Issues in Factual Programming

Accuracy:
Accuracy is how accurately the presenter has done their research on a certain topic. If the presenter has not done their research properly then they will not be able to get the answers they want. For example, if Gary Lineker (presenter of Match of The Day) didn't do his research on the football teams he was going to talk about then he wouldn't be able to talk in depth about those teams. Often most presenters do their research properly and often get their facts right.

Balance:
Balance is how fair something is to an opinion or side of an argument. If a report is balanced then they will not say something is better or something is right/wrong when talking about a topic. An example of balance would be asking to completely different people a similar question like what do you think of the weather today? This is because they will give two different viewpoints on the weather.

Impartiality:
Impartiality is how something is not bias to one thing rather than the other. To be impartial you can't show an obvious opinion on the topic. A factual program presenter has to be impartial when talking about a subject because if they were bias then the audience wouldn't get the correct viewpoint of the subject.

Bias:
Bias is when someone has a clear opinion on a subject, and expresses it in an attempt to change the opinion of others or to effect the outcome of something. If you are a presenter in a factual program and are bias towards a group of people  then it may effect the outcome the viewers opinions on the subject and this would ruin his or hers reputation.

Representation:
Representation is how something like a TV program is represented (shown) to it's audiences. It is basically the aesthetics which is very important as it could determine if you like that show or not. It also has to be represented appropriately for that show. If it isn't then people could get the wrong ideas about a show. For example if theres a TV show about pottery but on the main title screen it has pictures of flowers and sofas, then that audience will get the wrong first impression.

Privacy:
Privacy is how a person or celebrity is shown in the media when they are trying to live a normal day to day life. Often celebrities have their privacy invaded when they are at the shops or on holiday. These are mainly photos taken by the paparazzi so they can be put on websites or in magazines/newspapers. An example would be when the American paparazzi harass Kanye West when he's out doing his daily business.

Contract With Viewer:
Contract with viewer is when a presenter or interviewer keeps the audience interest by directly addressing the viewer when speaking. This could be when they look into the camera and ask a question to the viewer, or say something that grabs the attention. Also, it could be when the presenter says on topic, or an interviewers questions are all relevant to the topic. For example if the interviewer is meant to be talking about the gay community, but then starts talking about politics, this is an example of bad contract with the viewer.

News Conventions

Studio Newsreaders:

Studio newsreaders are often in the studio and are the first people you see when you watch the news. They sometimes sit behind a desk but can sometimes move from their desk to a large screen displaying facts, video footage and information.

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Field Reporters:

Field reporters are news reporters that are generally outside of the studio and often give more information about a subject and report from a specific location that is related too the subject. They sometimes report but they can also be pre-recorded ready for the news later that day.

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Links To Studio:

Links to the studio are used when a studio newsreader wants too cut too a field reporter during a broadcast. This is often when the field reporter is ready too broadcast live about the subject. They are also used to make the program run smoothly so the viewer can understand it better for example if there was an ad break then they would need a link to the studio to make the program run more smoothly.

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Mode Of Address To The Viewer:

The mode of address to the viewer is usually formal because the newsreaders have too stay professional. On the other hand some news programs are sometimes more informal too suit their audience, for example the main BBC news is generally always formal because their audience is mainly adults and older people. Whilst Newsround on CBBC is very informal because their audience is children and if it wasn’t informal then their audience wouldn’t find it interesting.

Interviews:

Interviews are often used to give the audience more information on a story. They may get an eye-witness to explain the story in more detail, or they could get an expert on the subject to talk about the story. This is because those people will be able to answer more in depth questions as they know more about the story than most people. 

Experts and Witnesses:

Experts and witnesses are generally used in interviews. They can either be interviewed on the street near where it happen or a relevant place, or they could be invited into the studio. A relevant place where they might be interviewed is for example the story is on politics, they will often get an interview near the houses of parliament. 

Actuality Footage:

Actuality footage is footage which is real and that is taken at the scene at the time the event was happening. Often this is amateur footage taken on a mobile phone or off a security camera. It is used to show he viewer that the event happened in real life and can sometimes shock the viewer.

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Interview Styles

Combative Interview:

In this clip, we see Jeremy Paxman interview Russell Brand over the topic of politics. Paxman is very assertive in his question and Russell Brand, who starts off very relaxed and light-hearted, then gets very agitated by Paxman’s tricky questions. Combative interviews are often very aggressive with the interviewer being very forceful in their questions.

Light-Hearted Interview:

In this clip, Ian Holloway (ex-manger of Blackpool Football Club) is in a pre-match interview and tries to make funny points on footballers wearing neck warmers. He then takes the micky out of Blackpool’s pitch by saying how bad it is, but always makes jokes about it. Light-hearted interviews are generally very relaxed and the interviewer and interviewee are very friendly towards each other.

Investigative Interview:

In this clip, the interview acts like a therapist as the interviewee, Randy, talks about him as his girlfriend’s relationship. The interviewer tries to obtain all the facts from Randy as he describes the events that took place. In an investigative interview the interview tries to ask difficult questions towards the interviewee as they try to collect the information in a calm manner.

Promotional Interview:

In this clip, Bastille are being interview by the Soccer AM presenters. They ask questions about the band and the music that they make. The interview is very light-hearted but it is mainly promotional because they advertise their new album by saying that it went to number one. In a promotional interview the interviewer asks questions about the interviewee. These can be questions about a product made by the interviewee or personal questions, which advertise that person to a new audience.