News Gathering for Television
TV News: An Advantage
Ever since the advent of television, news has been a vital part of programming.
Like radio news, it allowed audiences to get news as it was breaking rather than
having to wait for the newspaper. But TV also had the advantage over both radio
and newspaper of being able to beam film footage of a newsworthy event into the
audience's living rooms.
Problem for early TV News
However, the problem with early TV news was that film footage wasn't available
until hours after an event occurred. Thus watching news break on the television
simply consisted of a talking head behind a desk in a studio reporting what was
happening -- not much better than simply listening to the coverage on the radio.
Live Footage: Rare
Live footage on television was a rare event indeed, reserved for huge, planned
events, like the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. Live feeds took planning, big
equipment and circuits provided by the telephone company to transmit the feed.
ENG: Changed the face of TV News
It wasn't until electronic news gathering (ENG) developed in the 1970s and
'80s that TV news crews could quickly set up live video signals to send back to
the studio and into people's homes, drastically changing the face of television
news. ENG refers to the electronic technologies that allow news crews to report
from remote locations outside a studio. Before ENG came about, TV news
footage shot outside of the studio was recorded on film, which had to be brought
back to the studio for time-consuming processing and editing before it was ready
to air. Editing for instance, involved manual cutting and spicing of the film by a
trained employee. Often, an anchor reporting a late-breaking story on the 6
o'clock news would have to end a story by promising the audience "film at 11."
Three ring circus
The BBC attempted to streamline this process as early as 1962 with the Mobile
Film Processing Unit using three different vehicles -- a processing truck, an
editing truck and a truck for converting film projection to television. The trucks
would race to cover a story and then send the footage through microwave links to
the studio. But it turned out that this so-called "three-ring circus" of trucks didn't
work so well and was more trouble than it was worth, only lasting a few years.
Real Advancement
The real advancement that ushered in the age of ENG was videotape. We spoke
with Jonathan Higgins, an expert in the field of ENG and author of two books on
the subject, who helped explain how ENG changed news reporting.
How Electronic News Gathering Changed the News
Although it had been around since the 1950's, videotape technology improved
throughout the 1970s and '80s. It originally used large 2-inch-wide tape and
required bulky equipment. Then came the Sony U-mastic in 1971, which used
3/4-inch tape, and then finally the Sony Beta in the 1980s that used 1/2-inch wide
tape and became the industry standard. This also resulted in smaller video
cameras
Videotape did not have to undergo the cumbersome processing of film. Although
at first, editing videotape was just as difficult as editing film, this too was solved
by advances in tape decks throughout the 1970s and 80s, which allowed simpler
electronic editing. And, as opposed to film, videotape was cheap and reusable.
Videotape also resulted in more thorough news reporting because it meant crews
needed less time to process and edit, giving reporters more time to cover a story.
By the time videotape technology advanced, the capability for microwave
transmission was well established (and used in the 1960s by the BBC's ill-fated
Mobile Film Processing Unit). But the convenience of videotape finally allowed
crews to more easily use microwave links to quickly send their footage back to
the studio. It even made live feeds more possible, as in the police shootout with
the Symbioses Liberation Army in 1974. Also in 1974, KMOX, a station in St.
Louis, Mo., was the first to abandon film and switch entirely to ENG. Stations all
over the country made the switch over the next decade.
Digital Age
ENG technology also faced dramatic advancements during the digital age of
1990s and 2000s. Videotape was gradually abandoned in favor of digital video
recording, which made editing even easier and even allowed journalists without
special technology training to edit the footage on a laptop. TV crews also began
using digital signals for their microwave transmission instead of analog. Perhaps
most significantly, however, is how crews began using satellite links to transmit
their feeds instead of land-based links. Because a view of the sky establishes a
line of sight for the microwaves, this allowed video feeds to be instantly sent half-
way around the world.
News Gathering Process
Apart from this debate, News gathering for television is difficult task
indeed. Although, technology made it more easier, but even then it is
a big challenge for television bosses.
There are three elements in Television News Gathering:
1) Personnel
2) Tools
3) Procedure
Personnel:
First of all take the personnel; there are 8 categories in this section:
1) Reporters
2) District Correspondents
3) Sub-Editors
4) Story Writers
5) Cameramen
6) Assignment Editors
7) Desk Editors
8) Engineers
1- Reporters:
Reporters are the main factor in the gathering of news. They cover
assignments, getting news from the mouths of news makers (known
personalities) and also keep eyes on the situation for getting more
news. They work in every field of life or they assigned beats. For
example, there are separate reporters for covering crime, sports,
courts, VVIPs, education, health, etc.
2- District Correspondents
There are reporters of different TV Channels in almost every district of
the country. They called District Correspondents/ Reporter/ Stringer or
any other depends on the policy of TV Channels. District
correspondents work as reporter, but they have to cover whole the
district and all the news. So, they have challenging task.
3- Sub-Editors
They work on the desk in every TV Channels. Basic responsibility of
the Sub-Editor is to make necessary correction in the news and make
the story up to the standards of a reputable TV Channel. But they
perform other jobs, such as monitoring different TV Channels and call
hospitals, fire brigade and other emergency services to keep inform
themselves minute-to-minute situation in the cities like Karachi.
