Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Burberry…sound like your wish list? Well if you’re answering with a vehement ‘YESSSSS’, chances are that you belong to the fairer sex (exceptions are possible but not the rule). If these words sound like hard to pronounce gibberish to you, then you probably belong to the lesser known race that does not understand the nuances of the luxurious world, the world that you know as ‘burns a hole in my wallet world’!

Welcome to the women’s mind. You’re welcome to stay as long as you please just don’t give your suggestions or ask questions about why we are this way when it comes to shopping. Do that and you should be good to go! The world of women’s shopping has always been a subject of understanding and analysis for many- those who sell want to understand how to get them to buy, those who buy want to understand why do they buy?? To simplify the whole thing, this is a fascinating world and the pathways it opens to understanding human beings(albeit just a part of it- a significant part nonetheless) are immense.

I remember watching the movie ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ and wondering about how real it was! The feeling you get when you see a ‘sale’ sign, or when the most beautiful shoe in the world beckons you from the store window! I think you would have guessed by now that I happen to be part of the believers as well, and part of the fairer sex that believes in the magic of shopping! It is precisely this fact that has encouraged me to think, time and again, that for all the power of advertising…do people really need it? Especially when it comes to women. Is it advertising that does the trick? Do you really need to spend astronomical amounts of money on popularizing something that they would end up buying nonetheless?

Interesting questions aren’t they…let’s try and look for their answers. As far as I know, shopping today is no more result or purpose oriented. Huge disposable incomes, a flurry of brands and a lot lot of pretty things to lure you…no more is it about going out and getting that one thing that you set out to get. Today, shopping is an experience. It is an escape from reality, it is a feeling of contentment after a long day’s work. For many people, sadly so, shopping is even a sign of love- self love but who knows the difference anymore. In such a scenario, it is important that those clever people out there, who decided to make a quick buck by palming off pretty things to unsuspecting rich guys and gals, know how and what to do. If they are not one step ahead of the game, they might as well just quit right away.

This is where advertising comes in. It is possible that women are shopaholics but then the trick is in getting them to choose you over the many others that call out to them.  The many Vogue’s and Cosmopolitan’s of the world are not doing amazing business for nothing. What are they if not large catalogues for expensive brands? Do they sell you trends or do they sell you the want to be part of those trends? And once they manage to entice you into being part of that brigade they ensure that you can find how exactly how to find all those things that they got you to crave for in the first place.

Advertising is just the tip of the ice berg. It’s not necessary that you need to see a cleverly placed advertisement in the newspaper it know that you want it, it could be a nicely dressed mannequin in the shop window, or a catchy billboard hanging over the highway where your car gets stuck each day in the traffic jam. Though they might not make you buy instantly, they act as little viruses that enter your mind and work there till they get you down and under, dying to buy that one hand bag that would solve all your aches and pains, hypothetical of course.

So for all those people who think that women don’t need advertising to get them to buy, aren’t you grossly mistaken! For advertising is around us every minute of every day. And all that talk about being unable to understand why women shop so much is quite unnecessary as quite obviously, it’s not even our fault! Blame it on the pretty magazine cover or the bombardment of subtle messaging all around us, even when you least expect it. In reality it’s the men who want to join us…and to all the skeptics out there…reality check! Most of them already have!

QUALITIES

1) To always be ready for anything- on and off the set.

2) To be forever optimistic.

3) To be good natured and patient.

4) To be flexible and adaptable to change at a moment‘s notice.

5) To be able to put on a happy face when you are not up to it.

6) To be able to look and sound fresh and cheerful for the nth take, even when it is not your fault.

7) To be ready to take harsh professional and personal criticism, identifying that which is justifiable and valuable.

8) To be ready to listen and take direction.

9) To be creative and able to make suggestions, not demands.

10) To be able to be relaxed and appear to be so when not.

11) To be able to be prompt and quick.

12) To be able to be calm and composed at a time of emergency while reading out the news.

SKILLS

1) To be able to ad-lib and fill in to time.

2) To be able to make sense of poorly written scripts.

3) To be able to sight-read.

4) To be able to make scriptwriter‘s words sound like your own.

5) To make a complicated text or concept understandable to your viewers.

6) To be able to summarise a piece of text or interview with confidence and clarity to the camera.

7) To be able to judge time and to have a good mental clock.

8) To be able to learn lines quickly.

9) Not to be distracted by a directors instructions, out-of-vision activity or technical

breakdowns.

10) To acquire a wide general knowledge so that you have an understanding, show genuine interest and can speak with coherence on a variety of topics.

11) To acquire and practice good vocal skills.

