GW: TV NEWS ANALYSIS: STYLE AND FORM

As well as understanding how news works and stories are chosen by whom and why? I wanted to do some analysis of TV news packages and extract the codes and conventions to make sure mine followed the genre stylistically as well as editorially and content wise.

I did some research online and from books alongside analysing lots of TV news packages both national and local. What was really surprising was how they were all structurally very similar but also how emotive and subjective some of them could be using really really subtle techniques and stylistics used. I am going to outline the areas for consideration moving forward that I will have to incorporate into my TV News piece.

• News package: A single news feature linked to from the TV studio. These are pre-recorded and edited together beforehand. 
• Outside broadcast (OB): Live feed to a field reporter at the location of the story. Gives appearance of capturing news as it happens. Piece to camera (PTC): Reporter addresses the audience straight down the lens. Could be in a live feed or part of news package.
• Voice Over (VO): Reporters voice tells us the story and the facts with GV’s as wallpaper. 
• General Views (GV’s): Shots used to illustrate a story. Visuals important in TV. 
• Interviews: Interviews with key people involved or experts about the story. 
•  Vox Pops: Short interviews canvassing the opinion of the public. Voice of the people.
• Astons: Graphics in the bottom third of the screen that give the name and title of the interviewees or reporters. Adds kudos to them if experts or special Royal Correspondents etc. 
• Graphics: Displayed on screen to give facts and figures about a story or graphical representation . 
•  Re-enactments: Sometimes used to show what happened in a situation if no footage exists. Must always state they are re-enactments and not real.
• Links to studio: Field reporters on location link back to the studio and the news anchor often signing off with their name and location. 
•  Library footage: Archive footage used as GV’s for a story when no other footage is available. This may from own archives or news agency. 
• Idents: Brand is important in TV news and the idents of the news programme are important in a multi channel, multi-platform age.

While developing my idea I will make sure I wrap the TV news package up in all of these techniques for authenticity and to deceive the audience.