BBC Newsround and BBC3 60 Second News

BBC Newsround

• How does Newsround use the key conventions of TV news?

Newsround uses the Key Conventions of news by having an opening sequence of the top stories that will feature later on in the show with TV News music playing at the background. Newsround also has graphics on the screen behind the screen and on screen when presenting stories. Newsround also features video footage and opinions of children when they cover stories that also effect children. They also have voice over when introducing new stories by footage or when showing footage of a story.

• Who are the presenters for BBC Newsround? Why do Newsround have a variety of presenters?

The presenters of BBC News are Jenny Lawrence, Martin Dougan and Hayley  Hassall. BBC Newsround has a different variety of presenters to show that the BBC is balanced not only when presenting news but throughout gender, ethnicity and weather they have a disability or not.

• Are any other presenters or reporters used?

Other presenters are used to report different stories for example when going out to a different city/country they use different reporters and the main ones remain in the studio.

• What does the studio look like? How is technology used in programme?

The studio has very bright colours which vary from white to black, pink blue and many more, especially when they use graphics to explain different stories. They sometimes ask the audience to ask their questions where they them answer them when interviewing someone.

• What is the opening sequence to Newsround? Does it fit the key conventions of TV news?

The opening 3o seconds of Newsround are where some of the stories are introduced and then that is followed by the opening of the TV News programme where they show the globe spinning, they use a globe because thats the BBC News logo however they use different colours to represent the channel that the news is being presented on. The opening sequence does fit the key conventions of TV News because it contains the top stories, the graphics and the music. 

• How does Newsround typically present a news story? (E.g. presenter to camera, reporter on location, interviews, graphics, images, video etc.)

The presenter is usually facing and looking at the camera they then cut off with footage or images relating to the stories they are reporting and then they cut back to the presenter talking to the camera.

• Who is the target audience for Newsround? You may want to research this online.

The target audience for newsround is 6-12 year olds and more females than males that watch it.

• Is there an opportunity for the audience to get involved in the programme? Do young people feature in the news programme at all?

During the programme they usually show the comments of kids and their comments about certain  news topics and what they think about that certain news story.

• What news stories are covered in the broadcasts you have watched? List ALL the stories that are covered AND the order that they appear in. How long does each story appear for?

BBC3 60 Second News

• How does the BBC3 60 Second News use the key conventions of TV news?

BBC 3 60 Second News use the key conventions by introducing their stories and giving of information about them, they use graphics on screen and behind the presenter, they have headlines that introduce other news stories that actually do not relate to the ones being presented.

• Who are the presenters for the BBC3 60 Second News? What do you notice about their age and how they are dressed?

Sam Naz on weekdays and Ben Mundy on Fridays. Both presenters are dressed casually to represent the young target audience of the News programme.

• Are any other presenters or reporters used?

No other presenters are used because the fact that theprogramme is 60 seconds means that they have no time to switch to different presenters during the programme.

• What does the studio look like? How is technology used in programme? How are graphics used in the presentation of the news?

The studio looks very futuristic and there are no desks or chair anywhere the presenter is just standing in front of a moving screen with graphics. The programme uses a lot of technology to make the programme look as futuristic as it does.

• What is the opening shot of the BBC3 60 Second News? Does it fit the key conventions of TV news?

The opening shot of the programme just shows graphics and the logo of the news programme.

• How does the BBC3 60 Second News typically present a news story? (E.g. presenter to camera, reporter on location, interviews, graphics, images, video etc.)

They always present their stories by having the presenter talking to the camera(audience) and this is because the programme is so short that they have n o time to cut away. They usually do however have voice overs when showing video footage or images from a story.

• Who is the target audience for the BBC3 60 Second News? You may want to research this online. Why does the BBC feature news on a predominantly entertainment-based channel?

The target audience for this news show is 16-35 year olds. They present the news on an entertainment channel because it gets them more views on the news seeing as the programme is played between programmes meaning that the public watch it while waiting to view the next programme.

• Is there an opportunity for the audience to get involved in the programme? Do young people feature in the news programme at all?

