Chapter 12

Broadcast journalism: the world’s town crier

Introduction - aims of this lecture are to help you

understand:• Some basic concepts of media

convergence• The ABC• Broadcast history• Codes of conduct and broadcast

regulation• Radio and television news reporting• Broadcast terminology

Broadcast journalists

• Often start as print journalists• Their enemy is time – stories are short• Adept at matching sound and visuals• Less skill than other journalists – keep

it simple?• They often set the day’s news agenda• Broadcast journalists as ‘warmer’/more

trustworthy?

The ABC

• First radio broadcast in 1932, a news editor appointed 1934. ABC TV in 1956

• Solid growth - 94 ABC radio stations by 1982• ABA Act 1946 – ABC independent news -

journalists expected to be impartial• ABC set the benchmark for journalistic

standards, still most trusted media company• Funding issues/alleged bias

Other broadcast landmarks:

• ABC’s Four Corners - Australia’s first national current affairs program

• SBS launched 1978• Both public service broadcasters have

a self-regulatory code of practice• Cross-media ownership laws

introduced in 1987 prohibited newspaper, radio, and television proprietors in the same city from holding more than a 15 per cent interest in each other.

Regulation

• Airwaves as public property ‘managed’ on behalf of the broadcasters

• Radio & TV licensed by the ACMA, fines of up to $A200,000 can be imposed for breaches

• Broadcast & Internet codes• Pay TV has an additional regulator

called ASTRA

Chequebook journalism

• ACMA has no policy on chequebook journalism

• Payment for exclusive stories• Do payments affect objectivity?• The right to know if a media outlet

paid the interviewee• Commercial television and women’s

magazines the main culprits

News values, television style

• Words and pictures compliment each other

• Leave a lasting impression (the main pint of the story) – signposting

• Presentation affected by audience expectations

• News affected by supporting material• Strong images often air first

Audiences

• Large audience numbers = high ratings, high ratings = good advertising revenue

• ABC runs more ‘serious’ stories than its commercial rivals?

• Commercial news/entertainment nexus• Commercial current affairs programs

rely on sensationalism and emotion, not in-depth research?

Reporting for radio

• Trendsetters for original stories?• Radio reporters make snap

decisions about news values and what to air

• Intros are very important• Content has to be well edited• Storylines regularly updated – what

has happened since first bulletin• Good voice skills required

Common speech problems:

• Speaking too slowly or quickly• Emphasising the wrong words• Limited vocal range• Tones that are nasal, or lacking in

richness• Stumbling over words• Breathlessness, or breathing loudly• Sounding unnatural

Key broadcast definitions:

• Voicer or voice-over – what the reporter writes and speaks, live or recorded

• Actuality – natural sounds/voice of interviewee

• Grab/soundbite/talking head – comment from an interviewee

• Lead – first paragraph, sets context• Intro – summary often read before

video• Talent – person being interviewed

Key broadcast definitions:

• Throw – introducing the reporter or talent

• Sign-off – completes the package• Worder – script read by

newsreader, no visuals• Reader copy – script read by the

presenter• Wrap – two or more stories

packaged together

Broadcast writing style

• About three words per second• …indicates a pause• Use capital letters for names of

people or organisations• Underline or capitalise for

emphasis• Present tense• Write the way people speak• Short sentences, 10 to 20 words

Television terminology

• Cutaway – brief close-up• Close-ups/CU/one shot – tightly

framed shot of the interviewee• Two-shot – shows both the reporter

and the talent• Noddy – a shot of the reporter

nodding, as if listening

The newsroom

• Television journalists often involved in production process:

– they may review recordings and select video footage

–Footage time coded and labelled

• Digital editing, audio and visual mixing• Radio and TV newsrooms have editing

and writing software

The power of television

• Television was the twentieth century’s town crier

• It influences communities• Combines words and images for

maximum impact • Gives journalism a glamorous image?• Embedded journalists • Footage from citizen-journalists