codes and conventions

1. By Megan O’Reilly

3. News reports usually include the same techniques and report structure such as;
1. PTC – Piece To Camera (Reporter addresses the audience straight down the lens)
2. O/B – Outside Broadcasts (Live field to a reporter at the location of the story. Gives
an appearance of capturing news as it happens.)
3. C/A – Cutaways
4. V/O – Voice overs – The reporters voice tells us the story and the facts with graphs
or a general view as the wallpaper.
5. I/V – Interviews (with key people or people who know about the story)
6. Vox Pops – The voice of the people, people’s opinions.
7. Graphics
8. Sign Off

4. Astons: Graphics on the bottom third of the screen which give the name and title of
the interviewees or the reporter. Adds kudos to them if they are experts in a certain
area, such as correspondents.
Re-enactments: Sometimes used to show what happened in a situation if no
footage is available. The news programme must always state that it is a re-
enactment and not real.
Links to studio: Field reporters on location link back to the studio and the anchors
often signing off with their name and location.
Library Footage: Archive footage used as general views for a story when no other
footage is available.
Idents: Brand is important in TV News therefore the idents help with the popularity
of a news programme in such an advanced, multi platform era.

5. Mode of address refers to the way in which the presenters and reporters
address the audience, it helps to set the serious, professional tone of the
news programme and also sounds authoritative.
Most commonly used:
1. Personal pronouns (such as thankyou for watching)
2. Direct mode of address (looking at viewers straight into the camera)
3. Very clear, smooth and formal speech
4. Title sequences capture the fast pace of the news and music adds
anticipation/importance.
5. News presenters briefly announce the top news stories at the start.
6. Interviewees tend to look away from the cameras, towards the reporters.
7. Grammar and pronunciation (many reporters use emphasis on certain
words and pause for effect)

6. 1. Establishing shot- sets the scene of the report, usually by panning or
zooming in of a significant location.
2. Camera movements can promote excitement by constant movement
3. Chronological flow – the order in which the story is reported
4. Crowd shots – makes it personal, shows how the story affects more than
one person and normal citizens.
5. Diegetic/Non diegetic sounds
6. Synchronous /Asynchronous sounds
7. Walkie talkie preamble introduces the story.
8. Filler shots – the reporter tells the audience of the facts while still or
moving images are displayed on screen.
9. Long shot of the reporter, using lots of hand gestures and slow, deliberate
enunciation of certain words for dramatic effect.
10. Human interest angle – how issues effect the “everyday” person.
11. Final summary
12. Signing off using dry humour/pun/play on words.