Is TV news a 'window on the world'?

 

The first inference too TV news being a ‘window on the world’ is the TV news starting sequence and the presenters. The main points of the starting sequence are, the use of iconography and connotations to show the news as a window on the world. The iconography used is the use of the globe which is used to infer that the news covers the whole globe, a window of the globe..? Next is the use of opaque overlays, whether if this is shapes or even a overlay of objects transitioning into other things (maybe or maybe not graphic match) connoting a ‘window on the world’ as if you was looking through one out on the world. This is why the opaque properties are used, as to mirror the effects of an opaque window! TV news sets are often shot with people casually working in the background of the newsroom, this is used to infer the honesty and realist values behind the stories and how the news doesn’t hide anything, hence why the studio is openly laid out. Tv news presenters are even used to connote certain values. Firstly the big desk and suit which implies importance of the news stories and makes it seem more legitimate. But.. before all this when a news show starts the reporter is  sitting at the desk which represents urgency of the news and how its presents from BBC the first source.

The legal and regulatory framework for TV news has been set up to create impartiality within news programmes and make more of the window on the world theme. It is in place to set guidelines for when producing news – for the BBC its called the BBC charter and for every other news show – Ofcom is the regulatory body.  By having these in place it infers honesty to the audience and makes the stories more believable if regulations are in place, however in the next paragraph I will show you how it is not so ‘impartial’.

News selection processes are the ingredient which ruins the pudding metaphorically speaking... it is the problem which means that TV news can never be impartial. Firstly news has to be selected by someone, so how can you decide which news stories carry more importance than others? OK now you have decide what news stories are the most important right..? wrong! There most important according to the person that selected them!! If you worked for the BBC news where over 40% of there news workforce were Oxford or Cambridge educated white British middle class, then that’s probably who selects the news you watch. So these guys have selected ‘what’s important’ but they may not carry the same values as a man recently moved to Britain from Niger and who would like to see how the famine which he has just been in has affected the rest of country but instead this other guy from the BBC decides that the 2% increase in fishing rod tax has gone up is a more important story, now you tell me what’s impartial. This does not agree with the opening question is TV news a window on the world? As how can the news show everything important from around the world when half of things that occur go into the dustbin of history because some middle class oxford educated guy has decided that they’re not important enough!   

When something happens or experienced then this is called reality, like its nice weather outside but the reality is I’m stuck inside doing this essay. If a news reporter decides this is news the re-create the reality using all editing techniques, this is called realism. So realism is not the same as reality is it? Unless actuality footage is being used in story then it’s going to consist of a other shots used to try explain the event. A news story consists of report structure which is used to try engage the viewer.  In fact news stories closely resemble the features of a movie which clearly aren’t real, so , how is it done?  The first is the narrativisation of the text using the shots to connote something to the audience; this is done through a series of movie style techniques. Firstly Cut-always, I.E. Johns just lost his house because of the recession, how can we make the viewer feel sorry for him? We’ll insert a shot of his little baby, although this has nothing to do with story it is used to make the audience sympathise with John! Also used in news stories is continuity editing, this is used so the viewer has a flow to the story again, like in the movies. John walks up to his house and as he looks through the window there’s a CUT to show his face peering through it. Basically what I’m trying to show here is that news reports are like films in the way they are constructing the text  to try indulge the viewer into the report  and by doing this its isn’t depicting reality, its creating an piece of realism but no matter what these are still different things.

Unless News Channels just have live cameras all over the place broadcasting 24/7 and hoping that something will happen, then there will never be an un bias pure slice of reality. News stories can never be too careful when trying to depict reality and cater for everyone in just a few stories, if a war broke out and the UK was divided with half for and half against the war then how would the news report on this? Where would you send the field reporters? And even getting interviewees and experts in, they must have a viewpoint? If the reporter said OUR troops half of the UK would not be happy and if the reporter says BRITISH troops then the other half wouldn’t be happy as the report is in Britain and it should be our troops. Its so controversial they way in which the news depicts reality and I don’t think everybody will be happy fully unless they are making the news their selves, which leads me nicely onto my next point..

With the introduction of technology news will never be subjective ever again as news can be created by the masses giving a broader spectrum of events. Only last week through the power of twitter a social networking site Beyonce’s sister, Solange,  organised a rally for Trayvon Martin the murdered teen who’s killer has been found not guilty. Only yesterday I found out that one of the stars of hit US show Glee, Cory Moneith, had died from a suspected drugs overdose, not through a news report, not on a news website, not on the radio but through people on Twitter. This goes to show what a powerful tool people are getting turned into through the use of technology, everyone and any given time has the ability to produce news, from on a smalls scale I.E. what they are doing, to giving live updates/photos/videos on events that may interest the world which can be broadcast from the palm of your hand to millions instantly. However with this I think I could cause some other problems especially with celebrities simply ‘using the power of one’. This is a bit like Hitler, sounds extreme but here me out, If a Celebrity gives their views on a particular event then fans of that person may follow their views and before you know it lots of people are preaching just because a figure has broadcast something which may influence them, this all sounds farfetched but if everyone is different just through one person creating news it could influence others beliefs, ill insert a picture to show you what I mean, but think of it more media like.

