How Does Broadcast News Work, And How Has It Changed? (with a little help from Aaron Sorkin)

Cynthia Samuels csamuels@cobble-team.comDATEAugust 19, 2015

How Does Broadcast News Work, And How Has It Changed? (with a little help from Aaron Sorkin)

Know what these photos mean?See this stark a contrast: broadcast journalism you remember & today?Positive journey?Comments?

THE MISSION

From the beginning of our country

Thomas Jeffersonwherever the people are wellinformedthey can be trusted with their own government. Paris, January 8, 1789

The standard (he never said the ignorant and freeone - [why we always check our quotes])Watched The Newsroom (romantic)?Scene from 1st episode of HBO series The Newsroom is the best summary Ive seen.

The Newsroom The idealist versus the realist

Does that sound familiar?

Part #1: THE BASICS

News gathering is expensiveCorporations have to make profits, so sell advertisingRatings (#of viewers) determine ad pricesAd sales are income, therefore justification for spending $ to get audienceCompetition of important news and attractive news

Profit Center or Public Service?

Ratings:The stories chosen/the clickerRole of the anchorThe bottom line

Win the ratings or lose your jobREGULATED: Required public service (newscasts, Sunday shows)DEREGULATION: No more public obligation: Earn your keep through ratings Three large factors

The ClickerTen boring seconds = youre gone

How to preserve standards and still hang onto your audience

The bottom line

Every second counts: (1968: average TV sound bite 43 seconds; 1988 9 seconds) Fewer talking heads, more sensationalismNo boring stuffCompetition goes nuclear - its an arms raceTease before every break VAN AMBURG

The News Anchor: Whos in the Chair? Why Does It Matter?

Besides the news itself, how do audiences choose? Loyalty to the anchor, not the product. Which channel is NBC? vs Which channel has Tom Brokaw?Personality drives ratings, ratings drive revenue.

The Bottom Line

Try to preserve standards and still satisfy management on ratings and revenue

Try to be a mega-corporation and still sustain a principled, unbiased news operation

You saw standards/ratings conflictCorporate consolidation is even tougherComcast/Disney etc Broad example here:

PROJECTTHE NEWSROOM

News president versus Company President

OK this is whats happening.What about real life news divisions?

The Bottom Line

ABC News owned by:Walt Disney Co: Holdings include ABC television network; cable networks including ESPN, the Disney Channel, SOAPnet, A&E and Lifetime; 277 radio stations, music- and book-publishing companies; film-production companies Touchstone, Miramax and Walt Disney Pictures; Pixar Animation Studios; the cellular service Disney Mobile; and theme parks around the world.CBS News owned by:CBS Corp: Operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and the CW a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), cable television (Showtime Networks, Smithsonian Networks and CBS Sports Network), local television (CBS television stations), television production and syndication (CBS Television Studios, CBS Studios International and CBS Television Distribution), radio (CBS Radio), advertising (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), music (CBS Records), licensing and merchandising (CBS Consumer Products), video/DVD (CBS Home Entertainment), motion pictures (CBS Films)CNN owned by:Time Warner: the world's second-largest entertainment conglomerate with ownership interests in film, television and print, including CNN, Time Inc., Warner Brothers Television Group; Warner Brothers Television; CW Network (50 percent stake); TBS; TNT; Cartoon Network; truTV; Turner Classic Movies; Boomerang; CNN; HLN; CNN International; HBO; Cinemax; Space; Infinito; I-Sat; Fashion TV; HTV; Much Music; Pogo; Mondo TV; Tabi; CNN Espaol and 22 magazines includingPeople,Sports Illustrated,Time,Life,InStyle, Real Simple,Southern Living,Entertainment WeeklyandFortuneFox News owned by:News Corp: media holdings include the FOX Broadcasting Company; television and cable networks such as Fox, Fox Business Channel, National Geographic and FX; print publications including theWall Street Journal, theNew York PostandTV Guide; the magazines Barrons and Smart Money; book publisher HarperCollins; film production companies 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Blue Sky Studios; numerous websites including MarketWatch.com; and non-media holdings including the National Rugby League.NBC News owned by:Comcast Corporation: Merged w/NBCUniversal. This merger combines the nation's largest cable company and residential Internet service provider and one of the world's biggest producers of TV shows and motion pictures. Comcasts media holdings now reach almost every home in America. It serves customers in 39 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to its vast NBCUniversal holdings, Comcast has 23.6 million cable subscribers, 18 million digital cable subscribers, 15.9 million high-speed Internet customers and 7.6 million voice customers. Comcast recently entered into a partnership with Verizon in which each company will market and sell the other's services.

You saw standards/ratings conflictCorporate consolidation makes it tougher. 1. RED: Accident at Disneyland 2. GREEN: TV violence, music scandal (Payola and Clive Davis), 3. BLUE: Time v Newsweek or AOL buy 5. BROWN: Murdoch, Fox TV, 6. PURPLE: Cable rates and regulation, net neutrality, media consolidation

Part #2: THE PROCESS

How Do They Do It? The JobsAnchor Anchor/Producer Associate_ProducerDirector Editor, News Executive Producer Field Producer Graphics Operator News Director Producer Production Assistant ReporterWeather Forecaster/MMJ

Youve see enough Broadcast News/Newsroom etc to know this: At least this many jobs - expensive.Every budget cut reduces reporting, leads to layoffs, cuts research, travel, number of bureaus etc.

