Television Journalism UNIT 8 TELEVISION NEWS Structure 8.0 Introduction 8.1 Learning Outcomes 8.2 History of Television News 8.3 What is News for Television? 8.4 Characteristics 8.4.1 Audio-Visual Medium 8.4.2 Quicker Delivery 8.4.3 Wider Reach 8.4.4 Greater Impact 8.5 Production of Television News 8.5.1 Newsroom 8.5.2 Bulletins 8.5.3 Live Elements 8.5.4 PCR and MCR
8.6 Television News with Changing Technology
8.7 Role of Television News
8.8 Let Us Sum up
8.9 Further Readings
8.10 Key Words
8.11 Check Your Progress: Possible Answers
8.0 INTRODUCTION
Gone are the days when we had to wait till morning to know the latest news of happenings around us. Nowadays, the news of events in our near surroundings as well as at distant places can easily be accessed through television (TV). In other words, TV news is round-the-clock news. In newspapers, you read the news and feel its seriousness with the help of images, in radio you listen to the news, but in TV you can see the news. Since both your eyes and ears are active while watching the TV news, it tends to have greater impact on an individual and in turn greater impact on the society as a whole. TV news has revolutionized the whole news world and in recent times, due to 24x7 television news channels, we can watch the latest incidents happening across the world by just pressing the remote button. With the help of latest technologies, any incident happening in Tokyo can be seen in Lucknow or London within minutes. It means that whether it is natural disaster or terrorist attack or any other major incident, you can get not only the latest information but can also see what is happening as it unfolds. The internet has also influenced the television news. Now, TV news channels are 98 also available on smartphones. Most of the 24x7 TV news channels are available in your pocket and you can access them anytime and anywhere with the help of Television News internet. In this Unit, we shall discuss the various aspects of television news.
8.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES
After going through this Unit, you will be able to: trace the evolution of television news; describe the characteristics of television news; explain the functioning of a television news channel; and discuss the role of television news in our society.
8.2 HISTORY OF TELEVISION NEWS
As you have already studied the history and development of television in a previous course, here, we shall discuss the evolution of television news very briefly. The story of TV news is not very old. When TV became a household item in western countries in the 50s, some news bulletins were started along with other programs. It was during the black-and-white days of television. Usually, a newsman used to come on camera to read news scripts. Those days, a TV news broadcast had neither the reputation of newspaper journalism nor was able to compete with ‘live’ and on-the-scene reporting of radio. The assassination of US President John F Kennedy in November 1963 was a milestone for television news. That event proved that TV news history would be made through pictures and videos. But it was a time when journalists had to struggle to get videos, films or any sort of images from the scene of the event. There was no easy way to produce television content on the spot of various news events. Stories of the Vietnam War were days old before they reached the living rooms of Americans. Satellites were not around to send videos around the world instantly. By the late 70s and early 80s, many breakthroughs influenced television news. Technology developed, professionalism grew, news channels were launched, style of news presentation changed, new genres were added and visuals became important part for TV news. With the launch of satellites, ‘live’ elements became almost inseparable from the TV news. In India, however, television came to the forefront only in the 80s when colour TV was introduced by Doordarshan (DD) timing it with the hosting of 1982 Asian Games. Along with some socio-economic programmes, DD used to air some news bulletins which had to be recorded in advance. But in the 90s, when foreign programmers like CNN and Star TV made headway into the Indian market, importance of TV news also rose. In the last decade of 20th century, many news channels were started in India. This was the time when people became familiar with 24x7 TV news in India.
