Electronic journalism
Encyclopedia
Electronic journalism (EJ) or electronic news-gathering (ENG) is most associated with broadcast news
where television producer
s, reporters and editors make use of electronic video production
recording devices for gathering and presenting information in telecasts and radio transmissions reaching the public. The acquisition media of choice in 2005 are characterized by a variety of competing types or "formats" of video tape. Sound recording and editing offer a large number of analogue and digital systems. Still images, graphics and animation have their own sets of tools. The editorial systems available provide journalists with tools for fast and flexible assembly and delivery of electronically gathered and edited news reports.
and pre-recorded video is also used in news coverage of accidents, natural disasters and war coverage. Newspapers are also using video journalism online.
of the United States
holds a collection of some of earliest examples of historically significant motion picture film
s for the country and similar collections exist in other nation's archives. From the earliest days of the medium's existence, film cameras have been used for the acquisition of news elements and documentary footage. Film remained important in daily news operations until the late 1960s when news outlets turugu to portable professional video camera
s, portable recorders, wireless microphone
s and joined those with various microwave and satellite truck
linked delivery systems. By the mid 1980s film had all but disappeared from use in television journalism.
The 1962 arrival of the Handy-Looky, a portable video tape camera
from Ikegami
announced a revolution in journalism. This Handy Looky provided a self-contained system of camera with lens
and video recorder, the precursor of today's hand held cameras.
In television
, still photograph
s, may be used when no video camera
can reach a correspondent or interview subject. A still photograph may also be used to show historically notable person and event or in any place where it aids the report. Photos may be recorded with a standard video
camera or the photos can be placed on a special motion control device which allows precise computer controlled positioning. Whether shot in the field or in the studio, the camera operator might zoom, pan or tilt while recording the images. The director
may use portions of this video or may digitally store some selected frames for insertion into the final report.
Graphics
are used to report on financial markets, labor statistics, crop reports, municipal budgets and other instances where tabular data or charts are the best choice for explaining a story element. In electronic journalism, graphics are displayed while the reporter continues to read the script. The graphics, including fonts and titles, convey news worthy information, names and titles. The use of graphics also support a station or network's image. Graphics, in some cases, may open up some revenue generating opportunities to the content delivery channel.
Animation
is an effective tool for communicating views of a natural disaster or a tragic accident like a plain crash. Producers might turn to animation to explain a complex scientific process, economic or political polling
trends; to illustrate news about space flights and many other appropriate uses. Meteorologists make use of simple and complex animation
to show the path of storms.
has long been used to broadcast news as quickly as possible. Many important speeches and public events were covered on radio and still are today. With the growing availability of small, yet high-quality, cassette recorders, such as those from Marantz
and Sony
, radio reporters are able to make use of natural sounds and interviews which brings great detail to their reports. National Public Radio's All Things Considered
has been a pioneer in the use of such sound elements woven into the fabric of its reports.
rooms around the world. The standard report kit includes a battery operated cassette recorder with a dynamic microphone
and optional telephone interface. With this set-up, the reporter can record interviews and natural sound and then play these over a telephone line for rerecording or live broadcast by the content provider (radio or TV station, cable outlet, web radio system). This offers a rugged and relatively simple system which can be placed into a single bag along with extra batteries, tape and supplies.
In addition to the standard compact cassette another popular choice is the digital minidisc
. This has the advantage of superior sound, digital
indexing and is re-recordable, reusable medium. The small cassette format known as DAT
is popular with film makers and other studio professionals because of its superior sound quality and its SMPTE time code
and other synchronization
features. News gathering may also be accomplished with the use of recordable CD and DVD
players and various fixed medium recording system.
Increasingly, physical formats such as DVD and minidisc are being phased out of newsrooms in favour of hard drive and flash memory recorders. These have the advantage of instant drag and drop transfer of audio, saving valuable staff time on waiting for material to load in to editing systems in real time.
Broadcast News
Broadcast News may refer to:*News*Broadcast News , the 1987 movie*Broadcast journalism, the field of news and journals which are published by electrical methods...
where television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
s, reporters and editors make use of electronic video production
Video production
Video production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...
recording devices for gathering and presenting information in telecasts and radio transmissions reaching the public. The acquisition media of choice in 2005 are characterized by a variety of competing types or "formats" of video tape. Sound recording and editing offer a large number of analogue and digital systems. Still images, graphics and animation have their own sets of tools. The editorial systems available provide journalists with tools for fast and flexible assembly and delivery of electronically gathered and edited news reports.
Video journalism
Television news via video is seen daily by millions of people around the world. Some of the typical uses include interviews, panel discussions, press conferences and speeches. Live televisionLive television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
and pre-recorded video is also used in news coverage of accidents, natural disasters and war coverage. Newspapers are also using video journalism online.
Technical standards for video journalism
The National ArchivesNational Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
holds a collection of some of earliest examples of historically significant motion picture film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s for the country and similar collections exist in other nation's archives. From the earliest days of the medium's existence, film cameras have been used for the acquisition of news elements and documentary footage. Film remained important in daily news operations until the late 1960s when news outlets turugu to portable professional video camera
Professional video camera
A professional video camera is a high-end device for creating electronic moving images...
s, portable recorders, wireless microphone
Wireless microphone
A wireless microphone, as the name implies, is a microphone without a physical cable connecting it directly to the sound recording or amplifying equipment with which it is associated...
s and joined those with various microwave and satellite truck
Satellite truck
A satellite truck is a mobile communications satellite Earth station, typically mounted on a truck chassis on a platform allowing satellite transmission from any location that the production truck can reach, provided a line of sight to the desired satellite is available.-Equipment:Typically a...
linked delivery systems. By the mid 1980s film had all but disappeared from use in television journalism.
