An Introduction to the News

Part 1 
On the 27th of June I watched the BBC News which was first broadcast the day before (26th). The broadcast was mainly centered around the special correspondent Lucy Manning who was talking to Sabah Abdullah who lost his wife Khadija Khalloufi in the Grenfell Tower fire. The Grenfell fire took place on the 14th of June where at least 79 fatalities and 70 injuries occurred. The Metropolitan Police has said that 18 victims have been identified with a further 61 still missing and presumed dead. The new report starts with Lucy clarifying that the body of Sabah's wife will be flown back to Morocco (where the couple originated from). His wife's body was planned to fly back today. Lucy then proceeds to ask Mr Abdullah what his plans are in which he replies with "I've got no passport". The piece continues on with Mr Abdullah saying how his passport and identification was lost in the fire which is why he can not travel back with his wife's coffin. Once he finishes what he needs to say, there is a still of Mr Abdullah with a caption that states "The BBC contacted the Home Office. It said it would try to help if Sabah went to the passport office". This is followed by a clip of Mr Abdullah leaving the passport office with his new passport with the caption "Later that day, Sabah got his passport". The final clip of the piece is of what can be presumed to be friends of Mr Abdullah and his late wife helping the coffin into the back of a hearse with the caption "Now he and his wife can make one last journey together" I think captions were used as well as audio and visual components in this piece because sometimes you don't need a voice over when trying to convey a message across, especially one such as this piece.

Part 2
The only presenter in this piece is the special correspondent Lucy Manning. In this broadcast, her role is to ask Mr Abdullah questions about the incident without seeming too invasive. She is trying to get as much information about the situation he is in whilst being careful with her words as it is clear in the broadcast it is still a heavily sensitive subject. Being careful with words is a very important skill to have as you have to ensure that the questions you ask do not come across as invasive or demanding. You must also need a lot of confidence to be put in a multitude of different scenarios and still be well prepared.

Part 3 
The term News Ordering is used to describe the other that different reports are shown. The order news reports are shown in is due to the importance and urgency of the report. A news report that comes first in a broadcast could be because it was a recent event or it is a very important event which affects a large amount of people. Most news broadcasts start with the most negative and urgent piece and usually end on a happy not so the audience do not feel as if everything is bad.
The term for the list of stories that appear in a broadcast is called the Story Line. It is used to decide the order reports are shown in due to their importance.
The story that is most likely to be shown first would be the one that has the biggest impact on people. For example, the DUP and Tory coalition that occurred yesterday with the Conservative and DUP's pact to support Theresa May's government. The story that has the most impact is given the most detailed report whereas the other stories are shorted and do not go into all the details as the first report does.
A Slow News Day is when not many serious events that would normally be broadcast occur and so every other report is stretched out and reported in detail.
The final story in a news report is called the Kicker and its purpose is to conclude the news report on a happy and a positive tone.
News Values are guidelines that are used in the media to determine how much visibility a news story gets.

Immediacy: How recently something has happened. For example, a large event that has effected many in the early hours of the morning which would be broadcast on the morning news.
Familiarity: How culturally close is it to Britain. For example, terrorist attacks that are occurring in cities around Britain (Manchester and London).
Amplitude: The size of the event and how many people have been impacted. For example, the Greenfell tower fire.
Frequency: How often an event occurs. For example, elections that occur every 4 years.
Unambiguity: How clear and definite it is.
Predictability: Was it an expected event.
Surpise: Is it rare or unexpected. For example, random terrorist attacks (London Bridge Attack)
Continuity: If its already been defined by the news.
Elite Nations/ People: If it is about a large country or a celebrity. For example, the Presidential elections with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Personalisation: Is it an event that will affect people with certain beliefs or views or opinions.
Negativity: If the news is good or bad.
Balance: The positive ending to a news story.

Part 4 

Bias through selection and omission
Bias can be expressed by showing news stories in a certain light with more detail on certain facts whilst also glossing over other details. By doing this, the editor can express their personal opinion and press it onto viewers. An example of this would be the 2017 Election as certain news stations would favour certain parties, much like newspaper companies.

Bias through placement and order 
Newspapers use the more current and important story in the front cover to draw in an audience which is essentially what news reports do. The first story is seen as the most important and any after are less significant.

Bias through headlines
Headlines are the parts that draw in an audience. In newspapers, the headlines usually cover up the whole page to draw in the audience. They can be quite misleading to try and convey something as shocking and scandalous when in reality the story has nothing to do with scandals or shock.

Bias through shot selection and camera angles
The camera has the most power as it can focus on certain things whilst cutting out other things from frame. The camera can portray a person in a negative or positive light and can heavily influence an audiences opinions on a person or an event.

Bias through names and captions 
Newspapers often give people labels when referencing them in headlines rather than using their names. This can make the audience have a negative or positive view on that person.

Bias through use of language
People can be drawn in and influenced by the choice of language a news report or newspaper use. the tone a news reporter uses can also effect a person view on a situation. If the reporter presents a story using a dull, bored tone then the audience can be influenced by this.