4- Story Writers
Few channels hire the services of the persons, who have full command
on language. Their work is to make story of the reporters and sub-
Editors up to the mark and broadcast standard.
5- Cameramen
Cameraman is the basic person, a pillar and corner stone of television
channels as television is the visual medium. Responsibilities of the
cameraman in the news channel are manifold. He has to cover various
stories, events, programs, seminar, conference and exhibition apart
from daily assignments.
6- Assignment Editors
Actually assignment editors are the main driving force. They assign
reporters and cameraman various coverage in the city. They also give
assignments to the district correspondents as well. They also work in
shift and many assignment editors work in one television channel.
They take instructions from the News Editor.
7- Desk Editors
The person, who runs the desk, is called Desk Editor. He is responsible
to look after the coverage and news bulletin in his shift. There are 24
shifts and various Desk Editor in any news organization.
8- Engineers
Actually engineers work as a news team member in ENG and DSNG, so
they are also part and parcel of news gathering persons.
Tools:
Some tools are basics for News gathering:
1) Camera
2) Computers/ Computer system
3) Telephone
4) Cell-phone
5) DSNG
6) O.B. Vans
7) Monitoring
8) Wire Service
1) Camera
Camera is the basic and primary tool for gathering television news.
There is no concept of TV News without camera.
2) Computers/ Computer system
Computers or computer system is used for preparing news
commentaries/ stories. It provides a database for news gathering
system.
3) Telephone
Telephone is basic tools for gathering news in the media, whether it is
print or electronic media. Once can contact his or her news sources,
friends in media or other personalities for being informed. Telephone is
also used for getting interviews from various news makers. But in the
field of television, reporter or even sub-editor contact related
personalities and take their views regarding any type of news. Content
of his interviews are used as stories in the bulletins.
4) Cell-phone
Mobile or cell phones are also becomes one of the main tools in
television news. Reporters depends it for their live beepers and live
reporting.
5) DSNG
It stands for Digital Satellite News Gathering. DSNG is the most
powerful and fastest means for news gathering for television. One can
give live program or any event through it or send visuals on tape
through satellite. Live coverage for only one camera can be given.
6) O.B. Vans
It stands for out-station Broadcasting vans. O.B. is the moving
broadcasting station. We can give live program from more than one
camera through it.
7) Monitoring
Monitoring is becoming important day by day. Sub-editors and News
Producers are involved in it and their all out efforts are for giving the
news first. There are two types of monitoring in the country. One is to
watch other TV Channels for any breaking news that we missed.
Second is the internet for the latest news.
8) Wire Service
Print media have text wire service according to their needs. But
television use both text & video service for getting visuals of any story.
Main text service provider in the country is APP (or Associated Press of
Pakistan), foreign news is also included in its service.
While there are two international video service providers:
1- Reuters Television
2- APTN (Associated Press Television News)
3- APP Video service
Almost all the TV Channels (including PTV) of the country subscribed
the services of both the agencies. They provide visuals through
satellite and send all the international & sports news 24 hours.
Monitoring is done for these wire services for optimum use.
Sources
If you have trained manpower and proper tools, then you can develop
authentic, proper, efficient, comprehensive and fast news gathering
system. Procedure for gathering news is very simple, although it is full
of challenge and thrill.
Following is the details of various types of events, programs,
emergencies, disasters that are source of all types of news:
1) Reporter Sources:
a- Newsmakers
b- Clerks & other lower staff
c- Drivers of various volunteer services
d- Staff of fire brigade
e- Doctors
f- Leaders & workers of political parties
g- Police
2) Planned events:
a- Activities of Newsmakers
b- Official Meetings
c- Various Meetings
d- Parliament sessions
e- Provincial Assemblies sessions
f- Seminars, Symposia
g- Workshops
h- Conferences
i- News Conferences
j- Exhibitions
k- Rallies
l- Public Meetings
m- Political Parties activities
n-
3) Spot News:
a- Violence, Firing
b- Bomb blasts
c- Killings
d- Hijacking
e- Hostage Drama
f- Fire in urban areas
g- Jungle fires
h- Accidents:
i) Road Accidents
ii) Train Accidents
iii) Plane Crashes
iv) Ship accidents
i- Disasters:
i) Floods
ii) Earthquakes
iii) Volcano
iv) Drought
v) Tsunami
4) Business:
a- Stock Exchanges
b- Chamber of Commerce
c- Foreign exchange market)
d- Other trade bodies
5) Sports Events:
a- Tournaments of various games
b- Activities of players
6) Feature Stores
a- Human interests
b- Stories of the people
c- Environment & Pollution
d- Wildlife
e- Development projects
f- Cultural & social events
g- Important National & International Days
7) Public Problems:
a- Load-shedding
b- Water shortage
c- Sanitation
d- Healthcare
e- Education
f- Social issues
g- Roads & Bridges
h- Unemployment
8) Archives:
There are two types of video archives in the TV Channels:
a- Various shots
b- Personalities profile
News gathering for television demands planning & organization, no TV
channel couldn’t perform this task perfectly. It is challenging,
demanding and pain taking process and basis of any Television News
organization.
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