During the programme a hashtag is shown on the headlines at the end the hashtag is also joined by @BBCNEWS

• What news stories are covered in the broadcasts you have watched? List ALL the stories that are covered AND the order that they appear in. How long does each story appear for?

1. Officials know that the Alps plane crash pilots suffered from depression (6 seconds) 
2. Goodluck Jonathan is no longer president (10 seconds)
3. Iran Nuclear talks extended (10 seconds)
4. Woman is racist towards two black men (9 seconds)
5. Selfie of shoes are shown (9 seconds)

Election Coverage on 4 different TV News Channels.

Questions??

• 1) What is the angle of a news story? Give an example to explain your answer.

An angle of a news story is the perspective of which a story is presented in. Changing the angle can effect the way a news story is reported. For example, when the 2011 Riots were happening the news, the BBC reported this story by only showing the rioters causing damage however what they didn't show was that the police was responsible for the riots because the police used force. However when the story was reported the BBC showed footage of the rioters causing trouble and the police reacting even though it was the other way around.

• 2) What is the difference between tabloid and broadsheet news coverage?

The difference between a tabloid and a broadsheet is the fact that a tabloid is more modern, uses more graphics and reports stories based around crime, celebrities or sport. A broadsheet news coverage however is formal, has less graphics and more depth in the story it covers which are international news stories, politics and economic news.

• 3) What would be an example of a tabloid-style TV news programme?

An example of a tabloid-style TV news programme would be Sky News or BBC3 60  Second News.

• 4) What would be an example of a broadsheet-style TV news programme?

An example of a broadsheet-style TV News programme would be BBC News at 6 or Channel 4 News.

• 5) What is the difference between international, national, regional and local news coverage?

International: World News
National: United Kingdom
Regional: London/ Yorkshire/ Scotland 
Local: West London / Leeds / Edinburgh 


BBC News coverage of the election story.

• 1) Is this international, national, regional or local news? How can you tell?

The news is national and this is because the report was about the views of David Cameron and Ed Miliband who both play a big part in the UK government and the election will affect the whole of the United Kingdom.

• 2) What angle does the report take on the story?

In this report the BBC have a strong angle towards what the MP's plan to do for the UK in the future. They make the report equal by showing both David Cameron and Ed  miliband talking about what they will do to change the UK for the better.

• 3) Is this more tabloid or broadsheet-style coverage?

The report on this news story is a broadsheet-style of news coverage and this is because the BBC reported this story with balanced views.

• 4) What kind of audience would you expect to watch this type of TV news programme? Why?

The type of audience I would expect to watch this report would be a proffesional, of class ABC1, UK citizens who care for their future. Who are also most likely to vote.

Sky News coverage of the election story.

• 1) Is this international, national, regional or local news? How can you tell?

This is national news because the report was about the upcoming elections which is to do with the United Kingdom.

• 2) What angle does the report take on the story?

They give more details about David Cameron and the Conservative party.

• 3) Is this more tabloid or broadsheet-style coverage?

The report on this news is a tabloid-style of news coverage and this is because Sky News after reporting the story they showed footage of Larry the cat, which is the cat of 10 Downing Street.

• 4) What kind of audience would you expect to watch this type of TV news programme? Why?

The type of audience I would expect to watch this report would be a less professional class of ABC1, of 25-45 year olds. Who are also most likely to vote.


STV(Scottish)coverage of the election story.

• 1) Is this international, national, regional or local news? How can you tell?

This is an national story because even though it was reported from Scotland the elections do still effect Scotland because they are in the United Kingdom.

• 2) What angle does the report take on the story?

They give more information about the Scottish party and talk about how the Scottish party will make changes, this is biased considering that their TV news provider is Scottish this means that there is not enough coverage of the other parties however the Conservative party and Labour party are mentioned at the end.

• 3) Is this more tabloid or broadsheet-style coverage?

This is a broadsheet-style coverage because there is a high level of formality when reporting this story. There are also aspects of a tabloid-style coverage as there were selfies taken during the bulletin, and there were also animations of the key dates.

• 4) What kind of audience would you expect to watch this type of TV news programme? Why?

