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Sunday 28 October 2012

WINOL 24/10/2012

Overview
This was a very good week in terms of story quality. We had some genuinely interesting stories, including those that didn't make it into the bulletin.

Also most of you seemed to work hard to try and get yourself into the bulletin this week, their is a genuine hunger, and I'm starting to sense more competition, which is ideal. It's becoming more and more difficult each week to decide the bulletin line-up.

You all seem to be throwing forward at the end of your packages now, which is great.

Please read the 'things to improve'at the bottom of this post, I will likely go over them again sometime on Monday, but it's still good to get

Individual Feedback

Flick
A nice oov package that could have been used this week if we had the room for oovs in the bulletin. However, the interview clip looks great alongside the written story on the website.

Lou
It's great that you've been able to keep up with these HPCC profiles, it's so important that we maintain balance overtime with this subject, and you're achieving that. A solid piece this week.

Harry
I really liked your package this week. It had some really good elements that will hopefully come naturally to everyone over the next few weeks. Things like natural sound at the top of the piece are so simple and yet this was the only package to have it this week. NATSOT starts a news package with a bang, and grabs the audience's attention. You had some really good interviews that added to your piece, and worked hard to get some sort of balance.
I also liked how your 2 PTC's connected in a way that told the whole story.

Faith
A very good week from you. You showed a lot of determination to make the feminist march story in London work. We did a skype call which seemed ok at the time, but after getting it edited, it was decided that it just wasn't broadcast quality. But don't be too disappointed by that, it was a great experience, and something that you can now say you've done. We'll be hoping to look into more skype calls in the future, and your now one of the people that have experience in doing it, which will be invaluable. You had a decent script, and knew what you wanted to get across. Time and video quality was our enemy this week, but I can see you growing in confidence as a reporter. You also did really well to get the written story up while in London. It meant that we had the written piece from when the story was fresh. A really good week.

Ellen
An interesting story this week, it's something that would turn a lot of heads, and would likely be talked about at the pub. You have a good voice, but it needs some work. You don't sound very interested in what your covering, and if you're not interested, then why should we be interested?
You had some good shots this week, and it was easy for anybody to understand what the story was.

Jack
It was a good piece this week, and it looks great on the website because the video footage tells the story a lot better than a written piece in my opinion. You did well with it, and had some good scripting, but I don't think you were cheesy enough. I think we needed to see you in the package getting involved. You said they asked you to do some serving, and it would have been great to have some footage of you doing it, maybe even doing a piece to camera too.

Spence
A solid package this week. You're very good at PTC's, but try to avoid making the story rely heavily on them. You won't be able to always rely on PTC's to save your package. However, I think they worked well this week, and you told a good story. You did the best you could with the pictures you had, and you did well to get the images and footage secured to use. Would be great if you can keep up with the story and see how  it progresses for a possible follow-up in the future.

George
You came in on Wednesday with the news that your story had to change after the inquest was launched, and you immediately had ideas of how it could work, which was great. I knew I could trust you to make the story work and sort out the majority of the in-studio discussion while I was busy with the 2nd years, particularly Karina and Faith in London. Looked great when recorded, and was a good way to start the bulletin.

Shona
It's good to see your keeping up with all of the latest news events going around. We need some more events for November, we only have two at the moment, but seeing as it is November in a few days it's important that we have a list of different potential news events on the agenda. So that's something to look at this upcoming week.

Christina
Your court story this week was your best one so far. You've been building up confidence, and contacts over the last few weeks, and it paid off for this story. You had all of the information that you needed, 

Tom
You worked hard to get your package done, but you struggled for shots, which can often be the trouble with political stories. You need to get creative. You zoomed on the same sign twice within about 15 seconds, which isn't good for tv. It was full of guilty signs and guilty buildings, which you need to try and avoid as much as possible. You had some good interview clips that gave the story some balance.

Tammy
You were ill this week and your story idea was out of your control. We can just move forward to the next week.

Emma
I am very pleased that you were able to deliver the scabies story this work. It's a perfect example of a story that directly affects our target audience. It's something that interests people and will get them watching. You also did well to get some pictures that we could use in the package showing the affect of scabies and what they look like, it was key to the package. We had an issue with your final line before your SOQ, you said the word 'pandemic' which it isn't (considering around 30 people have been affected). You also ended with a cliche' line, which you should try to avoid.

