R13- News Values

 News Values

v Impact: The importance. The story’s consequence of an event or trend. Whether or not the story impacts a great number of people. E.g.: tax cuts

v Timeliness: The more recent, the more newsworthy. In some cases, timeliness is relative. An event may have occurred in the past but only have been learned about recently.

v Prominence: this is the order of importance, well-known individuals or institutions are newsworthy. Whether people or institutions are well recognised is judged by the amount of power they possess. For example: the president, or celebrity: fashion designer- Gianni Versace.

v Proximity: Locality of the event to a specific region, geographically – close by events. Sometimes there may be news which is relevant to a certain region therefore the target audience will be of that region.

v The Bizarre: The unusual or unexpected which attracts attention. Things which occur occasionally and are interesting or funny to read. E.G.: Suarez’ second time biting another footballer during a football game.

v Conflict: Controversy and open clashes are newsworthy, inviting attention on their own, almost regardless of what the conflict is over. Conflict may be over many things ranging from different groups in society. It can be over institutions and individuals (cases of libel). Stories of war are also newsworthy.

v Currency: Occasionally something becomes an idea whose time has come. The matter assumes a life of its own, and for a time assumes momentum in news reportage.

v Human Interest: These are stories which many people find interesting because these stories offer more entertainment in comparison to any other news values.

This research has taught me that I must consider all of these points and thoroughly but quickly analyse all stories making sure they share at least 1 or two of these factors for it to be newsworthy and attract my target audience. 

Source:http://vegeta.hum.utah.edu/communication/classes/news.html

R12- Local news- East End

 

As a group we decided to look at an story of 3 young girls campaigning for women's domestic rights globally. The issue about domestic violence effects masses of women but also men, this is because men need to know the consequences and all the moral reasons as to why it's wrong. 

We thought this issue will be interesting and catch a lot of young people's eyes as the graffiti in the background is a symbol of the youth. Moreover, young people often receive a lot of negative approvals due to graffiti so it is an interesting contrast. 

In addition, the news value used is proximity, this story was highlighted in the 'East End Life' therefore it is likely to interest the citizens of Tower Hamlets as the event is local and carried out by local young girls. Another news value that is used is human interests this is because this campaign is for all women despite their nationality, religion or area. Also this is a sensitive topic in which very few women actually speak put against. 

I have learnt that when conducting a news story I must consider the news values such as proximity, human interests as it will help me provide an interesting newscast for my target audience.

R11- Interview with BBC journalist- Angie Pitt

Angie Pitt's response

•  How do you gather your sources?

 Lots of different ways! I look for reliable information - this often means contacting somebody who knows about the subject I’m covering (an eyewitness, an expert, an official spokesperson) but you may also have to look for other sources, like statistics or old stories about the issue. You need to make sure your sources are reliable - where are you getting the information from? Do you trust the source? Don’t forget to credit your source - if the figures you are quoting are from the local council, say that is where you got them!

• Do you get a lot of negative comments and criticism about your job?  

Not really. The BBC sometimes gets criticised in the media and we have to be aware of people’s concerns -  we are funded by licence fee payers so we have to make sure we’re listening to what our audience is saying.

• How do you target your audience? 

I think about what they need to know, want to know and might be interested to know! I also think about the best way to give them that information. I work with schools, teachers and young people, so I try to understand what’s going on in those worlds - which means keeping up on the news that relates to them! I read about education, learning and issues affecting young people. It’s really important to listen - so I try to learn from what teachers and young people tell me!

• How far would you go to get information on a particular news or event? 

BBC journalists have a responsibility to be fair, accurate and ethical - we have lots of guidelines about how we can ensure we are living up to that. I would always follow those guidelines - it’s important that we do the right thing. We can always discuss our plans with our colleagues and editors as well. Lots of journalists are incredibly brave and go to very dangerous places - like war zones for example - to bring important stories to us. I really admire those people - without them, there would be huge gaps in what we know about really important things that are happening in the world.

• How does modern/new technology help you in the news industry? 

A lot! A smartphone can enable you to take photos, shoot video and record audio, then send it back to the newsroom to be published within minutes. I started working at the BBC four years ago and people told me about how making the news used to be done years ago - recording on tapes, having to physically slice the tape to edit a radio piece. I never had to do that!

