Channel 4: Case Study

Basic Details

1: When is Channel 4 News on?
    Channel News is shown at 7pm, Monday - Friday and lasts for 55 minutes.
2: When was the programme first broadcast?
    The programme was first broadcast with the channel in 1982.
3: What awards has the programme won?
     Channel 4 News have won several awards Including:
      - British Academy Television Award for Best News and Current Affairs Journalism.
      - British Academy Television Award for Best News Coverage
      - International Emmy Award for News.
4: What is the media institution that produces Channel 4 News?
    The media institution that produces is Channel 4 News is ITN.

Presenters

1: Who are the presenters?
    The Presenters are: Jon Snow, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Matt Frei and Cathy Newman.
2: What are the presenters wearing? What does this communicate to the audience?
    The presenters are wearing formal attire however in the case of Jon Snow he has a varied choice of     ties which has a slightly informal effect but also makes them seem approachable.
3: Why might a TV News programme use a variety of presenters?
    A TV News programme would use a variety of presenters because it will engage a larger audience     from different backgrounds. Potentially improving ratings.
4: How are other reporters or presenters used in the TV News programme?
    The three main presenters all take part in various reports, interviews and investigations. There             are however, different editors for different fields of news.
5: Is there a balance between male and female presenters? What about race/ethnicity? What effect           might these aspects have on an audience?
    One third of the presenters are of an ethnic minority and one third are female. This may cause             the audience to consist of both genders and will include some from various ethnic backgrounds.

Opening Sequence

1:What is the very first shot?
   The Very first shot consists of the Channel 4 Logo and then cuts to a clip of the main headline.
2:How does the opening sequence use graphics or images to grab the attention of the audience? The      use of the graphics grabs the audiences attention because the vibrant purple, pink and orange on the    white background makes the brand seem clean and modern.
3:How is music used in the opening sequence?
   The opening fanfare plays immediately after the presenter has introduced the main headline and          ends before the other begins talking about a news story
4:How are news stories introduced in the opening two minutes? Is there just one story or are the            audience told what will be coming up later?
   A Presenter only introduces one story at the beginning, however, during the opening sequence 
   Three images are displayed. They could either be related to the story introduced beforehand or are      for a different news story entirely.

Studio Mise-en-scene

1:What aspects of the studio can be seen by the audience? (Desk, cameras etc.)
    The things in the studio that can be seen are: a desk, a screen that is used in the background during
    stories and the lights above that seem to be in the shape of a 4.
2:Are the presenters standing or behind desks? Why do you think this is?
   The presenter tend to be standing, this could be due to the fact that Channel 4 News is aimed at a         slightly younger age group therefore has some informality to make them seem more approachable.
3:Are journalists or technology visible? What might these things suggest to the audience?
   Technology is visible throughout this could suggest to the audience that they have the most recent facts.
4:How does the studio use colour?
   The studio tends to be white and purple with some variations in the very back and also within the         graphics. This makes the reader feel like Channel 4 news is modern, especially towards the 
    younger viewers.
How news stories are presented

1:How does the news programme typically present a story?
  They typically present the news stories with voice overs on videos and images.
2:What difference techniques does the programme use to present the news? (E.g. presenter to camera,     reporter on location, interviews, graphics, images, video etc.)
    Channel 4 news tend to present the news in several different ways: Reporters on Location,             Video/Images with voice overs, Interviews, experts and the usual in studio.
3:What types of news does the TV News programme typically cover? Give five examples (e.g.               politics, international, sport etc.)
    Channel 4 News Typically Covers, Crisis', Political, Online , Homicide and War/terror threats.
4: Give two real examples of how news stories presented to keep the interest of the audience.
    The Habbo Hotel Scandal was presented in a way to keep the interest of the audience. The                   presented it using an investigation, which included first hand experience and accounts from a               producer of Channel 4 News and a Child safety expert.

Running Order


1:What is the top story?
   The top story is the most important story of the day so far regardless of whether it is local, national       or worldwide. In this case, it is the 'Migrant Crisis'
2:How long does the top story last for?
   The top story tends to get the most coverage, it usually includes interviews and sometimes                   investigations by one of the presenters or editors. This one lasts for about 15 minutes.
3:What are the other stories the programme does or will cover? List them in the order they are                 presented in (the ‘running order’).
     A) 'Migrant Crisis'
     B)  The General Election
     C) 'Woman dies after taking 'diet pills' bought over the internet.
     D)  US Inmates Wrongly Convicted & Freed Decades Later
     E)  Campaigns in Northern Ireland
     F)  Diary of a Homeless Girl
     G) Google Search Overhaul Could Spark 'Mobilegeddon'
4:How long is each story shown for?
   With the exception of the main stories, each is shown for, on average 2,3,4 or 5 minutes.
5:Why do you think each story was shown for the time it was?
    The 'less important' stories are shown for a shorter amount of time.
Audience

1:What is the target audience for this TV News programme? Research online – you should be able to    find plenty of suggestions to the target audience if not the official target audience of the                      programme.
   18-30 Year Olds
2:Why might someone choose to watch this TV News programme over others?
   People might choose to watch Channel 4 News over other News TV Shows because rather than 
   waiting for other people to find the latest on some stories, they launch investigations an often use        presenters and professionals, this in turn makes them very different. The presenters also express          their own opinion which could easily become quite controversial.