Karina
Much like Faith you did great to cover the feminist march in London, and you did a good job of it Your package had some decent footage, and a decent sign off. We removed one of the interviewee's, which made the package a lot tighter. Don't be too disappointed that it wasn't in the bulletin, the footage didn't reach us in time, and I had to make the decision to spike it, as we wouldn't have it in time even to slot in for the upload. However, it looks great on the sight, and compliments your written article well. Speaking of the article, you both did great to get it up on the website so soon, was on the website while the story is still fresh which is exactly what we want.

Amy
You worked to get a package done this week which was good, and yo got your written piece up pretty quickly. Although I'm quite disappointed that you didn't go to the meeting with the police, even though I told you to still go. It would have given your story a lift either with an interview or some extra background. There was no real reason not to go, you should be keen to make your package even better and to try and force it into the bulletin instead of giving up on getting into the bulletin on Wednesday morning after not going to the meeting.

Things to work on

Natural sound is still a rare sight in our bulletins. I think Harry's package was the only one that had it this week. You also should be putting your best picture at the very top of your piece, theirs no need to save it for the middle or the end, you should put it right at the front.

Wind noise. Headphones are very useful when filming, particularly for outdoor interviews, use them to make sure you're getting good sound from your interviewee and no wind noise. It can be really distracting and annoying. Angus said that it's best to use the gun mic, particularly in windy situations. I often try to shield the wind with my back while holding the gun mic for them, as long as it doesn't affect the shot too drastically. Alternatively you can ask to film the interview somewhere else if it's a big issue. Just think what will look best, and what will sound best. Both elements are important.

Also on the subject of sound, voice over sound quality still needs work. If it doesn't sound good while you're editing, film it again. Angus mentioned the sound booth we now have booked out, you can go there if you feel the lip mic isn't working for you. But we do have the lip mics which should provide good quality sound.

Sequences. I don't think I saw any sequences this week. The closest to a sequence has been the 'walky talky' which has been used to set up a number of shots. To be honest, I'm getting a bit sick of seeing them, so can you try and be a bit more creative with how you lead into interviews, and how you patch over a jump-cut. Sequences are a great way to do that. Don't feel embarrassed to ask, or to get in close with the camera. Even something as simple as 3 shots of the person working at their desk, or looking through a book is fine. It gives you more options during editing. Some interviewees(like scientists or carpenters) will be in interesting surroundings, utilise that and get some good shots, instead of walking away with not enough footage.

Pictures are getting better, but we're still struggling, particularly when looking at our headlines. All 3 were taken by us in the first week, 1 in the second week, and 1 in the third week. That's not always a bad thing, sometimes the pictures we've been given look better or tell the better story. But their wasn't even competition for a better shot. We need to be more creative with what we're filming, and think what kind of shots would compliment the story.

Monday 22 October 2012

WINOL 17/10/2012

Overview

Things looked a bit shaky at the beginning of the week, we had no real top story, however we settled on one before Tuesday was over, and it provided the leading piece that we needed. Overall, the bulletin had a good balance, and many of fulfilled what needed to be done to make your piece work.


Things to work on

Links continue to be a struggle. They need to be longer, and give the viewer a basic idea of what your story is going to be. More time needs to be spent on writing them.

Quotes need to improve. Remember - 'Facts in your voice. Comment in their voice'. It's good to get people emoting, instead of saying facts and providing expo all the time - that's your job.

Audio - Make sure all the audio in your package is hitting the same levels, because it helps the gallery to get a better balance when it comes to the bulletin.

For PTC's use a radio mic, because it provides much better audio. Although, you can use the gun mic if you want to pic up some of the atmosphere, depending on when you're filming it.


Also, PTC's are not a necessity for a package, I've seen a lot of PTC's in the first couple of weeks. The main reason seems to be a lack of pictures. They should only be used if they add something to the package.

Can you all record your voice-overs using the lip mic. We have them all day tuesday and wednesday, so there is no reason not too. Also, if the sound isn't perfect then just re-record it, there is no reason not to.

Individual Feedback

Flick
You did really great this week. We desperately needed a top story, and you were more than happy to take on the job once a story came up. It was a solid package for what was a difficult story to turn into a video piece. A good week.