I learnt that reliability and usefulness plays a huge role in extracting information, also most journalists produce primary research therefore they need not worry about reliability. The BBC are led by the British public because it is paid through TV licencing, therefore the newscasts must reflect the opinions and thoughts of the British public. On the whole journalists do not get criticised individually but as a radio organisation (if they do face criticisms). The method used to target a certain audience is based on their interests, majority of it comes from shadowing young people and teachers. This is useful because journalists know how to grab the attention of their audience by having close contact with them. There are codes and guidelines in which a journalist must comply to. Some journalists travel to different countries to broadcast the information. Some also tend to go to war zones providing accurate and ethical information. Journalists and many business live on technology. It make the service easier- you can record, shoot photos and videos which can be broadcasted within minutes if given to the newsroom quickly. Technology has helped us understand the world more as there are oversea journalists which can be broadcasted live.

R10- A great news reporter

1. Body language and dress code is very important, in order to get your message across and also if you want to be taken seriously then you need to be presentable by sitting up straight and looking professional.
2. Speech and projection- another crucial point when reporting news. in order foe the audience to hear you clearly you need to speak slowly and loudly (not so loud but moderate loud) projection is key.
3. It is better to not have a script as you may sound monotone, however if you do wish to have a script we need to ensure that the words we use are all our own.
4. Always pretend or imagine there is someone at the end of the TV screen watching you, this will further enhance our reporting skills.
5. Ensuring that your words and speech is flowing. Silence and using 'erm' will not keep the audience interested more importantly you're likely to lose your trail of thought.
6. It's all about enjoying being on air, if you enjoy it and bring a positive atmosphere chances are the audience will also be enjoy it too.

I have learnt that the most important tip is to be comfortable and enjoy what you are doing because that's when everything else (posture, speech) will fall into place automatically, therefore when planning and conducting my newscast I must also enjoy what I am doing as by being positive and happy I will be able to induce a positive energy to the audience as well as ny team. 

R9- Careers in radio

I learnt that there are many jobs in than radio industry most of which we cannot see there's more to radio than just the voices on air e we hear.

1. First of all is the presenter- they're the people who entertain us, hold interviews, discussions.
2.A blogger the person who controls the social media and websites linked with the radio channel.
3. Promotion director who makes sure there their colleagues and everything they need is in place for the day, for example: this person may allocate certain roles to specific people. They also handle any e-mails in regards to promotion and take further action in needed. This person is like a human diary for scheduling and timetable of staff.
4. Programme director who takes care of- promotion, production and programming anything that is to do with the radio name this person is in control of.
5. Production director, this person hands spots out assignments which are then pitched to a client (through a sales director). A production director's role may also include script writing, picking out music for a potential show.
6. There are also roles in radio in journalism, whereby journalists present their news on the radio.

This has helped me enhance my knowledge of the different types of roles in the radio industry. It's made me realise that there are 2 companies (radio station and client) working together in synergy to produce a newscast. The most interesting thing I found is that there is a sales director who goes out promoting to clients to came on their show.

R8- Accessing the radio

Radio access

There are many ways we can access radio news.

Whether you are at home with family, at work or on the tube radio is always accessible, due to the advances of technology.

In the 1920s radio became a common product in the market, which every household had. One way in which news was broadcasted was through radios like the 'Roger's Battery less Receiver Model 130' built in 1926. During the twenties, the famous radio was the battery driven radios with 3 dials and 5 same tubes. Radios could be easily incorporated into the decor of private homes enabling viewers to listen comfortably.  

Due to the growth of the television industry in the 20^th century, another method of listening to the radio is television through free satellite access; this is more common now as more people have TV. Also, at the press of a button on your remote control- through interactivity you can change the stations you're listening to easily.

Digital audio broadcasting- this is used worldwide, this is an improved way of listening to the radio. The quality of sound and interference was robust and fixed unlike analogue radio. Moreover, it provides a wired range of services giving the audience more control.

A further advanced way of listening to radio in today's society is online- the internet. More and more radio stations have online websites which can be streamed anywhere with internet access. In the 20^th century, because of interactivity masses of audience are able to get involved and feel a part of the radio show by contributing their own ideas and opinions. The advancement of radio technology has enabled not only the quality of radio to be enhanced; you can also listen to any shows even if you’re not streaming live. For example: if I missed yesterday’s show at 5pm I can listen to it again through a podcast which many radio stations provide on their websites:

Overall, I think radios have become uncommon, due to smartphones and the rapid growth of technology. However, there are many people who use the radio to articulate their views as there are certain shows dedicated to certain groups of people. This helps me understand that on-line streaming is more common than any other form of radio news, therefore I will need to use my access to social media to help promote and present my news to grab my audience's attention.

