Index

1) TV News case study 1: Channel 4 News
2) TV News case study 2: BBC News at Six
3) TV News case study 3: coverage of the General Election across different news programmes
4)  TV News case study 4: independent case studies (BBC3 60 Second News and Newsround)
5) News Values blog task
6)
7)  TV News representation - analysing Sky News coverage of the 2011 riots

TV News: representation and bias

1. Sky News has decided to broadcast the events from the police officer's perspective.
2. In this broadcast, the police are represented as the victims of violence and outrage. They are shown as being very helpless and to be maintaining their respected reputation. It also show the police to be peacemakers not instigators.
3. In this broadcast, young people are presented as rowdy and reckless people who are reeking havoc on innocent officers and members of the public and destroying the streets of London for no apparent reason. Young people are shown to be the instigators, and are shown to be using the death of Mark Dougan as an excuse to steal and behave anti-socially.
4. Images and pictures of burning buses and police cars have been selected to accompany the story also videos of people stealing from shops and throwing stones and other objects at the police officers however there is no footage of the officers retaliating or causing any harm to the rioters. This paints young people in a negative way and gives the audience the idea that the rioters are at fault.
5. The reporter explains how the police "struggled to take control" which tells the audience that the situation got out of hand and that the police were trying their best to calm the rioters but to no avail.
6. The aspect that has been chosen as the most important and appears at the very start of the story is that 8 police officers have been injured which indicates that Sky News has decided that the most important piece of information was that the police officers got hurt, they made no references to the safety or injuries to the young people.
7. The narrative of the story is the police are the heroes who are trying to stop the villains, the rioters, there is a disequilibrium where the streets of Tottenham gets wrecked. This narrative is interesting and captivating as it involves real life heroes and villains which will engage audiences.
8. Todorov's theory of equilibrium can be applied to this news story because there is a state of equilibrium when everything is calm and in order then the rioters cause a disruption of the equilibrium by looting and setting things on fire. The police's arrival shows a recognition of the disequilibrium however there is no new equilibrium shown in the report as the problem does not seem resolved.
9. The police are the heroes who are trying to stop the villains, the rioters.
10. Citizen journalism could be used to show the police fighting back or instigating the stand off which would change the entire story.

News Values Blog Task

Negativity

The Nepal Earthquake was a tragedy that fits many of the values but most importantly negativity. Any major international tragedy where a large number of people lose their lives is likely to become a huge news story. This is because this particular broadcast consists of natural disasters, death, tragedy which intrigues audiences and therefore is rated above 'positive news' (royal weddings etc.)


Closeness to Home

The London Riots was a story very close to the residents of the UK. As the violence and rioting continued to spread and rain havoc on the city day after day, audiences were intrigued to find out what was happening. News stories such as this that hit close to home because they affect the country that it is broadcasted in.


Immediacy

9/11 was a tragedy that was caught on camera the moment it happened as during the actual broadcast another plane had hit the tower allowing the news crew to capture it all on tape. This is an excellent example of breaking news and immediacy as this broadcast was live and audiences could witness the event unfold. Reporters were able to report on the situation in depth and immediately having witnessed the event.

Simplicity

A plane crash is simple and easy to understand as there are no two ways about the story, the plane has crashed and that is a fact. This topic still contains other conventions such as negativity and tragedy but is very easy to understand as the story line is quite blunt therefore it is best suited to simplicity.

Uniqueness

Ebola was an unforgettable story purely because of how quickly it spread. The current generation had never experienced anything like it making it an extremely unique story as with all the medical precautions and new medicines, outbreaks such as this were rare.

Elite nations or people

The protests and riots in Baltimore quickly gained media coverage as Baltimore is a city in America which is a very well-known country and the protests and riots were linked to recent news stories which were also well known. America is an elite country so any important news over there would be  broadcasted and would be quick to pick up viewings.

