Aug 30 2007
Reality TV - in the newsroom?
From the land that invented reality TV - moves afoot to expand the concept into the news divisions.
Faced with fallout from a series of high-profile deceptions British TV executives are planning an overhaul of the rules guiding news and documentary coverage.
No more noddys. Channel 5 have announced that reporters will no longer be allowed to edit their reports using “noddy” shots - where reporters are shown supposedly reacting to interviewees, but which are actually filmed afterwards.
No more cutaways. “Cut-away” shots and staged scenes in which reporters are filmed repeating their questions after they have finished their interviews have also been axed.
No more contrived shots. Walking shots in which people are filmed strolling towards the camera are also out. “They are artificial, so we should ban them.”
These moves outlined by David Kermode, news director of Channel 5, in an interview with the Guardian. Other British networks, including the BBC and Sky news, seem set to follow Channel 5’s lead.
A greater emphasis on authenticity and transparency will have a radical impact on the look and feel of TV news. Perhaps signaling the demise of the “teeth and hair” anchors that Mike “Genghis” Rosenblum has been plotting for years.
[…] post — Reality TV - in the newsroom? — has me wondering if new video rules at Britain’s Channel 5 are the equivalent of a […]
The new rules seem more about style than honesty. Nod shots are not meant to deceive anyone, just provide visual interest. The nature of a camera is deceptive in that it does not reveal what is just outside the lens. How about lighting? Is it deceptive to create a video of someone looking like they are in their living room having an intimate conversation lit by the soft glow of a setting sun when in reality they are surrounded by lighting fixtures and a 4 person crew?
But I welcome the move to a more raw, real end product. Enough with all the glitz and polish already.