Lou
Your consistency is great. It's been good to know that I can rely on you each week to deliver me something that I can happily feature in the bulletin. Your package this week was something different, that was good for promoting your upcoming HPCC debate. Wasn't too complex, but was put together well, sandwiched by two PTC's that looked good.

Liam
I know your not strictly part of the news team, but you produced a very solid news piece that I was glad to have in the bulletin. It was well constructed and creative. You did really well to get pictures of Fabrice Muamba it was very relevant to your story, and complimented it well.
At time's, it lacked shots, particularly when I wanted a headline clip. The choices were a bit restricted, but the package itself had very few flaws.

Harry
Your package had a lot of potential, and I can't help but feel it fell a little bit short. You did well to get the two interviews sorted quickly, you already had one done before the end of the news meeting. It was a story that would be of interest to students, and you quickly realised that your angle had to change after your first interview, and quickly worked towards reshaping your story, which was great.
Just a few points technically with your package.
Your piece to camera was fairly solid, although for a short piece you shouldn't have to look down at your notes. You should be able to remember the few sentences, even if it took a little while to film, you had plenty of time to get it right.Also don't get careless when editing, your 'walky talky' with the SU president should have been cut a bit at the start of the clip, as it started with you both static, instead of starting with you both walking. Just looks odd and clearly staged.
Also at the start of your package there is a massive audio change from when you had to correct 'University of Winchester'. Just something to think about.

Faith
A very good week for you. Last week you made a very solid package, but it was an dull story with dull pictures, and that made it difficult for your to get into the bulletin. However, this week you had a better story, and tried to get the best shots for the story that you could. You came in on Tuesday with one vox-pop, but you knew it probably wasn't enough, and when I asked you to get a couple more, that's exactly what you need the next morning, and it strengthened your package, gave it more balance, and made it usable for the bulletin.

Ellen
Another good 'and finally'. With these types of stories in particular, you need to be careful not to have too much expo in your package. It's important to tell the story. It's an interesting piece, so make sure the audience find it interesting too.

Jack
Not getting footage of the Cathedral's light show was what let down your package this week. With the beat of 'entertainment', it's important we see it happening. Forward planning is key for this. However, you still managed to get an interview and put together a package, which is great. Both weeks I've known that I have your package ready to slot in if needed.

Spence
We had big dreams for this package, but in the end, it just wasn't a strong as we had hoped. Your very good at PTC's, but remember that should only really be used if they add something to the story. The angle and story itself should be the focus. You did well make sure sure you had a package done, and it could have been used if needed.
Your voice-over had background noise(I'm guessing from the newsroom) which was very distracting. The lip-mic is very good at getting a good sounding voice over, but if things like that happen, definitely do it again, and just ask people to be a bit quieter if needed.
The interviewee said some ok stuff, but is just a homeowner, whom (while relevant to the story your trying to tell) doesn't have any real authority and is essentially just a random person. We needed someone that represents the area, a councillor or residence representative of some sort. If your unsure who to go with, feel free to ask me or one of the other third years for some ideas.
Also don't be too reliant on statements, they don't make particularly great tv, and are usually just there as a last resort.

George
Was a disappointing week, and nobody knows it more than you. Things didn't go your way, but as Chief Reporter it's important that I feel I can rely on you to deliver each week. hopefully you'll have nore luck for the next bulletin.

Shona
Hopefully you'll be in more this week. For the last two week's you've not been in on Tuesdays when I have more time to speak to you, you've been around on Wednesday's when I'm much more busy. However, it's great to see you've made progress in you're role.

Christina
You did really well to get a court story done and it was ready for the bulletin if needed. You worked really hard on the script, and it worked once it came to your PTC, which looked good. You also had some GV's to cover up any edits, and to simply break up the PTC a bit. Good job this week.

Tammy
Good job this week. You got more pictures, and the interviews were well framed. Your story lacked enough strength to get into the bulletin. You had too interviews, but they weren't the most interesting sound bites eve. However, it was something I could have used it in the bulletin which is always a plus.