Case Study 4: Independant Research

1. NEWSROUND
2. Newsround uses the key conventions of TV news to present the news in an exciting but entertaining way. For example the graphics used in the historic scroll story helped to illustrate the findings that the scientists made and made the news story more intriguing and interesting to watch. Also it helped to break down the story.
3. The presenter for this episode was Liyah, Newsround does this to promote diversity and to make the audience feel more connected to the programme as they would want to see their race represented.
4. Aisha is a reporter that has been used to cover the fundraising news story.
5. The studio is extremely colourful with bright colours such as purple and white which gives off a vibrant and relaxed but still serious feel. Technology is used throughout the news programme for example an Apple Ipad is consistently present during the studio reports.
6. The opening sequence of Newsround firstly gives the headlines which is a key convention of a news programme as it lets the viewers know what is coming up later in the show.
7. Newsround typically presents news stories as presenter, piece to camera, the presenter briefly explains the news story to the audience before switching to the reporter on scene who will then go into depth about the story. If a reporter is not used then a voiceover alongside pre-recorded footage of the news story, the voiceover then explains the situation.
8. The target audience for Newsround is 6-12 year olds
9. There are many opportunities for the audience to get involved as social media links are displayed during the broadcasts and there are multiple references to their website. Newsround used children to give their opinions on the Scottish Referendum.
10. Fundraiser, Journalist Freed, Scrolls. The first story is 2 minutes long, the second story is given 43 seconds, the final story is shown for almost 2 minutes.

1. 60 SECOND NEWS
2. The presenter still speaks formally even though he does speak fast, although there are no headlines there are graphics such as the technology background and the two graphic screens that display the news.
3. The presenters name is never revealed as the presenter never introduces himself however the presenter is a young white male who is dressed quite casually, not in the traditional suit and tie,
4. There is no other presenter or reporter during the broadcast
5. The studio has no chairs so the presenter is standing at all times also graphics of tablets and phones are constantly on the screen.
6. The opening sequence follows the key conventions of a news programme as it gives the headlines straight away.
7. 60 second news normally presents the news by  presenter piece to camera with video and graphics.
8. Target audience: 18-34
9. There is no opportunity to get involved
10. Young people are featured in this broadcast, the stories were, Egyptian Court, Andy murray, Actor, Ted Robin's recovery, School and learning times tables,  Celtic win football match against Rangers.

News Stories Covering Start of General Election Campaign 2015

Testing what you've learned...

• The news angle is the perspective that the news provider takes on a certain event. Changing the angle can significantly alter the way a news story is reported. An example of this would be the way the general election is being reported, if for example more positive coverage was given to a certain party, this could encourage people to vote for that particular party which can be viewed as bias.
• The difference between a tabloid and broadsheet news coverage is that Tabloid's contain less serious content focusing instead on celebrities and news stories whereas Broadsheet's contain more serious news such as politics, economics and international news.
• An example of a Tabloid-style news programme would be Sky News.
• An example of a Broadsheet-style news programme would be BBC News.
• The difference between international, national and local news coverage is that local news is news that has happened locally e.g. West London, national news is that is a bit more important then local news and that has happened and is being shown in a certain country e.g. London/Scotland and international news is news that is shown worldwide despite the country the event has taken place in, this is normally the most important type of news and also the story that gets the most coverage e.g. war, terrorism etc.

Answer the questions on the election coverage clips...

• We can tell that this is national news as the general election discussed in the news clip affects only residents in the UK, the people in America will not be affected by the British general election. Also because it is a British story being broadcasted in Britain so for us this news is 100% national.
• The angle shown is from a government angle also from a British angle and perspective.
• This is more broadsheet-style coverage.
• I would expect an older audience to watch this type of news programme because it depicts topics that involve the adult generation for example the general election probably wouldn't appeal to teenagers because they are not old enough to vote yet.

Sky news election story 

• We can tell that this is national news as the general election discussed in the news clip affects only residents in the UK, the people in America will not be affected by the British general election. Also because it is a British story being broadcasted in Britain so for us this news is 100% national.
• British angle
• Mostly broadsheet a little tabloid
• I would still expect an adult audience to watch this TV news programme but the age range would be a bit younger as the programme isn't as broadsheet as BBC News.