Throughout my opinionative essay I think I’ve shown that TV news is clearly not a window on the world and in fact it’s a TV screen on the world with the channels controlled by the media. TV doesn’t give you a slice of reality its more like a teaspoonful.

Documentary Formats

Documentary Formats

EXPOSITORY DOCUMENTARY

An expository documentary is a collection of both still and moving media which is explained by a voice over. The voice over is used to explain the media giving facts, arguments on the text and generally explaining the action in the picture. There is no presenter apparent in the film as the VO is merely used to accompany the film. an example of this would be David Attenborough life series in which there is the use of the shots of wildlife assisted by his VO describing the action in the shots.

OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARY

This style of documentary is an unobtrusive, ‘natural’ feel documentary. There is no VO or Film maker present in the clips of the documentary as they do the filming. This slice of life style documentary simply records events from a bystander angle to show one view point on the event, This allows the audience to make up their mind on what is going on and have their own views. The style documentary may contain interviews or commentary from people the film maker has chosen to film. This style is to show a non-judgemental/ neutral story with the film. An example of this style film is Frederick Wiseman’s 1968 documentary ‘High School’. 

INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTARY

The clue is in the name for this one, an interactive documentary is one where the film maker is one of the main parts who guides the audience in an exploration of the chosen topic. The film maker engages with interviewees and involves the audiences explaining their thoughts. This popular style of documentary making usually involves an argument which the film maker delves to try get to the bottom of, however due to the editing of the text and the questions asked by the film maker people deem it to be manipulated text and bias. A good example of this is the 2003 documentary by Louis Theroux – ‘Louis and the Nazis’ . Another example would be where ex Eastenders star James Alexandrou asks 'cannabis, whats the harm ?' where he actively asks multiple people from users of cannabis to doctors of it for there opinion.

REFLECTIVE DOCUMENTARY

This documentary captures everyday life in clips and then like bricks are stuck together to create a piece which is supposed to reflect the event. These experimental and obscure films depict everyday life but in a covert manner which is equally as engaging as confusing. these documentary arent a window on the world but more look at me im a recreation of the reality, realism. the documented footage is edited to coincide with a VO which comments on the visuals and gives facts giving a more broader spectrum of what is going on. an example of this would be hoop dreams 1994 and even 50 cent get rich or die trying is accompaniedcurtis james jacksons own account TELLING the audience whats happening and his own thoughts and feelings.

PERFORMATIVE DOCUMENTARY

This style of documentary focus’ more on presentation, including music and titles to engage the audience into the diegesis. It may contain re-enactments to explain the event and is used to re-create a story to tell to the audience. The evocative manner of these films really engages the viewer by taking various accounts and using interviews for the audience to engage with and decipher to find what they find within the text. This style of documentary is apparent in the film documentary super-high me staring Doug Benson where the soundtrack engages the viewer and titles and transitions explain the events occurring on screen.

Codes and Covensions of BBC News opening titles

The first image of the starting sequence is of a saterlite with a red beam going into it. This red beam is apprent in every following shot representing the news being recieved and broadcast round the world as in a 'news network'. The beam is red like a laser which could infer that the news is recieved quickly and boradcast to everyones home around the world at great speed as this is what lasers are associated with. Second thing noticable is the variety of main locations used such as london, New yorks times square, wembely stadium and also main news points of interest such as afghanistan due to the war and lots of deralict housing most likely from earthquakes. These main locations show that the news is from around the world, from all different places and features the main news storys (like the war or football) which is appealing to a mass ammount of people. All of the locations include footage of some BBC news reporter on location showing that BBC news are on site of where it happens to give the latest coverage from around the world. Eventually as the minute ends the lines all appear to be going to and from the main BBC office which implys that the red lines are news and how quickly and connected they are delived to the studio of the news. The minute ends and an animate opening title begins which shows rings circling the world infering how it is covered by BBC. This has a very opaque graphic match of the map of the world displaying the countries again this shows the global theme of news around the world. The rings are now scanning the world connoting that the  BBC news scanning for stories from around the world. Although i couldent find a opening of news report there are also connotations about this. Firstly the big desk and suit which implies importance of the news stories and makes it seem more legitimate. But.. before all this when a news show starts the reporter is  sitting at the desk which represents urgency of the news and how its presents from BBC the first source.

BBC News Opening sequence