Conventions of a news package

Field reporters

Every news package should have a field reporter, editor and a correspondent  these people are very important for a news package because these are the people giving all the information verbally to the audience. there costume would be very smart because it is a formal job. they have to be well presented to the audience as they could be giving serious information to the audience. in every news package there are usually graphics showing the audience who the field reporter is and the location in which they are reporting from. and finally the BBC would need to think about picking the right reporter in terms of gender ethnicity and background for the topic because it will need to be very stereotypical for the certain topics and also they will need to have some knowledge in the topic they are talking about.

The reporter in this is example is not physically involved with the story because we can not see him talking about the topic or in the area. we hear hes voice over some archive footage and some real life footage and he explains what happens and the death tolls. we also here him sign in and out in this example.

Links to studio

Links to studio is when the field reporter, editor or correspondent  signs out from hes report and introduces the studio. this is so that the reporters in the studio know that the cameras are going to be on them again and also the audience will know that the reporters report away from the studio is over. they usually take it back to the studio by saying their name, the location they are in and the news company they work for. also if their is conversation between the studio and the real life location this shows that it is live and not pre recorded.

In the first part where there is a link to studio we know it is pre recorded because there is no conversation. we here the typical lines from the reporter in the studio telling the audience about the reporter in sri laka and we hear him sign out by telling us hes name the location and the news company. in the second part there is a live link to studio because there is a conversation between the reporter in the studio and the reporter on location and the studio reporter asks questions about the topic.

Mode of address to viewer

Mode of address to viewer is another important convention for news packages because how the presenter comes across to the audience is important. the news company need to think about the following things when selecting a news reporter:

• Tone of voice
• accent
• language complexity.

all these things need to be suitable for the report and the topic of the report. Also the news company needs to think about whether they want a fact provider or an analysing expert. these two jobs are pretty self explanatory a fact provider provides facts and a analysing expert analyses the topic so they give facts and opinions they talk about the whole story.

in this example the tone of voice of the reporter is quite depressing and dull as it is a tragic and depressing story. he has no accent so it is easy to understand and the language complexity is not overly complicated so everyone can understand and also its not too simple so t doesn't seem informal.also this reporter is a analyzing expert because he gives more than just facts.

Interviewing experts and witnesses

this is when the report gets really good information from an eye witness that actually saw what happend or an expert that is highly educated in that field. the news company needs to thing about certain aspects when filming these interviews. these aspects are:

• camera technique
• location
• status of interviewee
• graphics
• questions included
• expert 
• witness

in this example there is no interview but there is a vox pop of a witness from the disaster. the camera technique used was pretty basic and used only on shot throughout the vox pop. the location seems to be in her hotel so this shows the audience she is stranded or that this was filmed very recently. and finally this is a witness so the audience only get a real life experience of what happened nothing else.

Report structure

Every news package has a report structure. this is an example of a typical report structure from a news package:

1. sign in and context
2. archive footage
3. interviews and vox pops
4. fast communication
5. on location
6. pieces to camera
7. sign out and framing story
8. outside broadcast
9. cutaways and noddies

news broadcasters will use this report structure because it isn't boring for the viewer. this is because it isn't on going everything is changing at different times so it is very eye catching.

Actuality footage

actuality footage is used in news packages to show real life footage and to show the audience exactly what happened  they use it because it is very reliable and eye catching. the news broadcasters would usually have a voice over telling the audience where the footage was obtained and what exactly is going on. finally this footage is most probably from a witnessed and low quality so for example off of a phone which makes it more eye catching and reliable.

in this example the news broadcasters get real life phone footage and camera footage from themselves of the waves and when the waves take over the city. its used because it shows the audience just ow devastating it is and they only use little bits so it doesn't drag on.

Conventions of a news package

In this news package we had to think of a number of conventions when making the video. these conventions are The presenter/news anchor, mode of address to the viewer and interviewing experts and/or witnesses.
when we had to get a news anchor/ presenter we had to think about:

• what their costume would be and how we would make it appeal to the audience
• The framing of the shot
• the presenter/news anchors body language throughout the news package
• and the choice we would make for who the presenter would be.

Secondly we had to think about the mode of adress the presenter/News anchor would send to the audience. for this we had to think about:

• The language the presenter/News anchor would speak in
• The tone of voice the presenter or news anchor would use throughout the news package or for different stories.
• The accent the presenter/ews anchor had.
• and how much eye contact the presenter/news anchor had with the camera.

And finally we had to think about interviewing experts or a witness to add realism and to show its an accurate piece of footage. when filming this we had to think about:

• Who the interviewee was whether it was an expert or a eye witness from the scene
• Where we would film this interview
• The camera techniques we would use in the interview
• and what graphics we would use to inform the viewer.

However in our news package we decided to make a comedy spoof version of a news package so it was not very serious, but we still tried to include as many conventions as we could in the the news package.