The type of audience I would expect to watch this report would be a Scottish based audience most likely to be watched with the whole family because the use of animations make the broadcast interesting to children/ teenagers. Who are also most likely to vote.

Channel 4 News coverage of the Election Story.

• 1) Is this international, national, regional or local news? How can you tell?

This is a National story because its talking about the United Kingdom and who will be the upcoming Prime Minister.

• 2) What angle does the report take on the story?

The angle which the report has taken on the story is mostly based around UKIP and their plans for the future, Europe is also mentioned in the report and how UKIP want the UK to not be in the EU anymore. However other parties were also discussed so there would of been no accusations of them being biased. There is also footage of both David Cameron and Ed Miliband talking about how they will make a difference in the UK for the next 5 years, there is also a clip of David Cameron contradicting Ed Miliband and what he claims to happen if he is chosen as the next Prime Minister.

• 3) Is this more tabloid or broadsheet-style coverage?

Channel 4 News reported this story in a broadsheet-style coverage of the story because they include long interviews including an interview with an accountant who talks about the economy, even though there are some graphics and animations the coverage is mostly broadsheet-styled.

• 4) What kind of audience would you expect to watch this type of TV news programme? Why?

The kind of audience that I would expect to watch a report like this would be an audience of ABC1 class, who are also interested in the upcoming economy this means that they are also professional and formal. They are most likely to be within the ages of 18-47 year olds who are also most likely to vote.

BBC News @ Six Case Study

Basic details

• What do the letters BBC stand for?

The letters BBC stand for British Broadcasting Corporation.

• How is the BBC funded?

The BBC is funded by TV License of £147.50.

• What is the BBC's famous mission statement? (Clue: it's three words)

The BBC's famour mission statement is 'inform, educate and entertain'.

• What is BBC1's programme remit?

• How does the BBC News at Six fit into BBC1's remit?

Presenters

• Who are the presenters of BBC News at Six?

The presenters vary from George Alagiah, Fiona Bruce, Sophie Raworth, Mishal Husain and Sian Williams.

• What are the presenters wearing? What does this communicate to the audience?

The male presenters wear suits however they do not always wear ties with their suits,  the female presenters also wear suits however they mostly wear skirts instead of trousers. The fact that the presenters wear suites gives the audience a good impression that the presenters are sophisticated. Suits also show that the presenters are ready for business. The fact that the presenters do not always wear ties means that they are also a little relaxed and like to have a laugh when appropriate, it means that they are not always serious.

• Why might a TV News programme use a variety of presenters?

Having a variety of presenters means that the audience who are of different ethnicity's are represented within the presenters and that the audience can interact with the news. 

• How are other reporters or presenters used in the TV news programme?

The other presenters are also presented as neat, smart but casual. This means that they are serious when presenting news stories.

• Is there a balance between male and female presenters? What about race/ethnicity? What effect might these aspects have on an audience?

Opening sequence
Analyse the opening 2 minutes of the programme.

• What is the very first shot?

The first shot if off the BBC News logo which is a globe type of sign which is then followed by a shot of the office where all the people are working.

• How does the opening sequence use graphics or images to grab the attention of the audience?

The opening sequence uses graphics and images to grab the attention as the animated screen is visible to the viewers which they can see the images and animated videos which gives more of an insight and a more entertaining aspect to what the presenter is talking about

• How is music used in the opening sequence?

In the opening sequence the music is very tense, this means that the news they are introducing at the beginning of the show is serious and intense.

• How are news stories introduced in the opening two minutes? Is there just one story or are the audience told what will be coming up later?

News stories are introduced in the opening two minutes to inform the audience of what news stories they will report about later on in the show.


Studio mise-en-scene

• What aspects of the studio can be seen by the audience?

The audience can see the workers at the desk, the presenter sitting down and through the glass wall the workers can still be seen.

• Are the presenters standing or behind desks? Why do you think this is?

During the opening sequence the presenters are sitting behind the desk whereas after the animation and the date appears on the screen the presenters are sitting next to and this is so when the presenters are presenting a news stories animations of what they are talking about (e.g. number) can be displayed on the screen so the audience can see it clearly.

• Are journalists or technology visible? What might these things suggest to the audience?