OPINIONS AND ATTITUDES

Consciously or unconsciously, the viewer always reads the attitude of a news anchor/reader. It is important that the anchors energy, body language, eye contact, vocal inflection etc are easygoing and comfortable. He must be careful to impart only those opinions and attitudes that are meant to be communicated and are not controversial. While shows are different, a news bulletin must always have one form of presentation and i.e. unbiased.

VISUAL IMPACT

Television is a visual medium and without doubt the first impression must be a lasting one if an anchor fails to make an impression and get it right in the first go then the viewer will automatically switch off. While beauty holds weightage it is even more important for an anchor to present his image right.

Body language

Even the smallest of the gestures are picked up by a television camera and hence it is important the way and anchor conducts himself in front of it. Mini-signals such as twitching of the lip, slow blink of the eyes, fiddling with the fingers are noticeable and the anchor must be careful of what they might suggest.

Posture

It is important that the anchor looks formal and not as if he is lounging in a café while presenting the news or a show on TV. A good posture gives appositive physical image.

Walking and Talking

Many times an anchor has to conduct a story in the field and may not be behind a desk for the shoot. It maybe a live event or it may be an interview. When the cameras are focused on the anchor he must even more careful of how he conducts himself as well as the show. He has to practice to be natural and not clamp up, trip or walk awkwardly. When an anchor is talking directly into the camera it is very important that he holds eyecontact.

This sends a message of confidence and reassurance. It doubles the level of conviction and authority and tells the viewer that the anchors are working from the same script- literally and metaphorically.

Clothes

A TV makes one look 4-5 kgs heavier on screen. Hence it is very important for the anchor to wear the right clothes to give a perfect appearance.

USING THE VOICE EFFECTIVELY

A TV news anchor must use his voice effectively. Because it is distilled over the airwaves and because the anchor is being heard from a box across the room, he needs to give a little bit morevolume, a touch clearer diction and more variation and inflection than usual.

It is not only what you say but also How you say it

A voice is too sensitive for most people to be able to disguise true feelings. Ideally, a skilledanchor must be the master of his own voice, recognizing how and when to use it effectively.

Having the ability to gain a higher variety of notes and inflections gives the anchor the greater freedom to express his feelings or to convey an opinion- or to detach himself from an emotive subject to be able to present the facts without any bias.

Visualizing always helps one understandwhat kind of tone he must use while presenting a certain piece.

Energy

There must be genuine interest within the anchor to show the energy that he wants to portrayon the screen. Else the viewer will be too bored to listen.

Volume

An anchor must find a fine balance between speaking softly and intimately and shouting. Each news item requires a different vocal approach and attack.

Emphasis

Some words or points need to be stressed on and the anchor must take note of these words or points.

Pace

Speed of delivery of the item depends upon the programme subject. He must be careful not to be too fast or too slow and must try and keep it as conversational as possible.

Diction and Articulation

It is very important for the viewer to be able to understand what exactly the anchor is saying.

No beautiful voice, varied pitch or volume will make a difference if the anchor speaks with no clear diction. Some anchors either speak too fast or gabble their words or they speak too slowly. Some even slur and subsequently become incoherent. Clarity comes from clear, firm, consonants and open vowels.

Pronunciation

There are certain standard pronunciations that must be checked and rehearsed before the anchor goes on screen and makes a mess of it. All unusual names must be checked with the person concerned and all difficult words must be checked in the dictionary.

There are many advertisements which  that appeal to our senses. So we treasure their memories-  as a source of humour or knowledge. Some advertisements touch us deeply. They strike an instant emotional connect.  The advertisements then are of some functional value to us.

However, every rose has its thorn. Certain advertisements made in bad taste are however banned. They are censored so strictly that the public are even unaware of their existence. It is that strict step by the government to rule out the existence of any advertisement that might be violating all credos and ethos of ethical  promotion of a concept or a product.

Marketers can go to any extremes to sell their products. They have no scruples. Ethics nearly plays no role in their conscience. They are so highly profit driven in this competitive  market, that even if they do know that the product they might sell might cause harm  to the consumer, they still will not pay heed to their inner voice of societal  reasoning.

In this regard, we can even say that the consumers themselves indulge in  negligent behavior. At this juncture thus the government tries to step in to balance the buying and selling of services or products that might demean social and individual welfare.

In banning advertisements, there are 3 main reasons-

• Deceptive advertising
• Advertising to children
• Telemarketing fraud

Deceptive advertising is the one which is potentially misleading or literally false is deceptive.

Potentially misleading ads are difficult to evaluate because miscomprehension may often occur. Miscomprehension is a problem for firms because the audience does not understand the message being delivered. The FTC regulates deceptive advertising, but not miscomprehension.

Both policy makers and marketing managers have reacted to criticism of advertising directed at children.

Some countries have banned advertising to children under 12.  The elderly are vulnerable to fraud by telemarketers.  A program to combat this fraud is the Know Fraud Program.  Organizations that fight telemarketing fraud are the AARP, the FBI, the  Post Office, and others.

