Each news story is reported from a particular angle or slant. This is known as a news agenda and it may be political or personal, depending on the institutions beliefs.
Ways in which bias creeps in either consciously or unconsciously
· Some news programmes can be 20-30 minutes long, developing news stories in depth while others can be only 5 minutes with just the basics of the main TV News stories of the day reported.
· A news anchor/anchors (can be in pairs) normally introduces the programme in a studio set environment familiar to audiences – this often reassures the viewer as they consume what can be quite negative, but on occasion positive news stories. TV News is about audience familiarity.
· The anchor will often hand over after an new item introduction to a reporter on location of the news story (this relationship is important in keeping the rhythm of the narrative going). Preceding the reporter’s words is often an establishing shot of the location/event/incident.
· The rhythm of a TV News narrative is deliberately constructed to make it appeal to its target audience – entertainment values can be apparent.
· An alternative to using an on location reporter can be on location images/shots punctuated by a narrative voice over.
· The anchor may also interview an expert on the item of news being reported on in the studio – the camera often cuts to a wide two shot when this happens.
· There can be filler shots where facts, figures and graphics appear on the screen.
· Vox pops from witnesses often are intercut with the studio anchor and the on location reporter – this gives it a ‘human touch’.
· Depending on the channel, the mode of address is usually formal – this is called rhetoric of presentation.
· The mise-en-scene commonly shows a desk that the anchor is sitting behind (sometimes, like Newsround the presenter is standing) with papers, a laptop, a pen and sometimes a glass of water as objects and props.
· Often (but not always) the anchor is framed centrally in medium shot.
· Often (but not always) the anchor will be formally dressed.
· There will be a direct address to the camera/audience.
· A short piece of dramatic, non-diegetic music accompanied by graphics will precede the programme – technology is often foregrounded e.g. BBC News shows their IDENT and studio behind them (the Queen once visited during a broadcast).
· Jingles are often used in between items as fillers and to connect to the nest piece.
· The first item of news selected (unless a regional news programme) will be considered to be the most major story in terms of global or national impact – this reflects the news values of the channel.
· Most UK TV News channels will have a bias to reporting UK news with some world news evident.
· Convergent links are apparent to the news provider’s website.
· As the news narrative progresses, normally light hearted stories and sports items are kept to the end of the programme – this is called the ‘warm up’.
· Editing is crucial to the production of meaning.
Broadcasters fear they could suffer decline like print media driven by technology, but there are some signs of hope
Young people are spending less time in front of the television Photo: Alamy
By Christopher Williams, Technology, Media and Telecoms Editor
12:54PM BST 08 Oct 2014
What’s going on?
Young people are deserting the living room television in droves and the industry is worried. Could it face similar decline to that suffered by printed newspapers?
The trend is rapid and undeniable. Ofcom’s annual report on the communications sector this year revealed that across all age groups Britons watched an average of 11 minutes less television in 2013 than the previous year, when total viewing was boosted by the London Olympics. It was the first decline across the board since 2010 and so would not itself have induced panic among broadcasters. Viewing in general is resilient.
The picture around young viewers was much darker, however. Television consumption by 16 to 24-year-olds fell for the third year in a row. On average they watched 148 minutes per day last year, compared with 169 minutes in 2010.
Research on ratings figures by Enders Analysis has found more reasons for broadcasters to be fearful. In the last year an a half, viewing by 4 to 15-year-olds has tumbled 22pc and How young viewers are abandoning televisionviewing among 16 to 34-year-olds is down 15pc, according to the analysts.
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Enders Analysis research shows the rapid drop off in viewing in young age groups
The biggest declines in viewing by young people are in the north and Scotland, where they watched more television to begin with.
Enders data on viewing declines among young people by region
Why is it happening?
Young people have gained many more entertainment options in just the last few years thanks to the explosion of smartphone and tablet ownership.
While older people formed their television habit long ago, 15-year-olds today will have only dim memories of life before the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. They have grown up in a world of ubiquitous screens, online video delivered by broadband and mobile apps. Improving internet speeds, both at home and on the move, are also probably playing a role.
All traditional media companies are affected by technological changes, so in this country whether it is newspapers or magazines or television, the increase in penetration of tablets and smartphones has had a substantial effect on consumption, particularly in younger demographics.
- Claire Enders
Viewing via streaming services such as the BBC iPlayer is not accounted for in the decline in viewing by young people but fewer minutes watching traditional televsion does not necessarily mean more watching online. While broadcasters have been quick to respond to the rise of smartphones and tablet with streaming options - the chief executive of Netflix told The Telegraph this weekend that the BBC iPlayer "blazed the trail" - on mobile devices thay have to compete for attention on an equal footing with an array of digital services.
1. Social networking
2. YouTube
3. Mobile and online gaming
4. News websites
5. Online shopping
Is it a problem for the industry?
It varies by broadcaster, but in general the television industry has always sought the attention of young people and is finding it increasingly difficult.
