BBC News

Coverage of Action

This is a live show. It starts off with titles and a countdown. It then goes straight to the studio as a medium shot of the news lady as she starts talking about the main news headlines as she is doing this there is VT inserts demonstrating what she is talking about. Then is goes into a wide shot showing her sitting at the table with her laptop as she introduces the show and continues to speak about the news. There is usually a different shot angle when she talks about a different story. The recording is simultaneous through the different cameras and the show. The cameras are in sync with the different shot types or angles used! There are approximately 3 cameras used in a live BBC news report. There are different shot types used to make sure the audience don’t get bored with watching it and so they don’t then watch a different news programme. The most common shot type used is mid-shot.

Communicating Meaning to the Viewer

This show is constructed by the producers but the news reporter is the person who puts it all together on live TV. This programme is all about letting the public know about all the current goings on in the world and not to entertain them. It is instant so it will be precise for the minuet the public is watching the news. It will inform them of the weather, road, travel reports and the progress of different stories.  It will all be about the news. Some reports will be presented differently to others to maintain the viewer’s interest.

Visual Style

Previously shot footage is used a lot in the news to show the audience what is going on in and around the world. There are also previously shot interviews and reports shown in the news. This has a lot of visual elements. It starts off with the countdown titled and noises that is easily identified as the BBC news countdown. Then it goes onto the red BBC news logo and the news starts. The programme can be identified as a BBC news reports by the colours, red, white and grey. These are the main colours of the BBC and they aim to use these colours wherever possible, such as when an interview is taking place and the people’s names come up on screen. There are headlines shown at the bottom of the screen. This is because the show cannot fit every story in, so instead they scroll it all along the bottom of the screen. There is the BBC new music played over parts of the show quietly, in the background. These parts are usually when the news reporter is touching over a story and not going into detail. When the news reporter is going to be going into detail and spending more time on a story, there is usually no other sounds, only her voice.

Maintaining Viewers Interest

The producers want the public to choose their news report rather than any other channels. So they make sure they present the information well and clearly. Also they use a few different angles and shot types as well as visual elements such as VT inserts, titles and music, and other information and headlines at the bottom of he screen. Because it is a News report, the audience will finish watching this and feel as if they have learned something which makes them feel good.

Constraints of Location

This is broadcasted from a BBC studio so this set is always there, it is permanent. So there is no trouble setting up the things seen on screen, the cameras and everything behind the cameras.  Also because BBC news reports are frequent throughout the day, the studio setting needs to be permanent. Producers use the studio effectively by having no outside noise because of the ceiling and walls blocking them. Also, even though the studio is filming inside, there still can be different shown on the screen in the studio to create an atmosphere. For example, if the reporter is talking about the government going green, then they will have a relevant picture, or video clip.