Negligent behavior is composed of actions and inactions that may negatively affect the long-term quality of life of individuals and society.

This type of behavior can occur in two different contexts:

• Product Misuse
• Consumption of Hazardous Products

Many injuries result  from misuse of a safe  product – not from product defects.Using a cell phone while driving is being outlawed in some areas.

Between 1988 and 1998 alcohol related accidents have declined. The methods used to increase consumer awareness are:

• Informing and Education
• Social Controls
• Economic Incentives
• Economic Disincentives

Some products are hazardous and consumption can become compulsive or addictive over time.

Other behaviors are not harmful in moderation but become addictive when they become compulsive.

• Smoking
• Compulsive Drinking
• Gambling
• Compulsive Shopping
• Other Compulsions

Consumers until the late 1960 s were exposed to nearly 3000 cigarette commercials per week of 38 different brands. In 1950 there was already concern over the health hazards of cigarette smoking.  Smoking declined from the 1960 s to 1992 but has held steady since then. As mentioned earlier, there has been a decline in alcohol-related deaths on the road. This suggests a decline in alcohol consumption.  Despite the decrease in sales of hard liquor, there is an increase in alcoholic soft drinks.  These taste like colas or fruit juices but may contain more alcohol than beer does. Gambling affects an estimated 8 to 12 million people. Gambling takes place in casinos in Las Vegas,  New Jersey, on river boats and elsewhere.  State-run lotteries make it easy to gamble by visiting a convenience store. Some consumers “shop till they drop” because shopping can become an addiction similar to alcohol or drugs. There are drugs available to help relieve this compulsion.  Compulsive shopping may be hereditary.

Many ads for instance Nike or even Pepsi etc for their sweatshop or child labour allegations had been banned worldwide.  Ads which cross the limits of vulgarity like the Axe ads mostly have been banned. The main idea is not to distort the notion of attraction and not to demean women. Lastly most ads have been banned because of aggravating the culture sensitive notions of the consumers or even belying the tender age of the youngsters. The Amul Macho ads show the Indian women in bad light. The alcohol ads have been totally banned and yet many companies resort to surrogate marketing that sometimes backfire because they are made in bad taste. Even a couple of  ads of  Fair And Lovely- which destroyed the perception of beauty were banned by the government. And rightly so since the Indian consumers had to wake up to the reality of the beauty of their dark skins.

The parameters of acceptance have changed today with the mindset becoming more flexible and adapting to the changing times.  Thus there are new avenues to explore for the ad-makers of the world such that  no boundaries- cultural, emotional, or physical – are transgressed.

A new idea these days are for firms to come up with their corporate social responsibility towards the citizens of their land.

“Corporate social responsibility” refers to the idea that firms have an obligation to help the larger society by offering some of their resources.

This position would permit expenditures in support of socially responsible activities and provide future benefits in the form of consumer approval and loyalty.

One way of showing that companies are socially responsible is by creating a positive public image.

Another way that firms can show they are socially responsible is by making speedy product recalls. Behind this CSR drive remains the key is only to get  returns on investment.

Thus both consumers and the marketers can flirt with the boundaries of acceptance as much as they can push it. But in doing so, they must keep the larger picture in mind. The moment they cross the line- their efforts in creativity aka the commercials get banned. The government puts its foot down.

Indian media scene has witnessed spectacular growth. With this newfound energy and excitement, media has also explored a whole new dimension of its power. And this realization has dawned not just due to technological advances but through some recent initiatives taken by them as the fourth estate of our democracy.

Moreover, this realization was not a moment of enlightenment rather a gradual process. However, it is to be noted that this power is inherent in media. Media has always had the power to influence, impact, propagate and mobilize. It won’t be wrong to say that media in India, at least, was started with this idea of media as a tool for social change.

This power of media to bring about a social change or transformation is called as media activism.

Social Responsibility Theory of Press

• This Theory proposed by Siebert, Peterson & Schramm in 1956, emphasized the need for an independent press that scrutinizes other social institutions and provides objective, accurate news reports.
• It said that media should promote cultural pluralism-by becoming the voice of all the people-not just the elite group or groups that had dominated national, regional or local culture in the past.
• This theory was initially practiced in United States of America in the 20th century and is characterized by private media ownership. The social responsibility theory is an outgrowth of the libertarian theory. However, social responsibility goes beyond “objective” reporting to “interpretive” reporting. It is the press, therefore, that must be the “more alert element” and keep the public informed, for an informed populace is the cornerstone of democracy.
• The Canons of Journalism, adopted by the American Society of Newspaper Editors also addresses these same obligations when it calls on newspapers to practice responsibility to the general welfare, sincerity, truthfulness, impartiality, fair play, decency, and respect for the individual’s privacy.

