KCAT
NEWS
Follow the staff of KCAT news throughout their day. See the
News team meet in the morning to discuss the stories they’ll
cover. Learn how stories are selected, not necessarily for their newsworthiness,
but for the drama and excitement they can provide visually. Next,
go along with a field team, including reporter and camera operator,
as they cover a local fire. When
the fire turns out to be minor, see how the reporter manipulates
the story so that it seems compelling and important.
 Meet
a media consultant as she urges the news team to look at focus group
studies that discuss such factors as what color tie the anchor should
wear and whether the male anchor should sit to the right or left side
of the screen, all in the quest for improved ratings. Finally, observe
the airing of the newscast. By witnessing how stories become news
firsthand, you’ll begin to see that even the facts can be manipulated,
taking the viewer along in the process.
 Understanding
how the local news is created is important because news, like every
other show on TV, is primarily a business. A critical viewer understands
that the stories portrayed on the news are not necessarily the most
important, but rather, the ones most likely to draw viewers. A critical
viewer knows that the television news anchor is more entertainer than
journalist; that stories are manipulated for effect; and that high
ratings equal advertising dollars..
|
|
