Factual programming
In the Factual Programming industry, there are multiple issues that can effect the end product that is released. Some of the issues are:
Accuracy
In Factual Programs, the truth should never be twited. This would mean that the program is not as accurate as the viewer is lead to believe. The Accuracy in a factual program could sometimes be twisted to make the viewer more interested in the topic. Sometimes the full true story could not intrigue the audience enough to make them watch it and therefore the channel would not be making money as there is no viewers. This would be enough to persuade a broadcaster to alter the truth as they need to make money. Another reason as to why the accuracy might not be exact is because the broadcaster might want a certain point across through their program and to do this they need to exaggerate certain points made so the viewers can get out of the program what the broadcaster has intended. The accuracy in a factual program is an important factor as viewers can be lead to believe false facts which in turn can make them bias towards something and have strong opinions on a person that may be unnecessary.
Balance
Balance is important in factual programming to ensure that there is no bias involved. In a factual program where there is debate involved, each side must be treat equally. This is because the broadcaster must show that they are not taking a certain side. The reason behind this is because the viewers could all side with different oppositions and therefore would not want to see what they agree with being turned down and not given the same opportunity as every one else to make a point. A big example of this is in political debates. Each Party would need the same time on a factual program to make their argument so that they all had the same opportunity to get people to join them. Also, if some viewers support a certain party and they are not given enough time to speak then this would be seen as unfair and bias to the other party(s).
Impartiality
All factual programs should be impartial. This means that they do not take sides. By taking sides they could be offending certain viewers and can be hiding certain information from the public that they have a right to know. Being partial can be treating someone or thing differently to others of a similar variety. This would show that you favor them over others. In Factual programming everyone has to be treat equally and given the same opportunity as everyone else. An example of the broadcaster being partial is if they questioned a certain person's views involved in the program and did not question any one else's. Depending on what was being asked, the broadcaster could show that they were on the side of that person by asking supportive questions or they could show they were against them by questioning the point they are trying to make. This would not show impartiality in the factual program.
Objectivity
Objectivity means there is a lack of bias. Objectivity is based purely off facts and not opinions. This is important in factual programming as the consumer would then be getting true information and can then make decisions on the topic that are reasonable. Depending on the topic of the factual program depends on how much objectivity needs to come in to play. In most cases, there needs to be a lack of bias because then the viewer is not being forced upon something and can then enjoy the program in their own way. Objectivity is good in factual programming as it allows viewers to develop opinions on the topic which can be individual. This would be useful to the producer as it allows them to find out the thoughts of the viewer on certain aspects of their project and can attract a larger audience.
Subjectivity
Subjectivity is the opposite to Objectivity. This means it is purely based on opinion. This can also play a big part in factual programming. Depending on the topic of the program would decide whether the program is more objective or subjective. Some factual programs have a topic that the majority of people will have a strong opinion on and may not want to hear any other side to the topic. By agreeing with the vast majority the producer would be receiving a larger audience as it would appeal to them. In some other cases, people might want to hear opinions in a factual program as it can help them decide their own and it could benefit the program as people might find other opinions interesting.
Opinion
Opinion can effect the production of factual programming. This is because a producers opinion can decide what is included into a program and what isn't. If the producer has a strong opinion on the topic then they can edit it so that it portrays their opinion to the public. This is not always a good thing as there will always be some people who don't agree with their opinion but if it's the majority of people that don't then the feedback will most likely be negative. Other people's opinions must be taken into account before showing a program as the producer should aim to not upset anyone. Although this is almost impossible, the producer should still try and please the vast majority. Through research, opinions can be found meaning that a factual program can be altered to avoid offending a lot of viewers.
Bias
Bias can hugely effect a Factual program. If the factual program is created with a bias nature then it can portray something or someone in a specifically negative or positive way. This is because the producer will be very opinionated to the topic and wants to portray their opinion across to their audience. Bias can sometimes persuade audiences who do not already have an opinion to then have the same opinion. This is because the audience might be talked in to thinking negatively or positively about something without actually knowing all the facts. This might be done to get more people on backing up someone or thing to show what they are doing is right. For example if there was a sports related factual program on then they may be bias as they are trying to persuade more people to support a certain team so they can benefit with more followers.