Emma
I really liked your package this week, it had some great shots, and was one of the packages that I had in line to slot into the bulletin if any of the packages I had needed to be pulled out for any reason. You did discover that the warnings of certain  interviewee's was right. Scientists spend their whole time looking into these sorts of things, and will likely speak to you in a very scientific way. If you don't understand certain things, don't feel stupid if you ask them to explain it, or you can 'echo' them. It can also be helpful to ask them 'how it felt...' to be involved in whatever your stories involve. Remember that they should be emoting. Fact's in your voice, comment in their voice.

Karina
You had an idea this week, but it didn't happen in the end. You need to look more for possible packages. You did help out Sam with written articles which was good.

Amy
Your package idea didn't pan out once you realised that the story wasn't quite what you thought, and that it was more of a written piece. However you got the written story done with a picture too, and will hopefully do better with video content next week.



Sunday 21 October 2012

Copyright - Guest Lecturer - Peter Hodges

I made a similar blog post quite a while ago, with the same guest lecturer. He came back to the University this week, to once again talk about copyright. As the laws are always changing, their was new things to learn, and we all had a better idea of what questions to ask.

As a journalist you will always be creating your own copyright. Copyright exists once it is published (meaning it's available to the public.

Pieces of work that can be copyrighted include:-
A dramatic work - such as dance or mime.
Musical work - This includes the lyrics and sound.
Images - Graphics, sculptures and even lighting design can be copyrighted.

Peter gave a good example of lighting copyright. The Eiffel tower illumination at night was copyrighted in 2003 by the lighting company that made the arrangement. They might object to the commercial use of photos of the Eiffel tower(but only when it is lit).

Copyright lasts for the entire life of the author plus 70 years after their death(50 years for audio pieces).
For movies it includes the principle director, the author of the screenplay and the author of dialogue.

You can be sued for civil damages, and also breach of statute law and can be prosecuted.

Fair Dealing

It is usually safe to use for research/private study.

Fair Dealing can be used for criticism and review pieces, and also reporting current events. This covers all except photography(which must have consent).

You can safely use up to 2 minutes(aggregate) of footage from a film, when using it in a review/criticism.

Fair Deadline for a current event can be up to 30 seconds, and you can also be protected with the defence of  deleting it within 28 days.

Moral Rights

These still apply until it is no longer copyrighted.

Rights to paternity - to be acknowledged for their role.
Right to integrity - Not to have work given derogatory treatment.
If they don't want their work treated a certain way then they can refuse. (eg- might not like interpretation)
Right to be identified

One case to follow in terms of copyright is Richard O'Dwyer. He created a website called TVShack.net, which was a search engine that claims to index links to pirated media on other sites.
The student from Sheffield Hallam University. Their is currently no outcome to the case.

Another case is the recent issue with 'The Hobbit' bar in Southampton. Their was a question over copyright. Does the public believe by deception etc... if the pub is based around the franchise. Which it was, however the issue was sorted, with the pub annually paying the Hollywood company that owns the rights.

- Must pre-clear through copyright societies before prominently featuring copyrighted content.

- BBC uses around 55,000 pieces of music a week across its output.

Confidentiality and Privacy

Confidentiality includes the official secrets act and test of confidentiality.
Privacy is a disputed territory between Article 8 and Article 10.

Article 8 - Right to respect of privacy, family life etc...
Article - Right to Freedom of speech/ Freedom of expression

Vile piece of legislation  - new law - cancels out the defence of public interest.

Confidentiality - Common law secrets = laws made by judges.

Revealing secret information to a journalists is a third party breach of confidence. You should protect your sources, even if it means going to court.

The Bill Goodwin case is a good example of protecting sources. It was a victory for Article 10 when he won.

Breach of Confidence Defined
A person is in breach of confidence if they pass on information which covers ALL of the following:
1. Has 'the necessary quality of confidence'. - ie: it must be important.
2. Was provided in 'circumstances imposing on obligation'. - when a reasonable person would think it would be kept a secret.
3. No permission to pass on the information
4. Detriment is likely to be caused to the person who gave the information.

A good example is if a GP revealed something that happened in their doctors surgery, this would be a breach of confidence.

It can be difficult to separate both confidentiality and privacy, however the Michael Douglas case is a good example that shows the differences.
During his wedding, pictures were taken by both guests and the press (intruders).
Guest pictures - Breach of confidence issue
Intruder pictures - Privacy issue

Implicit and explicit consent
It can be useful to get consent on camera if you are unsure about the person you are interviewing. This can be done simply by saying 'thanks for the interview' while filming.