History of media activism in India

• It was during our freedom struggle, when our leaders felt need to firstly, inform and educate the masses and then mobilize them to fight against the injustice they were being subjected to, that indigenous newspapers, radio stations came into existence. Most of the radio stations, which lasted for a brief period of time, were operated secretly. Pamphlets and street plays formed important tools of social communication as well.
• For example, the object of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the social reformer in setting up a newspaper was ‘to lay before the public such articles of intelligence as may increase their experience, and tend to their social improvement’, and to ‘indicate to the rulers a knowledge of the real situation of their subjects, and to make the subjects acquainted with the established laws and custom of their rulers’.
• Also, Lokamaya Tilak’s newspaper Kesari and Mahatma Gandhi’s Harijan are examples of media that were revolutionary in their approach and changed Indian mindsets on relevant, important social issues. Thus, media was a significant element during the pre-independence era and worked relentlessly to expose the brutality of the regime and awaken the masses to their rights and power.
• After independence, media remained active for a few years. The introduction of television gave rise to broadcast news, which was faster and more impactful. Programs like krishi darshan and aamchi maati, aamchi mansa aimed at disseminating useful information to the farmers to improve their produce. Also, the then government control broadcast industry featured news bulletins at prime times and at regular intervals on the
• All India Radio (AIR). Although there were a few programs of entertainment, the media during this time was largely used to improve to the India’s social-economic-political condition by empowering the masses with relevant knowledge. Thus, the media once again was summoned as a powerful medium of social transformation.

Scenario Post – 1991: India

• After liberalization in 1991, the Indian media industry welcomed foreign partnership and then emerged private channels and many more newspapers. From here on, the Indian media scenario has been chaotic and vibrant, expanding and impacting.
• In this scenario, the media apparently altered its agenda and social change and responsible journalism was now, limited to a handful of media. Indian Express has for long retained its value of serious, relevant journalism.
• Magazines like Dharamyug, Illustrated Weekly of India were famous for their courage to raise social issues and question the authorities on misgovernance and misplaced priorities. However, by large, the media ignored its role as social change catalyst.
• With the new millennium came in more private 24-hour news channels and niche newspapers and magazines. Once again, the media realized its power and took it as its responsibility to take up matters of public concern and in larger, public good.

Activism of elitism?

• However, many critics argue that such media activism is highly skewed and inclined towards the elite. It is only the urban cases which are pursued by the media while the majority of the rural problems are ignored and remain unaddressed. Along with this ignorance, media turns a blind eye towards people and issues incompatible with popular notions and ideas.
• Indian national media as being highly ‘brahminised’ and supports his argument by citing glaring ideological hypocrisy and disparate in coverage of some recent, important news events. “The elitist middle class who thronged with candles for Jessica and Priyadarshini Matto did not come out of their houses in support of the parents and relatives whose sons and daughters were brutally murdered in a real life psycho thriller case of Nithari serial killings… Nithari appeared as cover story with a sensational element of a thriller, but it never attained the dimension of a campaign

In conclusion, a democratic contour is absolutely necessary for media to be fair and balanced such that the fruits of its activism be shared equally by everyone in the society. For that however, periodic assessment and in-depth analysis of the nature and motives of such media activism is necessary.

Shot:A shot is the basic unit of a film and refers to one length of continuous (unedited) action.In film, a shot is a continuous strip of motion picture film, created of a series of frames, that runs for an uninterrupted period of time.

Shots in relation to distance:

• Extreme Wide/ Long Shot (EWS) In the extreme wide shot, the view is so far from the subject isn’t even visible. The point of this shot is to show the subject’s surroundings designed to show the audience where the action is taking place.

• Long shot A long shot (sometimes referred to as a full shot or a wide shot) typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings; however, it is not as far away as an extreme long shot would be.

• Medium shot A medium shot is a camera shot from a medium distance. a shot of the person from the knees up or the waist up is a close-up shot.

• Establishing shot An establishing shot sets up, or “establishes”, a scene’s setting and/or its participants. Typically it is a shot at the beginning (or, occasionally, end) of a scene indicating where, and sometimes when, the remainder of the scene takes place.

Or an establishing shot might just be a long shot of a room that shows all the characters from a particular scene. For example, a scene about a murder in a college lecture hall might begin with a shot that shows the entire room — including the lecturing professor and the students taking notes.

• Close-up shot A close-up tightly frames a person or object. The most common close-ups are ones of actors’ faces. They are also used extensively in stills photography.

Major characters are often given a close-up when they are introduced as a way of indicating their importance. Leading characters will have multiple close-ups.