8.3 WHAT IS NEWS FOR TELEVISION?
We all know that television is an audio-visual medium with dominance of visuals. Keeping this in mind, we can say that news with visuals is television news. But 99 Television Journalism it does not mean that news without visuals is not fit for TV. Presently, if any important event happens and there is no possibility of immediate visuals, then that piece of news is put on air with the help of graphic plates containing texts. In this situation, the TV behaves like a speaking newspaper. Though news is always news, yet visually rich events and happenings are considered more suitable for television due to the inherent nature of this medium. Hence at times, you can observe that news which is played big on TV, does not even find a mention in the newspapers. Yet another important factor related to TV is TRP (Television Rating Points). It emerged as one of the most important factors in deciding news for television in India. Desire to grab big commercial market after economic liberalization and the resultant cut-throat competition among news channels completely changed the definition of news and the whole gamut of news. Sometime back, bizarre stories of ghosts and snakes (‘nag-nagin’) used to frequently run on certain news channels. Crime stories are still considered important in news channels because there is a separate dedicated audience for this genre. But, in recent times, news channels have developed a self-regulatory body which keeps eyes on their content. Check Your Progress 1 Note: Use the space provided below for your answers. Compare your answers with those given at the end of this Unit. 1. Which event was the turning point for television news? ...... 2. Other than journalistic sense, which factor influences most in deciding the content of the television news channels? ......
8.4 CHARACTERISTICS
We know that television news is quite different from other media i.e. print and radio. We shall now discuss the main characteristics of television news. 8.4.1 Audio-Visual Medium Let us start with the critical and most significant characteristics of TV- it is an audio-visual medium. You can hear the description of any happening or event and at the same time you can also watch visuals of the same. You would agree that without visuals TV is nothing more than a radio, so visuals are indispensible elements for TV. Television tends to select those stories which have visuals and dramatic content like fire, crime, natural disasters, embarrassed politicians etc. In the early stages of evolution of the TV news, only recorded visuals were put on air. Visuals used to be brought to the news rooms usually on tapes. But, newer 100 technologies have changed the whole scenario. With the help of satellites, ‘live’ Television News elements began to be added and gradually visuals started coming on ‘live’ also. With more developments on the technology front, there are now many ways to bring the visuals to the newsrooms and put them on air. The two elements, audio and visuals make TV news very special. You would have certainly watched the video of 9/11. Just think, if television was not there, you would have only read about that gruesome terrorist attack. Now, recall 26/11 as many of you might have watched every detail of it, be it small or big, on the TV sets sitting at your home. If TV had not been there, you would not have seen the brutality of terrorists, bravery of our soldiers and endurance of our citizens. It has the potential to change your perception of the event. Hence, the strength of this medium to show each and every development live should be utilized judiciously in many contexts. The following image shows the various audio and visual elements of television news:
8.4.2 Quicker Delivery Now tell us one thing. What would you do to satisfy your curiosity if you hear that there was a bomb blast in a big city of some other country? Tune in to Radio? Wait for newspaper to be delivered next morning or switch on your TV to watch any news channel? You would certainly watch a TV news channel because you will get each and every detail of what has happened and at the same time you will be able to see the activities at the scene of crime. You will see the damage, rescue works, how the police is investigating the matter, who took the responsibility, information about suspects, it means whole lot of information within minutes. In another words, news is delivered quickly through television. This is an important characteristic of TV news. Distance does not matter for television. You will get the comprehensive news within minutes even if the event happens thousands of kilometers away. As soon as the news comes in, it is delivered through graphic plates of ‘Breaking News’. And later visuals are inserted either ‘live’ or recorded. Meanwhile, the reporter 101 Television Journalism or any witness on the spot is connected through phone who provides all the information. 