Create broadcast news (2023)

How do you become a great producer?

1. an amazing oneManufacturerFor every story you want to broadcast, always ask yourself a question...who cares?
2. A great producer can quickly sift through and select hundreds of titles and videos per dayimportant to their audience.
3. That doesn't mean every story is deep.Every show needs balance.A great producer will provide great emotional balance to his audience. Emotional balance does not mean the absence of emotions. Apathy isn't a feeling you want to evoke in any audience. However, they also don't want to send the audience into a crazy, unstable rollercoaster ride. A great producer will strategize how he will affect the emotions of the audience from the beginning of the show to the end.
4. A great producer knows his stuffaudience demographicsAnd adjust your story choices and writing style accordingly.

building blocks

News broadcast frombuilding blocks.The first part of the program is called "A-Block". The first commercial airs at the end of Block A. Then the second segment is called "B-Block".

Each station has a different oneindicator wheelfor every show. The indicator wheel shows how many blocks and breaks are broadcast during a news broadcast. It also shows how many minutes of commercial breaks there are in the show.

Most live newscast time slots vary slightly depending on the content. Some stations pre-record their news segments. In this case, it mighthard times.

producer creationtemplate listYour blocks and interrupts usually stay the same. Every day, producers start their day with a blank schedule (including breaks and time slots). The producers are responsiblethe stackThere are enough stories to fill the rags of their newscasts.

Why are the rows highlighted in red?

In ENPS, the red line indicates the manufacturerfloatingStory. float = skip. This means that scripts are not displayed in teleprompters and videos and graphics are not queued in the Ignite automated system.

Producers choose floating stories for several reasons:

1. Reduce show time. Floating stories would help if the show wasExceedorDifficult.The program becomes difficult when:
   • too many stories added
   • Moderator/reporter/meteorologist improvises for too long
   • Another program that will be included in your program is long (this usually happens in sports or live events).
2. Keep backups on the list and have them ready in case of emergencies e.g. B. when filming on the set fails or reporters do not arrive on time.

How television news looks in the eyes of viewers

Here's an example of an A block I created for the 8 at 8 news channel on the Great 38. What viewers see:

How do you do that

Here's an overview of the ENPS showing how I format the A block to tell my editor, floor manager, technical director, director, host, reporter, and cameraman what I want the show to look like:

open script

Here's another example of a show I did. Watch news programs and read summaries to better understand the format.

NOTE: The yellow marker for failure 3 and final weather indicates the timeline. Since my show lasts an hour, it is broken up into two separate half-hour shows. The producer presses the spacebar and the yellow time bar moves through each page of the synopsis to help with show timing.

Here's another example of a show I did. Notice how the show fits the playlist:

Here's another example of a show I did. Notice how the show fits the playlist:

How do you do that

NOTE: For this newscast I moved the script for A44-A49 to Block C due to my long time in A23-A29. Most live newscasts are rated using Nielsen boxes. These boxes record when and how long people watch different channels. Scoring is done in 15-minute increments. Producers don't want viewers to switch channels, which is why writing great jokes is so important. Depending on who you work for, you may need to start C block 15 or 45 minutes after class to improve your score. So A44-A49 are in the C block, because if I leave these scripts in the A block, I won't start my C block until 09:16:40.

So how can I move scripts around during a live show without affecting messaging? I levitated A44-A49 when I realized my A block was going to be heavy. That set the spark, and my director and host skipped those scripts with no problem. When we got to the first break, I told my supervisor that I wanted to move A44-A49 from Area A to Area C. Then I mark the lines and drag them into the C block. I unwrapped them and told my anchor that we would restore the scripts in A44-A49. If you look at the Estimated Duration column, you can see that A44-A49 is 1:40. To adjust my total show time, I moved/deleted the traffic donut in C1-C3 that was supposed to be 1:17.

Election night 2016

Election coverage is notoriously a programming challenge for producers, especially when their show is being broadcast live while the election results are being announced. I did this news show at 8 p.m. Polling stations across the country closed on election night in 2016. That meant I had to be prepared for any change, and it happened.

This newscast is unusual as we usually start at 8pm. On WTTA, but on election night, we'll be broadcasting the WFLA spot at the same time. So the A block would normally start with A1 but as we had an interstitial at 7:45pm on the same show. My A block starts on the A26 side.

