Broadcast journalism
Encyclopedia
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio (via air, cable, and Internet), television (via air, cable, and Internet), and, especially recently, the Internet generally. Such media disperse pictures (static and moving), visual text, and/or sounds.
Scripts for speaking to be broadcast tend to be written differently than text to be read by the public. For instance, the former is generally less complex and more conversational. Radio and television are designed to be seen and heard sooner and more often than is a daily or weekly newspaper.
Broadcast "stories" (articles) can be written in "packages", "readers", "voice-over
s" (VO), and "sound on tape
" (SOT).
A "package" is an edited set of video clips for a news story and is common on television. It is narrated typically by a reporter. It is a story with audio, video, graphics and video effects. The news anchor, or presenter, usually reads a "lead-in
" (introduction) before the package is aired and may conclude the story with additional information, called a tag.
A "reader" is an article read without accompanying video or sound. Sometimes an "over the shoulder Digital on-screen graphic
" is added.
A voice-over, or VO, is a video article narrated by the anchor.
Sound on tape
, or SOT, is sound and/or video, usually recorded in the field. It is usually an interview or "soundbite
".
ventures not making a profit. Later, radio advertising to pay for programs was pioneered in radio. Later, television displaced radio and newspapers as the main news sources for most of the public in industrialized countries.
Some of the programming on radio is locally produced; some is broadcast by a radio network
, by syndication, etc. The "talent" (professional voices) talk to the audience, including reading the news. People tune in to hear engaging radio personalities, music, and information that they want. In radio news, stories include speech "soundbites", the recorded sounds of events themselves, and the anchor or host.
The radio industry has undergone a radical consolidation of ownership, with fewer companies owning the thousands of stations. Large media conglomerates such as Clear Channel Communications
own most of the radio stations in the United States. That has resulted in more "niche" formats and the sharing of resources within clusters of stations, de-emphasizing local news and information. There has been concern over whether that concentration of power serves the public. The opposition says that the range of political views expressed and supported is greatly narrowed and that local concerns are neglected, including local emergencies, for which communication is critical. Automation has resulted in many stations broadcasting for many hours a day with no one on the station premises.
(TV) news is considered by many to be the most influential medium for journalism
. For most of the American public, local news
and national TV newscasts are the primary news sources. Not only the numbers of audience
viewers, but the effect on each viewer is considered more persuasive, as described by Marshall McLuhan
("the medium is the message" in his book Understanding Media). Television is dominated by attractive visuals (including beauty, action, and shock), with short soundbite
s and fast "cuts" (changes of camera angle
). Television journalism viewership has become fragmented, with the 24-hour
united States cable news
television channels such as Cable News Network (CNN) starting in 1980, Fox News Channel
and MSNBC
in the 1990s.
by media market
s. Such television markets are defined by viewing area and are ranked by the number of audience
viewers. New broadcast journalists generally start in the smaller markets with fewer viewers and move up to larger television station
s and television network
s after gaining experience. The larger stations usually have more resources and better pay.
United States stations typically broadcast local news
3 or 4 times a day: around 4:30, 5 or 6 am, 11, 11:30 am or noon, 5 and/or 6 pm, and 10 and/or 11 at night. Most of their nightly local newscasts are 30 minutes and include sports television and weather. News anchor]s are shown sitting at a [[desk]] in a [[television studio]]. The news anchor read [[teleprompter]]s that contain local interest stories and [[breaking news]]. [[Reporter]]s frequently tell their stories outside the a formal television studio in the field, where the news is occurring, in a [[remote broadcast]] setting where [[Electronic news-gathering]] (ENG) techniques are used with [[production truck]]s. [[Daytime television]] or [[morning show]]s include more "soft" news and feature pieces, while the evening news emphasizes "hard" news.
. Reporters research and write the stories and sometimes use video editing
to prepare the story for air into a "package". Reporters are usually engaged in Electronic field production
(EFP) and are accompanied by a videographer
at the scenes of the news. The latter holds the camera. That person or assistants manage the audio and lighting. They are in charge of setting up live television
shots and might edit
using a non-linear editing system
(NLE) too. The segment producer might choose, research, and write stories, as well as deciding the timing and arrangement of the newscast. An associate producer, if any, might specialize in elements of the show such as graphics.
video production
. The Television Director
(TD) operates the video switcher which controls and mixes all the elements of the show. At smaller stations, the Director and Technical Director are the same person.