8.4.3 Wider Reach You will certainly agree that a significant part of our population is still illiterate. There are millions of people who can not read and write but they can be made aware of news by seeing it on TV or in other words even those unable to read newspapers can watch TV news and easily comprehend. Apart from this, there are many people who do not find time to read newspapers. They can watch TV news at least when they are sitting in their drawing room for entertainment and surf TV channels for news. This shows that TV news has a wider reach than any other news medium. So news through TV reaches more people than newspapers. Moreover, there is no need to allocate a separate budget for TV news as TV has already reached most of the houses in our country. In fact, TV has almost become a necessity in our day-to-day life because it is one of the cheapest medium of entertainment. And when you subscribe to any cable service provider or DTH, you certainly get news channels also. 8.4.4 Greater Impact Yet another characteristic of TV News is its impact on an individual as well as on the society as a whole. If a crime happens at any nook or corner in your city and the local media start covering it then the whole government machinery begins to act swiftly. This is not to undermine the impact of the print media but in comparison the impact of TV is much greater, quicker and more penetrating. A newspaper may carry an exclusive report about corruption in any government department, but that story will reach out to a large segment of the society only if that story is carried by the TV news channels also. And when that story reaches the masses in a short time period, the government and ruling class tend to be anxious and conscious of their image. At the same time, in order to score brownie points and create favourable impression about their political party, the attacks from other political opponents begin. The whole matter gets escalated within a few hours forcing the government or the department under question to take action. TV news not only helps build images but also destroys them quickly. There are numerous examples where the power of TV news has helped to mobilize people and create movements. The Anna Hazare movement is one of the best examples. Only few people were aware ofAnna before he came to Delhi and sat on dharna at Jantar Mantar. TV news took him to the drawing rooms of the whole country and catapulted him to a national hero status overnight. It cannot be said that without the TV news he would not have become hero but there is no doubt that without the TV news support he would not have found so many followers in such a short time. 8.5 PRODUCTION OF TELEVISION NEWS
By now, it is quite clear that television is a dynamic, audio-visual and popular mass medium. Even though it appears to be a simple medium to the viewer, it is really not so simple from the production point of view. It takes a lot of effort to put any news bulletin on TV. The whole process is very complicated and involves a number of steps and in each of those steps, latest technologies and machines 102 are involved. Right from news gathering to news delivery, huge resources are involved in terms Television News of manpower, money and machinery. Also, since many diverse departments work together to produce a news show, there must be good coordination and synergy between them.
In this section, you would learn about how news is gathered, how it reaches the news stations, how the TV news is produced and finally, how it is broadcast. Being a student of mass media, it is necessary for you to know about the news production process. 8.5.1 Newsroom
Have you ever visited the head office of any news channel? If not, you must try to arrange a visit to the headquarters of any news channel. When you go there, you will find that the news station or newsroom is the most important part of that office. Now, let us understand what really happens in the newsroom. A newsroom, as the name suggests, is that place where news stories come in raw form. They then get polished there by skilled experienced persons and made ready for broadcasting. In other words, right from the stage of planning of news gathering to making of news shows, everything is done in the newsroom. Journalists as well as technical experts are part of the newsroom. The important parts of a typical TV newsroom are – editorial team and technical team with journalistic sense. In this section, we shall discuss the functions of each of them, so that it would be easier for us to understand how the new bulletins are prepared.
Editorial Team
Journalists constitute the backbone of the news world, so they are the core component of any newsroom too. They form the editorial department of a newsroom and take major decisions regarding the content of any television news channel. Editorial has two major divisions- input and output. Both departments work on a particular newsroom software.
Input: An important section of editorial department is input. This has the task to bring in stories and visuals to the newsroom. Assignment and reporters’ bureau are the main parts of input.
i. Assignment: One significant group of journalists form the assignment section. Their primary task is to derive story ideas from reporters and decide on the news inputs on a day- to- day basis. They also assign tasks to reporters on routine events.
ii. Reporters Bureau: Reporters and correspondents are the other very important component of editorial department. It is because they are the ones who hunt and bring in the news stories from every nook and corner of the outside world to the newsroom. Anews channel with a national character has National Bureau with reporters to look after the happenings in the capital city, State Bureau which is usually located in the state capital and looks after the happenings in the respective states, and stringers who are present almost in every district and sub division to collect news stories from their respective locations. Stringers are usuallynot the regular employees of news channel but work as freelancers. Thus, any major national news channel has a well-knit network of 103 Television Journalism reporters across the whole country. Regional channels do not have that type of network. Reporters are also divided according to their area of specialization.