The BBC, free from commercial concerns, has been able to invest heavily in its online services to ensure it continues to meet its obligations to serve the whole population. It has also announced it will scrap BBC Three, its youth-focused broadcast channel, in response to the shift in viewer behaviour. There may yet be an effort to save the channel but the rationale for following its audience online was clearly explained by Tony Hall, the director-general of the BBC. The broadcaster is already increasing its commissioning of original video for the online audience, focusing on youth-friendly programming such as Doctor Who spin-offs and comedy shorts.
The BBC now commissions online-only content such as Doctor Who Extra
[The iPlayer] is the gateway for people who increasingly want to watch and listen to what they want, when they want it - on tablets, on mobiles as well as other screens. I am sure that this is going to be increasingly important for our younger audiences. And reaching those audiences is vital for the BBC.
Young audiences - the BBC Three audience - are the most mobile and ready to move to an online world. 25pc of viewing by 16 to 24-year-olds is to catch-up or other screens and over the next few years we expect that to reach 40pc.
- Tony Hall
The main commercial broadcasters, who rely on broadcast advertising for most of their revenues, cannot take such radical action. It is seen by some observers as a particular problem for Channel 4, which has a public service remit to reach young audiences but now attracts viewers with a median age of around 46 to its main channel.
ITV effort to build up its production and rights holding businesses to diversify away from advertising can be viewed in the long term as a way to secure itself for a time where broadcast television is less lucrative. The industry consensus is that those who own rights to popular content have a bright future, even if those who only distribute it may not.
However, advertisers can be convinced that the ageing population and increasing relative wealth of older people means they should stop chasing young people, it may not matter so much. Ofcom's data shows viewing among those over 45 has increased.
BARB, the ratings body, is also preparing new systems to include tablet viewing in its figures, which will also bring some young people back into the fold.
Lindsey Clay, chief executive of the television advertising trade group Thinkbox said there was "no need to panic".
But they are by far the biggest viewers of TV watched on other devices. However, we don’t have the figures for this yet as BARB is still in the process of beginning to measure non-TV set viewing. So we need clarity on overall volume. But what is clear is that TV remains the dominant youth medium both in terms time spent watching it, reach and culturally.
- Lindsey Clay
Thinkbox’s own research, published on Wednesday, shows the growth of viewing away from the main television. Some 56pc of Britons have watched TV on a tablet, laptop or smartphone in the living room, 46pc in the bedroom and 19pc in the kitchen.
EE, which launched its new television service on Wednesday, is aiming to capitalise on the trend with a system that is built for multiple screens from the ground up.
The challenge for commercial broadcasters seeking young audiences will be to convince their advertisers to follow viewers away from the main screen in the home.
When it comes to choosing and rejecting the stories for your exam use the criteria below and make sure you explain your thinking clearly.
It is TV news so the better the VISUALS the more chance a story will gain prominence.
Which of the stories will have the greatest EFFECT on the audience are the most newsworthy
The order of each news story lies in its VALUE with respect to the other stories and the ‘newswortiness’ to you audience and the institutional values of NEWSBURST
Arguments, debates, controversy and fights increase the DRAMATIC value of news
How much emotion is in the story, HUMAN INTEREST always has a high value with audiences
Is the story odd, different or UNUSUAL
Does the story involve FAMOUS OR IMPORTANT PEOPLE- audiences will pay more attention to this.
News that is CLOSER GEOGRAPHICALLY is generally of more interest to audiences
Is it a NEW OR BREAKING story
How much does it relate to what is on the MINDS OF YOUR AUDIENCE?
Will it AFFECT OR IMPROVE the life of your audience?
Will it help your audience GROW OR DEVELOP as a result of this knowledge?
It is TV news so the better the VISUALS the more chance a story will gain prominence.
Which of the stories will have the greatest EFFECT on the audience are the most newsworthy
The order of each news story lies in its VALUE with respect to the other stories and the ‘newswortiness’ to you audience and the institutional values of NEWSBURST
Arguments, debates, controversy and fights increase the DRAMATIC value of news
How much emotion is in the story, HUMAN INTEREST always has a high value with audiences
Is the story odd, different or UNUSUAL
Does the story involve FAMOUS OR IMPORTANT PEOPLE- audiences will pay more attention to this.
News that is CLOSER GEOGRAPHICALLY is generally of more interest to audiences
Is it a NEW OR BREAKING story
How much does it relate to what is on the MINDS OF YOUR AUDIENCE?
Will it AFFECT OR IMPROVE the life of your audience?
Will it help your audience GROW OR DEVELOP as a result of this knowledge?
How far can you trust citizen journalism on the internet?
How far can you trust citizen journalism on the internet?
As the BBC reports that it can receive up to 10,000 pieces of user-generated content on a single day, Vicky Baker looks at the increasing need for verification and how propaganda and hoaxes have become more prevalent.
BY VICKY BAKER PUBLISHED 25 MARCH, 2015 - 10:55
“Mosul church survived 1,800 years but couldn't survive Isis – burned it as Christians expelled,” tweeted the head of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, sharing a now-deleted photo of a church in flames – purportedly in Iraq. The image had come from a seemingly reputable news source, and, with Islamic State’s assaults on Christians well known, it seemed legitimate – but there was more to it than a quick glance in a Twitter timeline would show.
