Exam topic: TV News

Your PPE Media Studies exam is on Friday 12 December at 08.30am.

The preliminary material that gives you the brief you need to follow in the exam is available here. You will also be given a printed copy in class.

You MUST complete the following research and planning tasks before the exam on Friday 12 December.


Research 

1) Choose two TV News programmes to research.

2) Watch your two different TV News programmes on three different nights. Watch the whole bulletin each time and make notes on the following:

• Title, date and time of bulletin
• Presenters
• News stories covered
• Use of graphics, animation, video packages, interviews and live links (key conventions of TV News)
• Use of modern or digital technology (cameraphone footage, audience tweets, hashtags, website links etc.)
• Anything that encourages the audience to keep watching (dramatic video, animated graphics, previews of news or features later in the programme etc.)

3) Research the institutions behind your two TV News programmes. Find out the following for each:

• Who owns or controls the institution
• How the institution is funded or makes money
• Any controversial issues or complaints that the institution has had to deal with in recent years

4) Find out the target audience for your two TV News programmes. You should be able to find a detailed breakdown online if you search intelligently. If you cannot find anything, write what you think the target audience for the programme would be and why.


Planning

1) Brainstorm ideas for a new TV News programme aimed at young people. Plan out the following:

• Title
• Channel, day and time broadcast
• The length and structure of the programme
• The presenter or presenters
• The types of news the programme will cover
• The brand identity for the show - title, logo, slogan, colour scheme etc.
• How you will package the news - video, images, graphics, live links, interviews etc.

2) Plan how you will make your TV News programme interactive with opportunities for the audience to submit photos and video and comment on the issues covered.

3) Prepare for the creative task in the exam. Plan, sketch and draw the following:

• Logo and graphic identity for your TV News programme
• Website homepage for your TV News programme
• Storyboard for the opening 30 seconds of your TV News programme
• A storyboard for a TV advert for your TV News programme

All tasks MUST be completed before Friday 12 December