How Do They Do It?Planning:Future calendar

Several daily editorial meetings to decide what to cover and who will cover it

Constant monitoring for developments and breaking stories.

Future calendar: show next slide, tell our systemsEditorial meetings: Morning, evening, ongoingAP and others, CNN et al, bureau check-ins, reporter phone ins to pitch

How Do They Do It? Planning: The Futures File

Runs far longer - My own planning job. Abortion ruling, NYC Mayors race, Inaugurations, anniversaries.

How Do They Do It?Ongoing:

Review whats happened, what stories are available

Which stories to use

Length

Which will be video, which will be tell only

Order

1. News 2. Available coverage 3. Length (producer and reporter push for more[story, script, competing events, available video])4. Which will be video, which will be tell only i.e. anchor tells but no video, usually a still behind them, then the order THIS CHANGES ALL DAY

How Do They Do It?Build the Rundown:LEAD: Biggest story

OFF LEAD

BLOCKS

KICKER

LEAD: Biggest news of the day as determined by Executive and Senior Producer and anchor.OFF LEAD: Next biggest - or wow storyBLOCKS (depending on the news of the day) Foreign, Political, Arts, Law Enforcement, Science)

KICKER

How Do They Do It?

CBS News battle over the leadEven the NYT put it in prime positionDalcon shieldSome examples : (next slide)

NBC Nightly News HRPBS News Hour 1HR showLEAD: Police: Video Shows Man Shot on Ferguson Anniversary Was Holding a GunLEAD: Wall St hit by a wave of selling, triggered by Chinas currency devaluation. OFFLEAD NYT: Prison Inmates Allegedly Abused in Interrogations, 9 people facing federal charges in hacking scheme Trump Remains In Lead, But Potentially Hurt By Debate PerformanceEPA head apologizes for waste spill caused by EPA workers in CO. (video) Toxic Plume in Colorado River Begins to DissipateFerguson, MO, 2nd day of state of emergency; peaceful protests w/24 arrests, no shooting or looting. Su night, police critically wounded 18-yr-old after he allegedly fired on them.Phoenix Engulfed in Dust, Torrential Rain Sweeps Colorado SpringsTurkish military continues assault on Kurdish militants. .NTSB: Driver in Tracy Morgan Crash Hadn't Slept for 28 HoursGreece & intl lenders reached agreement today on a new bailout. (EC Video) Insider Trading Ring Made Millions by Hacking Press ReleasesGreek island of Kos: authorities struggled w/wave of migrants. At least 124,000 migrants have reached Greece this year, up 750% from last. yANNIVERSARY: Tom Brokaw: 50 Years On, Watts Remains Separate and UnequalTruck driver who severely injured comedian Tracy Morgan & left another person dead was awake for 28 hrs before the wreck NFL Quarterback Geno Smith Suffers Broken Jaw in Locker Room BrawlRapid resegregation for public schools like Michael Browns (2 persons interviewed in studio)Chinese Artist Sends Stunning 'Sky Ladder' Firework 1600 Feet into AirNot Trending: Using drones for search and rescue (Studio interview)Clear the Shelters: Puppies Given Another Chance at LifeStrangers step into portal to make global connections (VIDEO)All-women team hunts for poachers in South Africa (VIDEO) What does the yuans decline mean for the U.S.? (2 persons interviewed in studio)From Google to Alphabet, what does the change mean? (Studio interview)China rattles markets by devaluing its currency (VIDEO )

Two rundowns for one day: August 11Where is China on NBC? NEXT Rundown/script preview

How Do They Do It?Content, Timing, ApprovalScripts submitted Links to or feeds of video establishedEP script changes/suggested changes distributedTiming/rundownNarrations recordedPiece edited in field or narration and video sent in to be assembled.

Scripts submitted subject to length available Links to or feeds of video provided Incoming?Changes/suggested changes made by Executive Producer etc al and sent backMore time? Video, script or new information determinesNarration recordedPiece edited in field or narration and video sent in to be assembled.

How Do They Do It?Rundown

Red arrow shows piece that appears in scriptRed is last three lines on tape before reader returns(A-5) is position in show

How Do They Do It?Rundown

This one also shows cues TAKE V/O means begin anchor voice over of videoTAKE SOT means take sound on tape - or narrated piece from reporter

How Do They Do It? Sample Script

This is what a script looks like. BLUE: Length of this element RED: KIND of video (A-roll is sound on tape, B-roll is video only to cover the anchor copy GREEN Actual clip

Part #3: Whats Different in the Morning?

What do you think?

Whats Different in the Morning?Hardly any tapeLive interviews (more of them)Fierce booking fightsLOTS more soft stuff Entertainment, performancesLength

BudgetBookers: Air India, Tienamen SquareTom deVries

THE WAY ITS SUPPOSED TO BE

Cynthia Samuels, The Cobblestone Team csamuels@cobble-team.comThank you!