News Diversity: Types, Treatment and Production Challenges
Diversity of News and Treatment Challenges
There is such a variety of news items and actions that it is impossible to analyze them all; they are therefore grouped into different blocks according to the similarity of the production challenges:
Narrative of Content and Events
News based on facts with real images recorded or broadcast live. The reporter goes to the scene or reports from remote points and can be better informed. The reporter usually appears on the screen, which requires the ability to improvise. The details of these events on TV show great potential as the images describe and narrate the actions, which is joined to the camera. They follow chronological, sequential movements, seeking the striking. Also, maps are incorporated in the international section.
Television Coverage of Written Documents
News drawn from written documents published by the print media and having no image. Often there is only a single fixed visual model. These items are not easy to turn into television news, and they are often adapted for TV when they are exclusive or important. Television is focused on the writing: the headline, the organization logo, photographs, notes and selected phrases. Some treatments contain moving images. The journalist must transform the existing document and draft another piece for television, highlighting the most interesting ideas.
Cases, Rulings and Legal Documents
Judicial and legal documents that contain the core visual information. We should concentrate on those documents and provide them with greater detail and clarity possible. The TV treatment is different because it requires the selection of three or four most relevant aspects; it is aimed at a general audience and should therefore have a clear structure. The display must be coherent with the text.
News from Business Sources, Institutions and Organizations
News letters, press releases and official written communications. Often these letters are documentary and may be of little interest by themselves, but they can draw informative interest. They can refer to campaigns also announced by an institution on a topic. The core is based on information released by the organization.
Events, Meetings and Agreements
News on events, meetings and agreements. Journalists are sometimes not allowed to enter or to acquire images before or after the signing. The information faces difficult treatments due to scarcity of images, and we must ensure that collected images do not distract from the story.
Forecasts and Agenda Items
Refers to upcoming events to be held later in the broadcast. There are no pictures of the event, except of the site where it will take place or of the participants. Sometimes archival footage of previous events is used, but it is generally very generic and should not distract.
Image-Based Agency News
Images from national and international agencies that need explanation for proper clarification. The base is the visual story; you can follow the suggested order or modify it and add other images as needed.
Data-Driven News: Figures and Statistics
News based on facts, figures and statistics. This includes economic news, betting and lottery results, prizes, and similar items. The TV screen shows the figures for better understanding. The data are presented in sequence, as they are told.
Soundbite News
News items whose information value lies primarily in the sound. Treatment is based on the reproduction of sounds and the words of the person who tells the facts. In these cases, the camera can zoom to a telephone or a tape recorder to emphasize the audio source.
Biographical News
Based on the biography of one or more personalities. If the item requires only a brief set of data, include a photograph, capacity/role and two or three data points for easy identification. If the biography requires a more extensive treatment, it may range from two to three minutes and include moving images or a sequence of photographs.
Scenarios: Action News and Written Documents
These scenarios are generated when the news studio of the station sets a backdrop that does not distract. Frequently used are blue cycloramas or other softer backgrounds to give visual neutrality. Backgrounds can incorporate monitors, with or without motion blur, so that staff do not add distracting informational contributions. Larger external scenarios may be used when they are part of the story and may even have a stronger presence in it.