A news package is a self contained taped piece of news report on a single, specified news story. Usually news anchor will read an introduction live, then the pre recorded story will be shown.
News packages/reports usually run for 1 minute 15 seconds to 2 minutes in length.
This type of news presentation is best for complicated stories or ones that have multiple interviews.
The Conventions Of a News Package;
1. Field Reporters / Correspondants / Editors.
Every news package should have one of the above, there are differences between them however.
- Field Reporter; They have a strict contract with the company they are working for.
- Correspondants; They are usually more freelance as they do not have a contract and are usually only chosen for working as they are near the location.
- Editor; They have more of an overview. Usually the head of a department.
These people are very important. They have to have a specific costume for the specific location they are wokring in, and they will usually have a certain involvement, whether they are stationary on the spot or getting physically involved in what is happening. Usually people will choose a steriotype for what they are presenting; the look of them, their accent, etc. And the graphics that go with them, whether the person is on screen for long or just speaking over graphics.
2. Links To Studio.
This is how the field reporter/correspondant/editor intorduces the studio again. They usually say their name, their location and who they are working for. This is the cue for the presenters in the studio to get ready.
It makes a difference, whether the field reporter is live or pre recorded, what location they are on, whether it is full on in the action or at a safe distance, and the camera language of there shot.
This can be done in two ways however; either the field reporter just speaking on their own, on location and then they cut back to the studio. OR there will be a conversation between the field reporter and the presenter in the studio. This is where the presenter will ask questions and the field reporter will answer back giving information and then will say goodbye and cut back to the studio.
3. Mode Of Adress To Viewer.
This is how the field reporter comes across to the audience;
- Their tone of voice; How they are talking, whether its exciting or mono toned.
- Their accent; Whether it suits the steriotype of the package, is it understandable? Does it change their tone?
- Language complexity; Are they using technical terms?
- Fact Provider or Analysing Expert; These are the two types of reporters. Fact Provider is someone who provides facts only, they do not offer any opinions and don't have much involvement. An Analysing Expert tells the viewers whats going on, they analyse the scene and they give both facts and opinions.
4. Interviewing Experts And Witnesses.
This is how the reporters on location interview certain people,
- For example, the camera techniques, how have they used them to stear the audiences opinions?
- What is their location, is serious or somewhere calm or noisy? And why have they chosen it?
- The status of the interviewee. Are they an expert? are they just a member of the public?
- Have any graphics been used during the interview? What was their purpose?
- Do you hear the questions or see the person asking them?
- Are they and Expert or a Witness? Do they have knowledge or were they apart of the story? Were they at the event or are they just a vox popper?
5. Report Structure.
The report structure is how they have laid out their report. Where they put each convention of the structure and why they have done so. The conventions;
- Sign in and context; This is how they introduce the story to the viewer.
- Archive footage; This is any old footage they have bought in to the story and why.
- Interviews and vox pops; This is whether they choose to interview people or do vox pops and why they have done so.
- Fact communication; This is how they tell the story, how they bring the facts across to the audience. Is it by an expert or a reporter or is it graphics on the screen.
- On location and where; are they at a safe distance from the event that is happening, why have they chosen to film there?
- Pieces to camera; This is when the presenter looks directly at the camera. How often do they do this.
- Cutaways and Noddies; Cutaways are when they add in an extra, almost random, clip to fill in a jump cut so it looks more professional. A noddy is when they cut to a shot of the interviewer nodding along to what the person is saying.
- Sign outs and framing stories; This is how they end the show and summarise the story they have just told.
6. Actuality Footage.
This is a type of archive footage, however it is more amature footage, from mobile phones or cameras. Actuality footage would have been filmed anyway.
For example, this would be when the footage comes on the screen for a certain amount of time, shwoing you what the presenter is talking about. You can usually tell whether the footage is from a professional camera or an amature source, such as a mobile phone. They use a certain amount of the footage depending on what it contains. Also the contexuality of the footage, Why was it filmed and who was it filmed by?
EXAMPLES;
This is one example of some of the above conventions;
- Field Reporters -
- Sign outs and framing stories; This is how they end the show and summarise the story they have just told.
6. Actuality Footage.
This is a type of archive footage, however it is more amature footage, from mobile phones or cameras. Actuality footage would have been filmed anyway.
For example, this would be when the footage comes on the screen for a certain amount of time, shwoing you what the presenter is talking about. You can usually tell whether the footage is from a professional camera or an amature source, such as a mobile phone. They use a certain amount of the footage depending on what it contains. Also the contexuality of the footage, Why was it filmed and who was it filmed by?
EXAMPLES;
This is one example of some of the above conventions;
- Field Reporters -
- The field reporter in this example is doing a voice over, over archive footage of the story he is talking about. It is real police footage with is used as evidence.
- He is not physically involved with the story as we do not see his face at all in the explanation of the story.
- We hear the traditional lines when he signs out but we do not see his face, telling us he is not an expert or involved in this story.
- We hear the lines "Guy Smith, BBC London News" and then they go back to the studio.
- They have kept with the tradition, however, we do not see the reporters face.
- As we do not see our first reporters face in this video it is hard to analyse most things.
- We hear his voice; it is calm and neutral. There is no accent present.
- He does not speak in monotone, he puts some emphasis on some words, making us want to listen to him more.
- He uses some complex words in his speech telling us he has possibly researched into the story.
- He was a fact provider, meaning he just gave the facts of the story; this tells us he is not an expert as he gave no opinions on what he thought would happen.
- There were no interviews within the first interview; however there were some vox pops.
- The first was a policeman who was being interviewed outside of the police station. This shows his authority and as he gave opinions, he knows what he is talking about.
- The second was another expert who was filmed outside a large building on a corner with traffic. This shows he is not as important as the police, but as he was wearing a suit he was quite knowledgeable of the subject.
- The last was another expert, who was being filmed in his kitchen with paperwork shown. This shows he was recently doing work on his speciality and as he gave opinions too, he knows what he's talking about.
- The sign in - The presenter had introduced the field reporter and gave a very brief summary of what he would be explaining.
- The use of archive footage came in straight away whilst the field reporter did a voice over of facts.
- The facts were communicated the whole way through that segment with some opinions from other shown.
- The vox pops came one after the other in order of importance making it more reliable for the viewers.
- There was no pieces to camera however, and this was because we never see the field reporter on screen.
- There was one cutaway of a shot of someone typing on a key board, and no noddies present.
- The sign out was very short and quick, almost like he didn't want to be heard any longer
- There was some evidence of actuality footage in this example.
- The videos of the police footage when they were working was actuality footage.
- As well as the black an white work videos.
