Me-Vid

News Package Convention

News packages is a single specific story, the presenter anchors the audience by using a variety of conventions with in the self-contained taped news report. These conventions are:

• The Field Reporter
• Links to studio
• Mode of Address to Viewer
• Interviewing Experts a Witnesses
• Report Structure
• Actuality Footage

These conventions are used in News packages to keep the audience drawn in and to make the news report more interesting to watch.

The News Report I am using to show these conventions is a 9/11 report by NBC news. This report is about a terrorist attack on the world trade center on September 9th 2001. I have chosen this news report as it is live, the situation is rare and the world trade center is a famous icon which the world knows about and it contains all the conventions above.

Field Reporter
The field reporter is the person who is reporting at the location. They are sending the information back to the studio or it may be a pre-recorded report which shows the reporter reporting earlier in the day. They dress smart formal depending on the location for example if the location they are reporting from has harsh weather conditions, then they would be dressed appropriately for that. But all presenters were suits to look formal. Some presenters are involved in the situation, like they are in a flood which is affecting them from getting to the ground or they may be in the flood reporting. 
The stereotype of a news reporter is predominantly male who are well educated and also quite posh. Most presenters are also experts in their fields so they know more about the situation. Also news reports contain graphics for field reporters showing the audience the name of the person reporting.

Here we can see the field reporter is reporting at the scene where the situation is happening. He is reporting at the location but is not close to the situation as it is too dangerous to go near. The reporter is dressed smart wearing a suit which makes him look more professional and also the news report. The reporter is not involved in the situation as he is standing away from it but has the shot of the event behind him so the audience can still see what is happening. The reporter fits the stereotype as he is male, looks smart and the ethnicity for most presenters is white american (depends on location or news channel) and this presenter is.

As you can see in the image above it also has the reporters name which tells us who he is and people may know him after in other reports from his name.

Links to Studio

Links to studio is if the presenter is talking to the reporter at the actual location. This is mainly how live news reporters are introduced with the presenter in the studio introduces the reporter by saying "we are going live to". Also the location has to be safe for the reporter as he is reporting live and is talking back to the studio. There is no editing or package as there is no time to put it together and make cuts as it is live.

In this image we clearly see the presenter talking to the reporter from the studio. We this is live as there are two screens showing the presenter and his location, and the reporter and where he is located, it is live as they talk to each other. These may be delayed as the connection could be far.

Here in the image the location is safe as their appears to be nothing happening. Also their is no package as it is live but their is a lot of graphics used such as the logo of the news, the reporter, the report title and live feeds at the bottom.

Mode of address to viewer

The mode of address to viewer is about the reporters mode of address and how they come across to the viewer. Most reporters for news reports are posh and well spoken as they have to be clear so the audience can understand them. Also the tone of the reporter is important as it tells the audience the importance of the situation. So if the reporters tone is deep and clear it means its serious and if the reporter is smiling and laughing then the tone is not as serious. Also the reporter is an analysis expert so they give an analysis of the situation and also their opinion on what they think.

They deliver information and report on whats going on, so they are the fact providers telling the audience the facts.

The reporter in this news report comes across as a well spoken reporter, he is easy to understand and is not speaking to complex. His tone is serious as he sounds deep and sounds very clear which tells the audience he is serious. He is an analysis expert as he gives a report of what is going on around him.

Interviewing and Witnesses

Interviewing and witnesses are the people who are being interview and other people who are witnesses to the subject the news report is about. These are important and interesting for the audience to watch as witnesses make it and tell is from their point of view. The location it is shot at shows the status of the person being interview or the witnesses. The graphics used are the same as the reports as it shows the name of the witness, interviewer.

In this Interview the reporter is reporting about the new release on air Jordan's  He is interviewing two witnesses who were in the queue and have a pair. They talk about the situation from their point of view and tell the audience what the reporter can't as they were present at the time.

Report Structure

Report structure is how the report is set up and how it will be presented. Sign in is when the presenter introduces the story and then cuts to the reporter. The context for a report structure is how the story is set up. Also in report structures they plan were archive footage is placed, archive footage is old footage. In the report structure the also have fact communication, which is how they put out the fact and how they make it come across to the viewer. Also the location is it being reported from and is it outside the broadcast studio.

In this report the structure is same to any other report. The report has the presenter introduce the story and then passes it on to the presenter. They show footage which was pre-recorded before when the event was happening. It includes an interview with witnesses or people who were involved, and they use piece to camera with the reporter who is talking into the camera to the presenter and audience.

Actuality Footage

Actuality footage is a type of archive footage but is not footage which is filmed, it is amateur footage which is filmed on camera, video or mobile). It provides a different view which is not as professional as a normal camera  they have tripods and other equipment set up.  But it is used as the camera crew for news channels may not be able to get their in time or don't have time to set up. In news reports they tend not to use a big amount of actuality footage as it is not very professional but it depends on how important the news is and how important the footage is.

The video above is a news report about the Colorado shooting, this contains actuality footage which was recorded by a mobile phone. We see people fleeing from the cinema after the shooting and this gives a reaction to the viewers watching on how people were feeling at the time. Film crew would have taken to long to set up and would not have captured this moment. 

In the news report they use the footage for very long as its not professional and does not look as serious but it shows the audience what happened.