A graphics operator
operates a character generator
(CG) that produces the lower third on-screen titles and full-page digital on-screen graphic
s. The audio technician
operates the audio mixing console
. The technician is in charge of the microphone
s, music, and audio tape. Often, production assistant
s operate the teleprompter
s and professional video camera
s, and serve as lighting and rigging technicians ("grips
").
Technological convergence
also lets newsroom
s collaborate with other media. Broadcast outlets sometimes have partnerships with their print counterparts.
Scripts for speaking to be broadcast tend to be written differently than text to be read by the public. For instance, the former is generally less complex and more conversational. Radio and television are designed to be seen and heard sooner and more often than is a daily or weekly newspaper.
Broadcast "stories" (articles) can be written in "packages", "readers", "voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
s" (VO), and "sound on tape
Sound on tape
SOT is an acronym for Sound on tape . It refers to any audio recorded on analog or digital video formats. It is used in scriptwriting for television productions and filmmaking to indicate portions of the production that will use room tone from the time of recording, as opposed to audio recorded...
" (SOT).
A "package" is an edited set of video clips for a news story and is common on television. It is narrated typically by a reporter. It is a story with audio, video, graphics and video effects. The news anchor, or presenter, usually reads a "lead-in
Lead-in
A lead-in is a short phrase, usually five words or less, that starts off a photo caption in a newspaper, high school yearbook, magazine or other publication.Lead-ins are used to catch the reader's attention and "lead in" to the main caption...
" (introduction) before the package is aired and may conclude the story with additional information, called a tag.
A "reader" is an article read without accompanying video or sound. Sometimes an "over the shoulder Digital on-screen graphic
Digital on-screen graphic
A digital on-screen graphic is a watermark-like station logo that many television broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen-area of their programs to identify the channel...
" is added.
A voice-over, or VO, is a video article narrated by the anchor.
Sound on tape
Sound on tape
SOT is an acronym for Sound on tape . It refers to any audio recorded on analog or digital video formats. It is used in scriptwriting for television productions and filmmaking to indicate portions of the production that will use room tone from the time of recording, as opposed to audio recorded...
, or SOT, is sound and/or video, usually recorded in the field. It is usually an interview or "soundbite
Soundbite
In film and broadcasting, a sound bite is a very short piece of a speech taken from a longer speech or an interview in which someone with authority or the average "man on the street" says something which is considered by those who edit the speech or interview to be the most important point...
".
Radio
Radio was the first medium for broadcast journalism. Many of the first radio stations were co-operative community radioCommunity radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
ventures not making a profit. Later, radio advertising to pay for programs was pioneered in radio. Later, television displaced radio and newspapers as the main news sources for most of the public in industrialized countries.
Some of the programming on radio is locally produced; some is broadcast by a radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
, by syndication, etc. The "talent" (professional voices) talk to the audience, including reading the news. People tune in to hear engaging radio personalities, music, and information that they want. In radio news, stories include speech "soundbites", the recorded sounds of events themselves, and the anchor or host.
The radio industry has undergone a radical consolidation of ownership, with fewer companies owning the thousands of stations. Large media conglomerates such as Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
own most of the radio stations in the United States. That has resulted in more "niche" formats and the sharing of resources within clusters of stations, de-emphasizing local news and information. There has been concern over whether that concentration of power serves the public. The opposition says that the range of political views expressed and supported is greatly narrowed and that local concerns are neglected, including local emergencies, for which communication is critical. Automation has resulted in many stations broadcasting for many hours a day with no one on the station premises.
