basis. For those with the zeal and perseverance to 'bring' news to the public, it is an extremely rewarding opportunity. This unit ...

Description

TV NEWS INTRODUCTION

It's not all about the glitz and glam in television news. It's a difficult job for those who are willing to put in long hours of hard work on a daily basis. For those with the zeal and perseverance to 'bring' news to the public, it is an extremely rewarding opportunity. This unit will teach you how to create a news package and how to structure a news bulletin. Take your time to read this section. This will assist you in carving out a career in television journalism that is both interesting and challenging.

Basic features of TV news

This section examines patterns in the structure, duration, and sequencing of television news bulletin items, as well as the principles governing the selection of events that make up the news bulletin's content. There are channels, such as Doordarshan national channel, that broadcast a variety of programmes in addition to news. Then there are 24-hour news channels, such as NDTV 24x7, that broadcast only news and current affairs. A news bulletin's duration varies according to the channel. Some news channels broadcast hourly news bulletins, whereas variety channels broadcast three or four news bulletins per day. Except in small markets, most news departments are large in comparison to the total number of people employed by a station. Depending on how important the news is to the channel, editorial departments can have anywhere from a dozen to nearly a hundred employees. Reporters, anchors, copy writers, video tape crews, mobile outdoor broadcast (OB) van operators, operators of specialeffects generators and computer graphics systems, tape editors, and a production

crew work in studios, control rooms, and video tape rooms to put together television news programmes. A daily television news broadcast follows a predictable pattern. Before the actual show, research, writing, interviewing, visual recording, and editing are all required to put together a television news broadcast. As the action moves to the news set and the control room, hours of anticipation are followed by a sudden silence in the newsroom. The show airs in a tense and often anxious atmosphere. There is satisfaction, relaxation, and even excitement as the final credits roll. If there are any major issues during the newscast (which is extremely rare), the news producer, assignment editor, anchors, and other key personnel meet with the programme producer for a brief post mortem (a discussion of what had worked, what did not work and why). A TV newscast can't compete with radio's broad and immediate coverage or print news's in-depth reporting. Visual material takes up so much time that there isn't enough time for a probe or even enough background information. Indeed, because the cameras cannot always be present where such events occur, a TV newscast cannot present the most interesting and significant news (e.g. a coup, an invasion, a war, or a cabinet meeting). A TV newscast, on the other hand, is an excellent medium for presenting ceremonial events such as coronations, swearing-in ceremonies, VIP arrivals and departures, parades, inaugurations, and sporting events. Unfortunately, the hard core news is not found in these events—even if they are telecast "live"— and they make up a small portion of the daily news. Things are, however, beginning to shift. Television news is covering difficult news as the audience becomes more demanding and competition heats up. In India, the standard newscast used to employ the radio technique of reading out the news in a formal manner from a script (or cards or on an electronic "teleprompter"), with the occasional still, a map, or a moving picture interspersed. The news was frequently adapted to the available visuals. The

number of visuals has increased, thanks to the acquisition of ENG (Electronic News Gathering) and the most up-to-date computerised equipment. Indeed, news bulletins on Doordarshan's channels, as well as those on many satellite channels, have taken on the format of'magazine' programmes in recent years, with the newscaster taking the lead in 'presenting' the news. News bulletins, general news magazines, and public affairs panel discussions are just a few of Doordarshan's most popular programmes. Slides, film clips, maps, diagrams, charts, animations, and graphics are just some of the visuals included in these programmes. TV news reports have the following characteristics: • A television news storey is usually only 90 to 120 seconds long. However, depending on the significance of the event or incident covered, the duration may be extended in some rare instances. • Because television news is primarily visual, the images themselves convey a significant amount of information. As a result, action shots are essential to keep the audience engaged. A dramatic opening with music and montage is typically used in news bulletins (compilation of assorted shots). • Most news bulletins have appealing headlines to attract viewers' attention. In the main headlines, the most important events are covered. • In television news, editing is critical because the way a storey is edited can alter the angle and context of the storey. In editing, there is a great deal of room for creativity. As a result, the editor must maintain his or her professional integrity and refrain from unethical behaviour. • Television news editing is usually kept simple - only cut to cut editing is used - and use of visual tricks, such as slow motion, blurring, repetition, and so on, is avoided. • Rather than straight factual reporting, television news is always slanted in some way. Every television storey has a point of view that is presented in its narrative. Despite the fact that objectivity is an important criterion for good