Types of close-up: There are various degrees of close-up depending on how zoomed in the shot is.

o   Medium Close Up: Half-way between a mid shot and a close-up. Usually cover’s the subject’s head and shoulders.

o   Close Up: A certain feature, such as someone’s head, takes up the whole frame.

o   Extreme Close Up : The shot is so tight that only a fraction of the focus of attention, such as someone’s eyes, can be seen

Camera movement

Film is a spacio-temporal art form. Other forms are not spacio-temporal because they do not use space and time at the same time or simultaneously. We can create enthusiasm in an otherwise static shot simply by moving the camera. Some basic shots are: Panning, Tilt, Dolly, Track, Arc and Zoom.

• Panning A pan is a horizontal camera movement in which the camera moves left and right about a central axis. Pan shots are used to show the viewer more of the scenery. This technique is also often used to show views from high places, such as overlooks.

• Tilting A tilt done with a mounted camera is quite simple. We just move the camera up or down, without lowering or raising the position of the camera. This is must like panning, only it is done vertically. This video camera technique is used to follow the subject that you are photographing, or to show the viewer a large object from top of bottom – or from bottom to top.

• Dolly Dollying refers to moving the camera forward or backward in a scene. Although, at first glance, dollying may seem similar to zooming, the two are different in terms of how and why you use them. You dolly by moving the camera, whereas you zoom in and out by adjusting the lens.

We can make our own dolly with a wheelchair, a scooter, a skateboard, a rolling cart, or many other devices that have wheels. This camera movement technique is used to follow your subject. The use of a dolly opens up many possibilities, especially when used in conjunction with other techniques. It helps us to roll backwards as well as forward.

• Track When the camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks for a very smooth movement, it is known as a tracking shot.

A track is a lateral, sideways, travel shot, with the entire camera and tripod being moved right or left. The track shot differs from a pan; in that, the depth of field in a track shot is maintained as the whole unit, the tripod and camera – moves past the objects.

• Zoom All camcorders are equipped with a zoom lens with a servo button marked T (for tight) and W (for wide). Zooming in and out changes the focal length and, therefore the size of the image with varying speeds while the camera is stationary. Be careful not to zoom too quickly on your subjects and use sparingly.

Camera viewpoint

• Angles Although the term angle is often used on the set to designate simple camera position, it also has a more limited meaning in terms of camera resources, that is, the height and orientation, or level, of the camera in relationship to the subject.

• Low-angle shot A low-angle shot is one in which the camera is below the subject, angled upward. It has a tendency to make characters or environments look threatening, powerful or intimidating. The low angle shot can also give a distorted perspective, showing a world out of balance. This can produce a sense of both disorientation and foreboding.

• High-angle shot The high-angle shot is obviously the opposite of low-angle, and its effects are the opposite as well. The camera is placed above the subject, pointing down. It tends to diminish a subject, making it look intimidated or threatened. This is the conventional way of making characters look insignificant.

• Eye-level shot Eye-level shots are those taken with camera on or near the eye-level of the character or subject being filmed. Eye-level shots tend to be neutral. Much like the medium shot, an eye-level shot puts the viewer on equal footing with the subject being filmed. It has none of the diminishing or exaggerating qualities of the high and low-angle shots.

• Bird’s-eye view The bird’s-eye view, also called an overhead shot, is actually a variation of the high-angle shot but is so extreme that it has an effect all its own. This shot is from directly above and tends to have a God-like, omniscient point of view; people look ant-like and insignificant. It is used for dramatic effects or for showing a different spatial perspective. It enable the audience to see things which the characters cannot.

• Oblique shot In an oblique shot, also called the Dutch angle, the camera is tilted laterally on a tripod so it is no longer parallel with the horizon. The oblique shot takes the straight lines of the world and presents them as diagonals. It is generally used to give an overwhelming sense of the world being unbalanced or out of kilter. This angle is used for dramatic effects & helps portray unease, disorientation, frantic or desperate action, intoxication, madness etc.

• Point-of-view shotA Point-of -view shot represents the perception or viewpoint of a specific character. It is not used as frequently as one might at first presume, primarily because camera vision and human vision are decidedly not the same.

There are two types of point-of-view shots: Subjective and objective.

When the camera assumes the position of one of the characters in the story, and we see the whole story from his/her perspective, it is a subjective shot.

When the camera assumes the position of a third person watching the scene unfold, it is an objective.

A POV shot need not be the strict point-of-view of an actual single character in a film. Sometimes the point-of-view shot is taken over the shoulder of the character (third person), who remains visible on the screen.

• Bottom angle Views the object from the bottom side.

Rules of Television News Script writing

1. Be Original – As a TV news writer, it is mandatory that you understand the material land information you‘re writing about before you start writing.

Look for the basic elements of journalism – the who, what, where, when, why   and how. They‘ll help you organise the story.

2. Write Simple, Short, Direct, Declarative Sentences – The short sentence is the bread and-butter writing tool for broadcasting.

