I watched the Six O’clock news on Tuesday 2nd November. Due to the BBC being a public broadcasting service it does not take a biased view on anything to make sure that all representations are fair and equal. An example of this in the America report is that the news shows speeches and interviews with both republican and democratic candidates. This is where the BBC differs from other Media Institutions like newspapers, which take sides in political campaigns and try to influence their readers into making certain decisions and assumptions. The BBC feels it will gain higher ratings if it’s impartial whereas other media groups feel they will benefit in ratings or sales if they are biased.
The main headline was “Decision Day In America” as the BBC were covering the story of the general election of the president of the USA. The coverage of this story went on for approximately 15 minutes, which is a third of the whole news programme’s time slot. This is because the election is a huge event of which the outcome will affect the whole World, so the BBC obviously felt its audience would be extremely interested in the outcome and would want the latest news about the current political situation. The report shows images and videos of various campaigns as well as many different facts and figures including the predicted voting patterns. The BBC use a wide variety of different shots, angles and techniques to produce a top quality report that is easy to watch and can be related to, interpreted and understood by the vast audience, who of course will be of different ages, sex and vary in intellect. An example of this is a wide shot video of the candidate George Bush followed by a mid shot of him talking to the camera. This variety keeps the audience interested and makes them feel closer to the actual news itself.
The 6 O’clock news is very formal and to the point with facts and information, as it is a respected public service and must meet the high standards required to broadcast such programmes. The set is red and silver, which is modern but subtle to promote the fact that they are ‘up-to-date’ but haven’t lowered any standards. The newsreaders and reporters are all wearing suits, which makes them look smart and respectable which is what the audience want; a figurehead who looks like someone they can rely on to tell the truth. The Newsreader sits behind a desk addressing the camera, which makes the viewer feel more involved, as if the news is personally for them. The Production team also add sound effects, like a drumbeat to add tension and suspense, which can be related back to the news at hand (for example a tense situation is awaiting the results of the election, drum roll before announcement etc.). There is also a translucent backdrop showing a number of computers expressing the fact that the BBC are always researching and providing up to the minute news 24/7.
The Newsreaders use a very precise delivery of speech, which is slow and serious so that the whole audience can understand. The pauses allow the audience to reflect and remember what has just been said and the variety of tone and speed will portray the type of story that is being reported, e.g. a negative sad story about the death of the Blackwatch soldiers in Iraq will be spoken slowly and in a solemn tone with quite a few pauses which is seen as a mark of respect and great sorrow. At some points they may appear sympathetic and use very emotive language depending on the context of the report.
Overall the BBC news is largely controlled by the public service guidelines so that it provides a respected, educated account of the Worlds current affairs to the British audience.
