Line between online news video and TV news is blurring
Inga Thordar
is a project editor in BBC World News
BBC News's Central African Republic crisis in 60 seconds in an 'explainer'
Anyone who has worked in television news for a while will be familiar with the Charlie Brooker parody of the traditional news package, acronyms included: the GVs (general views), PTC (piece to camera) and the two pro/con SOTS (sound clips - one for, one against an argument). They’re conventions that have been used successfully in TV news for decades - but is that all changing with the explosion of the more avant-garde online news video content?
There are a few obvious differences between traditional TV video content and its online counterpart.
First is the issue of the reporter. In TV he or she is the one telling the story and more often than not you see quite a lot of him/her. This is most evident in live broadcasting and two-ways where in many cases the reporter stays in front of the camera for the duration of the piece, but it’s also seen as vital in TV packages where the PTC can provide the centre piece.
Online content on the other hand is more about the viewers’ experience. Basically they want to be part of the story and the reporter’s role is to show and guide the audience through, doing some explaining along the way. You therefore see less of the reporter and more of what they are seeing around them.
Secondly, there is the issue of music. The online audience is much more tolerant and almost expects music to be used, either on its own or to complement a track. It’s seen as enhancing the piece; something that adds value. The same cannot be said for television. For years the use of music has been taboo for news reports - unless it was a ‘soft piece’ on a non-controversial topic like films, fashion or anything that could be called a ‘happy’ story. On other stories the fear was that music could trivialise or even go as far as editorialise the topic. Music on any war reporting was, and still is for the BBC, an uncomfortable combination.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, is the tone pieces take. TV news reporting is traditionally quite formal and more often than not a lot of information is crammed into a short two-minute piece. Digital content on the other hand has a more informal style - often bordering on conversational. The reporter is expected to guide the viewer through the story and even attempt to make them part of it. This demands great camerawork because it requires a lot of moving around. And the audience is very forgiving of movement and shakes so long as it gets to ‘see’ the important parts of the story.
So is this a case of never the twain shall meet?
Well, no: in the changing world of video content, audience expectations of TV and online material are blurring and viewers are open to different kinds of material - especially on television.
So formats commonly referred to as ‘show and tells’, ‘walk and talks’ and ‘action rants’ have tested well with audiences across platforms, for all news-related stories. They are a less formal way of telling a story and can focus on particular elements of it. More elaborate versions can include several locations where the reporter explains one element of the story in each place and then carefully links them together to give a holistic picture. It gives the TV viewer a sense of the core part of the story and the digital viewer a feeling of being part of it. Wins all around.
Another successful cross-platform format is self-authored reports - that is, letting the subjects of the story tell it themselves in their own words. Obviously there are editorial considerations that need to be addressed - and we’re more likely to see these reports as complementary to core reporting or as more feature-type stories.
One final format worth a mention is what we are labelling explainers (pictured top) - their purpose being to remind audiences of the main issues behind complicated stories. They are short and snappy and often told in pictures, text and music - so no commentary, which is a big leap for TV news programmes, but another sign of how the audience’s expectations are changing.
There is still some work to be done on different kinds of storytelling and formats that can work across several platforms, including social media. The growing demand for video content makes that work both pressing and, more importantly, exciting. That work has already started with new programmes like #bbctrending and more such innovation is in the pipeline.
Will anyone keep appointments to view in an on-demand world?