Also note that this hour-long newscast is stacked into two half-hour broadcasts, as the content is so extensive that the system will have trouble loading changes if it's one broadcast. Hence you see that the first half hour ends after page D26. Notice below the black line how I prepared the concession and victory speeches so I can drag them into the outline right away. Producers should always have breaking news/election news templates below the black line for faster airing without notice. It also helps directors write code ahead of time so the Ignite automation system can adapt to changes more quickly.

The second half hour is pretty fluid, so you'll find I'm floating around a lot of what I originally planned. I also moved some page numbers to accommodate breaking news. Due to a lot of last minute speeches, I skipped the three minute commercial break which ended up airing at 9pm. Make room for election coverage. Producers should always get their manager's permission to reschedule breaks outside of the designated times, as these breaks will cover advertising costs.

A28 is unlocked in case my prefab opening wasn't processed in time.

Here is an overview of ENPS showing how I organized the 2016 election show.

consumer news

I did 7pm. The show aired on WFLA on December 9, 2015. The show places a heavy emphasis on consumer news, so I chose a few blocks to show different ways to tell consumer stories. I put it together fairly quickly, so there's a lot of room for improvement. For example, if the file contains too many videos, it is better to use a specific image.

Cops and periscopes tease, throw, PKG and tags

run down

tease

throw/lead

PKG-Script

label

Look for ways to use sound

Here you have a story about Adele, a natural pop in the teaser SOTVO, and then a longer SOT in a story that airs on C block.

run down

tease

1 setting, Sotvo script

Don't be a lazy producer

Example of a lazy script:

What is wrong?

• VO is too long.
• File video is not required if there is new video.
• It's not new, now, next.
• Added new element to camera tag.
• Producers are too lazy to create hashtags on camera instead of showing Instagram posts
• The script was not written into the video

how to do it better

• New, now, next.
• The script is written into the new video.
• Video credits for fans.
• Written and broadcast social media responses.
• The writing is more compact/concise.

write the lower third

The lower third is also called "super".

Avoid using certain acronyms in graphics, e.g. B. the World Health Organization:

Example of the lower third

tease lw3

Subject 2 line lw3

Name lw3

write video

how funny the story was

speed

Speed ​​is a critical skill that manufacturers must possess today. It's impossible for producers to know a show's story 100%. News makers need to quickly find out about a wide range of topics. The quicker a producer can do this, the more time they can spend on scripting and creativity.

Tips for producers

• Learn how to search for content on the web.
  • Use Ctrl+F to find keywords.
  • Use the Latest filter if you're looking for the latest information.
• Learn how to search stories to get the most important information at a glance.
• Learn to type fast
  • You need to know what is good writing and what is bad writing.
  • The more you read other people's scripts and watch other people's programs, the more ingrained your instinct for good and bad becomes.
  • Write a lot. The more you write, the faster you become.
• Work smarter, not harder.
  • Create script templates so you don't have to create each script from scratch.
  • Have breaking news templates ready and code them under your outline so you don't waste time formatting when trying to broadcast breaking news.
• Watch/listen/read the news before you go to work so you get an idea of ​​what might be on your show before you arrive.
  • Always keep a list of touching stories in the notes on your phone.
  • Find the sites that you know give you great story ideas.
  • Find out what's on your station when you're on the go. If you work evenings, watch morning shows, or log into content management apps like iNews or ENPS to browse their summaries before starting your shift.
  • Follow your competitors on Twitter.

next level

Being a good news producer means more than just putting on a clean show and getting all the information right. Being a good producer means designing your show in a way that evokes emotion and keeps people watching. Two massively unused tools lie in a producer's beltPromotions and Teasers.

Promotions for viewers. Tease to keep an eye on her.Play promotional videos during commercial breaks. Tease the air during newscasts. The promotions department writes advertising messages. Newsmakers write jokes.

in case you haven't read itPromotions and teaser lecturesDo yourself a favor and keep listening to the talks and learn to write concise, creative and specific teasers.

promotional video

Just because the advertising department is responsible for producing commercials doesn't mean that producers should only focus on news shows.Producers have to work with promotionsSo they can do their job better.

Newsmakers are really the only ones who can see the big picture in their programs. Most advertising producers look at an overview halfway through the day. According to the producer's workflow,A half-done summary is rarely the best representation of a show's outcome.Email your most popular stories to your pitches early. Send them a video and tell them how you intend to make fun of the story. Make sure promotions and teasers complement each other and don't just repeat themselves.

