Unit 27 Outcome 2 Understand Codes and Conventions of Factual Programming For Television

Unit 27
Outcome 2
Understand codes and conventions of factual
programming for television
Codes and Conventions of Factual Programming
What are factual programmes?

Factual TV is a type of television which frequently is not fictional as it addresses real
people and real occurrences. This includes documentaries, news and reality. The
positive aspects of factual presentations include the capacity to inform, educate and
empathise the audience. In addition, it provides neutral, safe and factual material,
which can help make the content fairer. Big brother a prime example… Channel 4
focuses on the lives of ordinary people in a small setting who strive to keep an eye
on a good content. However, evidence is often negative as some sources are
prejudicial and they may run counter to what another political party claims. The
audience is niche, and the population has little to do with them. The two main
examples of factual resources would be documentaries and news. Documentaries
offer vital information on a range of topics and news and information figures and
details allow their spectators to contract.
What are codes and conventions?

The methods which the media use to convey ideas by means of visual, audio, and
techniques are codes and conventions. Each media text has codes and conventions
to make up its kind and to allow the audience to understand what it is watching. In
order to decide the genre, visual codes could consist of angles, shots and motions. A
low angle will, for example, make the character seem much stronger than they really
are, and a little bit intimidating. In post-production technical codes are items that
have changed to make production more successful or more practical. Editing,
lighting and camera techniques can be examples of these.
News Reader
A studio news reader is the person who begins with the latest news. They are often
in the main studio where the news is delivered and field reporters are introduced,
and they discuss the storys further and educate the public about the subject more
thoroughly. News firms like the BBC or Channel 4 will always have news readers.
In order to produce a more professional piece of news, studio readers have to obey
the code and conventions, keeping the viewer interested and consistent in the news
reader. News readers should be able to keep an eye on the camera squarely and not
turn away while reminding the viewer. This gives the public more faith in the news
reader who provides the most valuable material. It also helps the viewer feel like they
are talking to the news reader, and the news reader discusses the subject so that
they keep seeing the items.
News readers must be intelligently dressed to attract the interest and confidence of
the audience. The audience believes that the newsletter is clever and well aware of
the subject. The news reader from the studio can also speak in body language. If
they sit up straight and do not get lost, the viewer will know that they have faith, and
will remain on the channel, as the news reader will tell you with the first impressions.
The BBC has been able to obey these codes and conventions effectively. The studio
newsreader is often dressed properly and looks straight into the camera as they
produce a news story. This gives the public more faith in the programme and is
widely trusted by the viewers of the BBC.
Donna Traynor
Krishnan Guru-Murthy
BBC Newsline
Channel 4 News
Field reporters
In general, field reporters are just like studio news readers, and nearly always live.
They are also relevant for the production of an article when they report from the
scene and get insights such as Vox pops. If a riot happens in Belfast's New Lodge,
the field reporter will have to be on scene to cover the situation in the report. Field
reporters often have a dress code, but it is not as rigorous like studio news readers.
They are supposed to wear smart clothes when they talk about a formal, not
dangerous subject, such as politics. However, they wear helmets and bulletproof
vests if they report from a hazardous position for example, covering a riot.
You must also display good body language while reporting, otherwise the audience
can be disconnected, like I f they were leaning against something, you'd think a lot
differently of them and feel like they don't know a lot about the subject and don't take
it seriously. They must always be well-presented, but not too disruptive so that the
public does not feel humiliated or intimidated.
Links to the studio
Linking to the studio is when a news team wants to talk about a news story within a
studio, but they collaborate with another outlet to collect more data or share an
interview with a guest.
Most news companies do this, but for example, BBC sometimes do it as they would
want talk to a particular studio about a news item that will involve someone who is an
expert on the situation.
Links to a studio don’t always have to involve other news companies though. They
could merely involve other subsidiary departments within the BBC. For example,
BBC Newsline linking with BBC Breakfast, etc.
Interviews
Quite frequently, interviews are used in news pieces. The aim of interviews is for a
journalist to learn more about a certain subject by posing certain questions to
someone with more knowledge on the topic, or an opinion. In their presentation, this
makes the news part more precise. In factual programmes, interviews are often used
to get opinions from multiple sources, so all sides to a story are represented to
ensure that it is not biassed. This gives the news a more casual approach, making it
more personal for the audience as well.
Vox pops are small interviews held to get their personal opinion about a particular
subject with members of the public. These are used to allow the viewer to engage
with the programme. The news must cover both sides of a certain story, so there
must be different views.
Actuality footage
Actuality footage is real footage of a certain incident which plays a significant role in
factual programmes. It is used to provide a deep knowledge of what's going on in a
certain area to the audience. It also shows the audience what it looks like and how it
has changed in the area. The audience will interact with the programme and see the
effect by using real video. The viewer would not feel as sympathetic and keep
engaged and would not even trust the story if it were just someone talking about a
problem with no footage to back it up – they’d just switch to another channel.
Actuality footage can be viewed in several different ways like mobile phone footage,
CCTV, and more.
Mode of address to viewer
This is where an audience and style of show can be adjusted to suit the programme.
BBC news, for instance, is very serious and professional about the way they report.
As it is an informative programme, their primary target demographic is the older
generation. All will be formal in this programme, e.g. the way the presenter looks and
how they introduce themselves. However, the likes of Channel 5 is much less formal
and uses slang to target the younger public.

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Unit 27

Codes and Conventions of Factual Programming

What are factual programmes?

What are codes and conventions?

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