Codes and Conventions
Newsreader
A newsreader is someone who is a lead presenter on a news program. Their job is to tell the audience at home the latest headlines each day. In a news program there is generally one or two presenters that alternate telling different stories of the day. This is generally done to keep the program a bit more interesting. If their is only one news reader then they read all the headlines which is the case with a lot of major news shows however almost every news program will have other people reading news for certain topics such as sport.
This image shows the basic layout for a newsreader. The newsreader(s) generally look at the camera throughout the show as they are addressing the news to the audience that are watching at home. To ensure they look at the camera, the te Newsreaders are supposed to look formal and smart to help show that what they are discussing is a serious matter. On the set, there is generally multiple workplace items. In the image above there are laptops, pens and work paper. This is to make the set look more of a workplace than a TV studio. To help this a long there is also a back drop which gives the professional workplace look. This is usually a busy office or a city skyline.
Field reporters
A field reporter in a news program is someone who will add to a headline by being at the location of the story. An example of a more common event in which a field reporter would be involved is when there are strikes. The field reporter would go out and interview one of the people striking. Field reporters generally don't have a uniform or dress code, they tend to dress in an appropriate manor to their surroundings for example, if they are reporting from an exotic hot country then they will most likely wear summer clothes. On the odd occasion a field reporter will be reporting from a dangerous location. This can be if there is an attack on a certain town or city and they need to report it. On the off chance this happens, the reporter would probably need to wear protective gear like a bullet proof vest.
Interviewing
Interviews are important in the news as it allows the audience to get more personal information on a headline. In an interview, the people related to the headline will be asked questions, these can range from their opinions on something or straight facts. The people interviewed can be people who have something to say about a headline or the headline could be about this person. An example is if a political party has announced a change then the leader of the party could be interviewed and a member of the public with a strong opinion of the change could be interviewed. Interviews are often done in a place that is convenient for the person being interviewed. This also gives the audience some extra information about the person as they will be able to gather some from the area. Interviews are good for giving the general public more personal information. This is useful as the public would not usually be able to find this out and therefore would be more interested in watching it.
Experts and witnesses
Experts and witnesses can be very effective in news. They can give more unknown information to a subject that can make it much more interesting for the audience. An expert is good because they can provide facts that most people don't know about and in turn can also provide explanations to questions raised by the topic. A witness is just as useful as they can give a story of what they have seen to give the audience a visual on an event that has taken place. This is better than someone trying to figure it out for themselves who wasn't actually there. Depending on the story would depend on who would be better, A witness would be better if something such as a crime had taken place because the witness could tell the audience what they saw therefore letting them know more or less exactly what happened. An expert would be useful in a story if the news report lacked some unexplained information. An example is if there was a change in a certain species of animal's behavior then the expert could explain why this has happened and give some info on the animal.
Report structure
Most news reports are generally laid out in the same way. There are lots of techniques that people are familiar with as they have been used over and over for years. One of the techniques is to start with the news reporter giving a short individual introduction. In the introduction they are often giving the basics behind a headline to give the audience an insight as to what they are gong to discuss. This is most often filmed outside of a studio in an area that is related to the topic in some form. For example if the story is based on schools then the reporter might be filmed walking through a school corridor or a school gym. Included with this are separate shots that cut away from the shot of the reporter. These can often show the reporters surroundings or things that relate to the story. Also there is also sometimes statistics displayed when the reporter is talking so the audience can get an idea of what effect the topic has or how serious the matter is. After the introduction there is generally an interview. This is usually set up by sitting the interviewer and interviewee opposite each other. Most of the time this uses two cameras. This is useful as it means the shot can change between people incase the person being interviewed mumbles. This allows the editor to cut out the mumble and let the conversation flow better. The structure is usually rounded off with the reporter concluding their topic. This is also usually filmed outside of the studio and often in the same place as the introduction was filmed. A similar technique is displayed to the introduction entirely.