The journalist are visible during the TV News programme before anything is delivered to the audience there is a crane shot of the studio which shows all the journalists working and this gives off the message that they never stop collecting news for the audience.

• How does the studio use colour?

The studio is made up of the colours red, black and white which are the colours off BBC News.

How news stories are presented

• How does the news programme typically present a story?

The news programme usually presents a story by having the presenter talking to the camera however they do sometimes include interviews(with public as well as other people who may be involved within a story) and live on location footage of someone reporting a certain story. 

• What difference techniques does the programme use to present the news? (E.g. presenter to camera, reporter on location, interviews, graphics, images, video etc.)

• What types of news does the TV News programme typically cover? Give five examples (e.g. politics, international, sport etc.)

The different type of news the TV programme usually covers are, political, international, UK news, sport and weather.

• Give two real examples of how news stories are presented to keep the interest of the audience.

Two real examples are when at the beginning of the show they gave some information about the top story of Tesco losing £6.5 billion loss, this makes the audience watch the rest of the news to find out about that story they also mentioned the drowning of the migrant workers and this also keeps people interested because they want to find out more about that certain story.

Running order

Watch the first 15 minutes of the programme – as recent as you can find.

• What is the top story?

The top story was about Tesco losing £6.5 billion.

• How long does the top story last for?

The top story lasted for about 3 to 4 minutes.

• What are the other stories the programme does or will cover? List them in the order they are presented in (the ‘running order’).

The other news stories that were covered in the programme were(in running order):

The Migrant Workers

On Line Pedophile Report

The Hacker In America and finally 

The UK Elections.

• How long is each story shown for?

Each story was shown for about 2 to 3 minutes.

• Why do you think each story was shown for the time it was?

International stories are shown for less time and this is because the BBC is more interested in UK News for example other News programmes had the top stories about the drowning of the migrant workers however the BBC News at 6 had the top story of Tesco losing money and this is because that was local news.

Audience

• What is the target audience for this BBC News at Six? Research online – you should be able to find plenty of suggestions to the target audience if not the official target audience of the programme.

The target audience is from 16 to 46, Educated class of ABC1 people who are most likely to be living in the UK.

• What are the viewing figures for BBC News at Six?

Their viewing figures are 5.3 million views.

• Why might someone choose to watch this TV news programme over others?

They are more traditional and focus on mainly local(UK) news.

• Is there an opportunity for the audience to get involved in the programme or comment?

There is usually no way to get involved.

• What audience pleasures (Uses and Gratifications theory – Blumler and Katz) does the programme offer?

Institution

• What other news programmes and services does the BBC offer in addition to the BBC News at Six?

The BBC also offers other channels such as: BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC News, BBC Parliament, BBC Alba.

• What role does OFCOM have in making sure TV News is fair and accurate?

OFCOM play a huge role in making sure TV News is fair and accurate. It makes sure that explicit contect is always presented after the watershed. Nearly all programmes run under the regulations of OFCOM. In TV News there are other rules such as not being biased, they have be accurate when they deliver the news and they cannot make up stories, there have to be true facts.

• The BBC has been accused of 'dumbing down' the News at Six. What does this mean? Do you agree with the accusation that the news is 'dumbed down'?

Dumbing down means that they use more modern technology in order to keep the audience entertained for example they use extra animations and effects which are not needed when reporting certain stories. For example when they reported the story about Tesco losing £6.5 billion they had receipts popping out of the self check out machine showing the falling profit numbers and percentages.

TV News and New/Digital Media

• Does the TV News programme have a dedicated website?

No the BBC does not have a dedicated website.

• What does the website offer viewers?

• Does the TV News programme have a Twitter feed?

They do not have a Twitter account, they use the @BBCNews account.

• How does the Twitter feed promote the programme?

• Is there an opportunity for the audience to get involved in the programme or submit news stories?

The programme only has a YouTube channel where you can see clips and a twitter hashtag where people can post about their opinions and tag them.

Channel 4 News Case Study

Basic details

• When is Channel 4 News on?

Channel 4 News is on at 7 pm from Monday to Friday for 55 minutes.

• When was the programme first broadcast?

