Production Analysis

With the growing spectrum of the way in which we, as viewers, can receive our media, journalists alike are having to become much more multi-skilled in order to be successful and acquire to the public’s demands. It is no longer just about filing a short TV package to the newsteam, it getting broadcast and that be the end of it, as now journalists are expected to then upload this material to websites and write web-based stories to accompany this also.
There is evidently still a long way to go for the media industry to fully embrace converged journalism, however some websites, such as The Guardian and the BBC are arguably at the forefront of this modern phase of journalism.
During the convergence unit, I found that one of the main pitfalls were lack of communication between all four teams, and an unwillingness to share material, as I believe most people, including me, initially deemed it more important to get our own work finished before worrying about sharing it with the other teams. However, as the newsdays went on there became a clear emphasis on sharing material and staying well communicated with the other teams, and in hindsight this raised the quality of practically everyone’s work as the journalism became more varied and interesting.
During the 8 weeks of doing converged journalism, I found that one of my strongest roles was during both of the TV days. During the first newsday, Laurence, Jack and I were sent to Boscombe to cover a daylight robbery in the town centre. We carried out some initial research in the newsroom, where we studied the press release and gained all the necessary information in order to film a strong informative package. On arriving at the scene, we took some GVs of the area and I came up with some creative ideas for how we could improve the standard of the package such as pull focus’ etc. Laurence wanted to present the piece and I think he did a good job in doing so. On returning to the newsroom we still had the whole afternoon to edit the package, and we all chipped in with creative ideas of how it should be put together. We also got lucky with an interview in that we asked a resident who lived in the street where the robbery took place if we could chat with them and it just so happened that she was the Neighbourhood Watch leader for that road, giving our piece more substance.
I also think I excelled in the second TV newsday in which me and Jack filmed a package on a new golf simulator, however we should have communicated better with the editorial team in order to ensure they knew what we were doing and we could have got our package broadcast. Whilst filming this package, we also shot an interview with the Chamber of Commerce for Bournemouth, showing that we could multi-task and gather a range of material for a range of projects in one day.
I also think I worked well as the sport reporter on our last radio newsday, where I gathered stories, interviews and wrote the script also. The presenting was done to a good standard in the first bulletin, however in the second bulletin I did stutter over what I was saying. I think that throughout this day I stayed focused well and worked to a professional standard.
I think that one of my main strengths throughout the convergence unit was in making editorial decisions/ideas. I feel that I demonstrated a firm knowledge of what we should be broadcasting/which stories mattered the most throughout the unit. I also communicated well with the other teams throughout most of the newsdays, and shared much of my material to be put forward in other mediums of the industry. For example, during the last newsday, when working as radio sport reporter, I interviewed a lady who organised a walk to raise money for AFC Bournemouth. As soon as I had recorded this interview (over the phone) I gave it to the online news team who used it in one of their stories. I also, during the same day, used a recording of an interview with AFC Bournemouth player Danny Holland off of the TV team, which eventually went in both of our bulletins. I think it is communication/use of varied material that is essential for any journalist to succeed in an expanding industry.
During my experiences in this fresh and exciting unit, I have learned how communication is key to success in a media industry where everyone needs to be aware of what is going on, who is doing what, and when it will be ready by. Also, deadlines needed to be set and be more rigorous to ensure all of the team were back in the newsroom in time so that all of the material could be utilised in the most effective ways.
If I was to do this again, I would have tried to stay more focused throughout the long days, especially that of online features which in my opinion was too long for what was needed by the team. Being that most of the work in this team was typed up in the features room, there was not such a need for is to be in from 9-5, and at times I found myself sitting round not knowing what to do, whereas I could have been more productive with my time and written more features.
I would also have constantly kept in contact with the editorial team so that everyone knew what was happening/what time we needed to be back etc. I also would have been more authoritative when I didn’t agree with the editorial decisions that were being made, as often I found myself being sent on assignments that didn’t seem necessary to me therefore my motivation to create a quality piece of work may have diminished somewhat.
In the future, for me to improve my work, I will put more of an emphasis on original news. During newsdays such as online news, even though I was the deputy editor so had to be in the newsroom all the time, there could have been more of a drive to gain original news stories, even if it meant sending another member of the team out to cover it.
I will also carry out my own interviews to give my work a more original and unique touch, and I will also ensure that I plan ahead of any newsdays to ensure that I, along with my team, know exactly what is going on, who is covering which stories, how long they have to cover it/gather material etc.
I have found this convergence unit exciting, challenging, and most of all inspiring. It has shown me how important it is to share/gain material from other mediums and it can make web-based stories so much more interesting than just typed up copy.