Chapter 12 Broadcast journalism: the world’s town crier

Introduction - aims of this lecture are to help you understand: Some basic concepts of media convergence The ABC Broadcast history Codes of conduct and broadcast regulation Radio and television news reporting Broadcast terminology

Broadcast journalists Often start as print journalists Their enemy is time – stories are short Adept at matching sound and visuals Less skill than other journalists – keep it simple? They often set the day’s news agenda Broadcast journalists as ‘warmer’/more trustworthy?

The ABC First radio broadcast in 1932, a news editor appointed ABC TV in 1956 Solid growth - 94 ABC radio stations by 1982 ABA Act 1946 – ABC independent news - journalists expected to be impartial ABC set the benchmark for journalistic standards, still most trusted media company Funding issues/alleged bias

Other broadcast landmarks: ABC’s Four Corners - Australia’s first national current affairs program SBS launched 1978 Both public service broadcasters have a self-regulatory code of practice Cross-media ownership laws introduced in 1987 prohibited newspaper, radio, and television proprietors in the same city from holding more than a 15 per cent interest in each other.

Regulation Airwaves as public property ‘managed’ on behalf of the broadcasters Radio & TV licensed by the ACMA, fines of up to $A200,000 can be imposed for breaches Broadcast & Internet codes Pay TV has an additional regulator called ASTRA

Chequebook journalism ACMA has no policy on chequebook journalism Payment for exclusive stories Do payments affect objectivity? The right to know if a media outlet paid the interviewee Commercial television and women’s magazines the main culprits

News values, television style Words and pictures compliment each other Leave a lasting impression (the main pint of the story) – signposting Presentation affected by audience expectations News affected by supporting material Strong images often air first

Audiences Large audience numbers = high ratings, high ratings = good advertising revenue ABC runs more ‘serious’ stories than its commercial rivals? Commercial news/entertainment nexus Commercial current affairs programs rely on sensationalism and emotion, not in-depth research?

Reporting for radio Trendsetters for original stories? Radio reporters make snap decisions about news values and what to air Intros are very important Content has to be well edited Storylines regularly updated – what has happened since first bulletin Good voice skills required

Common speech problems: Speaking too slowly or quickly Emphasising the wrong words Limited vocal range Tones that are nasal, or lacking in richness Stumbling over words Breathlessness, or breathing loudly Sounding unnatural

Key broadcast definitions: Voicer or voice-over – what the reporter writes and speaks, live or recorded Actuality – natural sounds/voice of interviewee Grab/soundbite/talking head – comment from an interviewee Lead – first paragraph, sets context Intro – summary often read before video Talent – person being interviewed

Key broadcast definitions: Throw – introducing the reporter or talent Sign-off – completes the package Worder – script read by newsreader, no visuals Reader copy – script read by the presenter Wrap – two or more stories packaged together

Broadcast writing style About three words per second …indicates a pause Use capital letters for names of people or organisations Underline or capitalise for emphasis Present tense Write the way people speak Short sentences, 10 to 20 words

Television terminology Cutaway – brief close-up Close-ups/CU/one shot – tightly framed shot of the interviewee Two-shot – shows both the reporter and the talent Noddy – a shot of the reporter nodding, as if listening

The newsroom Television journalists often involved in production process: –they may review recordings and select video footage –Footage time coded and labelled Digital editing, audio and visual mixing Radio and TV newsrooms have editing and writing software

The power of television Television was the twentieth century’s town crier It influences communities Combines words and images for maximum impact Gives journalism a glamorous image? Embedded journalists Footage from citizen-journalists