Long sentences with dangling phrases, clauses and attributions make the story difficult to read aloud and difficult to grasp.

3. Use the Active Voice – News writers show a preference of active voice over the passive

voice because of the conversational nature of TV news, immediacy of broadcasting and―personal‖ dimension of the delivery system.

4. Do not state the obvious – Do not repeat information in the script which is already being shown in visual footage.

5. Read It Aloud – The true test of the conversational quality of a piece of news copy comes when the text is read aloud. The proof is in the listening.

If the script sounds stiff when you read it, it will sound worse when the listener tries to understand it.

6. Write the key point of the story first – When writing a news bulletin try to put the key point of the story first, preferably in the first line.

7. Emphasize why the story is important.

8. Slow Down-– The news with tighter, better structured reporting and more demanding and reflective writing. Highlight the historical context as well as the latest angles.

9. Be Explicit – Don‘t expect the audience to understand hidden and implicit messages.

10. Separate similar stories from one another.

11. Use of Graphics – Make extensive use of graphics to handle statistics and other

quantitative information.

12. Human Terms – Tell the story in human terms whenever possible.

13. Technical terms – Explain technical or specialized terms. Avoid jargon.

14. Avoid Abbreviations and Symbols – Abbreviations are hardly used in a broadcast news copy; symbols in place of words, almost never.

15. Avoid – Adjectives, adverbs, redundant words and subordinate clausesAvoid clichés, time specific words and past tense as much as possible

16. Be extra careful with names – The general rule for names is to notify the audience that the name is coming by putting some alerting words or sentences ahead of it.

When youuse a name for the first time in a story, use the full name; in subsequent references thelast name is enough.

17. Be wary of numbers – Numbers are especially difficult for the viewer to grasp. The general rule is to round off a number unless the exact number is significant. Some helpful rounding terms are: about, just over (or under), nearly, slightly more (or less) than. While speaking figure comes first. It is followed by the currency.

18. Use – Standard punctuation and spell correctly in the script

19. Avoid – Ambiguity and be precise

20. Specify Source – Source needs to be mentioned. Do not pass off your opinion as somebody else.

21. Direct quotes need special handling – Experts generally agree that the direct quotation should be short – a few words, a line at most – and right to the news point.

The word quote and unquote are used rarely, and then only when it is crucial for the audience tohear the exact words spoken.

In broadcast news the best direct quote is a good soundbyte.

TV News Scriptwriting – A combination of skills

Television news writing is more than words. It is a mixture of words and sounds, voices, faces, scenes, lighting, background, colour, motion, editing combining, mixing, sequencing, and producing. Writing for television news is a complex combination of jobs – gathering the facts, choosing the story focus, selecting visual material and words, and putting it all together into a package that is going into a program with other stories in a planned arrangement.

TV News Copy: The Mechanics

A page of television news script is typed in what is called the “split page” format. The two kinds of information in the script are:

(i) Audio Visual Cues on the left of the page

(ii) Words to be read aloud on the right of the page

a) TV News Copy : Adapting It to Video – The writer need to have a solid grasp of thefundamentals of TV news writing and a solid understanding of how a picture story is puttogether, the role of narration, and how the picture, word and sound portions of a story depend on each other.

b) Voice Over: For a V/O story, two sets of facts are needed

(i) Facts about the news event, the five W‘s and H of conventional on-camera news report

(ii) Facts about the edited version of the news story.

c) Story Facts: Television news writers refer to all the facts related to the news event as the dope sheet or poop sheet. The dope sheet includes information about the news story such as the reporter‘s notes from direct observation, notes on interviews with eyewitnesses or participants or others at the scene, newspaper clips, magazine articles, background research, a printed program, a PR handout, faxes, etc.

d) Word-Picture Match: A very basic need in TV news writing is to make the words and picture work together to tell a story.

(i) Writing to the picture: Writing text that is directly related to what is being looked at while the text is being listened to. It is also known as direct narrative or keying.

(ii) Writing away from the picture: is when the text covers aspects of the story that cannot be shown. It is also called indirect narrative.

(iii) Avoid visual reference: Only explain visuals when required.

e) Timing: A news bulletin is timed to the nth second. Script formulas may be used to calculate the time span of a TV news script but they have to be adjusted for a variety of individual variables (pace of the story, speed of reading of the anchor, etc)

Creative writing is anything where the purpose is to express thoughts, feelings and emotions rather than to simply convey information.

Writing is a form of personal freedom. It frees us from the mass identity we see all around us. In the end, writers will write not to be outlaw heroes of some underculture but mainly to save themselves, to survive as individuals.
(Don DeLillo)

Writing practice is what you do when you sit down in front of blank paper and just start writing, without intending to do anything with the result. It’s an enjoyable pastime for me, especially when I do it with friends and compare notes.

