News ProducingNews Producing““Stacking the ShowStacking the Show””

...not from our bookOverview now / more later

Producing Across Technologies News broadcasts formatted with three segments -

news, weather, sports Balance of world, national, state, local news

“Floating” formats used today Start newscast with most important story, regardless of

category - “float” given stories anywhere in the newscast

Radio, TV, Internet generally have same news content Technology dictates that delivery is slightly different Which does the most ‘journalism’?

Producing Across Technologies RADIO

Reporting is disappearing from most music radio formats

“Rip and Read” has become the news segment - DJs read stories straight off the national news wire or report what is in the local paper

A national news correspondent for a major television network will record a two-minute news update to be played on the air

Wire services allow stations to access regional, national, international news

Accompanying audio feed has actual sound bites from sources to play on air (also known as “actualities”)

Public Radio and major market radio still does original reporting

NPR produces national news shows daily

Producing Across Technologies Television

Local newscasts are usually scheduled around the national network newscast

Image of station with local news / competition Lead in issues ‘Newscast of Record’ Cable news is now offering a variety of news

YNN (News 8 Austin) TXCN News talk shows Sports news Financial news News vs. editorial

Producing Across Technologies Internet

Can be engaged by the user at anytime Makes it more important to be timely with updates

Combines print, audio, video Internet was primarily a text medium, but as technology

got more sophisticated, more users can take advantage of audio/video streaming capabilities

Shovelware risk vs. Interactive Storytelling Users can choose how they want their news

Read a main story Watch a short video clip or the full interview Interact with the site - opinion polls with instant results,

rollover graphics that offer interesting facts and statistics Watch a slideshow of photos from the news scene

The Television newscast Choosing the lead

Three definitions First sentence of a story First story in the newscast Idea for a story

Before the newscast, always investigate the lead story Can it be done? Who should be contacted for info? Is the story still timely? Are there ethical concerns? Is it hard or soft news? What would be a good story to follow it? / Sidebar?

You’re the ProducerWho else?

Assognment Editor News Director Executive Producer Associate Producers Reporters Shooters Newscast Director & Production Team Traffic Department – it’s not …

The Television newscast Writing the Lead

story The average

broadcaster delivers 16 lines per minute

Using the standard two-column script format, about 5-6 words per line

‘read rate’

Always write for time rather than space

The (television) newscast The Script

Split-page format Left column gives

instructions for producers and the control room

Right column includes the story being delivered on air

The Television newscast The Visuals

Video Nat sound from the

scene Graphics

Weather maps Charts Names of people,

locations to appear on screen with video

Still photographs

The Television newscastThe weather map as an

electronic image projected on screen

Interactive software programs -- contracts

“The most important part of a newscast”

Technology change to monitors

The Television newscast The Line-up

Stories chosen from day’s news plus wires and network (‘look live’)

A few stories chosen for “pad” (to be used if extra time at end)

Lead stories selected Stories “blocked” around commercial breaks according to

basic themes “Thematic Blocking”

Stories pre-read for content and pacing Last two stories are timed so anchors know exact amount of

time after last commercial If time remains, “pad” stories used

The Television newscast

Anchors should read through all stories before going on air

For a professional delivery, learn to “chat” with audience instead of “announce”

Producing the newscast:16 steps

Determine the news hole Half-hour news is

only 29 minutes, with an actual news hole of 15-18 minutes

Stations use capsulated summary stories to give the illusion of a lot of information

‘billboard’

Producing the newscast Block the newscast

Considering the news hole and budget of stories, visual stories are blocked into logical segments, separated by commercial breaks

Producing the newscast Fill in the newscast

format sheet The “rundown” or “line-u

p” is an evolving schedule of people, times, video showing, plus length of stories and order

Commercial stations use producing software like NewsCenter and ENPS, AvStar (desktop editing)

Producing the newscast Organize the newscast

Number each story/item consecutively

Organize the blocks and identify by letters:

A-1 A-2

BREAK B-1 B-2

Decide story order Generally the biggest

story goes first If a breaking story

has no visual element, it may not lead the newscast

A good reporter/producer will recognize the news value and work HARD to get a visual so the story can lead the newscast

Producing the newscast Pace the newscast

Segment length is estimated by dividing the news hole by the number of segments

Commercial breaks are set around the news flow

A break should not be moved more than a minute from its position

Each segment should be treated like a mini newscast by ending with an uplifting story

Determine the visuals Decide the visuals to

be used with “Anchor Read” stories done live

Producing the newscast Insert commercial

breaks Commercials are placed

where they least interfere with news continuity

AVOID breaking the flow of news or airing a commercial in conflict with the previous story

Working with Traffic and sponsorships & billboards

Assign copy to writers The producer

assigns maximum length to each story being prepared during the day

As line-up is determined and news hole filled, some story formats are changed

Producing the newscast Script “teases” before

commercial breaks “We’ll have more news in

a minute…” “Tune in as we show you

how city council is working to clean our streets”

Use a bumper graphic between news and commercial (or billboard)

Prepare hand-off transitions No need to “script”

transitions from news to sports and weather but good idea to consult with other newscasters about stories so conversation hand-offs appear natural

Producing the newscast Time the newscast

Front- and back- timing needed so the newscast can end exactly on time

Generally, new anchors are timed in how fast they read copy and that speed is factored into a computer program

Just an estimate for producers putting together a newscast

Front and Back timing still necessary for checking if the newscast will work

Producer blocks the

newscast by noting beginning time and adding the exact time of each news item

Anchor speed is factored in for transitions

Pad is left at end for evolving changes

Producing the newscast Stack the newscast

script Pages of script are

physically stacked in consecutive order

Hard copies are still used for back-up if the computer and teleprompter shut down

Assemble visuals in order Visuals are completed late

in the cycle and must be put in order

Proofread and time the final script Once “actual” times are

entered, back-timing is done to identify the last moment an item must begin for everything to be on time

Producing the newscast Rehearse, Adjust the

newscast Two schools of

thought: Rehearsal polishes

and builds confidence Rehearsal destroys

energy

Us, vs. commercial Regardless, need to

be prepared Breaking stories /

dropping or floating

Producing Across Technologies Media convergence

Buzzword in newsrooms More than just producing multimedia stories But now: mobile media, backpack journalists, VJs, MMJs OMB – Super Reporter

Media convergence is now:One news organization producing content for multiple media

sources in a variety of media formats

This has quickly changed

Producing Across Technologies Skills needed in this

environment: Strong Writing skills Intuitive Reporting skills Understand writing styles

for all media formats Be able to conceptualize

visual, audio and text elements needed for a story

Poynter, or... The IFRA Newsplex news center at the University of South Carolina was designed to train journalists in all media to understand the world of convergence.

Other termsCrosstalkLive shots / look livesUpcutting / timing the showCold openBackdoor openTraffic departmentNews Director, EP, Producer,

Associate Producers, Assignment Editor

Other Discussion Gatekeeper “Theories of the Press”

Social Repsonsibilty -- an obligation to act to benefit society at large. This responsibility can be passive, by avoiding engaging in socially harmful acts, or active, by performing activities that directly advance social goals

Libertarian -- News is what happens; short of violating the violent overthrow of the government, everything should be covered

PA: Robert “Budd” Dwyer (1987) Authoritarian, Soviet-Communist, Developmental Public Service Journalism ###