Newsmakers should also ask the advertising department if they see a great story that should be featured on the show.When news producers and publicists work together, it leads to more effective advertising and improves ratings.

tease

If you want to be a great producer, good reviews will help you get your boss's attention. How do you get high ratings? Teasing is the most powerful element a producer can use to engage the audience.

Use your show as teasing.Do your opening in advance.That means you select at least a few sound clips from your stories and have an editor put together a package that shows the three stories that appear in your show. I recommend picking your main story, followed by the other two speakers. Then I'll make fun of your b-block storytease deeplyReport it later on your newscast. So when viewers know you have a great story ahead of them, they'll stick with you.

Here is an example of a pre-designed shower opening:

Know when to break the rules. If you're directing a terrorist attack, focus your entire opening time on that story. I know your executive producer might not like it, but I encourage you to take a stand. Viewers look at your show from a completely different perspective. TV news reporters often fail to realize how insensitive they are when they spread happy stories and poke fun at them right after devastating stories.

Violence is probably a part of any news program. But some acts of violence are so serious that greater caution is required. Your executive producer may want you to stick with a consistent opening track as you build your brand identity. In this case, however, do not hesitate to use more appropriate music. Here are two examples of other stories that I didn't want to include in my opening since the attack was the only story that mattered that day:

if youtease deeplyDon't forget to remind viewers in another trailer, preferably before the story airs.

If your boss allows itMake your teaser in advanceAlso. Add music and sound clips to up the tempo and set the tone.

Break the rules the right way. very happyeach teases three stories, but sometimes it's more effective to exaggerate a story within a story. I know there is pressure on you to write super shorts so you can increase the story count. Many executive producers give you about 10 seconds to address each story. but sometimesIf you take the time to poke fun at a story, it's worth the investmentlike this:

Hire your reporter to record a talk show.Then produce them. This sets you apart from the drab newscasts you face in the battle for ratings. Don't just be upright. Add natural pop-esque flair and some b-roll with pre-produced announcers turned on and off, like this:

Map

Don't make this common producer mistake:

Maps are very helpful in telling such stories. But if you don't include major highways, you'll worry and confuse audiences. So is this near you?

More helpful is an animated map that starts wide and then zooms in. The enlarged map includes major roads and highways.

show wheels

Another way to improve it is to customize your indicator wheel. The producer (or executive producer, assistant news director, news director) will adjust the program wheel in hopes of keeping viewers watching longer.

One tweak to the showwheel that I did in San Diego was the creationseamlessTransition from the imported program. Especially if your opening show is a primetime show, producers can attract more viewers by doing thisStart your newscasts right after the primetime show endsEnd.

The challenge is that the ad has to go somewhere. This means the news break has to be longer or the producer has to move the break to another point in the show, creating an extra block. You have to weigh the options, but I think for an evening show, stealing those viewers in prime time is better than losing some viewers on longer or more frequent breaks. This approach does not work well for morning broadcasts.

Here is an example of a display wheel proposal I made at WFLA. I have to put my opinion first. This isn't necessarily right or wrong, as each newscast adapts to different viewing habits and different ingress and egress programs.

• Instead of trying to fit two blocks before my quarter hour, I made Block A longer and had my audience watch Block B for fifteen minutes. This increases my chances of reaching those viewers in both quarters of Nielsen ratings.
• To get viewers to watch the second break, I included a 15-second teaser in the middle of the commercial break.
• Don't you hate it when you sit down during a break just for the moderator to say goodbye? Just like the audience. If you have a great opening show, stay tuned to see what comes after your news show. So insert a pause at the end of the newscast.

Grabbix

When it comes to Nielsen, great producers know how to interpret Grabix reports. Great producers know how to read between the lines and adapt their news programs accordingly.

Here's an example of a report I submitted while producing a weekend news show:Sunday 6 p.m. Grabix analysis Jeanette Abrahamsen

View Notes

If you're going for a job as a producer, you'll likely need to write at least one show review as part of the interview. Here are two program reviews I wrote before I was hired by WFLA:

• November Jeanette Abrahamsen's review of the May 2013 WFLA show at 11am
• November WFLA Show Review by Jeanette Abrahamsen May 5, 2013 at 5:00pm