There are a few rules for writing practice:

• Keep the pen moving. Try not to think and plan too much once you start writing.
• Don’t edit. Don’t stop and cross things out. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar and especially don’t edit ideas.
• Keep your writing. Write in a book consistently until you fill it up.

There are reasons for these rules. Keeping the pen moving helps you avoid the editor. It gets something out on paper, which is encouraging. It doesn’t matter if you start writing “I don’t know what to write about next, maybe I’ll write about my mother, no I would rather write about ice cream…” as long as you keep the pen moving.

Editing stifles creativity. Save editing for later. The editor in each of us causes us to reject the truly creative ideas because they are seen as “different, wrong”. You can always go over something later and fix the spelling or grammar — don’t do it during practice.

The book is excellent because it makes you keep your old writing around. Regardless of how you feel about the quality of your old writing, keep it. A horrible rambling self-pitying rant may have a couple gems in it: seeds of good ideas, a balanced sentence, or a certain tone which you’d like to bring back later. You can also use your old writing when you do more exercises later: for example, you can start a character in one exercise, then weeks later go back and start figuring out a plot around that interesting character. Finally, the book gives you a sense of accomplishment. I felt so proud when I filled my first book of writing. I’m betting I’ll feel even prouder when I line up a shelf full of completed writing book

Random stimulation is a great aid to creativity. Why? It probably has something to do with the way our brains work. The human brain is very good at tasks like making connections and seeing patterns. When you take two or three random words and force them together into the same writing session, you force your brain to make connections and see patterns. Imagine, all your neurons firing in a completely new way just because you took three random words and thought about them!

The important thing to remember with random stimulation is not to reject the random offerings. If you wait for a word or an idea which already fits, you will not come up with something new. The most creative ideas sometimes come from the words which fit worst.

But where can you get that random stimulation?

Random word combinations

Start with two or three random words. For example, the words could be “fireman” and “blockbuster”. Now, use these words to inspire you to start writing. Plan to include these two words in the writing somewhere. Try going for 10 minutes.

Sometimes when we do these random word stimulations, the result doesn’t actually include one of the words. Sometimes the writer still plans to include the word and is working up to that in the mini-plot that is developing on the paper, but we stop when about 10 minutes is up anyway. Sometimes the writer intended to use the word but the plot twisted in a new direction and the word became inappropriate. Sometimes the word is not used but still can be seen to inspire the piece. It doesn’t matter, because the stimulation still works to get you writing creatively.

Where can you get random words from?

• If you’re writing in a group, get each person to write a few words on separate pieces of paper. Put the pieces of paper in a hat and pass it around. Each person takes out a few pieces and might get one or more of their own words, but might not.
• Do lists of related words. Do a column of professions, a column of verbs associated with farming, a column of colourful things, a column of adjectives used to describe animals, or whatever other subjects you like. Then without looking at the columns, decide to take “the fifth word from column A, the third from column B and the twelfth from column C” or some other combination. Take these words and use them.
• Ahead of time, go through a dictionary and write down words. Every 50th page, write down the first word defined on the page. Fill a page with words in this way, then you have a resource of random words that you can use again and again.

Writing of any sort is hard, but rewarding work – you’ll gain a huge amount of satisfaction from a finished piece. Being creative can also be difficult and challenging at times, but immensely fun.

Tips and tricks for beginners

• Do some short exercises to stretch your writing muscles – if you’re short of ideas, read the Daily Writing Tips article on “Writing Bursts”. Many new creative writers find that doing the washing up or weeding the garden suddenly looks appealing, compared to the effort of sitting down and putting words onto the page. Force yourself to get through these early doubts, and it really will get easier. Try to get into the habit of writing every day, even if it’s just for ten minutes.
• If you’re stuck for ideas, carry a notebook everywhere and write down your observations. You’ll get some great lines of dialogue by keeping your ears open on the bus or in cafes, and an unusual phrase may be prompted by something you see or smell.
• Work out the time of day when you’re at your most creative. For many writers, this is first thing in the morning – before all the demands of the day jostle for attention. Others write well late at night, after the rest of the family have gone to bed. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
• Don’t agonize over getting it right. All writers have to revise and edit their work – it’s rare that a story, scene or even a sentence comes out perfectly the first time. Once you’ve completed the initial draft, leave the piece for a few days – then come back to it fresh, with a red pen in hand. If you know there are problems with your story but can’t pinpoint them, ask a fellow writer to read through it and give feedback.
• HAVE FUN! Sometimes, we writers can end up feeling that our writing is a chore, something that “must” be done, or something to procrastinate over for as long as possible. If your plot seems wildly far-fetched, your characters bore you to tears and you’re convinced that a five-year old with a crayon could write better prose … take a break. Start a completely new project, something which is purely for fun. Write a poem or a 60-word “mini saga”. Just completing a small finished piece can help if you’re bogged down in a longer story.

