An Introduction to the News

Your first post for the news assignment should focus, briefly, on the basics and key conventions of a news broadcast. Include clips and images where relevant.

Part 1 (using the broadcast you have watched)

• Watch a news broadcast and state which one you watched, e.g., Look East Monday 18th March 6pm.
• What stories were covered and in what order were they shown?
• What happens in the starting sequence and why do you think the visuals and audio have been used?

Part 2 (through research and / or referring back to the Anglia documentary)

• Who are the newsreaders / presenters in the broadcast you watched? (Name, age, gender, etc.)
• What is the role of the newsreader / presenter in a news broadcast?
• What skills are necessary for newsreaders / presenters?

Part 3 News Ordering - 'What Makes the News'?

• What is meant by the term news ordering?
• What is the term given to the list of stories that will likely appear on the broadcast?
• Which story is likely to be shown first and how / why is it selected?
• How do the other stories appear?
• Why is the ability to think and act quickly important in news?
• What is meant by the term 'slow news day'?
• What is the final story often called and what is its function?
• What is meant by the term 'news values' and which G & R wrote about them?
• Find a topical example for each of G & R's news values.

Here is a link to a useful video and here's one to some useful info.

Part 5 (using a broadcast you have found)

• What was this story about?
• Who is involved in the story?
• How are the people in the story represented?
• How did you feel about the people in the news story?
• Was the news story narrativised? i.e., was there a construction of a narrative to help the audience follow the news event?

Part 6 (using this site)

• Discuss bias through selection and omission - find an example
• Discuss bias through placement / order - find an example
• Discuss bias through headlines - find an example
• Discuss bias through shot selection and camera angles - find an example
• Discuss bias through names and captions (how you describe a person) - find an example
• Discuss bias through use of language (phrasing and emotive language etc.) - find an example