Princess Caroline case(2004) - Expectation of privacy. Updated in February 2012, their was a ruling by the European Court of Human rights which said the papers should be able to publish stories and photographs of 'well known people'. Pictures of Princess Caroline were taken in a public place, therefore it didn't infringe her privacy rights under Article 8.

Injunctions
Max Mosley case - regarding the News of the World.

Public Interest

This includes, but is not confined to:-
- Detecting or exposing crime or serious impropriety.
- Protecting public health and safety
- Preventing the public from being misled by an action or statement of an individual organisation.

For example if a celebrity sold something based on an image that they are a family person, but the press reports something that suggest otherwise, then it is in the public interest (provided it is true).

Sunday 14 October 2012

Media Law - A Basic Recap

In the first week of this semester's Law lectures, we had a recap of the sort of laws journalists need to be aware of.

Some of the key areas of law we should know about is:

- Defamation
- Contempt
- Privacy

What is Defamation?
For something to be defamatory, it must tick the following boxes-

1. It must be published (meaning available to the public).
2. The person must be identifiable.
3. It would have bad things said about the person, having the potential to be defamatory and could cause them to be shunned and avoided.

Defences for defamation
Their are a few defence's for defaming someone.
These includes justification, fair comment, privilege and public interest.

You could also use the Reynolds Defence.

Contempt

Contempt of court is a very important law to remember, not only because breaking it can be damaging to yourself, but it can also be damaging to court cases.

The main thing to remember is to make fair and accurate reports when covering a court case.

Chris Jefferies is a good example. A few articles were found to be in contempt of court. The court found that the reports created a big risk of'serious prejudice' for any future trials. Their reporting of Chris after he had been arrested had been found as contempt. He was later released without charge, and found completely innocent.
He also received libel damages from a number of newspapers.

Privacy

This area of media law concerns both Article 8 and Article 10.

A recent topic regarding privacy concerns the royal family. Images of Prince Harry naked in a hotel room ended up being published by The Sun. Whilst topless pictures of Kate Middleton were not published in the UK. The differences

Fatal Error System
1- Malice/conflict of interest
2- Dishonest presentation of sources
3- Causing disrepute/disruption
4- Reckless inaccuracy in basic expression
5- Legal problems (without justification)
6- Regulatory problems (without justification)

What to do
1- Disinterestedness/in the interest of the viewer/ reader/ public
2- Development of professional contacts/honest work
3- Professionalism/ responsibility (vs disrepute/disreputable/personalised)
4- 100 per cent factually accurate (including spelling, grammar and punctuality)
5- Up to date and working knowledge/ application of media law
6- Up to date and working knowledge/ application of media regulation

Friday 12 October 2012

Winol 10/10/2012

Well, that was the first WINOL of the semester, and overall it wasn't too bad. The majority of people worked hard and worked as part of the team, which is essential.

As news editor, these blog posts will mainly concern the news team, but might be useful for the whole WINOL group as a whole.

First a big congratulations to all involved in the first broadcast. I know that a lot of people were stressed heading into it, but personally it's something I love and thrive on. The atmosphere on Wednesday's is always great.

Individual Feedback

Tom
Good job this week. The package was a great first effort, you got relevant interviews that gave the story balance, and also included natural sound at the start of your package. You explained the story well,

Karina
You did well to produce a package for the first week, even if it wasn't used. You went out, got shots, got an interview, and even did a piece to camera. Overall it was a good effort for the first week, and you'll beenefit from it going into the next week.

George
A nice package this week. Good scripting and shots. The story is an interesting one. It had solid quotes and a nice touch of the hotel owner showing you around. The piece could have comfortably slotted into a local news programme. Some of the exterior hotel shots almost felt like images because of the very still movements, maybe more of a sequence with the shots could have changed that. But that is me being very picky.

Lou
One of your best packages. Your voice work has improved so much since you first started reporting, and you also structured and scripted this package really well.
Your interviews were well constructed, particularly the interview with Martin Tod where we saw him on Barton Farm, and he looks around as he refers to it. A good week from you.

