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 1992-99

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