Pre-Production:
Before going on air, presenters are involved in the writing and editing process (Feeney-Hart, 2014). This means they could sit in on editorial meetings and suggest ideas, as well as rewrite any scripts (Television presenting: Fiona Bruce, 2013).
Therefore, I wrote and rewrote the scripts for this project, as well as our live reporter also rewriting the live script before we filmed. This was so we both sounded natural on air, since 'presenting is about being your authentic self' (Spotlight, 2017). The reason for this is that presenters need to sound interested in the stories they report, otherwise there is a risk the audience will not be interested either (Morrison, 2007). This is because of the rapport reporters have to build with audiences in order to gain their trust.
The key things presenters need to do to prepare:
- Ensure their lines in the script don't sound forced, or too formal, but are conversational and natural
- However, because of the needed authority in a news report, a certain amount of formality is needed
- Practise the script as much as possible -- the more comfortable a presenter feels the better the delivery and even their posture on camera (Morrison, 2007).
These things are important before production since it is vital for reporters to remain calm during a broadcast (Television presenting: Fiona Bruce, 2013).
Production:
Studio presenting
A news presenter also has to have "authority with warmth" (Television presenting: Fiona Bruce, 2013). This is so the audience not only trusts them to deliver serious stories, but also trusts them to deliver the truth since they are open and welcoming.
How a presenter dresses can affect this. This is because it leaves an impression on the audience -- good or bad -- who a presenter can show respect to by dressing smartly (Feeney-Hart, 2014). It is important for a presenter to look as if they care, so by dressing smartly they can signal that they care about how they look, which conveys that they care about the audience and the stories they are reporting.
To act professionally, a presenter should also hide their emotions about a story from viewers so that they seem unbiased and detached, although this is something which can be difficult at first, and improves with experience (Feeney-Hart, 2014). In consequence it is essential for a news presenter to never panic, even though the programme may be unpredictable (Spotlight, 2017).
However, news reporters do not have to be entirely emotionless. They are still "a human being telling a story to another human being", which is why it is necessary to keep in mind the impact a story is going to have on the audience (Television presenting: Fiona Bruce, 2013). This awareness can be conveyed through their voice.
For example, if they feel there is a key point within the story that the audience must know, they can stress it through their tone, as long as their words are still clear (Morrison, 2007).
Getting the story across to the audience in a way which is clear and concise is the presenter's main job. Presenting is something which can be hard to gain experience in, however, a presenter should therefore 'be confident in their abilities' (Feeney-Hart, 2014). Confidence can help lead to developing the other skills necessary to present such as clear speech, as well as a professional but welcoming presence.
Interviewing
Interviewing also takes some preparation in pre-production. The presenter needs to research the contributor or at least the story they are a part of so they can come up with some questions and start thinking about possible follow-up questions (BBC Academy, 2017a). This is because interviews are also unpredictable since they should be a conversation, which can often mean not sticking to the questions that were planned (BBC Academy, 2013). However, this is what makes the interview engaging for the audience, and it also means that if both the interviewer and contributor have their own agendas, this is not the only information which is covered. Instead, the interviewer needs to direct the interview so the audience get what they need to know, since their purpose is to inform and enlighten the audience by shedding light on how the interviewee sees the story (Katie Couric on how to conduct a good interview, 2009).
Therefore, the questions an interviewer asks should always be open so the interviewee has a chance to give a wide answer -- these are questions which start with 'who, what, why, when, where or how' (BBC Academy, 2017a). However, because of the openness of the questions and the conversational nature of an interview it is essential for the interviewer to always be listening so that they can pick up on points which will allow the subject to be explored in more depth which might send the interview in an entirely different unplanned direction (Katie Couric on how to conduct a good interview, 2009). For example, our contributor was a psychologist who had experience helping people with addiction and had a wide range of knowledge on behaviour. However, I had to make sure we got enough footage of him discussing a certain mental health condition, gaming disorder.
Because of this, I needed to listen to the answers he gave, but sometimes then ask another question to get the answers we needed about gaming specifically. I didn't ask most of the questions I had planned, but instead focused on the knowledge I could tell he knew from his answers, and the agenda he had planned, to steer the interview the way we needed.
To do this, while the interview was being filmed I wrote down the subjects he discussed. This was so I could remember the new questions I was asking, and even go through the footage quickly after the interview to make sure the questions matched the answers.
We were therefore able to film the questions later because the contributor gave a lot of information which I knew wouldn't make sense cut down within the time slot of our news bulletin without the questions to give clear context.
Therefore, interviewers need to be patient in order to listen, and also determined so that they get the answers they need for the story (BBC Academy, 2017b). Sometimes it is even necessary for an interviewer to interrupt. However, this should only happen if the interviewer is struggling to cut in, and is possible when the interviewee breathes in, as long as the interviewer is sure of what they are going to say (BBC Academy, 2017a).
Even though the interview could veer away from the plan, contributors still need to be briefed before interviews so they are somewhat prepared for how the interview could go (BBC Academy, 2017a). Overall, the style of the questions, the angle the interviewer decides to approach the interview from, and the tone adopted all depends on who is being interviewed and what the story is (Katie Couric on how to conduct a good interview, 2009).
The main job of an interviewer is to allow the interviewee to communicate their thoughts and views on the story they are contributing to (Katie Couric on how to conduct a good interview, 2009). This is why interviewers must be understanding and considerate towards interviewees, but also clear on the subject and intent on getting the information the audience needs to know.
Bibliography:
BBC Academy (2013) Interviewing techniques: 5 live's Peter Allen. At: https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20130702112133431 (Accessed on 27 October 2018).
BBC Academy (2017a) Interviewing dos and don’ts from Julian Worricker. At: https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20171005102830849 (Accessed on 27 October 2018).
BBC Academy (2017b) Tips: interviewing contributors. At: https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20130702112136281 (Accessed on 27 October 2018).
Feeney-Hart, A. (2014) 'Huw Edwards' top 10 tips for being a news presenter'. In: BBC News [online] At: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26766230 (Accessed on 27 October 2018).
Katie Couric on how to conduct a good interview (2009) [user-generated content online] Creat. Couric, K. 26 June 09 At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eOynrI2eTM (Accessed on 27 October 2018).
Morrison, E. (2007) 'Presenting tips from a BBC voice coach'. In: BBC News [online] At: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/school_report/7062241.stm (Accessed on 27 October 2018).
Spotlight. (2017) Presenting: Doing Radio & Being A News Anchor with Caroline Feraday. At: https://www.spotlight.com/news-and-advice/tips-and-advice/presenting-the-news-with-caroline-feraday/ (Accessed on 27 October 2018).
Television presenting: Fiona Bruce (2013) [user-generated content] BBC Academy. At: https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20130702112133453 (Accessed on 27 October 2018).
Comments
Post a Comment