Output: This department has the responsibility to put the news on air or broadcast. Journalists belonging to the output team first judge and analyze the news items, stories and visuals provided by input team and then plan the bulletins accordingly.Also the content, format, importance and on-air time of any news item are decided by the output team. In other words, the output team is responsible for what is broadcast through the TV sets. Copy writers are also the part of the output team. Copy Writer: Many journalists work with TV news channels as a copy writer wherein their primary task is to write news scripts. While reporters usually file news items, but at times, they may also file scripts of the stories covered by them. Often it so happens that reporters tend to get involved in some other routine work and hence, may not find enough time to write the detailed script. In such cases, the copy writer pitches in. Many a times, the copy writer also prepares scripts for the news stories pouring into the newsroom from different news agencies. Anchor: News presenter or the anchor is also part of the editorial team. In addition to anchoring, they may also be assigned other tasks such as production and reporting. In television news, the anchor plays a very crucial role. It can be said that without an anchor, any TV news programme cannot be complete. The anchor also acts as the interface between reporters who bring in the news, producers who shape the news and the viewers who receive the news. It is pertinent to remember that it is the anchor who delivers and communicates the news to the masses. The anchor reads and analyzes the news, and then carries it forward. Although, usually they get the news written on the teleprompter but at times they have to deliver on their own taking lead from the producers. In every news-station there is a specific place called the studio for the anchors to read the bulletin from. There are real studios as well as virtual ones. It is the editor or producer-in-charge of specific bulletins who decides from which studio the anchor should present the bulletin. Anchors are often also referred to as the ‘face’ of news channels and in most cases, a bulletin or a news channel may be recalled associated with specific anchors. Most anchors tend to have their own fan following. These days multi- tasking workforce is required and anchors may be entrusted with other tasks in addition to news presentation such as writing, reporting and other production related works as per the need of the TV news channel and their own expertise. You will find a separate Unit on television presentation or anchoring in this block. In that Unit, we shall discuss the TV news anchoring in detail. Technical Team with Journalistic Sense There are some people who primarily do technical work, but they certainly have journalistic sense because they have to work with journalists and for news production. They are:
i. Cameraperson: Since visuals are very important for television news, camerapersons form an essential part of newsroom. Camerapersons working with TV news channels collect the visuals with the help of professional 104 cameras. So, they must be professionally qualified, technically sound and at Television News the same time editorially smart. It is said that to get good visuals of any happening or any event, the cameraperson should have good journalistic sense. ii. Video Editor: Video editors are those who edit the visuals. Raw visuals are not generally put on air as they may have many unwanted things or sequences. Apart from this, raw visuals might have audio or video glitches. Before broadcasting, video editing is necessary from journalistic as well as technical point of view. So, when the shoot is complete, they are put onto the server of the news channel and then they are edited as per demand of the script. Video editors also edit special programmes and news shows. They work with journalists as a team. Different types of software are available for video editing. iii. Creative team: The creative team generally also comprises of graphic designers and ‘promo’producers. As the television news has evolved graphic work has increased. Under the following circumstances, graphics become an integral part of news bulletin:
When the news has just come in and ‘breaking news’ plates have to be ‘fired’.
When additional information has to be provided and there is no new visual (video or photograph) input.
When there is no visual (video or photograph) of particular scene, graphics or animation may be used. Suppose, a train accident happens and causes the death of more than a hundred people. While the news is important, but it may not easy to get visuals of what exactly happened. In such a case, animation may be used to show how the accident took place.
Sometimes graphics are used as a tool to give information to the audience in a more interesting way. In election and political news, it becomes necessary to present different equations and tallies with innovative graphics.
Graphics are also used within the studios of news channels to create virtual sets.
Use of graphics in television news is increasing day by day. You would find very fascinating and aesthetically attractive graphics during news bulletins on your TV screen.
Activity 1 Try to visit the newsroom of any television news channel operating at the National or Regional level. Describe the functions of that newsroom with the help of a diagram.
