Case Study: Channel 4

Basic details

1. When is Channel 4 News on? Channel 4 News begins at 7:00 and ends at 7:55 meaning it's less than an hour which is a reasonable timing for the focus span of a normal person.
2. When was the programme first broadcast? The first programme was launched in 1982 so quite a while ago.
3. What awards has the programme won? Some awards that Channel 4 won for being one of the best rated TV news was the 2004 International Emmy as it aired out of the united states. They also won the Royal Television Society in February 2006 including home news award and also the international News Award for Congo's Tin Soldiers. This goes on meaning they won quite a few awards which shows that they are a successful TV news.
4. What is the media institution that produces Channel 4 News?

Presenters

1. Who are the presenters? Channel 4 began by a man named Jon Snow and the presents with him are Krishan Guru-murthy, Cathy Newman and Matt Frei.
2. What are the presenters wearing? What does this communicate to the audience? The presents do differ but slightly. Jon snow preforms in a suit like all the other except he has a tie which is quite quirky and colourful; something you probably wouldn't see on News shows such as BBC or BBC 1. This indicates that they are not completely formal and serious which shows that audience that what they are about to say isn't overwhelming or too complicated.
3. Why might a TV News programme use a variety of presenters? In my opinion, I think a TV News would use a variety of presents so that they can vary the type of people they are. For example different cultures and genders. This is important so that the consumers don't ever feel like everything is aimed and about one particular group of people. Additionally, it is helpful to have more people doing one thing and so there's less pressure rather than having one presenter.
4. How are other reporters or presenters used in the TV News programme? Presenters in BBC news and reporters differ in many ways in comparison to Channel 4. They way they talk and look is extremely serious, they have a straight face constantly and dress formally but talk formally too. The tone of their voice is on one level through out the long show which only emphasises the fact that what is being said is not a joke and should be taken serious at all times.
5. Is there a balance between male and female presenters? What about race/ethnicity? What effect might these aspects have on an audience? In many News shows there's definitely equal numbers when it comes to gender and ethnicity. If a news show only had white presenters or only male presenters the audience will feel an injustice which could possibly put the off the show but also might feel like an outcast since they feel like the show is only aimed at that specific group.

Opening sequence

Analyse the opening 2 minutes of the programme.

1. What is the very first shot? The first shot is the logo of the actual show and it's moving in different directions due to the camera shots which are panelling. The show is accompanied by a non-diegetic song in the background.
2. How does the opening sequence use graphics or images to grab the attention of the audience? After the logo has been on show the camera slides to different images and short soundless clips of the upcoming News that will be shown. This cant grab the audiences attention as they get a sneak peek of what the news about which could build a tension or eagerness for them.
3. How is music used in the opening sequence? The music is non-diegetic and it sounds uplifting and joyful rather than serious and depressing. It plays at the beginning of the show when the images and logo is being shown.
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? The audience have an idea about what may come up but not exactly every detail so the smart thing that Channel 4 does is show them as little as possible so that the audience is forced to watch on to find out what might happen and what is going on. A few stories do come up in the opening.

Studio mise-en-scene

1. What aspects of the studio can be seen by the audience? (Desk, cameras etc.) With Channel 4 there is no desk but actually the presenter himself standing up and talking but there is a big screen behind the presenter which the audience can see but other than that there isn't anything else.
2. Are the presenters standing or behind desks? Why do you think this is? The presenters are standing up and I think this is because in every TV news show where the presenter is constantly behind a desk becomes quite dull and there's nothing to actually keep the audience's eyes on the screen. However, on Channel 4 where the presenters move around and use gestures to present their stories is more effective and interesting and standing up helps this a lot.
3. Are journalists or technology visible? What might these things suggest to the audience? A screen behind the presenter is one of the technologies that is shown which is touchable meaning you can move anything on the screen using your finger. This suggests to the audience that the News show is modern. This will interest them as they would have recognised the technology.
4. How does the studio use colour? Channel 4 isn't a rainbow filled studio. They use purple some orange and white to represent themselves but the colour is quite bright meaning it's not too dull or boring which shows that the show is not all about stories that are for older people.

How news stories are presented

1. How does the news programme typically present a story? When channel 4 present the stories they talk about it for a little while before showing a short clip which is usually what most news shows do in general.
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.) The difference with channel 4 is that the presenters behaviour is much different and the way he acts but also the reporters too. The camera is usually facing up at the presenters making them seem bigger or more powerful in any case.
3. What types of news does the TV News programme typically cover? Give five examples (e.g. politics, international, sport etc.) Some news stories that channel 4 covers is to do with British journalism or ever interviewing film directors. Some news stories are also talking about violence and even though channel 4 do not go too much into depth with politics it does have the opinion of others on it.
4. Give two real examples of how news stories presented to keep the interest of the audience. One example is the story about Habbo Hotel which is about a game which has pedophiles playing despite the fact it's for kids but no one actually seems to notice. This would interest the audience as they would be indulged and quite shocked so they would want to know more instantly. Another example is a story about a young man on youtube named Sam Pepper who does pranks but is being accused of sexual offences. This would interest the audience because they would most likely be on social media and hearing about famous people on youtube or Facebook would grab their attention.

Running order
Watch the first 15 minutes of the programme – as recent as you can find.

1. What is the top story? It wasn't exactly a story but actually a debate between a presenter named Jeremy with David Cameron.
2. How long does the top story last for? The debate lasts for about 20 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’). There is no particular orders of stories since there's only two debates with David Cameron and then Miliband.
4. How long is each story shown for? They both last for half and hour each.
5. Why do you think each story was shown for the time it was? This is split between both debates equally.

Audience

1. What is the target audience for this TV News programme? The target audience for channel 4 are young adults around 18-30 and this is mainly because Channel 4 have been obsessed with young people watching their tv news.
2. Why might someone choose to watch this TV News programme over others? Channel 4 do everything quite differently. Their presenters talk differently and act different much more relaxed. Their stories are engaging but also interesting to the younger ages especially when it involves social media. Additionally, it involves talking about shows such as 'friends' or 'big brother' which would interest a young audience.
3. Is there an opportunity for the audience to get involved in the programme or comment? If their show is on social media audience may leave a comment but other than that I don't think there are any sort of quiz for them to engage in.
4. What audience pleasures (Uses and Gratifications theory – Blumler and Katz) does the programme offer?

Institution

1. Who owns, runs or produces this TV News programme? Jon snow owns Channel 4
2. Does the institution own, run or produce any other TV News programmes, channels or newspapers? No.
3. How does the programme fit the TV channel it is on? The programme is not too serious and so being on Channel 4 is perfect for it.
4. What role does OFCOM have in making sure TV News is fair and accurate?

TV News and New/Digital Media

1. Does the TV News programme have a dedicated website? They have a catch up website where every missed show can be watched by their audience.
2. What does the website offer viewers? They offer a catch up website so this can ensure that they can view every show if they can't make it on a particular time.
3. Does the TV News programme have a Twitter feed? The show does have twitter and by social media alot of the young audience can tweet and interact with the TV show.
4. How does the Twitter feed promote the programme?
5. Is there an opportunity for the audience to get involved in the programme or submit news stories? The audience can get in touch on twitter meaning they may be able to put up suggestions.