Source:

Arts award- Reprezent class 3 

http://www.xfm.co.uk/listening-tv-and-satellite/

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug00/3on1/radioshow/1920radio.htm 

R7- codes and conventions

Codes and conventions of radio news:

Codes are the formal things a radio/newscast must have, these are almost like rules. Whereas conventions are the things expected of that radio channel.

As we all know radio is only an audio based media which means engaging the audience must be through audio and not visual sources, thus putting extra pressure on the sounds and voices used in radio.
The tone whilst presenting and the words used are very important as it is a form of communication with the audience and most of all keeping them interested.

Music and ambience is another crucial element of radio conventions because it forms and creates the atmosphere and particular setting due to the absence of visual media. When the audience cannot hear anything, this is not an accident or technical error this is one of the elements which create a dramatic effect of radio. However, the use of silence must not be abused otherwise the audience will be disengaged and eventually bored. Silence is not just a dramatic device, it also used to signify the ending of a scene or a potential break.

 “The radio act comes out of silence, vibrates in the void and in the mind, and then returns to silence” -Donald McWhinnie (The Art of Radio) 
This shows the use and importance of one of the conventions of radio- sounds.

Aural Signposting: this is when the background is determined through audio for example: accents (location) vehicle sounds, weather sounds (rain/ thunder).

Cliffhanger Endings: this convention is used across media. This is a way of maintaining the interest of the audience by no presenting to them all the news, also by allowing them to have

Titles & Credits: this is an audio list of all the people involved in running the studio/show, a replacement of the visual ‘titles and credits’ in visual. 

R6- Guide on presenting news

Presenting news

This has taught me that to create an effective newscast my presenting of speech and sound is very important. I must prepare notes before I record as this will prevent divergent of what I want to say also it keeps it to the point. 

Source: 

http://www.creativekeys.net/powerfulpresentations/article1033.html

R5 - What is news?

R4- Arts award: Wk 2- (video)

Arts award

I decided to record all the activities.



Here is evidence of post-production:

Movie maker is a quick and reliable software to use because it has unique features such as special effects, transitions and titles and credits which is a great help to make my final product. Another feature of movie maker is it compresses all my components used to one media file, this is ideal because it’s easy to share across social networking sites also movie maker is easy to edit and if you make a mistake you can go back and re-edit, this is before you compress the file whereas with the other files you cannot edit or go back and edit. Another reason why I have chosen to use Movie maker is because it accepts a wide range of formats for example: AVI, WMV, and WAV, it is compatible to many formats therefore I did not have to convert any files.

Windows movie maker is a stable software meaning this will not crash nor will it cause any virus, this is beneficial because it’s a reliable source where you can edit and put together a piece together with no hassle. If you use any other software it will be longer to set up and most likely costly.

R3- Arts award: Wk 2

Arts award

Yesterday (02.10.14) was week 2 but week 1 for my bronze arts award.

I recorded majority of the evening and spent the night editing and re-editing. (video in the next post)

I met another awesome and lively bunch- they’re hilarious.

My task was to, again pair up and research on the internet about my partners’ arts hero/heroine.

After doing so, I had to come up with a few studio-like questions for an interview that was recorded and aired on the radio channel- Reprezent. I had to put myself in my hero’s position (I chose Bruno Mars) and had to answer the questions which were unknown to me as Bruno Mars in the studio- just 5 minutes of pretend fame, if you like. Also I had to play the role of the interviewer. Before any of the broadcasting and interviewing we had to learn how to operate a studio and the software used at the Reprezent studio which is called Miriad. I learnt various keywords like ‘queue’ ‘bed’ ‘jingle’ and ‘cart’ and had to put my knowledge of operating a studio to good use whilst interviewing my pretend 'celebrity' guest.

Headphones used in a studio

Not only did this experience teach me how to use faders and the software, it also taught me how to project my voice and to speak confidently. Moreover, I learnt various interviewing skills from both sides- the interviewer and the interviewee. In addition, I learnt the etiquettes of being in a studio room, the dos and don'ts (and most importantly the consequences ha-ha) for example: when the show is on live, there must be no noise at all this is because any sound detected can be picked up my the microphones and aired which is not what we want. This all contributes to my understanding of radio, therefore when I make my own newscasts I can apply some of these skills.

Microphone



Keyboard