Television
TelevisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
(TV) news is considered by many to be the most influential medium for journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. For most of the American public, local news
Local news
In journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...
and national TV newscasts are the primary news sources. Not only the numbers of audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
viewers, but the effect on each viewer is considered more persuasive, as described by Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
("the medium is the message" in his book Understanding Media). Television is dominated by attractive visuals (including beauty, action, and shock), with short soundbite
Soundbite
In film and broadcasting, a sound bite is a very short piece of a speech taken from a longer speech or an interview in which someone with authority or the average "man on the street" says something which is considered by those who edit the speech or interview to be the most important point...
s and fast "cuts" (changes of camera angle
Camera angle
The camera angle marks the specific location at which a camera is placed to take a shot. A scene may be shot from several camera angles. This will give different experience and sometimes emotion. the different camera angles will have different effects on the viewer and how they perceive the scene...
). Television journalism viewership has become fragmented, with the 24-hour
24-hour news cycle
The 24-hour news cycle arrived with the advent of television channels dedicated to news, and brought about a much faster pace of news production with increased demand for stories that can be presented as news, as opposed to the day-by-day pace of the news cycle of printed daily newspapers...
united States cable news
United States cable news
Cable news refers to television channels devoted to television news broadcasts, with the name deriving from the proliferation of such networks during the 1980s with the advent of cable television. In the United States, early networks included CNN in 1980, Financial News Network in 1981, and CNN2 ...
television channels such as Cable News Network (CNN) starting in 1980, Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
and MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
in the 1990s.
Local Television
The industry divides television into local (List of television stations in North America by media market) in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
s. Such television markets are defined by viewing area and are ranked by the number of audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
viewers. New broadcast journalists generally start in the smaller markets with fewer viewers and move up to larger television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s and television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
s after gaining experience. The larger stations usually have more resources and better pay.
United States stations typically broadcast local news
Local news
In journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...
3 or 4 times a day: around 4:30, 5 or 6 am, 11, 11:30 am or noon, 5 and/or 6 pm, and 10 and/or 11 at night. Most of their nightly local newscasts are 30 minutes and include sports television and weather. News anchor]s are shown sitting at a [[desk]] in a [[television studio]]. The news anchor read [[teleprompter]]s that contain local interest stories and [[breaking news]]. [[Reporter]]s frequently tell their stories outside the a formal television studio in the field, where the news is occurring, in a [[remote broadcast]] setting where [[Electronic news-gathering]] (ENG) techniques are used with [[production truck]]s. [[Daytime television]] or [[morning show]]s include more "soft" news and feature pieces, while the evening news emphasizes "hard" news.
News jobs
[[News anchor]]s (formerly "anchormen"), serve as masters of ceremonies and are usually shown facing a [[professional video camera]] in a [[television studio]] while reading unseen [[teleprompter]]s. The anchors are often in pairs (co-anchors) sit side by side, often alternating their reading. [[Meteorologist]]s stand in front of [[chroma key]] backgrounds to describe [[weather forecasting]] and show "graphics" ([[map]]s, chart]]s, and pictures). Any of those people can become the most recognizable television personality of the television stationTelevision station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
. Reporters research and write the stories and sometimes use video editing
Video editing
The term video editing can refer to:* Linear video editing, using video tape* Non-linear editing system , using computers with video editing software* Offline editing* Online editing...
to prepare the story for air into a "package". Reporters are usually engaged in Electronic field production
Electronic field production
Electronic field production is a television industry term referring to a video production which takes place in the field, outside of a formal television studio, in a practical location or special venue...
(EFP) and are accompanied by a videographer
Videographer
Strictly speaking, a videographer is a person who works in the field of videography, video production — recording moving images and sound on video tape, disk, other electro-mechanical device. News broadcasting relies heavily on live television where videographers engage in electronic news...
at the scenes of the news. The latter holds the camera. That person or assistants manage the audio and lighting. They are in charge of setting up live television
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
shots and might edit
Video editing
The term video editing can refer to:* Linear video editing, using video tape* Non-linear editing system , using computers with video editing software* Offline editing* Online editing...
using a non-linear editing system
Non-linear editing system
In video, a non-linear editing system is a video editing or audio editing digital audio workstation system which can perform random access non-destructive editing on the source material...
(NLE) too. The segment producer might choose, research, and write stories, as well as deciding the timing and arrangement of the newscast. An associate producer, if any, might specialize in elements of the show such as graphics.
