My
broadcast experiment would begin with a short TV news program, only lasting
about one half hour to one hour, depending on how much this program would need
to cover. The whole show would be
divided into sections—like world news, entertainment, etc—containing brief
segments on about specific pieces of news.
Each segment would contain keyword written below the main image on
screen. The program would only go
through each section once and end quickly.
The
exciting part of this multimedia program happens on the website. If a viewer missed the program, they can read
a brief synopsis of each section from the most recent episode, but it would not
contain the actual TV broadcast to keep viewers watching the show. This synopsis would also contain links to
extra stories that did not make it into the TV program. After watching the program, viewers can go to
the program’s website and enter the keyword mentioned in whatever news segment
they preferred. That keyword would take
them to a page devoted entirely to that specific story, with the latest video
at the top. Videos on the website would
be an actual newscast, as opposed to the brief taste given in the TV program. Each video would focus on clips of action
from the news story, with graphics—photo or diagram—in the video over the
broadcaster’s voice. The videos
themselves would remain as neutral as the broadcaster can write.
The news
program would have no opinion section because opinion would be incorporated
below the video. Opinion writers—preferably
powerful writers—would contribute a written opinion below each video in a
section that would explain why the news segment matters. It would vary slightly for each segment (a
newscast about fracking would be pro/con, a sports coverage would have
predictions about the team’s next events, or none at all, depending on the
article), but each major opinion would be covered by a professional writer. Below the professional opinions, viewers will
have the chance either to expand on a professional opinion or to voice their
own opinions. Instead of decent comments
becoming lost in a sea of incoherency, the broadcaster would monitor the viewer
comments, so they can direct vague ideas into a coherent path or flag downright
fabrications. In this way, the viewers
will be excited to respond for the very real possibility of corresponding with
actual experts on the events and having their ideas reviewed. Below the opinion comment board, there would
be links to similar news segments from the past to hopefully revive comments
and ideas on past stories.
My ideal
multimedia program is inspired by Twitter.
The TV program would be equivalent to scrolling down your Twitter home page,
while tuning in to the website would be clicking the link in each Tweet. In this way, viewers can either quickly
receive basic coverage of news—without repeats—or go further in depth of the
stories they are actually interested in.
The emphasis on Internet news—not television—also provides for an easy
switch to solely Internet coverage in the inevitable collapse of television
broadcasting.
I have
little experience with broadcast news, but I have written News and Features for
my high school’s newspaper for one year, taking photos for my page when the
photo editor was too busy. I’m hoping to
discover how to effectively capture audiences in a multimedia setting, as
opposed to simply by writing.
On an unrelated note, if I ever become a rap star, I'm totally using the name "JFresh."
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