Realism documentary
A realism documentary is a form of documentary that is based on facts and the truth. Everything they show is entirely accurate. The aim behind a realism documentary is to show an audience the full truth behind real life events and people. This engages viewers as they can learn a lot from these forms of documentary. Realism documentary are often on nature because you can show an accurate documentary on these that would be very informative and the truth wouldn't need to be twisted to engage the viewer as long as this was something they're relatively interested in. Realism documentary's can be on people as well however this is not as common. This is because documentaries often change people's view as it makes them look more interesting. If a realism documentary is created on a person or people then it is most often made by following them and showing the viewers what makes them unique and interesting.
Dramatisation in documentaries
Dramatisation is when a documentary will show acted pieces in between the usual interviews. This is done for effect as it gives the viewers a visual as to what is being discussed in the documentary. This is often done in documentaries that are based on historical events. This is because depending on when the event happened there is likely no film footage of it to display in the documentary and therefore a reenactment is required. Experts can define what the actual event would have been like so the producer can make a clip of the actors showing the audience what happened. This also helps make the documentary more interesting as it could show scenes of action, drama and other genres. Another popular use for dramatisation is in crime documentaries. Crimes are often reenacted in documentaries to show the audience what took place. This is useful as the person involved in the crime can not always explain the event good enough so that the audience can get a visual and also just watching the person speak about the event can get boring to watch whereas the crime acted out would be entertaining.
Narritivisation in documentaries
Narritivisation is another effect used in documentaries. This is when found footage and still images are used to help give the audience a visual. This is helpful as the viewers can get a much more accurate representation of an event as the clips being showed are from when it actually took place. These are more often used in documentaries that are based on recent events. This is because there is often footage of the event that can be used. There are many documentaries that have been made on 9/11. This a good example of when narritivisation is used. There is a lot of footage of 9/11 so people watching a documentary on it can see exactly what happened. This is useful as it lets the viewer become more involved in the documentary which in turn would make it more entertaining to watch.
Bias can hugely effect a Factual program. If the factual program is created with a bias nature then it can portray something or someone in a specifically negative or positive way. This is because the producer will be very opinionated to the topic and wants to portray their opinion across to their audience. Bias can sometimes persuade audiences who do not already have an opinion to then have the same opinion. This is because the audience might be talked in to thinking negatively or positively about something without actually knowing all the facts. This might be done to get more people on backing up someone or thing to show what they are doing is right. For example if there was a sports related factual program on then they may be bias as they are trying to persuade more people to support a certain team so they can benefit with more followers.
Codes and Conventions
Newsreader
A newsreader is someone who is a lead presenter on a news program. Their job is to tell the audience at home the latest headlines each day. In a news program there is generally one or two presenters that alternate telling different stories of the day. This is generally done to keep the program a bit more interesting. If their is only one news reader then they read all the headlines which is the case with a lot of major news shows however almost every news program will have other people reading news for certain topics such as sport.
| Image from: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/bbc-newsreaders-banned-from-appearing-together-1458805 |
Field reporters
A field reporter in a news program is someone who will add to a headline by being at the location of the story. An example of a more common event in which a field reporter would be involved is when there are strikes. The field reporter would go out and interview one of the people striking. Field reporters generally don't have a uniform or dress code, they tend to dress in an appropriate manor to their surroundings for example, if they are reporting from an exotic hot country then they will most likely wear summer clothes. On the odd occasion a field reporter will be reporting from a dangerous location. This can be if there is an attack on a certain town or city and they need to report it. On the off chance this happens, the reporter would probably need to wear protective gear like a bullet proof vest.
Interviewing
Interviews are important in the news as it allows the audience to get more personal information on a headline. In an interview, the people related to the headline will be asked questions, these can range from their opinions on something or straight facts. The people interviewed can be people who have something to say about a headline or the headline could be about this person. An example is if a political party has announced a change then the leader of the party could be interviewed and a member of the public with a strong opinion of the change could be interviewed. Interviews are often done in a place that is convenient for the person being interviewed. This also gives the audience some extra information about the person as they will be able to gather some from the area. Interviews are good for giving the general public more personal information. This is useful as the public would not usually be able to find this out and therefore would be more interested in watching it.