105 Television Journalism Check Your Progress 2 Note: Use the space provided below for your answers. Compare your answers with those given at the end of this Unit. 1. What are the main characteristics of TV news? ...... 2. Which are the two main components of a TV newsroom? ...... 8.5.2 Bulletins After gathering all inputs, the output team plans and prepares news bulletins. Now-a-days, almost all the television news channels in India work round- the- clock. Normally bulletins are of half an hour duration. Hence, a proper ‘rundown’ is prepared for a particular bulletin. Rundown is the order of news items in which they are sent on air. Since in every news channel particular automation software runs the bulletin, rundown has much importance. Usually every top of the hour headlines run. All the big and important news items are accommodated in the headlines. After the headlines, the bulletin goes according to the run order. Even within a bulletin, there are many formats in which the news is broadcast. Few important formats are following: STD/PACKAGE: In this format, anchor has to read only the anchor-link and rest of the news is run in the packaged form. STD/Visuals: Anchor reads the whole news and visuals are played. STD/GFX: Anchor reads the news and graphics are played. STD/SOT: This format is used if someone’s version i.e. ‘byte’ is to run. Anchor gives brief introduction and then the ‘byte’ is played. Apart from general bulletins, some specific shows and bulletins are also telecast. Sometimes, they are categorized according to their subject like- sports show, business bulletin, crime show, entertainment show, etc. News channels also have discussion shows and documentaries on various issues. Usually, a half-an-hour bulletin comprises of three segments. The segments are divided by commercials which are the major ‘bread-and-butter’or revenue earning sources of TV news channels. The first segment of the news bulletin is generally kept big. Rundown producers along with MCR people manage the duration of the news content and scheduled commercials. 8.5.3 Live Elements ‘Live’ elements have become a vital part of television news in recent times. Earlier news bulletins used to be recorded well in advance but now almost all the 106 bulletins are ‘live’. And apart from the ‘live’ news bulletins, there may be many Television News other ‘live’ elements are added into it. Suppose, the news of a terrorists attack comes in, then immediately reporters are roped in to give ‘live chats’ and elaborate the news. There are two advantages of this - authenticity of that news item increases and it becomes ‘interactive’. Many a times, when a news channel airs a bulletin on any social issue, phone lines are kept open to take reactions of the audience. Almost on all TV news channels, you will find debate-discussion programmes on different social or political or economic issues. In such type of programmes, you will find many experts expressing their views ‘live’. Sometimes, the audiences are also brought into the studio. While ‘live’ guests and audience can make the programme or news item interesting and happening but there can be a flip side too if at times the guests and audience start abusing each other using objectionable and filthy remarks. 8.5.4 PCR and MCR Now you must know about the two control rooms from where the news programmes are finally controlled. They are Production Control Room i.e. PCR and Master Control Room i.e. MCR. PCR is the control room from where the co-ordination between the output team and technical team is done and production of the news programmes is controlled. In the PCR of a TV news channel, you would find huge machines and many TV monitors. All members of the output team right from the producer to switcher and sound engineers are present in the PCR during the show. PCR controls the audio-visual elements of news programmes. It coordinates the switching from camera to camera and manages all the ‘live’ elements of the news bulletin. It also controls the studio and communicates with anchor. Master Control Room (MCR) is the final technical hub from where the signal is transmitted to the satellite for broadcast. MCR usually has video monitors, satellite receivers and transmission equipments. Nowadays, almost all the TV news channels have state-of-the-art equipments. You would find computer broadcast automation equipments which can record the programme as well as play it back. In any 24x7 TV news channel, the MCR works round- the-clock and is controlled by Master Control Operators. The MCR is responsible for monitoring quality as well as accuracy of the on-air product. An important task of MCR is to run the commercials. Master Control Operators are supposed to keep tab on duration of the whole programme. In every rundown, commercials are put in advance. Content and commercials are managed within duration of the programme. If the MCR team finds the content part too lengthy, they remind output team i.e. rundown producer to cut it short. 8.6 TELEVISION NEWS WITH CHANGING TECHNOLOGY
As the TV industry grew, many news channels came to the market and this led to increased competition. As a result need for newer and better technologies was felt. So, now you will find state-of-the-art software and machines to gather, produce and broadcast the news. Few important technological changes in television news are following: 107 Television Journalism Earlier scripts were written manually or on the notepad of the computer, but now you will find the news channels are equipped with latest newsroom software like Octopus, ENPS, etc. The editorial team, working with the news channel, writes the scripts and prepares the bulletin with the help of newsroom software. Earlier only linear i.e. tape-to-tape editing of visuals was possible but now non-linear editing has made the audio-visual editing faster and more effective. Solid-state storage devices have replaced tapes in the cameras used in television news gathering. Earlier storage capacity of news channels used to be very less as tapes and local machines (i.e. memory of computers) were used. But now you will find huge servers in every news channel. Earlier big trucks were used as OB vans, but now internet based live broadcasting system is also being used frequently as it is much easier to carry and smaller to roam with. With the advancement of satellite transmission technology, you can find many people from different cities present at same time on TV set. Nowadays, smartphones have become the latest and biggest ‘tool’ of the news industry. They are being used to record and process the news videos and pictures. Technology is advancing with every passing second, so we can expect more advanced software, more well equipped reporters and newsrooms in the coming years.
