Types of news broadcasts.

 

There are many types of news broadcasts, each one presented in a different manner and prepared in a different style. Probably the most elementary type of news broadcast is the one presenting news of the Associated Press, the United Press, or the International News Service. These various services were originally organized to serve newspapers and the items that come over the teletype are written in newspaper style rather than radio style. Consequently, radio reporters find it necessary to "process" such items, making them bearable rather than readable. These reports are generally presented by the station announcer, who concerns himself merely with the narrative news lead of the newspaper article. Everyone experienced in the field of journalism knows that this news lead is an abstract of a whole news item, answering the questions what, why, where, and when, who, and how. In the same category are the news items transmitted by wire by the Trans-Radio News Service. These items, however, are prepared for radio presentation and do not require to be processed. In such programs news facts are given with no comments of an analytical character. Local news reporters frequently endeavor to create some connection or transition between items to make the broadcast more unified. Other sources for news include items which are lifted from newspapers. This is a legal procedure, since stories have no property rights after publication unless they are copyrighted. Items appearing in newspapers under the various news -service headings and feature material are generally copyrighted. In many progressive stations there are facilities for gathering local news. Quite a number of my students at the University of Michigan have sent to their home towns, in which there were radio stations, news of the students from those towns who are attending the university. Such service upon the part of the students gave them a contact with the local station which was helpful after graduation. Then there are the news commentators, who take the news of the day, relate it to happenings of the past and to those of the probable future, and analyze its significance. These broadcasts are given in a less formal manner by the speaker, who puts a great deal of his personality into such presentation. The news that is presented by a commentator may be colored by his own attitude or by the policy of either his station or his sponsor, if he is sponsored. Because radio listeners are tuning in on a program, commentators usually save their most important item for second place unless their news is preceded by a lengthy announcement. An item of national or international aspect is considered most important. The commentator attempts to tie up today's story with the news of yesterday, forming a sort of "continued -story" effect which shows how the events of yesterday have led to those of today, and how these events may affect politics or history of the future. During the course of his program the news commentator includes some human -interest stories. It is good practice to insert short, bright, and fast-moving items between long news features. As the editor of the invisible newspaper, the commentator must have a sense of what will appeal to the greatest number of his listeners; weather is a subject of universal interest, while financial statements will interest only a limited class. As the radio listener has been taught to visualize what he hears from his receiving set, it is difficult for him to jump from a New York item to Paris and then back to Washington. The news commentator writes his material so that the listener can visualize the scene, feel that he is an eyewitness. The conversational news of the commentator is not so immediate as that presented in press news reports. Some commentators speak extemporaneously from notes, cleverly changing their pace and pitch to conform to the content of the items and to mark a change of subject. There are news commentators who endeavor to tie their items together regardless of their relationship; to do this sometimes results in monotony. Frequently the news commentator will bring in a few lines of commercial plug for his sponsor in the midst of his remarks. This, however, is a dangerous practice because the listener will feel that the important news has been completed and will tune off the commercial, losing the balance of the news. The better practice is for an announcer to give the commercial plug at the beginning and at the end. 1f a plug must be given (luring the news broadcast, it is better that the announcer's voice be heard so that the commentator may be freed of commercialism. The commentator must not allow his items to cause alarm or anxiety for the safety of friends or relatives of the listeners. The larger broadcasting stations maintain their own ticker service, which is used as the basis for the manuscript prepared by the local commentator. In many instances the commentator will endeavor to bring in a personal touch by commenting upon his own experiences in the country concerned in the news or his acquaintance with and observation of individuals. Also, there are the programs that deal with topics and personalities of current interest, given by "columnists" who are not so much concerned with the news of the moment as with anecdotes, inventions, or gossip. Some of them are merely answering inquiries that have been mailed to the commentator. Another type of news commentator is the one who talks about industry and what is going on within it. His material is of the feature -story variety, and it does away with the requirement of a narrative news lead. He dramatizes what he sees; thus it is best that he first see what he discusses. Frequently he is sponsored by the industry he describes. News is dramatized in some programs, such as "The March of Time," "Farm and Home Hour," and others.