Flick
As the presenter this week you did a good job of putting the script together, especially when the running order changed multiple times on Wednesday. Also you were very helpful to the second years, giving advice etc. A good, calm presence to have.

Shona
I saw you helping a few people on Wednesday which was great, unfortunately I was too busy to have a chat with you on Wednesday about news planning. Monday or more likely Tuesday would be the better day to talk about it.

Spence
A tough week in terms of making you're story idea work. But you made a great effort. The PTCs were good, and you thought up ways to break it up with other visuals. You'll need to look toward stories that have more of an angle to them, because it was difficult to target who could be interviewed for your story this week.

Jack
The story was a decent one, it was kind of interesting even though it seemed to be just sticks. You had a few stills in your package, which is fine if you are struggling for footage, or if the pictures add something which you otherwise couldn't have. But the pictures where ones you took, which is odd. Because you simple film a sequence with the video camera and it looks much better. The still shots are for the written article. Don't forget that the package is for tv, pictures shouldn't be taken for your package if you have a video camera with you too.

Amy
I'm a bit disappointed that you essentially gave up this week, as it would have been nice if you could produce something. You were concerned about turning around a story in such a short amount of time, but that is what news is all about. It's new. You can't always plan far ahead, so you'll need to learn to adapt. Hopefully in you'll grow in confidence in the next few weeks.

Ellen
A nice first story. I asked for rhinos and you gave me rhinos. Their was some conflicting ideas of whether the art piece or simply the real rhinos should be the focal point of your package, but I'd happy with the end decision. Generally animals are interesting, particularly to our target audience, but it's also good to see you didn't ignore the story which was the painted rhinos that aim to raise money for charity. You also helped out with making an oov for me. A good first week.

Tammy
You did well to get a nice package done. I think if you did the same package again in a few weeks, it would likely get into the bulletin and be a top package. However, the lack of shots made it very difficult to keep the story together and to explain to the viewers what it was all about. The interviews were ok, it was good that you spoke to the people directly affected. The story didn't have too much of an angle, was more of a piece of interest, and one that is people lead. Along with Ellen you helped put together an oov once you were done with your own package. And you were also happy to make an alternative oov for your homeless peice, which I was grateful for.

Christina
I think it's fair to say that you had a rollercoaster week. You were a bit concerned on Monday if things would work out. Turned out on Tuesday they didn't go too well, but you remained determined which I really liked. You got up early on Wednesday to go to Southampton and make a nice PTC package about cycling safety. If I had the time, it could have comfortably slotted into the bulletin without issue. You got shots of cyclists which was key, and it meant we could turn your story into an oov for the bulletin. You ended up with a good piece of work to show after a tough week. Hopefully the next week will go more smoothly for you.

Harry
You had many stories rise and fall leading up to this bulletin, but you continued to be enthusiastic and determined to get something done for the bulletin. When that didn't work out, you were still very helpful, putting together the playout compilation for the end of the bulletin, and also helped edit together the 3 oovs. Very helpful, and hope you get more luck for the next bulletin.

Sophie
A very good first package, especially considering you weren't too confident heading into this week. You was the first to get your package done, and also got a link done before Tuesday was done. You did really well tog et a range of different shots and make your package visually interesting. It came very close to getting into the bulletin, however it still went in as an oov. A very solid first week, I was happy with what you produced. I'm sure you've learnt a lot from the week.

Faith
Your effort towards making it the best package you could impressed me. You were determined to try and make it more interesting than a house story can be. Your story was close to being in the bulletin, but instead became an oov. However, it was a back-up which I was really grateful of, it was ready to step into the bulletin if a different story didn't work out for whatever reason. A very good first week, and you'll continue to improve in the next few weeks. And I'm sure you've seen the importance of filming sequences with the people you interview.

Emma
You told me you'd get me a liquid nitrogen face, but it seemed to fall flat on its face, which is a bit disappointing. You need to keep more communication with me on the Tuesdays and Wednesday. Don't remember seeing you around on Tuesday, but when I texted to see where you were, you was only in the SU, so don't know why you didn't pop in to see me. Also, it's more beneficial if you edit in the newsroom, otherwise it means people can't help you out, and also I have to be away from everybody else to check how you're doing. I had no idea you was there until someone else came and told me. Hopefully next week will be a better week for you. 

