The BBC World Service In London
The BBC World Service is viewed by many as one of the most respected broadcasters in the world. It was launched in 1932
Its aim is to be the best known and most respected voice in international broadcasting. The BBC is required by its royal charter to be free from both political and commercial influence and answers only to its viewers and listeners.
Accuracy, fairness and impartiality are at the centre of all the BBC’s journalism, irrespective of the language or the medium used to reach their audience.
The core feature of much of the World Service scheduling is the news. This
is almost always transmitted at one minute past the hour, in a five minute long bulletin, and on the half hour where there is a two minute summary.
How is the World Service viewed abroad? Focusing this on the Arabic Service, it appears that it is seen as trusted and objective.
It appears that in critical moments like during the Iraq war, the war between Hezbollah and Israel and during the Intifada in Palestine people go back to the BBC.
Although Al-Jazeera has taken a lot of its monopoly, people return to the BBC because they expect it to be unbiased and honest.
Monday, 27 October 2008
CAR - Computer Assisted Research for Journalists
With the pressures on journalists increasing, fast and efficient researching on the internet becomes essential.
This research is known as Computer Assisted Reporting which is done all on the World Wide Web.
An integral part of any journalist’s role is to track down people for interviews or as reliable sources for the stories they write. These people can be celebrities or real people who have been in the news.
This can be done through databases such as lexis nexis, 192.com, 123 people and yoname.com they are databases which will search far and wide in the internet for any information you are looking for.
There are also certain techniques that journalists can use when searching in Google or any other search engine which can make them find the information they require easier.
It is best to avoid using simple terms as it will only take you so far. It helps to visualise the information you want on the web page you are looking for.
These techniques are such an eye opener as people can use them not only for work but in their everyday life as well; to track down information, people they have lost touch with or even past loves.
With the pressures on journalists increasing, fast and efficient researching on the internet becomes essential.
This research is known as Computer Assisted Reporting which is done all on the World Wide Web.
An integral part of any journalist’s role is to track down people for interviews or as reliable sources for the stories they write. These people can be celebrities or real people who have been in the news.
This can be done through databases such as lexis nexis, 192.com, 123 people and yoname.com they are databases which will search far and wide in the internet for any information you are looking for.
There are also certain techniques that journalists can use when searching in Google or any other search engine which can make them find the information they require easier.
It is best to avoid using simple terms as it will only take you so far. It helps to visualise the information you want on the web page you are looking for.
These techniques are such an eye opener as people can use them not only for work but in their everyday life as well; to track down information, people they have lost touch with or even past loves.
Sunday, 12 October 2008
The Local Press and What Makes a Good Story?
Newspapers can be divided into three types. National, regional and local. By examining closer the structure of the local newspaper, they focus on smaller areas and are funded through advertising and distributed free to all homes and business in the area.
They wield a lot of power locally and can change things in the community. Many nationals use local papers as a network of news agencies and a lot of the news that appears in them may have started with a local angle.
What is it that makes a good news story? The most important thing is that you must have good sources that can corroborate any facts that you use.
A reporter of a local newspaper will first do the calls to the emergency services for crimes that can be reported.
Another source is to use reporters from your own paper, if they have written a story that supports your own. Freelancers may even be used.
News agencies as Reuters, AP, AFP and PA are traditionally the major sources of news for national media; they can occasionally be used for local stories if there is a link.
Another important source for local papers is local government and press releases about local events.
The local press plays a vital service by making what happens in the local government, courts and the area public and answerable to the community.
They wield a lot of power locally and can change things in the community. Many nationals use local papers as a network of news agencies and a lot of the news that appears in them may have started with a local angle.
What is it that makes a good news story? The most important thing is that you must have good sources that can corroborate any facts that you use.
A reporter of a local newspaper will first do the calls to the emergency services for crimes that can be reported.
Another source is to use reporters from your own paper, if they have written a story that supports your own. Freelancers may even be used.
News agencies as Reuters, AP, AFP and PA are traditionally the major sources of news for national media; they can occasionally be used for local stories if there is a link.