Experts and witnesses
Experts and witnesses can be very effective in news. They can give more unknown information to a subject that can make it much more interesting for the audience. An expert is good because they can provide facts that most people don't know about and in turn can also provide explanations to questions raised by the topic. A witness is just as useful as they can give a story of what they have seen to give the audience a visual on an event that has taken place. This is better than someone trying to figure it out for themselves who wasn't actually there. Depending on the story would depend on who would be better, A witness would be better if something such as a crime had taken place because the witness could tell the audience what they saw therefore letting them know more or less exactly what happened. An expert would be useful in a story if the news report lacked some unexplained information. An example is if there was a change in a certain species of animal's behavior then the expert could explain why this has happened and give some info on the animal.
Report structure
Most news reports are generally laid out in the same way. There are lots of techniques that people are familiar with as they have been used over and over for years. One of the techniques is to start with the news reporter giving a short individual introduction. In the introduction they are often giving the basics behind a headline to give the audience an insight as to what they are gong to discuss. This is most often filmed outside of a studio in an area that is related to the topic in some form. For example if the story is based on schools then the reporter might be filmed walking through a school corridor or a school gym. Included with this are separate shots that cut away from the shot of the reporter. These can often show the reporters surroundings or things that relate to the story. Also there is also sometimes statistics displayed when the reporter is talking so the audience can get an idea of what effect the topic has or how serious the matter is. After the introduction there is generally an interview. This is usually set up by sitting the interviewer and interviewee opposite each other. Most of the time this uses two cameras. This is useful as it means the shot can change between people incase the person being interviewed mumbles. This allows the editor to cut out the mumble and let the conversation flow better. The structure is usually rounded off with the reporter concluding their topic. This is also usually filmed outside of the studio and often in the same place as the introduction was filmed. A similar technique is displayed to the introduction entirely.
Realism documentary
A realism documentary is a form of documentary that is based on facts and the truth. Everything they show is entirely accurate. The aim behind a realism documentary is to show an audience the full truth behind real life events and people. This engages viewers as they can learn a lot from these forms of documentary. Realism documentary are often on nature because you can show an accurate documentary on these that would be very informative and the truth wouldn't need to be twisted to engage the viewer as long as this was something they're relatively interested in. Realism documentary's can be on people as well however this is not as common. This is because documentaries often change people's view as it makes them look more interesting. If a realism documentary is created on a person or people then it is most often made by following them and showing the viewers what makes them unique and interesting.
Dramatisation in documentaries
Dramatisation is when a documentary will show acted pieces in between the usual interviews. This is done for effect as it gives the viewers a visual as to what is being discussed in the documentary. This is often done in documentaries that are based on historical events. This is because depending on when the event happened there is likely no film footage of it to display in the documentary and therefore a reenactment is required. Experts can define what the actual event would have been like so the producer can make a clip of the actors showing the audience what happened. This also helps make the documentary more interesting as it could show scenes of action, drama and other genres. Another popular use for dramatisation is in crime documentaries. Crimes are often reenacted in documentaries to show the audience what took place. This is useful as the person involved in the crime can not always explain the event good enough so that the audience can get a visual and also just watching the person speak about the event can get boring to watch whereas the crime acted out would be entertaining.
Narritivisation in documentaries
Narritivisation is another effect used in documentaries. This is when found footage and still images are used to help give the audience a visual. This is helpful as the viewers can get a much more accurate representation of an event as the clips being showed are from when it actually took place. These are more often used in documentaries that are based on recent events. This is because there is often footage of the event that can be used. There are many documentaries that have been made on 9/11. This a good example of when narritivisation is used. There is a lot of footage of 9/11 so people watching a documentary on it can see exactly what happened. This is useful as it lets the viewer become more involved in the documentary which in turn would make it more entertaining to watch.
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