The 1962 arrival of the Handy-Looky, a portable video tape camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
from Ikegami
Ikegami
is a Japanese manufacturer of professional and broadcast television equipment, especially professional video cameras, both for electronic news gathering and studio use. The company was founded in 1946.-History:...
announced a revolution in journalism. This Handy Looky provided a self-contained system of camera with lens
Photographic lens
A camera lens is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically.While in principle a simple convex lens will suffice, in...
and video recorder, the precursor of today's hand held cameras.
Photographs, graphics, animation
Apart from moving images and sound recording, electronic journalism makes liberal use of still images, graphics and animation in reports.In television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, still photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s, may be used when no video camera
Video camera
A video camera is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition, initially developed by the television industry but now common in other applications as well. The earliest video cameras were those of John Logie Baird, based on the electromechanical Nipkow disk and used by the BBC in...
can reach a correspondent or interview subject. A still photograph may also be used to show historically notable person and event or in any place where it aids the report. Photos may be recorded with a standard video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
camera or the photos can be placed on a special motion control device which allows precise computer controlled positioning. Whether shot in the field or in the studio, the camera operator might zoom, pan or tilt while recording the images. The director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
may use portions of this video or may digitally store some selected frames for insertion into the final report.
Graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
are used to report on financial markets, labor statistics, crop reports, municipal budgets and other instances where tabular data or charts are the best choice for explaining a story element. In electronic journalism, graphics are displayed while the reporter continues to read the script. The graphics, including fonts and titles, convey news worthy information, names and titles. The use of graphics also support a station or network's image. Graphics, in some cases, may open up some revenue generating opportunities to the content delivery channel.
Animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
is an effective tool for communicating views of a natural disaster or a tragic accident like a plain crash. Producers might turn to animation to explain a complex scientific process, economic or political polling
Voting
Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...
trends; to illustrate news about space flights and many other appropriate uses. Meteorologists make use of simple and complex animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
to show the path of storms.
Audio journalism
RadioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
has long been used to broadcast news as quickly as possible. Many important speeches and public events were covered on radio and still are today. With the growing availability of small, yet high-quality, cassette recorders, such as those from Marantz
Marantz
Marantz is a company that develops and sells upper-mid range to high-end audio products.The first Marantz audio product was designed and built by Saul B. Marantz in his home in Kew Gardens, New York...
and Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, radio reporters are able to make use of natural sounds and interviews which brings great detail to their reports. National Public Radio's All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
has been a pioneer in the use of such sound elements woven into the fabric of its reports.
Technical standards
A wide variety of audio recording formats is used in newsNews
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
rooms around the world. The standard report kit includes a battery operated cassette recorder with a dynamic microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
and optional telephone interface. With this set-up, the reporter can record interviews and natural sound and then play these over a telephone line for rerecording or live broadcast by the content provider (radio or TV station, cable outlet, web radio system). This offers a rugged and relatively simple system which can be placed into a single bag along with extra batteries, tape and supplies.
In addition to the standard compact cassette another popular choice is the digital minidisc
MiniDisc
The disc is permanently housed in a cartridge with a sliding door, similar to the casing of a 3.5" floppy disk. This shutter is opened automatically by a mechanism upon insertion. The audio discs can either be recordable or premastered. Recordable MiniDiscs use a magneto-optical system to record...
. This has the advantage of superior sound, digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
indexing and is re-recordable, reusable medium. The small cassette format known as DAT
Digital Audio Tape
Digital Audio Tape is a signal recording and playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987. In appearance it is similar to a compact audio cassette, using 4 mm magnetic tape enclosed in a protective shell, but is roughly half the size at 73 mm × 54 mm × 10.5 mm. As...
is popular with film makers and other studio professionals because of its superior sound quality and its SMPTE time code
Time code
A timecode is a sequence of numeric codes generated at regular intervals by a timing system.- Video and film timecode :...
and other synchronization
Synchronization
Synchronization is timekeeping which requires the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. The familiar conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time....
features. News gathering may also be accomplished with the use of recordable CD and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
players and various fixed medium recording system.
Increasingly, physical formats such as DVD and minidisc are being phased out of newsrooms in favour of hard drive and flash memory recorders. These have the advantage of instant drag and drop transfer of audio, saving valuable staff time on waiting for material to load in to editing systems in real time.
See also
- cable televisionCable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
- Breakfast televisionBreakfast televisionBreakfast television or morning show , is a type of infotainment television program, broadcast live in the morning...
- Current affairs (news format)Current affairs (news format)Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
- Online Newspapers
- Satellite media tourSatellite media tourA satellite media tour is a technique used by corporations to provide an "expert" of their choosing to local television news broadcasts for often-live interaction, with the goal of getting out a specific message. Satellite media tours are related to, and often used in conjunction with, Video News...
- SoundbiteSoundbiteIn film and broadcasting, a sound bite is a very short piece of a speech taken from a longer speech or an interview in which someone with authority or the average "man on the street" says something which is considered by those who edit the speech or interview to be the most important point...
- Tabloid televisionTabloid televisionTabloid television, also known as Teletabloid, is a form of tabloid journalism. Tabloid television newscasts usually incorporate flashy graphics and sensationalized stories.Often, there is a heavy emphasis on crime, stories with good video, and celebrity news...
- U.S. television news
- Television news
- Video news releaseVideo news releaseA video news release is a video segment made to look like a news report, but is instead created by a PR firm, advertising agency, marketing firm, corporation, or government agency. They are provided to television newsrooms to shape public opinion, promote commercial products and services,...
- Vox populiVox populiVox populi , a Latin phrase that literally means voice of the people, is a term often used in broadcasting for interviews with members of the "general public".-Vox pop, the man on the street:...