Presenting the news
- 2. Context • News anchors and presenters • On air!’ • Newsreading mechanics
- 4. THE TALENT ‐ In showbusiness, actors and performers are known as the ‘talent’ – a label that has been transferred to the newsreaders and anchors of TV and radio stations A good anchor can boost a station’s ratings while a bad one will send them crashing ‐ The term ‘anchorman’ originated in the USA The term ‘anchorman’ suggests personal strength and authority, as though the bearer of that title, through a combination of experience, personality and charisma is holding the programme together and somehow grounding it in reality 4
- 5. Every Night, the public watch ‐ News Anchors ‐ Weather People ‐ Reporters 5
- 6. QUALITIES OF PRESENTER ‐ Authority ‐ Personality ‐ Credibility ‐ Professionalism ‐ Clarity ‐ Good voice ‐ Warmth ‐ Good looks 6
- 7. “‐ Being an anchor is not just a matter of sitting in front of a camera and looking pretty. David Brinkley 7
- 8. Vocal Delivery ‐ Most on-camera news people realize that looks are a part of their career. But the same is true of how you sound to your audience, just as if you worked in radio. ‐ In years past, TV newscasters sounded as though they were simply reading out loud from printed scripts. That was acceptable then, but not in contemporary broadcasting. Audiences clearly prefer newscasters who sound as though they're speaking conversationally, even if there are scripts involved. 8
- 9. WOMEN NEWSCASTERS ‐ When it comes to women presenters, though TV stations might admit it, the notion that gender appeal is paramount still seems universal. ‐ ITN newscaster Julia Somerville sees no reason why middle-aged women should be kept away from the cameras ‐ The trend towards longer news programmes has resulted in the growing use of doubleheaded presentation, where newsreaders or anchors take it in turn to introduce the stories. Many programme makers believe a good combination is to put male and female presenters together. 9
- 10. ‐ – ITN’s Trevor McDonald: ‘You have to aim for perfection – there’s no other way.’ 10
- 11. ON-AIR 11
- 12. PERFORMANCE ‐ Newsreading is the point where the business of information and the game of showbusiness ‐ meet. How glitzy or glossy the presentation will depend on how far the TV station has ‐ travelled down the road to entertainment 12
- 13. “‐ ‘If you have a funny haircut or too low a blouse or something ‐ that’s too dramatically fashionable people will say, “Look at her, what’s she got on? ‐ Gosh!” Then they are looking at her and not listening to what she is saying. 13
- 14. Presence ‐ The camera must cease to be a single staring eye set in a metal face, and become an acquaintance or friend. You would not talk at a friend, so you should not talk at a camera. Speak to it. It likes you. It is on your side. But what you say and the way you say it will need charisma and the force of confidence to carry through the lens to the viewer the other side. This is the x-factor that marks out a good newsreader It is called presence 14
- 15. Getting through to the audience – rapport ‐ Successful communication is largely a matter of presentation, and that depends on the way the copy is written, and the way it is read. Good newsreaders are ones that establish rapport with their audience. ‐ Information + Presentation = Communication 15
- 16. Relaxation ‐ The key to the confidence that marks out the top-flight professional is the ability to be in command, and at the same time relaxed. This can be a tall order under deadline pressure and the spotlights of the studio 16
- 17. Know your material ‐ Confidence comes from experience, from being in command of the bulletin and thoroughly familiar with the material. Inexperienced newsreaders should spend as much time as possible reading and re- reading the stories aloud so when they go on air they are on familiar ground. This will also highlight phrases which clash and jar, mistakes, unfamiliar names that need practice, poor punctuation and sentences that are impossibly long 17
- 18. Ad-libs ‐ speak or Few professionals rely on ad-libs to see them through a programme. Back-announcements, station identities, comments and seemingly casual links are usually scriptedperform without previously preparing one's words. 18
- 19. The gate ‐ Some newsrooms operate a gate to give readers a chance to compose themselves. This is a bar on new copy being handed to the newsreader later than five or 10 minutes before a bulletin. Old hands might scoff at this – they can pick up a pile of scripts and deliver them sight unseen without batting an eyelid, but for the less experienced reader, a gate can make the difference between a smooth performance and wishing the studio floor would open up ‐ and swallow you. 19
- 20. Making a swift recovery ‐ When things do go wrong, the anchor or newsreader is expected to stay cool and professional. Whatever the ferment beneath the surface, no cracks must appear in the calm exterior. 20
- 21. “‐ ‘Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by ‐ people you wouldn’t have in your home.’ 21
- 22. pitch ‐ As well as having rhythm, the voice also goes up and down. This is called modulation or pitch, and some readers who are new at their business or have being doing it for too long can sound as though they are singing the news. The voice goes up and down a lot, but in all the wrong places. 22
- 24. Speed. Three words per second is also handy formula for timing a script.The BBC’s World Service, aimed at an audience for whom English is a foreign language, paces itself between 140 to 160 wpm.Pace is less important than clarity, and an aid to clear reading is to pause. Pauses help listener make sense of the copy by dividing the sentences into sense groups. 24
- 25. Breathing ‐ Good breathing brings out the richness and flavour of the voice.Sit correctly: First half of the body should be upright or inclined forward, with the back slightly arched. Legs should not be crossed.Breathing through mouth permits faster refueling than through the nose. But do it without making noise. 25
- 26. Noise ‐ While earpiece is an important piece of equipment for every newsreader it is also the biggest distraction for them.‘You’ve got to develop a split brain to be able to read the news and listen at the same time. 26
- 27. PROJECTION There are different school of thought whether newsreaders should project their voice or talk naturally?In television conversational tone is preferred.In radio newsreaders have to work harder to get attention. That means projection of voice in an acceptable fashion.BUT YELLING IS NOT THE WAY TO MAKE SURE EVERY SYLLABLE IS HEARD-CLEAR DICTION IS. 27
- 28. EMPHASIS Shifting the position of the emphasis in a sentence can completely alter its meaning and tone. This can have a dramatic effect on the story. 28
- 29. “Quotations are commonly printed as a means of inspiration and to invoke philosophical thoughts from the reader. 29
- 30. THANK YOU! 30