Production jobs
A newscast director is in charge of television show preparation, including assigning camera and talent (cast) positions on the set, as well as selecting the camera shots and other elements for either recorded or live televisionLive television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
video production
Video production
Video production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...
. The Television Director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
(TD) operates the video switcher which controls and mixes all the elements of the show. At smaller stations, the Director and Technical Director are the same person.
A graphics operator
Operator (profession)
An operator is a professional designation used in various industries, including broadcasting , computing, customer service, physics, and construction. Operators are day-to-day end users of systems, that may or may not be mission-critical, but are typically managed and maintained by technicians or...
operates a character generator
Character generator
A character generator, often abbreviated as CG, is a device or software that produces static or animated text for keying into a video stream. Modern character generators are computer-based, and can generate graphics as well as text...
(CG) that produces the lower third on-screen titles and full-page digital on-screen graphic
Digital on-screen graphic
A digital on-screen graphic is a watermark-like station logo that many television broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen-area of their programs to identify the channel...
s. The audio technician
Technician
A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skills and techniques, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Experienced technicians in a specific tool domain typically have intermediate understanding of theory and expert...
operates the audio mixing console
Mixing console
In professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
. The technician is in charge of the microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
s, music, and audio tape. Often, production assistant
Production assistant
A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production...
s operate the teleprompter
Teleprompter
An autocue is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script. Using a teleprompter is similar to the practice of using cue cards...
s and professional video camera
Professional video camera
A professional video camera is a high-end device for creating electronic moving images...
s, and serve as lighting and rigging technicians ("grips
Grip (job)
In the U.S. and Canada, grips are lighting and rigging technicians in the filmmaking and video production industries. They constitute their own department on a film set and are directed by a key grip. Grips have two main functions...
").
On-line convergence
Convergence is the sharing and cross-promoting of content from a variety of media, which in theory might all converge and become one medium eventually. In broadcast news, the Internet is key part of convergence. Frequently, broadcast journalists also write text stories for the Web, usually accompanied by the graphics and sound of the original story. Web sites offer the audience an interactive form where they can learn more about a story, can be referred to related articles, can offer comments for publication, and can print stories at home, etc.Technological convergence
Technological convergence
Technological convergence is the tendency for different technological systems to evolve towards performing similar tasks. Convergence can refer to previously separate technologies such as voice , data , and video that now share resources and interact with each other synergistically.The rise of...
also lets newsroom
Newsroom
A newsroom is the place where journalists—reporters, editors, and producers, along with other staffers—work to gather news to be published in a newspaper or magazine or broadcast on television, cable or radio...
s collaborate with other media. Broadcast outlets sometimes have partnerships with their print counterparts.
See also
- 24-hour news cycle24-hour news cycleThe 24-hour news cycle arrived with the advent of television channels dedicated to news, and brought about a much faster pace of news production with increased demand for stories that can be presented as news, as opposed to the day-by-day pace of the news cycle of printed daily newspapers...
- CNN effectCNN effectThe CNN effect is a theory in political science and media studies that postulates that the development of the popular 24-hour international television news channel known as Cable News Network, or CNN, had a major impact on the conduct of states' foreign policy in the late Cold War period and that...
- Electronic journalismElectronic journalismElectronic journalism or electronic news-gathering is most associated with broadcast news where television producers, reporters and editors make use of electronic video production recording devices for gathering and presenting information in telecasts and radio transmissions reaching the public...
- Electronic news-gathering (ENG)
- JournalismJournalismJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
- JournalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
- Local newsLocal newsIn journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...
- Media eventMedia EventA media event, as loosely defined by evolving modern usage, is an occasion or happening, spontaneous or planned, that attracts prominent coverage by mass media organizations, particularly television news and newspapers in both print and Internet editions....
- News broadcastingNews broadcastingNews broadcasting is the broadcasting of various news events and other information via television, radio or internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or television studio newsroom, or by a broadcast network...
- News presenterNews presenterA news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
- News programNews programA news program, news programme, news show, or newscast is a regularly scheduled radio or television program that reports current events. News is typically reported in a series of individual stories that are presented by one or more anchors...
- Reporter
- Sports commentatorSports commentatorIn sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
- Television news
- Television programTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...