STV (Scottish) 

• STV is more regional because it is a Scottish based programme and takes the Scottish people's perspective.
• This programme takes a Scottish angle 
• I would say that STV is more tabloid than broadsheet
• An Scottish adult audience

Channel 4 News coverage

• We can tell that this is national news as the general election discussed in the news clip affects only residents in the UK, the people in America will not be affected by the British general election. Also because it is a British story being broadcasted in Britain so for us this news is 100% national.
• This programme takes a British voters angle
• Channel 4 is more broadsheet but still a little tabloid
• A younger audience as they present the news in a more relaxed way that appeals to younger audiences

BBC Research

BBC News at Six
Basic details

• The letters BBC stand for British Broadcasting Corporation
• Funded by TV license
• Their mission statement is to: inform, educate and entertain
• BBC 1's remit is to be the BBC's most popular mixed-genre television service across the UK -  offering a wide range of high-quality programmes. A very high proportion of its programmes should be original productions.
• BBC news at six fits in with this remit because it offers a mixed genre or topics and stories.

Presenters

• George Alagiah and Fiona Bruce are the main presenters
• The presenters in this programme wear suits and other types of formal clothing which suggest that the programme is going to be both serious and professional
• They may use a variety of presenters to give the audience something new to see each time, to help change the faces displayed and draw away from the same old. To give the news something fresh.
• Other reporters are used to collect information and to experience things outside the studio and to get a closer look at the news topics.
• There is a fair amount of both genders 

Opening sequence

• The opening shot is of the presenter at the desk about to begin the news
• The graphics used show a world/globe which helps the audience feel connected to the other countries and shows that BBC news will give them all the news from all around.
• The music used is quite dramatic which creates tension as the audience wait to hear the first headline.
• The news stories are spoken about briefly and we are told about the upcoming news stories in the headlines

Studio mise-en-scene

• The camera shows the entire studio where the audience can see people at work on the computers and can also see the lights and cables etc.
• The majority of the time the presenters remain seated as to create a serious feel however sometimes they do leave their seats and stand up when addressing the audience personally.
• The technology is visible to help show realism and to make the news more realistic and truthful also because seeing many people working will give the audience the impression that they get the latest news as soon as it happens.
• The studio is mainly red and white which may help to symbolise the British flag and just gives off a sleek professional look and feel.

How news stories are presented

• The news is typically presented with presenter piece to camera and is presented by the presenter giving a brief explanation of the news story. Also another common way that the news is presented is by voice over, video footage of the story plays on the screen with a voice over explaining each aspect of the story or is presented by a reporter who has ventured outside of the studio and reports back to the people in the studio.
• BBC News at Six usually cover news stories such as; politics, international news and sometimes local news.
• Coverage on the conflict in Syria was covered using a strap on camera strapped to a reporter at the scene, this made the audience feel as if they were right there in Syria, another example would be BBC's coverage on the general election where opinions from member of the public were taped and shown on the programme, this is just another example of how news stories are presented to keep the interest of the audience.

Running order

• Top story is Tesco's loss of profits (losses)
• The actual story lasted for about 15 minutes however, the highlight lasted around 2 minutes
• Top story (most important), next story (second important) and so on...stories are broadcasted depending on their importance.
• Each story is shown for 5-10 minutes however the top story may be shown for longer

Audience

• The target audience is for families but is still targeted at the adult generation
• Viewing figures for BBC News at Six are 4 million
• A person may choose to watch this TV news over the others because it is more targeted towards families and provides something a bit different as it is more interested in the thoughts of the public and so on.

Institution

• Other programmes BBC News offers include; BBC News at 10, BBC Breakfast, CBBC, Cbeebies
• OfCom regulates all British TV news by the Broadcasting Code which helps to keep TV news in line. The Broadcasting Code gives basic guidelines and rules for channel's to follow that help to keep TV News impartial. OfCom monitors the TV News with care and failure to comply with any of the rules will result in consequences.
• I agree with the accusation made against BBC news in regards to them "dumbing down" the news because during the Tesco Losses story animations using red arrows pointing downward despite the fact that the word "decrease" could clearly be seen beside it implying that viewers do not know what the word "decrease" means and therefore in turn, "dumbing down" the news. However I do not see anything wrong with having graphics to help explain a story. Also there may be a few people who maybe don't know what certain words mean so at the same time it is wrong to accuse the BBC of dumbing down the news when we do not know every viewers capabilities.

TV News and New/Digital Media

• BBC News does have a dedicated website and a Twitter where you can catchup on missed clips and find out additional information and on the Twitter you can view news related hashtags leading you to new news stories, however there is no obvious way for the audience to get involved.

