Compare how 'Newsround' and 'BBC 6 o'clock News' presents the story of the live 8 concert
Compare how 'Newsround' and 'BBC 6 o'clock News' presents the story of the live 8 concert
The purpose and audience of 'Newsround' and the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' are both different, and therefore the format, content and language will differ as a consequence. The purpose of 'Newsround' is to make news interesting and accessible for its target audience, of younger teenagers and children. On the other hand the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' has a more general audience, consisting mainly of adults and older people, and its purpose is to present a round up of the days events in a more formal manner, yet still on a level that is universally understood.
The format of 'Newsround' has to appeal to its target audience of younger teenagers and children. As a result: the title sequence is modern, animated and colourful. There is an image of the world, which gradually increases in size and metamorphoses into the 'Newsround' logo. This is because it symbolises that it is worldwide news, but the logo is instantly recognisable so children can relate to it, thus making the news more familiar and accessible. In addition the music sequence is: modern, fast-paced and pulsing, gradually getting louder. This sets the pace for the news programme, and is, further more, a visual representation of stereotypical teenage music, which is viewed likewise as being loud and throbbing. As for the mode of address, the presenters are wearing casual jeans and T-shirt, similar to what teenagers would dress in, to show that the programme is up to date and appeal to the show's target audience, who generally pay more attention to things that fit into what they categorise as 'trendy'. Additionally, the studio is colourful and playful (The furniture could be over-sized toys to the small mind) to make it more accessible and open to children. Finally, there are no desks and the presenters sit on sofas so it seems more relaxed and contemporary, both of which make the news appear more exciting and help it to get rid of its boring, adults only image.
On the other hand, the format of the 'BBC 6 o'clock News', especially the mode of address, differs greatly to suit its target audience. Firstly the male presenters wear a much more formal and mature shirt and tie in place of the more casual jeans and T-shirt. Also they sit behind a desk, which makes the set closed and less relaxed, making the news seem more serious for more mature adults. However, there are some similarities, for example the sets of both programmes are modern but 'Newsround' use more playful primary colours as opposed to the 'BBC 6 ...
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On the other hand, the format of the 'BBC 6 o'clock News', especially the mode of address, differs greatly to suit its target audience. Firstly the male presenters wear a much more formal and mature shirt and tie in place of the more casual jeans and T-shirt. Also they sit behind a desk, which makes the set closed and less relaxed, making the news seem more serious for more mature adults. However, there are some similarities, for example the sets of both programmes are modern but 'Newsround' use more playful primary colours as opposed to the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' uniform red; red having connotations of danger or urgency and being therefore more serious . Likewise there is a male and female presenter, mirroring the set up of the 'Newsround' format however, the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' presenters take it in turns to announce the headlines whereas the 'Newsround' female presenter does them all herself. The title sequences also differ on the surface, but are similar in many ways. For example they both feature the world, representing worldwide news, and they both use pacey music to suggest the news is urgent. In comparison, for the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' the 'BBC' logo encircle the world, hinting that the BBC can be watched across the globe, and the background is a deep red, which is not only a more mature colour, but it has connotations of danger and urgency,
The two news programmes focus on different points of the story to report on, which they see as more important for their target audience and therefore the content differs. 'Newsround' focuses on the fact that there is an age ban on children attending the live 8 concert, which is logical as their target audience is under sixteen. The presenters give details of the location and time of the concert and the cost of sending text messages. They also describe their own investigations into the matter and read the terms and conditions of the concert, and the changes made to them.
The 'BBC 6 o'clock News's main point, however, is about the competition opening, and it is a much broader story in general, with details of: sail 8; the price of texts; an interview with Bob Geldof and an interview with an International Policy Network spokesperson. This is because the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' has a much broader audience, and has to please everyone instead of specific target groups. However, there is evidence to suggest that their target audience is adults as opposed to children, as for example some of the interviews occur in bars, and the under sixteen ban is not mentioned. There is also indication that the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' has to appeal to a broad audience as: there is a balance of young and old musicians; and there is a mix of lighter and serious issues, for example the Geldof interview and the IPN interview. In direct contrast with 'Newsround', this story is a lighter feature and fourth in the running order compared with main feature, suggesting that other news may be of more importance to the different target audience.
Furthermore, the language used in the two programmes is different, to suit its target audience. For instance, there is no complicated language and some casual adjectives such as 'loads' and 'a bit'. They also say 'many of you', which is an example of their more casual style and use of direct address and personal pronouns appeals to the target audience, as it is how they would speak with their peers. The presenters tell us some of their own opinions, use first names and there is a play on words 'if you win, your in', suggesting a more relaxed style of news reading, to appeal to a younger audience. Overall, however, it is fairly simplistic but not too basic using mostly formal with some appropriate colloquial language. This carries on the theme that the presenters talk directly to the audience, like a friend, and anything more formal or complex, would be like a teacher talking to them, and this would be unappealing.
The language used in the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' is different in some ways yet similar in others to 'Newsround'. In comparison, they use the third person instead of direct address, and they use Standard English at all times, never colloquial language. There is, though, a mix of complex and simple language reflecting the mixed audience, for example one interviewee uses lots of technical jargon such as 'remit of policies', whereas in another interview the reporter is less formal. The language is less personal than that of 'Newsround' and there is an emphasis on key words for instance 'G8'. On the whole, the language used by on the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' is more formal than that used in 'Newsround' however, there is a mix of simple and complex language, because spoken text needs to be simple or people will need to concentrate or else lose their train of thought.
In conclusion, there are many similarities and differences, between the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' language, format and content used to report the live 8 concert on the 'BBC 6 o'clock News', and 'Newsround' to suit each of the programmes target audience. For example, the format of the two programmes is similar, in the respect that they are modern, but the 'Newsround' presenters wear T-shirts and jeans, in comparison to the 'BBC 6 o'clock News' presenters who wear more formal attire. The programmes differ the most, in the content area, with both programmes focusing on different themes, to appeal to their target audience. In reference to language 'Newsround uses fairly simplistic, but not too basic and mostly formal, with some appropriate colloquial language. The 'BBC 6 o'clock News' is similarly formal, but at times with more complex language, reflecting the mixed target audience.
Ross Dent 18/12/2007