Another important source for local papers is local government and press releases about local events.
The local press plays a vital service by making what happens in the local government, courts and the area public and answerable to the community.
Global Broadcasters Various Coverage of News
With many broadcasters and news agencies reporting the same news there is a worry that they will become impossible to tell apart.
If you choose one story, analyse it you will see differences. This variation is apparent in language, sources used, any bias? How was it reported? Was it objective?
This story is about a suspected Pakistani suicide bomber. The accounts analysed were from BBC, Reuters, CNN, Al-Jazeera and IRNA.
In this exercise, BBC fared the worst. They released an account that had a spelling mistake, didn’t have background, didn’t use enough sources, and showed bias.
Reuters, had a better introduction, use of sources, provided more facts and background on the event. It illustrated bias in its reporting by linking the bomber to Al -Qaeda.
CNN had a better story with better sources. It was more informative. They mentioned terrorism but attributed it to a source.
Al-Jazeera was very good in its reporting and the use of language when quoting sources. It was also very objective.
IRNA, was biased, it came across as a human interest story. Whilst the others reported that there had been attacks in the past weeks, IRNA remarked that it was peaceful.
This exercise therefore proves that, when broadcasters and agencies are rushing to get a story they sometimes cut corners to be the first to break the news.
If you choose one story, analyse it you will see differences. This variation is apparent in language, sources used, any bias? How was it reported? Was it objective?
This story is about a suspected Pakistani suicide bomber. The accounts analysed were from BBC, Reuters, CNN, Al-Jazeera and IRNA.
In this exercise, BBC fared the worst. They released an account that had a spelling mistake, didn’t have background, didn’t use enough sources, and showed bias.
Reuters, had a better introduction, use of sources, provided more facts and background on the event. It illustrated bias in its reporting by linking the bomber to Al -Qaeda.
CNN had a better story with better sources. It was more informative. They mentioned terrorism but attributed it to a source.
Al-Jazeera was very good in its reporting and the use of language when quoting sources. It was also very objective.
IRNA, was biased, it came across as a human interest story. Whilst the others reported that there had been attacks in the past weeks, IRNA remarked that it was peaceful.
This exercise therefore proves that, when broadcasters and agencies are rushing to get a story they sometimes cut corners to be the first to break the news.
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
What is News?
Today we live in an age of real time news where the world can witness world changing events as they happen.
But what exactly is news? News is the information that gives people knowledge they didn’t know before, which informs them about things locally, nationally or globally. It must be current and relevant to its audience. It should evoke a response and grab the attention to keep the audience interested.
News can be divided in to two types, hard and soft. Hard news being about death, war and accidents. Soft being funny and entertaining. It's about individuals known and unknown if they do something unusual. There must be a good balance between the two. What is written must be corroborated always with good sources.
To report high quality news you must be a good journalist. What is it though that journalists do? Journalists inform people about things that are vital to their lives. They report news objectively and fairly by putting aside their own beliefs and views.
How do I feel about becoming a journalist? I feel very passionate and excited about it. It's been something I have wanted for so long and to be given the chance to study and change my career fires me up. To be able to finally follow the footsteps of my father and develop my own media career motivates me even further to succeed.
But what exactly is news? News is the information that gives people knowledge they didn’t know before, which informs them about things locally, nationally or globally. It must be current and relevant to its audience. It should evoke a response and grab the attention to keep the audience interested.
News can be divided in to two types, hard and soft. Hard news being about death, war and accidents. Soft being funny and entertaining. It's about individuals known and unknown if they do something unusual. There must be a good balance between the two. What is written must be corroborated always with good sources.
To report high quality news you must be a good journalist. What is it though that journalists do? Journalists inform people about things that are vital to their lives. They report news objectively and fairly by putting aside their own beliefs and views.
How do I feel about becoming a journalist? I feel very passionate and excited about it. It's been something I have wanted for so long and to be given the chance to study and change my career fires me up. To be able to finally follow the footsteps of my father and develop my own media career motivates me even further to succeed.
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