Introduction –

In this blog post I am to explore different news website and the stories they post.

Task 1 – Analyse a selection of online news videos.

  • Discuss the codes and conventions of news videos including an exploration of the narrative structure.
  • Discuss the strength and weaknesses to these clips
  • Who do you think the target audience is, why and what impact do they have?

BBC news online – A look back in the life of David Bowie, who has died aged 69

  • Codes and conventions – Short and concise, Showed the highlights, Small about of text that anchors the video and tells us why we are watching it, The pace is quite slow, News worth because of his recognisability, The narrative was linear – from his first hit to the last, Finally it is a single strand narrative because it is all about him and his life.
  • Strengths and Weaknesses – Gave a good overview of the highest points of his career/most popular songs in a time that didn’t drag, logical order that is easy to follow – from start of his career to the end. Maybe could’ve been more information – how popular the songs were or some facts about him.
  • Target Audience – Fans of his music in general of ages around 16+ because of this being on the BBC news website that is accessed by most people apart from children. Also the news of him dying was reported on so much that most people who log on to the website will most likely be interested to read it.

BBC news online – Madaya:  Desperate wait for aid to besieged Syrian town

  • Codes and Conventions – The reporter is providing a single strand linear narrative as anchorage while clips from Madaya are being shown. They were showing the extremes and most shocking parts of the news story/footage. Used armature footage – shows there is no time to fully set up; this gives a feeling of urgency. The pace is steady and makes use of pauses in order to give the viewer time to absorb the information.
  • Strengths and weaknesses – Filmed on location which makes the report seem real and more shocking because of this. Having the journalist talk over the top of the video helped to anchor the information for us. Didn’t give us any information on how we can help in any way.
  • Target Audience – The British public, again, the BBC is universal so ages can range from around 16+. Topic is not particularly appropriate for a younger audience. A report like this may not be viewed by as much as the one about David Bowie because it is world news and not necessarily relevant to the UK. Something like this would appeal more to people who are interested in world news.

 

Everton fan Noah gets special Birthday surprise –

  • Target Audience – Young children 6+, Mainly football fans.
  • News Value – The kid is the main story, he also has a disability which raises awareness to young people and helps them to grasp and understand what disabilities are.
  • Style and pace – short and slightly fast for the back story but slowed down pace from the main story.
  • Language – More excitable wording ‘’Special birthday surprise’’
  • Ethical Consideration – Children are easily influenced, have to be very careful with wording as children pick up on things easily, OFCOM, Could this really upset them? Is it relevant to them? Will it affect them?
  • Single Strand Narrative – A narrative based on one main storyline. There might be additional strands but ultimately they are linked to the one main story.

 

Types of Narrative

  • Parallel Narrative – this is where the two story stands dominate the structure. These will be completely independent stories running together.
  • Multi-strand Narrative – A narrative structure most typically associated with Soaps, where several storylines are presented to us simultaneously.
  • Linear Narrative – Story is told in a chronological order. The events of the story are presented in a natural order.
  • Non Linear Narrative – This is when flashbacks are used to tell a story.

Todorov’s Theory –

  • Equilibrium – The scene is set, a problem is established.
  • Disequilibrium – The problem occurs and the quest to resolve the problem occurs.
  • Resolution – The cause of the problem is dealt with and new equilibrium is reached.

How does TV Broadcast differ from online clips?

  • You can pack more information within a television broadcast because you have a lot more time to fill.
  • News you find online may be outdated or old news, whereas news you watch on the television will always be relevant to that day
  • Online clips tend to focus on one story whereas television broadcasts report on the most important story of the day and then report the other ‘less important stories’ after it.