news producing “stacking the show” ...not from our book overview now / more later
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News Producing “Stacking the Show” ...not from our book Overview now / more later. Producing Across Technologies. News broadcasts formatted with three segments - news, weather, sports Balance of world, national, state, local news “Floating” formats used today - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
News ProducingNews Producing“Stacking the Show”“Stacking the Show”
...not from our bookOverview now / more later
Producing Across Technologies News broadcasts formatted with three segments -
news, weather, sports Balance of world, national, state, local news
“Floating” formats used today Start newscast with most important story, regardless of
category - “float” given stories anywhere in the newscast
Radio, TV, Internet generally have same news content Technology dictates that delivery is slightly different Which does the most ‘journalism’?
Producing Across Technologies RADIO
Reporting is disappearing from most music radio formats
“Rip and Read” has become the news segment - DJs read stories straight off the national news wire or report what is in the local paper
A national news correspondent for a major television network will record a two-minute news update to be played on the air
Wire services allow stations to access regional, national, international news
Accompanying audio feed has actual sound bites from sources to play on air (also known as “actualities”)
Public Radio and major market radio still does original reporting
NPR produces national news shows daily
Producing Across Technologies Television
Local newscasts are usually scheduled around the national network newscast
Image of station with local news / competition Lead in issues ‘Newscast of Record’ Cable news is now offering a variety of news
YNN (News 8 Austin) TXCN News talk shows Sports news Financial news News vs. editorial
Producing Across Technologies Internet
Can be engaged by the user at anytime Makes it more important to be timely with updates
Combines print, audio, video Internet was primarily a text medium, but as technology
got more sophisticated, more users can take advantage of audio/video streaming capabilities
Shovelware risk vs. Interactive Storytelling Users can choose how they want their news
Read a main story Watch a short video clip or the full interview Interact with the site - opinion polls with instant results,
rollover graphics that offer interesting facts and statistics Watch a slideshow of photos from the news scene
The Television newscast Choosing the lead
Three definitions First sentence of a story First story in the newscast Idea for a story
Before the newscast, always investigate the lead story Can it be done? Who should be contacted for info? Is the story still timely? Are there ethical concerns? Is it hard or soft news? What would be a good story to follow it? / Sidebar?
The Television newscast Writing the Lead
story The average
broadcaster delivers 16 lines per minute
Using the standard two-column script format, about 5-6 words per line
‘read rate’
Always write for time rather than space
The (television) newscast The Script
Split-page format Left column gives
instructions for producers and the control room
Right column includes the story being delivered on air
The Television newscast The Visuals
Video Nat sound from the
scene Graphics
Weather maps Charts Names of people,
locations to appear on screen with video
Still photographs
The Television newscastThe weather map as an
electronic image projected on screen
Interactive software programs -- contracts
“The most important part of a newscast”
Technology change to monitors
The Television newscast The Line-up
Stories chosen from day’s news plus wires and network (‘look live’)
A few stories chosen for “pad” (to be used if extra time at end)
Lead stories selected Stories “blocked” around commercial breaks according to
basic themes “Thematic Blocking”
Stories pre-read for content and pacing Last two stories are timed so anchors know exact amount of
time after last commercial If time remains, “pad” stories used
The Television newscast
Anchors should read through all stories before going on air
For a professional delivery, learn to “chat” with audience instead of “announce”
Producing the newscast:16 steps
Determine the news hole Half-hour news is
only 29 minutes, with an actual news hole of 15-18 minutes
Stations use capsulated summary stories to give the illusion of a lot of information
‘billboard’
Producing the newscast Block the newscast
Considering the news hole and budget of stories, visual stories are blocked into logical segments, separated by commercial breaks
Producing the newscast Fill in the newscast
format sheet The “rundown” or “line-
up” is an evolving schedule of people, times, video showing, plus length of stories and order
Commercial stations use producing software like NewsCenter and ENPS, AvStar (desktop editing)
Producing the newscast Organize the newscast
Number each story/item consecutively
Organize the blocks and identify by letters:
A-1 A-2
BREAK B-1 B-2
Decide story order Generally the biggest
story goes first If a breaking story
has no visual element, it may not lead the newscast
A good reporter/producer will recognize the news value and work HARD to get a visual so the story can lead the newscast
Producing the newscast Pace the newscast
Segment length is estimated by dividing the news hole by the number of segments
Commercial breaks are set around the news flow
A break should not be moved more than a minute from its position
Each segment should be treated like a mini newscast by ending with an uplifting story
Determine the visuals Decide the visuals to
be used with “Anchor Read” stories done live
Producing the newscast Insert commercial
breaks Commercials are placed
where they least interfere with news continuity
AVOID breaking the flow of news or airing a commercial in conflict with the previous story
Working with Traffic and sponsorships & billboards
Assign copy to writers The producer
assigns maximum length to each story being prepared during the day
As line-up is determined and news hole filled, some story formats are changed
Producing the newscast Script “teases” before
commercial breaks “We’ll have more news in
a minute…” “Tune in as we show you
how city council is working to clean our streets”
Use a bumper graphic between news and commercial (or billboard)
Prepare hand-off transitions No need to “script”
transitions from news to sports and weather but good idea to consult with other newscasters about stories so conversation hand-offs appear natural
Producing the newscast Time the newscast
Front- and back- timing needed so the newscast can end exactly on time
Generally, new anchors are timed in how fast they read copy and that speed is factored into a computer program
Just an estimate for producers putting together a newscast
Front and Back timing still necessary for checking if the newscast will work
Producer blocks the
newscast by noting beginning time and adding the exact time of each news item
Anchor speed is factored in for transitions
Pad is left at end for evolving changes
Producing the newscast Stack the newscast
script Pages of script are
physically stacked in consecutive order
Hard copies are still used for back-up if the computer and teleprompter shut down
Assemble visuals in order Visuals are completed late
in the cycle and must be put in order
Proofread and time the final script Once “actual” times are
entered, back-timing is done to identify the last moment an item must begin for everything to be on time
Producing the newscast Rehearse, Adjust the
newscast Two schools of thought:
Rehearsal polishes and builds confidence
Rehearsal destroys energy
Regardless, need to be prepared
Breaking stories / dropping or floating
Producing Across Technologies Media convergence
Buzzword in newsrooms More than just producing
multimedia stories But now: mobile media,
backpack journalists, VJs
Media convergence is now:
One news organization producing content for multiple media sources in a variety of media formats
This has quickly changed
Producing Across Technologies Skills needed in this
environment: Strong Writing skills Intuitive Reporting skills Understand writing styles
for all media formats Be able to conceptualize
visual, audio and text elements needed for a story
Poynter, or... The IFRA Newsplex news center at the University of South Carolina was designed to train journalists in all media to understand the world of convergence.
Other termsCrosstalkLive shots / look livesUpcutting / timing the showCold openBackdoor openTraffic departmentNews Director, EP, Producer,
Associate Producers, Assignment Editor
Other Discussion Gatekeeper “Theories of the Press”
Social Repsonsibilty -- an obligation to act to benefit society at large. This responsibility can be passive, by avoiding engaging in socially harmful acts, or active, by performing activities that directly advance social goals
Libertarian -- News is what happens; short of violating the violent overthrow of the government, everything should be covered
PA: Robert “Budd” Dwyer (1987) Authoritarian, Soviet-Communist, Develomental Public Service Journalism ###