This package about the Capitol protest is from ITN’s veteran Washington Correspondent Robert Moore. (ITN make TV news programmes for the UK’s main commercial TV channel ITV.)
I think this package is amazing.
- It’s a great example of on-the-spot TV reporting. There are hundreds of journalists in Washington. Many of them reported this story via Twitter from their offices. But Robert, working with producer Sophie Alexander and cameraman Mark Davey, jumped in. They were the only TV team to report from inside the building, which is why their work was picked up by news organisations all over the world.
- The pictures are really powerful. There is great use of sound. Listen to how Robert lets the pictures “breathe” — he isn’t talking all over them.
- The pieces to camera really add to the story. They show us that Robert and the team were right there in the middle of the action.
- This was brave work. Whether or not you believe this protest was an epochal assault on the very foundations of democracy, Robert and his team didn’t know at the time how it was going to turn out. They are experienced people and know how to stay safe during a protest, but I still think it took courage to keep filming.
A TV package is still one of the most powerful forms of journalism. The combination of script, pictures, interview clips and natural sound can have a huge impact. This package shows you how.
You can hear a podcast about how the story was filmed here. The podcast is presented by former JOMEC student Daniel Hewitt.
Intro to Broadcast News 