An analysis of presenters and studio design on three news programmes.
Newsround is a news program for young teenagers and older children. It is on at 5.25 pm weekdays for 10 minutes on BBC1. The opening title sequence music to Newsround is very instrumental, and there is an upbeat and regular rhythm. The graphic images on the Newsround opening title sequence are animated, and there is a rotating globe throughout. Primary colours are used on the opening sequence because blue, red and yellow are very vibrant colours, this would appeal to the target audience. There is also a strong use of apple green and purple which also fit into the bright and funky category. As the music on the opening sequence is playing there are circles representing sound waves coming off the globe. At the end of the title sequence the Newsround logo is shown very centrally on the screen and it is very simple and easy to identify. This is all part of the branding, as is the unique music to the opening sequence. This also makes it very clear who the target audience is and shows the style and values of this news program.
When the title sequence has finished there is a medium range shot that zooms in on the female presenter. She is standing in front of her desk which shows she is trying to be friendly with the audience and more personal than if she was sat behind the desk. The female presenter is in her early to mid twenties and is white British. She introduces the current main headlines and stories; she is very softly and kindly spoken. As she is speaking into the camera she very often wanders around the studio, this is saying that she is not trying to be powerful and greater, but talking to you on a more personal level. The other Newsround presenter discusses stories in more depth, he is a black-British male in his early thirties. He is also very kindly spoken. The language used by both presenters is easy to understand and short, simple words are always preferred to long, complicated ones. Newsround only touches on issues and events because it is only on for 10 minutes - they don’t go into much depth. At the end of Newsround they always have an “and finally” story. These are always a light hearted story, so it will leave the viewers feeling slightly happier, especially if all the other news has been tragic, depressing and sad. After the “and finally” story the female presenter tells the viewers about the Newsround website and how to get interactive.