8.7 ROLE OF TELEVISION NEWS
Television news, being a part of the mass media, is viewed by a large segment of the society. Since it is an audio-visual medium, it has deeper impact. So, it must be used responsibly for welfare of masses- to inform, educate, and create awareness in the society, and to root out all the evils prevalent due to ignorance. There was a time when noise and nuisance were created and broadcast as news. Stories full of superstitions, violence and brutality were presented in a sensational manner as they attracted many viewers and inhanced the TRP rating. But, it is necessary for every responsible TV channel and journalists in particular to understand that our values and way of life in this age are strongly influenced and shaped by the television. So a lot of self regulation and restraints are needed on the part of the content producers to play their role responsibly. One of the roles of TV news is to build pressure on the society as well as the governing class to correct the ills in the system. In a democracy, the TV also acts like a bridge between the government and the people. The government r eaches to the masses through television and vice versa. So, TV news channels have a responsibility to keep an eye on governance which they usually do. In a country like India where corruption is rampant in every nook and corner of our society, the role of TV increases manyfold. Often, TV channels are used as a good tool to expose corruption, e.g. ‘sting operations’ using spy camera to 108 expose corruption cases. While our country has several serious problems, TV news channels can have Television News some meaningful role in sorting them out. Illiteracy, unemployment, poverty, malnutrition, and many more evils can be tackled better if people are made aware of their causes. You would have seen that in recent years, news channels have started many programs which knock at the mind of people and try to wake them up to reality. These programs knock at the door of the governments also to inform them that people are gradually becoming aware and cannot be taken for granted. News channels have also a role towards educating the people. News must be presented in such a way that knowledge and information of viewers could increase. Also these days, many television news channels are creating awareness about ‘fake news’ circulated on social networking websites. They are broadcasting specially designed programmes verifying the authenticity of different stories which have become ‘viral’ on the social media. Apart from the above mentioned areas, there are many more fields where television journalism can play a very crucial and constructive role for overall development of our society. Check Your Progress 3 Note: Use the space provided below for your answers. Compare your answers with those given at the end of this Unit. 1. What role does PCR play in TV news? ...... 2. What is the importance of ‘live’ elements in television news bulletins? ......
8.8 LET USSUMUP
Hopefully, you have understood most of the aspects concerning television news. Now you must know the biggest fact. Mostly, private players are running the television news channels in India, so it has grown more like any business venture. Revenue for the news channels is primarily generated through commercials and that is why every news channel wants to tap the huge market of commercials. Here, the race of TRP comes in. For TRP and in turn, for revenue it is alleged that sometimes news channels tend to compromise with journalistic values and ethics.
8.9 FURTHER READINGS
Mickelson, S. (1998). The decade that shaped television news: CBS in the 1950s. Greenwood Publishing Group. Keller, T., & Hawkins, S. A. (2009). Television News: A Handbook for Reporting, Writing, Shooting, Editing & Producing. Holcomb Hathaway. 109 Television Journalism 8.10 KEY WORDS
Package : This is a complete set of television news. Anchor reads the anchor-link or intro from the studio. Scriptwriter writes the script and then voice over is done for that script. Video editor lays related visuals over that voiceover. Bytes and sometimes PTCs are also included. Rundown Producer : S/he is a producer who especially handles rundown and manages duration of the bulletin. OB Van : Outdoor Broadcasting Van or Outside Broadcasting Van. It is a van or truck with a complete set of machines for transmission facility.This is used when live is required other than from studio.
8.11 CHECK YOU PROGRESS: POSSIBLE ANSWERS
Check Your Progress 1 1. After assassination of JF Kennedy TV news grew very fast. 2. TRP plays very crucial in selection and presentation of the content in television news channels in India. Check Your Progress 2 1. Main characteristics of TV news: news in audio-visual medium, fast delivery, wider reach and greater impact. 2. Editorial and technical teams are the main two components of television newsroom. Check Your Progress 3 1. PCR or Production Control Room controls the audio-visual elements of news programmes. It coordinates the switching from camera to camera and other inputs. It manages the live elements of the news. It controls the studio and communicates with anchor. 2. Live elements make news bulletins more informative, communicative, interactive and credible.
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