Internet sleuths quickly debunked it by doing a simple Google “reverse image search” – a tool that enables users to see if the same image has been used anywhere on the web before. It turned out it had: in Egypt, one year prior. By this time, it was too late for the Atlantic, the Independent and theTimes of India, who had all run the story. Once the mistake came to light, many outlets retracted the item, although, eight months on, it still sits on the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news site, where Roth first saw it, like a snapshot of news history. (Roth deleted his tweet on Monday, when alerted.)
Google’s reverse image search is one of the most basic verification techniques around and would have been a good first step. The Guardian does it for every image sent in to its user-sourced Guardian Witness platform (even for those images of readers’ bookshelves, as it gets round possible copyright infringements too). The average Twitter user, adopting a he-who-shares-first-wins approach, may be unlikely to bother with such a procedure, or even know it exists; yet the future will surely bring more integrated verification tools, which we will all rely on increasingly.
Citizen journalism has come full circle. It came on to the scene as a threat to journalists, a way to replace newsgatherers with something more “authentic”. Now we are reliant on professionals again, and the teams of specialists who are working behind the scenes at major news organisations and start-ups, using increasingly sophisticated techniques to sift out deception, propaganda and mistakes.
“There are hoaxers now, trying to trip you up,” Chris Hamilton, social media editor for BBC News, told Index on Censorship magazine, for an article in the latest quarterly issue – looking at how user-generated content (UGC) lost its innocence. “Also with the Sydney siege and Woolwich murder [of British soldier Lee Rigby by two Islamic extremists], we’ve seen events staged with online media coverage in mind.” In both cases, passersby or hostages were asked to film statements to put them online, showing how footage was no longer just a chance by-product, but a battle for control.
When earlier this month it was announced that Rebekah Brooks was joining Dublin-based Storyful, many considered the position as a major step down, but as heading a fast-growing, verification-focused business, she’ll be at the forefront of a growing industry, heading a news agency that specialises in UGC. Storyful, which was bought by News Corp in 2013, also announced this month that it is expanding into China, in partnership with Youku, China’s biggest video sharing portal.
“There’s been evolution in the industry,” says Fergus Bell, formerly international social media and UGC editor for Associated Press, and now working for Canada’s SAM, a company that creates platforms to ease social media curation and verification. “Before, social media desks didn’t have very much visibility in the newsroom. People didn’t understand what they were doing, but now UGC can make or break a story, or it is the story.”
SAM, which launched in July 2014, is already been used by Associated Press, Reuters, Canadian Press, Press Association, the Wall Street Journal, theFinancial Times and the Guardian. Although it doesn’t have built-in tools to verify the content, it does track an increasingly complex process. It allows newsrooms to see who’s checked what, who’s contacted the originator. It also flags disturbing content, so not all journalists have to see it. Bell, who joined the company at the start of the year and is co-founder of the Online News Association’s UGC ethics initiative, is heavily focused on developing the ethical standards in the industry.
Meanwhile, the traps are getting increasingly elaborate. In September 2014, there was a short burst of Twitter activity after hoaxers tried to spread news of an imaginary Isis attack on a chemical plant in Centerville, Louisiana. Multiple Twitter, Facebook and Wikipedia identities were created over more than a month. Then when the moment hit, news stories appeared – from pieces on an imaginary media outlet called Louisiana News to a fake CNN screen shot. There was even a coordinated plot, using bots in both Russian and in English, to get a hashtag trending. But ultimately, despite all the efforts, the hoaxers weren’t quite clever enough; they failed, as Cory Doctorow has reported. An attack in Louisiana didn’t take long to disprove.
But it’s not just the professionals and experts that need to be on high alert, users also need to become more sceptical. Just because a tweet is geotagged (ie with a place and date stamp), it doesn’t mean the sender was on the spot or could be a credible witness. Even simple sites such as pleasedontstalkme.comenable users to tweet from “anywhere in the world”. Google algorithms are also fallible. At the moment, when you type “Syria hero boy” into Google, the well-known hoax story of a boy saving a girl from gunfire appears first as an original news piece, before the debunk. (One of these original pieces, by theTelegraph, is a lesson in what big organisations shouldn’t be doing: a story based on popularity of unverified content littered with phrases such as “seems to”, “appears to” and “thought to”, and comes with no update or footnote to say this video was later indisputably discredited.)
Google has recently announced new plans to rank pages by trustworthiness, using a model that will count incorrect information in a story. It believes to have determined what is true and what is not based on a huge vault of facts that it has been collating by trawling online content with bots. “Facts the web unanimously agrees on are considered a reasonable proxy for truth,” reported the New Scientist. This is an interesting next step, although will clearly bring its own problems.
And so the circle keeps on turning. UGC has given way to a pressing need for keen eyesight and human verification, but the next step could be handed over to the bots, be they Russian hoaxers or Google fact hunters.
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