The programme was first broadcast in 1982

• What awards has the programme won?

The programme has won the International Emmy Award For News in 2003, the British Academy Television Award For Best News Coverage in 1987 and the British Academy Television Award For Best News And Current Affairs Journalism in 1993.

• What is the media institution that produces Channel 4 News?

The media institution that produces Channel 4 News is ...

Presenters

• Who are the presenters?

The presenters are Jon Snow, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Cathy Newman and Matt Frei.

• What are the presenters wearing? What does this communicate to the audience?

The presenters wear sophisticated but colourful clothing for e.g. Jon Snow always wears a suit but is well known and famous for his colourful and unusual.

• Why might a TV News programme use a variety of presenters?

The TV News Programme uses a variety of presenters of different ethnic groups and sexuality and this is because when they first started the TV News Programme they told the Programme to appeal to small minority groups. Which is why they have different presenters.

• How are other reporters or presenters used in the TV News programme?

They are used for different ways to collect news such as Live On Location Broadcasts or going to Interview people.

• Is there a balance between male and female presenters? What about race/ethnicity? What effect might these aspects have on an audience?

There is a balance between the male and female presenters and between different race and ethnicity's. This is appealing to different audiences because it represents a variety of different sexuality's and ethnicity's and this is because the viewers are also different. 

Opening sequence

Analyse the opening 2 minutes of the programme.

• What is the very first shot?

The opening shot is the number '4' zooming in closer to the screen.

• How does the opening sequence use graphics or images to grab the attention of the audience?

The images are moving constantly which means that the news never stops running, that there is always new news. The pictures are usually presented as stories with a voice over to give the audience a little information about the upcoming stories.

• How is music used in the opening sequence?

The music is playing at the beginning of the TV News Show.

• How are news stories introduced in the opening two minutes? Is there just one story or are the audience told what will be coming up later?

In the opening two minutes you have a voice over and images or video's presenting to the audience the news that they will show. They also have the presenter standing up talking to the camera presenting the news and the soon after they cut away into the voice over. They give information about stories to keep the audience watching so they can find out the full stories.

Studio mise-en-scene

• What aspects of the studio can be seen by the audience? (Desk, cameras etc.)

The audience can see some of the cameras, the desk at which the presenters sit at, they can see the laptop that is always sitting on the desk besides the chair. They can also see the screen on the left hand side of the studio which is where a lot of stuff are presented on.

• Are the presenters standing or behind desks? Why do you think this is?

The presenters are always standing up when the show begins and they stand near the screen.

• Are journalists or technology visible? What might these things suggest to the audience?

They are visible behind the glass background which makes it quite hard to see them however they are still visible. This might suggest to the audience again that the news never stops there are always new stories to report and that the people working at Channel 4 News never stop trying to find out stories to tell the audience. This suggests to the audience that Channel 4 News is determined to give the audience good news feeds and new stories, also this makes the audience carry on watching the show because it makes the audience feel like the show actually cares about what the audience wants and will work hard all the time to get it.

• How does the studio use colour?

The studio has a lot of colour, the two main colours in the studio are white and purple for e.g. the sofa is purple whereas the desk is white. Channel 4 News has to contain the colour purple seeing as that is the colour which represents Channel 4 itself, whereas they use the colour white because the colour white helps the purple to stand out so when people watch Channel 4 News they know that the News Show belong to Channel 4.

How news stories are presented

• How does the news programme typically present a story?

Firstly we are presented into the program by a presenter who presents the news however there is a voice over of the presenter as images and footage show a bit more of what will go on the show later on, the news programme then goes back to the presenter who tells us more about the story. After we usually either get live on location interviews or footage. We the have the presenter talking back to the camera.

• What difference techniques does the programme use to present the news? (E.g. presenter to camera, reporter on location, interviews, graphics, images, video etc.)

Channel 4 News is different because it is the longest news show which currently runs for 50 minutes. This means that Channel 4 News can give more information to the audience and help them understand and get a better view of the different sides to a certain story. The presenters also usually tend to remain standing throughout the show unlike other news programmes where the presenters remain seated behind desks.This helps the presenters get more involved within stories. In interviews the presenters usually tend to sit down and this is because Channel 4 News pushes the boundaries therefore the presenters get quite worked up during certain interviews.

