The high level of importance attributed to the presentation of the news is important as the more authoritative the source appears, the more confidence the public will have in the truth and validity of the story and thus the network carrying it. The news is viewed by some channels as the flagship of their output, setting a benchmark for the quality of their further scheduling. Using a visual medium dictates that priority is given to the availability of supporting images. The generic formulae of news production allows for studio shots and location reports. The studio will have the newsreader as the effective head of the programme overseeing all events ingredient to the programme. Furthermore, in the studio there may be interviews and other presentations such as demonstrations (frequently assisted by computer generated graphics with people to accompany and explain it). Location stories generally have a reporter speaking an introduction at a location relevant to the story, although this ‘actuality’ brings nothing further to the presentation. The reporter may interview people of authority or members of the public. Accompaniment to this will be a filmed report with various clips of relevant (questionably so at times) interspersed with carefully edited vox pops in order to reinforce the angle taken by the reporter. Some local news rooms may introduce symbolism and metaphor into their work, which are usually far from subtle and can be quite cringe-inducing.
The merit of news stories is dependant upon numerous factors. Time influences news production in a number of ways. Predominantly, the ‘immediacy’ of the reported story is important as every network will be keen to air ‘breaking news’ getting the story first. The length of the story and the report will go some way to dictating it’s positioning in the schedule of the news and also as a reflection of the prestige of the reporters and sub-editors. Continuity is also very important as stories may progress over time or only be relevant within a certain time frame. For example, stories on Iraq’s domestic situation attained a great deal more relevance during the current political climate than before war was declared. This also has to do with the inclusion of allied troops in the situation. Military action throughout the rest of the world receives little media attention unless it has a direct link to home. Elite peoples and nations will always be given priority in the news.
Spot news covers unforeseen events and are generally vague reports. Developing news will be given a short spot with time needed to learn the facts and construct a report. This will evolve into continuing news where time is needed for all the events to unfold and construct a whole story. Other topics of news stories are ‘hard news’, such as political events, and ‘soft news’ which is sometimes called the ‘dead donkey’. These stories have a role in the schedule (normally placed at the end of the programme) as human interest stories or those stories with a light hearted edge sometimes used as ‘filler’ when there is a lack of hard news. This is a useful tool for the news production team as they are generally not ‘time-sensitive’ and can be held in reserve for a day devoid of real news. They also serve the purpose of uplifting the audience. As most news is bad news, the programme finishes on a heart warming tale to reassure the viewer that the outside world is not all misery and suffering.
The quality of the sources cited and the authoritativeness of the interviewees add a lot to news stories. The most revered sources of information will always be witnesses to the event and ‘experts’ with information not accessible to the majority of the audience. If the interviewee is not in the position to offer factual information/ analysis then they will be called upon to offer opinion which will carry authority as the source is held in such high esteem (opinion masqueraded as fact). Many sources are off limits to the media as they will be bound by controls preventing them from divulging information; it is usually in these circumstances that political commentators and supposed experts are consulted for opinions in the absence of raw fact. This is indicative of the tension between the government’s need for security and the journalistic need to tell a story. The balance is usually kept but sometimes the pendulum will fall too far, generally in the media’s favour, to the detriment of the government (e.g. ‘Cash for questions’ scandals etc.).
Bibliography
Bell, A. 1991. The Language of News Media. Blackwell
Berkowitz, D (editor). 1997. Social Meanings of News. Sage
Carey, J W (editor). 1988. Media, Myths and Narratives: Television and the Press. Sage
Diamond, E. 1978. Good News, Bad News. MIT Press
Fowler, R. 1991. Language in the News. Routledge
Glasgow University Media Group. 1976. Bad News. Routledge
Hallin, D. 1986. The Uncensored War. Oxford University Press
Hooper, A. 1982. The Military and the Media. Gower
Morrison, D. 1988. Journalists at War. Sage
Parenti, M. 1992. Inventing Reality: The Politics of News Media. St. Martin’s Press