reporting, television news has a tendency to oversimplify by inventing heroes and villains. • As an audiovisual medium, television places a premium on appearance. To be a good anchor/newscaster, you must have a pleasing appearance and a pleasant personality. An anchor's appearance and body language may be an asset. The use of sound bites is another distinctive feature of television news. Sound bites that are interesting and engaging give the news more life and credibility, and the sound bite's background sound helps portray situations. The average length of a sound bite in the news is about 10-15 seconds. • Television news broadcasts use conversational language. It should be clear to the viewer right away. • The reporter will frequently appear on location and speak to the camera to explain, simplify, or narrate something that cannot be seen visually on television news. 'Piece-to-Camera' is how it's known (PTC). It also strengthens the news item's credibility.

Structure of TV news bulletin

A television news programme is both horizontally structured (a bulletin is organised into several sequences) and vertically enriched, for example, by narrower interactions (for example, dialogue between a newsreader and correspondent, a third party interviewed by a correspondent), different narrative structures, and various modes of expression and representation, among other things. Stories based on real world events, meetings, arguments, conflicts, compromises, agreements, and so on make up every television news bulletin. These tales must be packaged and presented in an easy-to-understand manner to the audience. Packaging entails the programme makers arranging relevant

visuals in a logical order and developing engaging and logical narratives. A simple structure should be used for most stories on a news bulletin.  Introductions are required for these reports. In most cases, the introduction will address some of the five Ws: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. It may even prompt speculation as to how it occurred. However, one thing to keep in mind is that the answers to these questions should not contain all of the pertinent information. There would be little point in continuing the storey if this factor was not taken into consideration. As a result, the introduction may leave some of these questions unanswered while also posing multiple questions or describing significant problems that need to be investigated. The WHAT, WHO, and WHERE questions should be answered in the introduction, but the WHY and HOW questions should be addressed in the main report. It isn't a set formula, though. The nature of the storey will determine how you begin.  The report's main body contains the answers to some or all of these questions. The visual images that provide proof that the storey is true will form part of this elaboration.  The conclusion concludes the report. The story's loose ends are tied up here, bringing it to a conclusion. However, keep in mind that not all conclusions are tidy, and some may leave you with more questions than answers. The structure of a television news bulletin can be observed across states or even countries for consistency, predictability, and universality. Its structural and temporal frames are determined not only by its regular appearance (daily programmes, fixed timing, relatively stable time duration), but also by its focus on specific categories of events - human interest, politics, economy, social issues, sports, and so on.

The communication process starts with opening and headline sequences, then progresses to a news items complex, which is either divided into sections or formed as a whole, and ends with a summary of the major issues and a closing sequence. A bulletin contains a number of news items. According to the principle of relevance, news items are prioritised in terms of placement and duration. It simply means that the most important news items appear first and are longer. Many of them also show up in news reader abstracts or headlines. Furthermore, the operation of other rules, such as foreign and domestic criteria, content preference, and others, may have an impact on the order of items. The first and last bulletin items receive special attention. The first item's significance can be emphasised

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content/character/angle can also reveal the producer's/news channel's values. The final item is rarely negative or disturbing, as discovered by a number of British researchers and analysts. Although the central part of a news item block typically has a wide range of content and format, some information is held back for the final section, which covers sports, light/offbeat events, and mostly positive human interest stories. You've probably noticed that news bulletin headlines are frequently repeated near the end. It's designed to assist viewers who might tune in after the broadcast has already started and thus miss the first few headlines. It also assists the newscaster in recapping and summarising important stories, as well as signalling to the listener that the newscast is coming to a close. The organisation of items in a bulletin necessitates a high level of editorial ability. A bulletin is more than just a collection of news items, so keep that in mind. A newscast has its own personality. Different stories from different parts of the world must be integrated as much as possible in practise. For example, all stories about a major national development or a major international event must be viewed as a whole, if at all possible. They must be combined and