Channel 4 News Research

Basic Details

• Channel 4 news is on at 7pm each weekday and lasts for 55minutes
• Channel 4 news was first broadcasted on November 2, 1982.
• Channel 4 News has won awards such as; International Emmy Awards for News, British Academy Award for Best News Coverage and British Academy Television Award for Best News and Current Affairs Journalism

Presenters

• The presenters for channel 4 news are Jon Snow, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Cathy Newman and Matt Frei
• Presenters such as Jon Snow wear colourful clothing which gives off a more relaxed vibe towards audiences and reduces tension.
• A TV news programme might use a series of presenters to create a change from the ordinary and keep audiences captivated as it is more appealing to see different people on the screen delivering your news instead of seeing repeated faces.
• Some reporters are used to report on situations which occur in different countries whilst others report on situations closer to home and give their reports live on webcam. 
• The majority of the presenters on Channel 4 are white with the exception of Krishnan Guru-Murthy who is Asian. This makes Asians feel represented in the reporting of news but does exclude the black minority which may make some Black and European audiences feel uninvolved.

Opening Sequence

• Presenter to camera is the very first shot
• The opening sequence's use of graphics e.g the constant change of the images on the digital screen behind the presenter help to captivate audiences and keeps the audience interested in the headlines displayed as well as listening to the presenter. 
• The music is quite sudden and lasts for quite a while which helps set the mood and makes the audience anxious and eager to see the news stories.

Studio mise-en-scene

• Desk, cameras, floor can be seen on camera at the beginning
• The presenters are standing up to create a casual feel and to help move away from the traditional seriousness related to TV News
•         Some technology is visible (overhead cameras) which may show how modern the studio is as it is fitted – however, it is not overly fake which makes it seem more serious
• This show covers a wide range of stories to attract different audiences – including serious offences and crimes covers  politics, international news (Syria,Iraq etc.) and celebrity gossip, more relaxed themes.
• Some technology is visible (overhead cameras, screens where people can be seen getting the latest news etc) which makes audiences see that this news programme is able to get news as soon as it comes and creates a more realistic feel as it demonstrates how they do not hide their flaws but embrace them.
• Bright colours such as purple and white are used to set a relaxed but serious mood.

How news stories are presented

•  A presenter is used to give an introduction to the news story and then they switch to either a journalist or a report with a voice over.
• The use many techniques to make their show interesting such as; secret camera footage, animations, interviews etc.
• This show covers a wide range of stories to attract different audiences including serious offences and crimes (rape, murder) also covering sport, politics, international news (Syria, Iraq, Haiti etc.) and some more relaxed topics such as celebrity gossip.
• News stories are kept interesting by the use of undercover cameras e.g. when busting a shop keeper selling under aged teenagers illegal substances etc. also by using animations to break down news stories such as tesco scandals etc.

Running order

• The top story is Immigration Control
• This news story lasts for 10-15 minutes
• The running order is: top story, sub stories then additional news (weather,sport, celebrity gossip etc.)
• The duration of each news stories depends on its importance, the more important a story is the more coverage it gets

Audience

• The target audience for channel 4 news ranges from about 16-60
• Somebody may choose to watch this TV news programme instead of watching elsewhere because Channel 4 News presents the news from a more controversial perspective and gives audiences and insight into some of the things that other TV news programmes will leave out. The presenters are more emotionally connected to the news that they deliver and are more relaxed and down to earth which in turn makes them more relatable and makes the news seem more realistic.
• The audience can comment on the topics seen through twitter as Channel 4 News displays the twitter hashtags of the presenters.

Institution

• Channel 4 News is owned and run by the government
• They own E4 and 4od
• Channel 4 is watched by younger audiences as it is a home to many comedy shows, short movies involving teenagers and music. As channel 4 news targets the younger audience, it fits perfectly on this channel as it can be easily seen by many teenagers watching their daily episodes.
• Ofcom have a broadcasting code which ensures that the programme is impartial

TV News and New/Digital Media

• Channel 4 News has its own website on the channel 4 page where you can catchup on past clips and get extra information
• Channel 4 has their own twitter feed which is advertised on their programme where you can comment on the news stories and send in photos etc.