An idiot abroad

The first factual programe i am going to talk about is an idiot abroad. this is a humorous documentary where Ricky Gervais organizes hes friend Karl pilkington to go on trips to different countries and visit some of the countries biggest landmarks. its shown on sky1. i like to watch this because its very funny and its different to the typical documentary. typically in a documentary it is very informative and teaches you about a country its culture and lifestyle however in an idiot abroad it teaches the audience this but in a humorous way. for example the way Karl presents it and talks and describes things. Because of the way its presented it doesnt bore me and i find it quite enjoyable to watch.

American chopper

Another factual programme i like to watch is American chopper. this is a programmme about Paul Teutul snr and his son Paul Teutul jnr who make custom american choppers for people.it is aired on the discovery channel. i like this factual programme because its interesting and it shows what people can do creatively. its also good because we get to see every little bit of the chopper get made. also when times are stressful when working there are a lot of arguments and it is quite dramatic and entertaining.

Embarassing bodies

Another factual programme I watch is embarrassing bodies. this comes on channel 4 and it is about people that have problems with their bodies and are to embarrassed to go to a doctor to have it checked out. i like this because it informs me of diseases and conditions which i can diagnose myself at home. also its good because it shows the cures of the conditions which is quite interesting. finally i like this programe because a lot of people talk about it and its a good thing to talk about in a conversation.

Passport patrol

passport patrol is another factual TV programme i like to watch. it is about customs and immigration officers at work. its filmed in an airport in new zealand. i like this programme because it shows what people may try to smuggle into countries that they are not allowed, and also it shows how they may do it. also i like that it informs me of things that i am not allowed to take to another country. finally i find it quite funny, the lies people make to get into countries and smuggle stuff into the country are humorous.

Traffic cops

I also like to watch traffic cops. this is a TV programme about traffic police. it uses real life footage they filmed by leaving a camera in the car. I like to watch this factual programme because it uses real life footage so nothing is fake. i also like the car chases and accidents it shows because it is entertaining. finally it is informative because it has informative pieces in there about the laws on driving and roads.

Topgear

Topgear is another factual TV programme i like to watch. its about three men who talk and test drive cars and go on adventures. i like this programme because the comments the presenters make are very funny and sarcastic, also i like learning about cars and watching them drive. finally i like the adventures the presenters go on because i find them very funny the situations they get in.

Pawnstars

Pawnstars is a factual Tv show set in a gold and silver pawn shop in Las Vegas. it is about people bringing in old preowned products whether its a watch a guitar a rock band have used or a cutlery set. they bring these things in and try to sell them. i like to watch this because it shows how deep pawn brokers will go to make sure that what they are buying is real and the history behind it. also i like watching the arguments and negotiations that go on in the show. it also is interesting watching how to tell whether stuff is fake or not.

Half man half tree

this is a documentary about a man who was half man half tree. i liked it because it showed a mans extrodinary story where hes body was like a tree. this documentary showed how hes life was when he was the tree and hes journey untill he had an operation where he was made normal.

Crocodile hunter

This is a factual programme about wildlife mainly crocodiles. it was presented by Steve Irwin. i liked this factual programme because he presented it while he was informing us about animals when he was in front of them s for example there wasn't a voice over and often hes stop talking because he got attacked. also he was crazy so most of the stuff in the show was very eye catchy.

subgenres of factual programming.

docu drama
docu drama is when a past real life event is turned into dramatized television. they use real life events and articles and use these to help them make the drama. this is used so that it draws the audience in more. even though this is a docudrama it still uses the styles of a documentary.
3 examples of this are:

• Titanic
• Cathy come home
• The road to Guantanamo

The road to guantanamo is a good example of a docu drama because it uses all the conventions of this genre. it dramatises real past events that happend in the past. They dramatised the story to draw the audience into the story more.



docu soap
a docu soap is a series of reinacted  dramatised events using the same people to try and create a storyline element.
3 examples of this are:

• The family
• The hills
• 
  

The family is a good example of a docu soap. this was a series on channel 4 where for weeks cameras would follow a family and get an insight of what that family did. They used the same people every week to try and create characters for themselves and build a story line for the audience. its documentary based because is real and can teach the viewers about the family's culture but at the same time its soap because it has over exaggerated and dramatized scenes for example they made out that the daughter was going to die when she was ill.

infortainment
infotainment programmes are programmes that are made to entertain and inform at the same time. they use the same presenters and try to enhance the popularity by having lots of different elements such as reviews, archive footage etc.
3 examples of this are:

• Top gear
• soccer AM

Top gear is another really good example. this is a show where three presenters talk about cars and adventures they go on with cars. its informative because it teaches the audience about cars and it is entertainment because the presenters make it entertaining with the sarcastic comments and humorous adventures. another convention it has is that all the presenters have very big characters and personalities which the audience like. 