Responsibilities of a Journalist:

The fundamental objective of journalism is to provide the people with news, views, comments and information on matters of public interest in a fair, accurate, unbiased, sober manner. Towards this end, the Press is expected to conduct itself in keeping with certain norms of professionalism universally acknowledged. The norms enunciated below and other specific guidelines appended thereafter will help the journalist to self-regulate his or her conduct.

Ø  Accuracy & Fairness: The Press shall eschew publication of inaccurate, baseless, graceless, misleading or distorted material. All sides of the core issue or subject should be reported. Unjustified rumours and surmises should not be set forth as facts.

Ø  Journalists should not publish anything which is manifestly defamatory or libelous against any individual organisation unless after due care and checking, they have sufficient reason to believe that it is true and its publication will be for public good.

Ø  Truth is no defense for publishing derogatory, scurrilous and defamatory material against a private citizen where no public interest is involved.

Ø  No personal remarks which may be considered or construed to be derogatory in nature against a dead person should be published except in rare cases of public interest, as the dead person cannot possibly contradict or deny those remarks.

Ø  The Press shall not rely on objectionable past behaviour of a citizen for basing the scathing comments with reference to fresh action of that person. If public good requires such reference, the Press should make pre-publication inquiries from the authorities concerned about the follow up action, if any, in regard to those adverse actions.

Ø  The Press has a duty, discretion and right to serve the public interest by drawing reader’s attention to citizens of doubtful antecedents and of questionable character but as responsible journalists they should observe due restraint and caution in hazarding their own opinion or conclusion in branding these persons as ‘cheats’ or ‘killers’ etc. The cardinal principle being that the guilt of a person should be established by proof of facts alleged and not by proof of the bad character of the accused. In the zest to expose, the Press should not exceed the limits of ethical caution and fair comments.

Ø  Journalists should always distinguish between advocacy and news reporting.

Ø  Caution against identification: While reporting crime involving rape, abduction or kidnap of women/females or sexual assault on children, or raising doubts and questions touching the chastity, personal character and privacy of women, the names, photographs of the victims or other particulars leading to their identity shall not be published.

Ø  Corrections: When any factual error or mistake is detected or confirmed, the journalists should publish (/broadcast) the correction promptly with due prominence and with apology or expression of regrets in a case of serious lapse. .

Ø  Freedom of the Press involves the readers’ right to know all sides of an issue of public interest. An editor, therefore, shall not refuse to publish the reply or rejoinder merely on the ground that in his opinion the story published in the newspaper was true. That is an issue to be left to the judgement of the readers. It also does not be-hove for an editor to show contempt towards a reader

Ø  Covering communal disputes/clashes: News, views or comments relating to communal or religious disputes/clashes shall be published after proper verification of facts and presented with due caution and restraint in a manner which is conducive to the creation of an atmosphere congenial to communal harmony, amity and peace. Sensational, provocative and alarming headlines are to be avoided. Acts of communal violence or vandalism shall be reported in a manner as may not undermine the people’s confidence in the law and order machinery of the State. Giving community-wise figures of the victims of communal riot, or writing about the incident in a style which is likely to inflame passions, aggravate the tension, or accentuate the strained relations between the communities/religious groups concerned, or which has a potential to exacerbate the trouble, shall be avoided.

Ø  Caste, religion or community references: In general, the caste identification of a person or a particular class should be avoided, particularly when in the context it conveys a sense or attributes a conduct or practice derogatory to that caste.

Ø  Paramount national interest: Journalists should, as a matter of self-regulation, exercise due restraint and caution in presenting any news, comment or information which is likely to jeopardise, endanger or harm the paramount interests of the State and society, or the rights of individuals with respect to which reasonable restrictions may be imposed by law on the right to freedom of speech and expression under clause (2) of Article 19 of the Constitution of India.

Ø  If information is received from a confidential source, the confidence should be respected. The journalist should not reveal such information and he cannot be compelled by the Press Council to disclose such source; but it shall not be regarded as a breach of journalistic ethics if the source is voluntarily disclosed in proceedings before the Council by the journalist who considers it necessary to repel effectively a charge against him/her. This rule requiring a newspaper not to publish matters disclosed to it in confidence, is not applicable where:

• consent of the source is subsequently obtained; or
• the editor clarified by way of an appropriate footnote that since the publication of certain matters were in the public interest, the information in question was being published although it had been made ‘off the record’.

Ø  Journalists should, as a matter of caution, avoid unfair and unwarranted criticism which, by innuendo, attributes to a judge extraneous consideration for performing an act in due course of his/her judicial functions, even if such criticism does not strictly amount to criminal Contempt of Court.