compressed. This should be done in such a way that the reactions, ramifications, and comments, as well as any offshoots or sequels, are organised in a logical and interesting manner after the main news in the storey. Let's say there's a storey about India winning the final of three test matches against Australia, and thus clinching a 2-1 series victory at home. After 24 years, the series has finally been won. The Indian fans are obviously ecstatic about the victory. Now, naturally, the news of this victory will be the lead storey in the bulletin, complete with statistics and scores. The man of the match and man of the series awards will be announced. This series victory comes after a 24-year wait, according to the storey. Following this storey, a series of related stories will be published, including comments from cricket experts, fan reactions, and family members of cricketers reacting to the win in their hometowns, among other things. The anchor may then proceed to discuss the significance of the win with a cricket expert and dissect the game to discuss the game's turning points. Finally, as a result of India's historic series victory, the anchor will summarise the situation on and off the field. All of these stories would be separate items in newspapers, with separate headings and placed alongside or even on different pages from the main storey. In television, however, this is not the case (or even in radio). In television, all related stories must be brought together in the form of a roundup, avoiding unnecessary repetitions and reducing less important stories to the bare minimum so that the overall storey does not become too long. It should, however, be as detailed as possible. When there is a major storey to be handled, this arrangement is necessary. Related items should be grouped together even if they are not related in any other way. However, one must exercise caution and consider the individual significance of each storey, as well as whether or not loosely related stories can be grouped together. Let's say there's a big storey about India going to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, to persuade the

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) of countries about its civil nuclear programme, and there's another storey about an Austrian cultural delegation arriving in New Delhi to perform at the India Habitat Centre as part of a cultural exchange programme. In such cases, the second storey does not need to be placed next to the main item. If time allows, you can include it in the bulletin separately later. Reporters are assigned beats (subjects or areas of coverage) in newspapers. Reporters have been assigned beats in most of the major news networks. News channels have different producers overseeing different content areas, similar to how some newspapers have editors overseeing specific subjects (Business Editor, Current Affairs Editor, Features Editor, Sports Editor, and so on). Some may deal with incidents such as car accidents, natural disasters, strikes, protests, terrorism, and other issues. Politics may be dealt with by the second group (issues of politics and diplomacy). Some producers work in the field of economics, while others work in the fields of social issues, culture, and sports, among other things. Depending on the channel's editorial policy, channel management determines which content areas are handled and how many producers are assigned to each. The term "personalised" and "individual centred" is often used to describe television news. It means that larger issues and problems are depicted through the personal storey of a single person. It occasionally fails to convey the problem/larger issue's scope and complexities. Then there's the growing trend of sensationalising and dramatising events in order to pique the public's interest. It frequently crosses the line between reality and fantasy. Another source of concern in television news is the growing trend of giving more weight to entertainment. Not only are there more items about the entertainment world in mainstream news, but the format of news is also changing to include more entertainment. Of course, this isn't just a phenomenon in India. It's a global phenomenon. The way news is perceived and presented is suffering as a result of the market.

There is a pattern in the news selection on television. A set of criteria defined by Galtung & Ruge as news values, and described by Fowler, guide the process of selecting a particular event as a newsworthy element. The news values are influenced by organisational, genre-related, and socio-cultural factors. The frequency factor indicates that events that occur within 24 hours of the production time are more likely to be reported. The threshold considers the event's size (large-scale, major events), and the event's unambiguity ensures that it is chosen. Consonance reflects what people expect or want to happen, whereas meaningfulness is influenced by geographical, historical, and cultural proximity. If an event is chosen as newsworthy because of its unexpectedness, continuity is a factor supported by an event that was previously mentioned in a bulletin. The newsworthiness of one item, as a part of the whole, is determined by the composition of the entire bulletin. The media's interest in powerful and popular elements can be seen in references to elite nations and people. The use of the word "person" allows for identification with the experience and fate of a specific individual. Positive events tend to get more attention than negative events.

Let us Sum up

Many stories are included in television news broadcasts. Introduction, main body, and conclusion are the three parts of a TV news storey. A television news bulletin, also known as a newscast, is a regularly scheduled television programme that covers current events....