reality tv
relity tv is a genre of programming that makes unscripted dramatic scenes. it uses real life people and they film them in situations to make it look like a game.
3 examples of this are:

• Jersey shore
• Keeping up with the Kardashians
• Big brother

Keeping up with the kardashians is a reality TV show about the Kardashian family. it has the typical conventions of a reality TV show such as it is scripted and well edited. for example whenever there is a conversation or an argument in keeping up with the Kardashians you see shots of the person talking and you get to see the other persons facial reaction and this can only happen if it has been edited. also each member of the family has a different character and each episode there is a different story line. Also each character has their own stereotype

educational tv
Educational TV is made to educate the viewers. its highly informative and there is no drama in there. it can either be shown on individual shows or there can be TV channels specificly made for educational TV.
3 examples of this are:

• Dora the explorer
• Micky mouse clubhouse
• world war

Dora the explorer is a very good example of this. this is a TV show aimed at children and it is broadcast ed on Nick jnr. the conventions it has that are for educational TV are typically that it educates the viewer. its aim is to teach children Spanish slowly and slowly and they do this by making the show entertaining by making Dora go on adventures with her friends and speaking Spanish then translating it to English and making the audience participate

wildlife documentary
Wildlife documentaries is a type of programming made to show either animals, there natural habitats or nature. its made to inform the viewers on these topics and usually have alot of archive footage and voice overs.
3 examples of this would be:

• Monkey business
• Crocodile hunter diaries

Monkey business is a good example of a wildlife documentary because it is a show on monkeys in a zoo. the main conventions of this are that it shows the viewer footage of monkeys that they cant see anywhere e.g monkeys feeding or giving birth. it also teaches the viewers about how monkeys live and what kind of illnesses they can get and what the cure of these are and finally it has a voice over. this is the most typical convention of the documentary.

special interest documentary
A special interest documentary is a documentary that has all the typical styles and conventions as a documentary but it has a very niche appeal and it changes the story every episode.
3 examples of this are:

• John Paul II - his life his pontificate
• The man who turned into a tree
• worlds smallest body builder

The man who turned into a tree is a good example of this. it has all the conventions of a documentary such as voice overs, real life footage peoples views and also its only one episode which shows its a special interest documentary. it is a man that has tree like body parts and hes journey to have himself cured of this condition.


Make over show
A makeover show is a newer more developed version of reality TV however it includes making peoples lives better. 3 examples of this would be:

• Super nanny joe frost
• Pimp my ride
• How clean is your house

Super nanny Joe Frost is a show about family that find it hard to discipline their children so super nanny helps them. The codes and conventions it has is that it has a expert host which is Joe Frost. she gives expert advice which helps these families a lot. also it focuses on a different family each week and finally Super Nanny changes these families lives for the good.

Discussion
Discussion shows are where a panel of expert people talk about a recent topic in the world. it is balanced with experts from both sides of an argument. it also may include a studio audience to show reaction to the audience at home.
3 examples of this:

• Question time
• loose women

Question time is a very good example of this. this is where a panel of experts come on and talk about a recent topic. there was a show of this on the London riots and they had 2 people from each side of the argument so they had 2 youths and 2 people from the police and government. the main conventions it had is that it wasnt a direct interview because people could just come in with questions or statements. also it was based on a very serious topic.

Review show
This is a show where real people are brought in to discuss a particular topic in the news at that moment in time. it is not scripted or dramatized and ofter uses a studio audience. it contains a panel of people related to the topic of the discussion and if it is debateable they have an even number of people on each side to argue there stories.

• Top Gear

Top gear is also a very good example of a review show. it has the typical such as a studio audience. it also has a panel of people related to the subject so all the people on the panel in this show love cars. also all these people review cars which is what typically a review show does.

Chat show
This is a show where real life people go to discuss their lives with the presenter. it usually has a live studio audience so we can see and hear their reactions.
3 examples of this are:

• Jeremy Kyle
• Jerry springer
• Trisha goddard

Jerry springer is a very good example of this. he tries to resolve all sorts of peoples problems mainly relationship problems. the main conventions in  this that it has are. it has intervies between jerry and the guest so that the audience know what is going on. it also uses a expert like jerry springer to resolve the problem.


Magazine show

A magazine show is a show that has lots of different elements from different genres of shows and brings them together for the one show. it usually has special guests and a live studio audience, sometimes it will have live preformances and it usually uses alot of VT packages.
3 examples of this are:

• The one show
• Big brothers bit on the side

The one show is a really good example of a magazine show. they have all the conventions a magazine show would have. it has alot of VT packages about the topic they are discussing this week or they have a short clip of their guest. for example when ricky gervais was a guest they had a clip of hes show. they have a live audience.  they also have the conventions of a chat shwo as they have interviews with their guests.