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Why I will never be a Conservative
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Tag Archives: ITN
ITV News: now edited by everyone
I understand that today is the day ITV News moves to a system where reporters edit their own TV packages.
How can you tell someone new to video editing? Well, it’s always the sound that gives it away. That, and the going to black and flash frames.
Having pioneered multi-skilling in TV newsrooms what would my thoughts be? Well, for one video editing has become a lot simpler. We’re not quite at the point where it’s no more complicated than word processing, but it’s getting there.
For a well-resourced news programmes — on one level — it makes sense. But working to deadline, the ability of a number of people performing synchronously to outperform one individual is pretty much given. And, if you have a news channel, the economies of scale are pretty simple. Peter Horrocks is unlikely to view this move as giving ITV a competitive advantage in news.
Still it is going ahead, and the real measure of any multi-skilling effort is the number of hold-outs. Which high profile correspondents miss training days or feign incompetence? You have to judge multi-skilling success by the number of refuseniks. The more, the unmerrier.
In my experience, good TV reporters tend to make good editors. The problem is that the good ones are those that tend to get the extra resources. Not that ITV News is flush with resources. After all, there’s lean, and there’s size zero…
But when ITV boss Michael Grade’s bonus comes in at one fifteenth of ITN’s budget for ITV News — dedicated video editors are a luxury Grade’s vacation plans can’t afford.
When can you use off the record quotes?
My two penn’orth on Samantha Power from the Guardian:
For me as a broadcast journalist, the camera and the microphone are the record. You can’t unsay things to a recording device or speaking live, only apologise or cringe. But in conversation, different standards apply.I was at ITN in the early 1990s when John Major referred to his colleagues as “bastards” in a TV interview with ITN’s political editor. The Beeb’s Nick Jones overheard the remarks. BBC bosses shared ITN’s view that these post-match mutterings were off the record so Jones leaked his notes to the Observer, which broke the story.
I think the technology has changed all the rules. ITN/BBC were operating within their conventions, the Observer within theirs, but now politicians would be cagier — broadcasters can blog those off-mike moments.
In Power’s case, uttering “off the record” immediately after you’ve said something better left unsaid is no protection.
Breaks off News At Ten
News At Ten returned. With no commercial break. Deliberate? Permanent? Odd feeling in what was otherwise a very familiar programme package (well, I did work on it years ago). But down to business. You want an old-fashioned critique of an old-fashioned show? Start with the Bongs (the headlines).
Edmonds after Diana felt like too much crime at the top, and going through the show you have a lot of crime in the faux part one. 1. Hasnat Khan speaks — Neil Connery VT 4. Wrap: Ipswich murder/Peter Hain/Weddell reax 5. Edmonds murder — Penny Marshall VT Still to come: Capello/Lifeboat rescue
2. Diana inquest — James Mates VT
3. Northern Rock — Tom Bradby VT + live
[Place where the break should have been…]
6. Special Assignment — Bill Neely VT + live
Promo: Neely vlog
7. Capello — Geraint Vincent VT
Recap
8. Lifeboat Rescue — Tim Rogers VT
So seven packages, two lives and a wrap — two of the packages themed, “Special Assignment” plus “And finally.”
The style was spare and unintrusive. Khan was a good get, but needed some context to shake the dust off his rather dull pronouncements. Diana going to live in Pakistan! Tell me more…
The story balance made it feel a little too crime-time for prime time. The Neely vlog promo (which looked interesting) was given a lacklustre promo. But a very simple, clean, deliverable programme.
The Lifeboat Rescue felt awkward as an “And finally.” Not exactly life-affirming — more an RTA on an international sea lane.
The only thing it lacked was a little of wit. Doubtless that will come with time. The big audience test will come on day two. For ITN’s sake, I hope it works.
There’s not much not to like here — which isn’t to damn with faint praise, but simply to point out that with news viewers the less you can do to drive them away, the more will stay. But like battery chickens, the odd surprise is good for them.
You can watch the Beeb alternative here. The set piece is John Simpson in Zimbabwe. Big old name plus big international story leading equals statement of intent, and a conservative reply to a conservative challenge.
P.S. Re-read John Hockenberry’s cry of pain — You Don’t Understand Our Audience — in case you think any of this really will shore up the crumbling edifice.