PRESENTATION OF NEWS BULLETIN

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TV News Reporting and Production MCM 516

LESSON 20

PRESENTATION OF NEWS BULLETIN

There are many types of news telecast and each one is presented in different manners and prepared in

different style. Probably the most elementary type of news telecast is one in which the television

reporters find it necessary to process news items, making them worthy watching and hearable than

readable.

Everyone experienced in the field of electronic media knows that there are newscasters and

newsreaders, who merely read a news bulletin, and the news anchors or the news commentator, who

take the news of the day, relate it to happening of the past and to those of probable future, and analyze

its significance.

The speaker, who puts a great deal of his personality into such presentation, gives this news telecast in a

less formal manner. The news that is presented by a commentator may be coloured by his/her own

attitude or by the policy of either his station or the sponsor, if the news telecast is sponsored.

The viewers are tuning in on a programme, anchors usually save their most important item for second

place unless their news is preceded by the lengthy announcements. An item of national or international

interest is considered most important.

The news-anchor attempts to tie up today's story with the news of yesterday, forming sort of `continued

story' effect which shows how the events of the yesterday have led to those of today, and how these

events may effect the society and history in the future.

During the course of programme the news commentator includes some human-interest stories. It is good

practice to insert short, bright, and fast moving items between long news features. As the news reporter

or producer, the news anchor must have the sense of what will appeal the greatest number of viewers:

Weather is subject of universal interest while financial statement will interest only a limited class. The

conversational news of the news anchor is not so immediate as that presented in the press news report.

Some news anchors speak extemporary from the notes, cleverly changing their pace and pitch to

conform to content of the items and to mark a change of subject.

There are news anchors who endeavour to their items together regardless of their relationship; to do this

sometimes results in monotony. The news anchor must not allow the news items to cause alarm or

anxiety for the safety of friends or relatives of the viewers.

The larger rather all the news channels maintain their own ticker service, which is used as the basis for

the manuscript prepared by the news producers.

The great problem of the news broadcaster is that his program is a daily feature and in many instances

may run as many as three or more times a day, rather on hourly basis as is being done presently. To be

able to find material and methods of presenting material is a problem.

Here in our electronic media mostly news producer, reporters and even anchors are formerly newspaper

or radio newsmen who have developed a good sense of news values. Many of the news anchors have

travelled extensively or acted as field reporters so that they have a background that is helpful in

presenting a news bulletin in impressive and interesting manner.

Undoubtedly the most important prerequisite for the presentation of any item to be telecast is that it be

news, and that it be either significant or have human appeal. The television news editor considers

whether the item will have mass appeal or whether it is unusual.

If the item is not of national, international or state interest the telecaster is concerned whether it deals

with the locale within the primary range of the television station. If the persons who are involved are of

particular importance, the item has news value.

TV News Reporting and Production MCM 516

Many TV stations and the sponsoring agencies require that their telecast combine information with

entertainment and consequently humorous and human-interest stories are mixed together and

interspersed between the more significant items or are used in the conclusion of the news telecast.

It is always better to avoid shocking and frightening, dreadful and horrible news item and stories like

court trials with unpleasant angles, particularly of gender, social evils, divorces except of famous

personalities, crime only outstanding cases and that to minimized, capital punishment, except that which

has resulted from trials which have been in the public eye.

This does not mean that all unpleasant cases and distasteful items are discarded; it does mean that as far

as possible the television reporter and producer avoids being alarmist. This is the result of the

television's whole-family audience.

Furthermore, in presentation of news bulletin the news producer must take into consideration that he

may be held for defamation, libel or slander, blasphemy, immoral telecast, contempt of court of sedition

and select items to avoid any of such charges. The time of the day when the news is to be telecast

influences the selection and presentation of items. Cancer, reptiles, false teeth, are not the topics for

mealtime news telecast.

Of course accuracy is essential in the reports of news bulletins, as an inaccurate news item cannot be

killed as it can be in a newspaper.

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