Monday 7 October 2013

Week 2 - WINOL: News Editor Update

News writing
All reporters need to have a written story up on the website every week - follow this checklist when writing your stories:
1. Headlines - 'subject, verb, object' - do not use adjectives
2. Top line - 5 w's - must begin with people -  banned from starting with a body e.g. Hampshire County Council
3. Main body - facts must always be right, and from original source - 'you don't always have to be right but you must never be wrong'
4. Quotes - essential to bring the story to life
5. Photograph - to illustrate the story, crucial for viewers on the website
6. Figures: above 10 and below 3 include number otherwise write the word e.g. 'five'

Packages
Don't try to be original, this is news do it exactly how its been done before and how you see it on TV. VTs must:
1. Begin with your best pictures - engage the viewer from the start - don't begin with a piece to camera
2. Rich NAT SOT at the start to accompany visual
3. Views must be balanced
Things to think about wh Meadeen filming:
1. Lighting - white balance cameras, check shot is not over exposed, do not film in front of a window or in a really dark room!
2. Framing - rule of thirds, don't be afraid to get in close to your interviewee
3. Audio - radio mic your interviewee, check your sound levels before you interview them it should not be peaking but the green bar should be passed the half way mark, move the channel dials up and make sure you are on manual so that you are in control!
4. Shots - film sequence shots to link into your interviews you need to have lots of rushes and cut aways to cover jump cuts. Editing will be made so much easier if you have a variety of shots, be creative with your angles, hold your shots, zooms and pans are now banned - avoid this my taking varied wide shots and close ups.
5. Interviews - do not introduce the interviewee e.g. "I went down to speak to..." We can see this!

News conference
Reporters this week has the potential to be great, we have a good mix of stories - just need to pull the interviews through and make the calls.

Tom -  Court report - Brilliant text story already up on the website, just get the mug shot up online now to positively identify the defendant. This story has received a lot of press already so I'm really impressed you got this story from court. Try get hold of any photographs from police that can visually boost your package. Aim for 40-60 seconds PTC outside court, speak slowly and clearly to keep viewer engaged.
Lucy - New baby Zebra born in Marwell Zoo - This is going to make a really nice 'and finally' package - keep it simple, lots of quality shots of the zebra and the zoo will bring this story to life, push to get hold of a zoo keeper, but the main focus here is the zebra so think about angles and varied shots. Do your PTC inside the zoo, no guilty signs we know you are there, we want to see something interesting and relevant in the background.
Harvey - Half built hotel on cricket ground - This story is a great local story which will interest our audience, we established Eastleigh Borough Council is investing therefore push to get an interview with a council representative, e.g. Keith House. Well done for getting access into the grounds, film loads of rushes so when it comes to editing you have lots to play with.
Emma - 177,000 6 year olds cannot read or write - I know you're doing your best to contact local schools, keep pushing as visually you want to have the subject straight at the top of your package, without the children baring in mind the legal issues this package has the danger to be visually weak. Contacting the university education department for their view will work well and localise the story.
Nadine - Well done for getting access tomorrow into the announcement of UKIPs regional representatives for the European elections, good work on using your contacts and organising an interview with Diane James, grab as many political figures as you can, with the help of Alex this will be a great political story which you already plan to localise with the south east region representative. Good luck tomorrow, keep me updated. Alex please Tweet as the day goes on with any breaking updates and take some stills so we can use them for text stories.
Ellen - Scientists reveal pollution is destroying bees smell - Great idea to use stock footage and show the clip from 'earlier in the year', this is a good development story, stock footage of the bees will lift the package, be a bonus to get a beekeeper and you doing a PTC in the outfit. I know you've made lots of calls already and you are just waiting to hear back from them, hopefully the scientist and beekeeper will be in touch. 
Zenna - 'Stoptober' awareness -  Fantastic work this week, you had already organised your interviews and have spoken with a nurse already. I know you're in contact with someone who is doing Stoptober, with the case study this piece will be brilliant, get lots of cut aways of cigarettes, smoke and remember what I said about being creative with the scripting and shots, this can be a really visually led story. Well done for taking on board what I said about the lighting and interesting backdrops, from what i've seen already you have listened to what I said.
Calum - Loads of ideas again this week, keep them in the pipeline, the national park story will attract our local audience so I am pleased your running with this one. The others were a bit news weak, but the ACSO story can be developed on when you find a news angle. Good work getting an interview organised with Councillor Mel Kendal, film sequence shots with him to tie into his interview, and avoid pans of the green space, just hold the shots.
Spence - Compass meeting tomorrow - keep in mind that we may need to recycle some of this meeting and put it in to the bulletin. I've seen the coffee house session edit, really well done for all your hard work editing please get it up soon as you can.
Liam - You're working on a feature this week, but good work trying to push for several different news stories this week.


Sport - Tom Baxter - great news to hear you covered the match with three cameras looking forward to seeing the footage. Once I've seen the features I can decide if we need to fill space in the bulletin but we will keep in contact.

Main notes from editors meeting is that we need to continue to boost our public profile online, keep tweeting please its crucial to target relevant audiences. 

We are also looking to produce a 'contact page' online so that people can contact us with ideas they may have.

Good Luck to everyone with their stories, remember we want quality sound and visuals, as well as amazing content!


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