Sam
I know you're not part of the news team, but you did put together the top story for this week's bulletin. It was really well put together, and was a great example of telling a good story in a package.

Some notes for next week

Something that I think all reporters noticed this week was how important it is to film as many shots as you can. Otherwise you get to editing, and don't have enough footage to fill your package. So when you film for your next story, make sure you film as much as you can.

Make sure you have more than one story. You should be juggling ideas, having back ups in case your stories fall through.

We experimented with a 'playout'/compilation for the end of the bulletin, showcasing the stories that didn't quite make the bulletin but would be featured on the website. This will likely need to be edited by a reporter each Wednesday if we continue with it, which seems likely. So if you have finished your package for the week, or have little to do, you may be asked to put it together.

In terms of lunch on a Wednesday, at most lunch means popping to the SU shop and heading back, spending no more than 5 minutes. But usually we eat from the vending machine, or food we've brought from home. Because Wednesday is such a busy day, we tend not to have much time to eat and usually have food on the go(if at all). We need everybody's help, and sometimes need to make alterations to things you've made, or need to alter your script, or your link, or headline, or anything that requires your help. If your not around for an hour, or even half hour, it can make things very difficult.

The importance of headlines were raised this week. Sam is currently being assigned to help with headlines, but you should still think hard about a headline for your story if it is used. Remember, the headlines are laying out our stall, and trying to intice our audience to watch the whole bulletin.

It was great to see a number of reporters submitting their written articles by the 3 o'clock deadline on Wednesday. The website should be fully up and running for next weeks bulletin, so I hope to see the same again. We want the news stories to be written, sub-edited and up on the website in time to coincide with the bulletin. One thing to remember, is to take pictures, so that you can use one in your written stories.

I expect all news reporters to be in the newsroom throughout Wednesday, whether you have a story or not.  There are still ways to contribute to help us get the bulletin out, and we still have last minute stories come about on Wednesday that you might be asked to cover. On-the-day stories are always great to have.

It would be useful for both WINOL and yourself if you set up a Youtube account and upload your packages to your youtube account(this will make it easy to showcase all your work, and will also help us place it on the website if it's not featured in the bulletin).

I will have some more specific points to raise in Monday's news meeting.

Until then, have a good weekend, and keep looking for stories.

Dan


Saturday 6 October 2012

Winol - First 2 weeks back

Third year has begun, and I am settling into my new role as News Editor for WINOL.

The first two weeks have mainly been about learning how to use the new equipment, as well as refreshing our memeories on creating good packages for tv.

We have new macs in the news room, which includes an updated version of final cut - Final Cut Pro X. Many of us were hesitant at first, feeling comfortable with the old Final Cut Pro 7. However, the new version has made many tasks much easier to do, and is generally a more clean cut way of editing.
We were also trained on new JVC cameras, which use SD cards instead of tapes. The cameras are very light, and compact, although I most likely won't be using them too much this semester, they will likely make tasks like capturing the footage quicker.


I held a news meeting on Monday with the new reporters, mainly consisting of second years. With no real experience of the workings of Winols, it was already clear that things wouldn't be perfect right away, and that the proposed news stories wouldn't be as strong as they will be a few weeks later.

The meeting was shaky altogether, and the news ideas weren't particularly strong, especially in terms of shots/pictures.

I decided to give them a few more days(seeing as the first Winol was still over a week away), and held another news meeting on the Thursday.

Between the Monday and Thursday I tried to keep in contact with all my reporters, keeping myself updated with their progress and ideas, and seeing if they needed any help or guidance. This was useful, for both me and them, as it made things calmer once the news meeting started.
I had already given a bit of direction and advice on what I expected.

I printed off the upcoming meetings from Winchester City Council, Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council, and pinned them onto the news board for the reporters to get easy access to the information.

In the Thursday news meeting, the stories still weren't as strong as we would like on Winol, but they were better than the Monday meeting, and generally seemed more likely to happen which is always a good sign.

I shared my phone number(which is important for when the reporters are out filming, so I can keep in contact). I also informed them of the meetings list, as well as their deadlines, expected package length.

After the meeting, I put all of the news stories onto the news board, so they can be easily viewed, and also altered in terms of length, deadlines and whether the story is spiked or being used.

The next news meeting will be held on Monday after the morning debrief.