News presentation and evidentiality in TV news

News presentation two levels/phases of presentation: – the programme itself : the product of the institution semiotic, visual aspects in opening sequence of signature graphics, logo, images of NPs, studio verbal: headlines – the item (kernel) of the NP, the representative of the institution

From transmission to communication Evolution of the news bulletin from a concern with the transmission of news/a message to a concern with the communication of news/a message – newsreader - previous formats – reads with no distractions from the message, thus: lack of background head and shoulders frame only one person at a time no extraneous or spontaneous comments no personalisation

Also consistent with this conception of the news : – Irregular nomination of reporter in the field and his/her location – Lack of an obvious studio space/place

Space of the studio Visual and verbal references to geographical position Signalled iconically Newsroom as background Proximal and distal deixis Site of enunciation Discourse of headlines

Mode of address Autocue, teleprompter allowed direct relationship with audience with eye contact Qualitatively different from direct address Not grounded in reciprocity Parasocial interaction the frame is established through direct greetings

The turn to communication Developments in technology Recognition of potential, self-awareness Shifting of focus from transmission to communication of message – PR firms engaged to re-vamp institutional images – Communicative skills and personal qualities of NPs and studio, which represent the institution – More relaxed and informal presentation, personalisation, consistent with growing self- referentiality

BBC logo 1987

ITV Studio

ITV studio 2005

ITV studio Trevor and Julie 2008

ITV studio 2010

Markers which indicate The kind of evidence one has for making factual claims The indication of the nature of the evidence for a given statement Knowledge of the source and comittment to the truth of a proposition

Choices Attribution of a proposition to another person or voice is a kind of evidentiality – x says y Witness – I was there, I saw y Secondhand or hearsay – attributes to other witnesses, the neighbours reported hearing a Sensory- I felt, it seemed, it looked as if, it sounded like Inferential, - clues and indications

Modality Use of simple present or past: Use of present perfect: Use of modals:

Visuals Visuals can be live or archive (some archive footage is a shorthand to illustrate institutional or social situations the viewer is meant to recognise) They can back up the verbal text basically showing what is being said they can juxtapose archive footage and they can add impressions without explicitly making a point

Post production editing The more a channel takes pains to edit and compile, the more they seem to be evaluating the news as important (worth making the effort)

Voices Some sources are given live camera footage or are interviewed on screen Some are given still photos Some just their words on the screen Some have their words paraphrased or summarised by the NP You need to think about the effects of such choices

Interaction Sometimes we hear the question and see the participants together Sometimes we just hear the answer Answers usually depend on questions