• What types of news does the TV News programme typically cover? Give five examples (e.g. politics, international, sport etc.)

• Give two real examples of how news stories presented to keep the interest of the audience.

Running order
Watch the first 15 minutes of the programme – as recent as you can find.

• What is the top story?

          900 people drowning in the Mediterranean sea.

• How long does the top story last for?

        This reposrt lasted for 14 minutes.

• What are the other stories the programme does or will cover? List them in the order they are presented in (the ‘running order’).

•  900 Drowning in the Mediterranean

•  900 Drowning in the Mediterranean 

•  Election trail - SNP - 'English voters have nothing to fear from the SNP'

•  David Cameron's views as Prime Minister 

•  900 Drowning in the Mediterranean

• How long is each story shown for?

       The first story was reported for 14 minutes, the election story was reported for 2o seconds and the david Cameron report was for 12 seconds.

• Why do you think each story was shown for the time it was?

Audience

• What is the target audience for this TV News programme? Research online – you should be able to find plenty of suggestions to the target audience if not the official target audience of the programme.

• 16-34 year Old
• Most likely to be living in the UK
• Adults of the class of ABC1
• Independent companies

• Why might someone choose to watch this TV News programme over others?

Certain people would prefer to watch this news show over others because it obtains more information, it pushes the boundaries of TV News and the presenters get involved with the stories. The show also contains investigative journalism which shows the audience that they like to give out true facts. This also makes the footage they show more interesting to watch.

• Is there an opportunity for the audience to get involved in the programme or comment?

During the show the audience cannot really interact with the show even though the show is very modern and quite futuristic. However the show has a YouTube account that has more information on certain stories and they have web pages on Twitter and Facebook.

• What audience pleasures (Uses and Gratifications theory – Blumler and Katz) does the programme offer?

Institution

• Who owns, runs or produces this TV News programme?

OFCOM own this TV Programme which is in agreement with the secretary of State for Culture, media and sport.

Which is shown on Channel 4 

• Does the institution own, run or produce any other TV News programmes, channels or newspapers?

OFCOM also, regulate other TV News shows apart from the BBC News which is regulated by the BBC Trust.

Channel 4 also present well known shows such as The Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls and Big Brother.

• How does the programme fit the TV channel it is on?

Channel 4 was created as a Unique and different Channel there were many American Series that would show on Channel 4 and this meant that the channel would be quite pushy because the English viewers were so used to English series that when the American series started broadcasting on Channel 4 certain people started to complain, this meant that the Channel pushed their luck with the audience. Channel 4 News was also created to push the boundaries that OFCOM has set.

• What role does OFCOM have in making sure TV News is fair and accurate?

OFCOM play a huge role in making sure TV News is fair and accurate. It makes sure that explicit contect is always presented after the watershed. Nearly all programmes run under the regulations of OFCOM. In TV News there are other rules such as not being biased, they have be accurate when they deliver the news and they cannot make up stories, there have to be true facts.

TV News and New/Digital Media

• Does the TV News programme have a dedicated website?

Channel 4 News has its own website which also gives links to the channels YouTube account which has more information on stories and live footage, citizen journalism or investigative journalism.

• What does the website offer viewers?

The website offers the audience more details about certain stories and the headlines of the show.

• Does the TV News programme have a Twitter feed?

The programme does have a Twitter feed.

• How does the Twitter feed promote the programme?

The Twitter feed means that more people can interact with the show. The fact that certain people re-tweet, hash tag or tag Channel 4 News feeds means that their followers can see what has been said this helps Channel 4 promote itself and helps it get a wider range of viewers.

• Is there an opportunity for the audience to get involved in the programme or submit news stories?

During the programme there is no way for the audience to interact and submit certain stories because the stories they submit have to be looked into first unless they have evidence needed to prove an upcoming story or a story that has been broadcast however with not a lot of evidence. The fact that there is a laptop on the desk during the programme means that the presenter are aware of the viewers who interact and make comments or even re-tweet certain opinion or feeds about the show.