TV News | Sourcing Stories and Types of Story (21st September 2017)
In today's lecture we looked at how we can source our stories by looking at how it is done in the industry.
A broadcast journalist relies on a range of sources and contacts
The best journalists are proactive rather than reactive
Some sources for inspiration:
News outlets
Social media / viral
Word of mouth
Whistleblower
Anecdotal
News agency - sources such as Reuters source news for other outlets to utilise
Pressure groups
Public domain
Must all be verifiable
Working what Fishman (1997) called 'beats' - 'patrolling' recognised sources of information to supply potential news value - what 'beats' form part of this chain of information?
Many of these 'beats' are exclusively accessed by news journalists, e.g. calling police stations etc.
What stories may be ignored? Is it right to give priority to those particular stories?
Primary sources
Direct contacts
Direct source material, e.g. library and archive data
Public appeals
Press releases / statistics / official statements
These are all points of view
Secondary sources
Stringers (freelancers) - supply news outlets with information
Other platforms / media
Wires
Newsrooms frequently trawl the 'wires' for up to the minute tip offs on news stories
P.A. (Press Association)
Reuters
Material on news wires is provided by in-house and freelance journalists
Correspondents
Specialists within the newsroom prized for their in-depth knowledge and well honed contacts within a specific area, such as politics
Often invited to confidential 'lobby' briefings with politicians and on the mailing lists of important bodies
'Lobby' politics - influential groups lobby the government in such meetings to get their views across and attempt to influence policy
Foreign news sources
Journalists, editors and correspondents based permanently abroad for news networks
Sometimes pooled from foreign news 'bureau' with other broadcasters
Also valued for their local contacts and on-the-ground access and knowledge
Often long hours with lots of travelling through potentially dangerous or politically unstable areas
International news agencies and large-scale news organisations have deals
Eurovision News Exchange - facilitates the exchange of stories between EU countries
Archives
Many broadcasters have their own archives which serves as a source of pictures etc, as well as independent archives which sell on their material under license
Fake News
They look and sound like news packages but are very often propaganda
Blurred lines between marketing and news
UGC (User Generated Content)
Footage/material provided by members of the public used by news outlets
UGC adds value to give a human, realistic view of a story
UGC can capture the unexpected that news outlets cannot prepare for
This content can be cheap for the news outlet
This could become dangerous, as members of the public may put themselves at risk to film events
Example of user-generated content aiding in a news report:
Communication
Whichever source of information and stories, you must be able to be a consummate communicator in order to access these
Research is vital and you must know what questions you want to ask
Emails and phone calls are useful for exchanging information, but conversation is important to build a rapport
Sometimes you have to be prepared to be creative in order to get the information you need providing you are being ethical, find ways of negotiating obstacles to gain the access you need
When people are reluctant to take part, sometimes with good reason, it is useful to explain that this is their chance to hear their side of the story
The art of tracking down people is something you must master - do your research to identify key contacts and build from there
Find people who will talk might mean looking for someone outside of your direct arena of your story
Finding your angle
The main significance of the story to your particular audience
There are inevitably be several angles on any story, your job is to decide the angle which best suits and sells your story to engage the audience
What makes a story 'news-worthy'?
Choosing the lead story is key in determining the most newsworthy story of that bulletin
The lead story might vary at different times of the day - what is most engaging for the audience at different times
Relevance / Resonance
Controversy
Peg - Timing a story to hit when it will intersect with a particular event
Subjectivity
Typically you will see 15-20 stories per 30' news programme
The order in which these stories are broadcast affect whether they are presented as difficult and influential
We must balance the tone of the range of stories offered - from hard news, breaking stories and softer human interest stories
Key areas to determine this are:
Location
Timeliness
Impact
Prominence / Importance
Conflict
Simplicity
Broadcasters' values
Developing your story
Takes detailed and accurate notes
Be organised and ensure you keep your contacts and relevant information somewhere you can easily access it
Attribute information to the reliable source
Saying 'allegedly / apparently' is not enough
Sources must be reliable
You should be clear about:
WHAT the story is about
WHO is in the story
WHERE the story is
WHEN the story will be shot
HOW will it be told
WHY the story is being made
The contacts made in the early stages of research should lead to the final elements that are included in the news story
Inevitably there will be decisions made on the basis of availability, location, cost etc, but bare in mind these decisions frame your story for the audience
Ensure these elements are fair and reasonable
Stay objective
Don't burn bridges with contacts
You may need them again in the future
Make sure you are respectful
Open and fair
Honest and direct
Aware of the intrusion you are making - respect their time
Thank your contributors and let them know when and where the piece will feature
Forms of TV news stories
Basic types
Readers
A short story told by the presenter with no visuals to accompany it
OOVs / VOs
The presenter tells the story but includes video and/or graphical material
Useful when covering an event
Also used for late breaking stories
Boil down the essentials of the story and find an angle
Graphics are useful but beware of copyright
Sound is also vital to ensure the report does not come across as flat
OOV / SOT (sound on tape)
Combination of OOV and sound from interview clips
Good for varying pace, but not as much depth as a full news package
Reporter/news packages
Fully formed self contained news piece
The presenter does not tell the story, but instead they introduce and wrap up the story
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