Accuracy
Accuracy within a factual program is a top priority as the information that is in a factual documentary is required to be fact and public knowledge , this could be an issue for instance if you planned to do a documentary that involved some statistics you would have to have the latest possible stats you can get at the time of shooting if you didn’t it could be pointed out that the facts/stats in the factual program are wrong and could degrade the piece of work you have produced this could lead to accusations that the audience has been misled, accuracy is also vital as a part of building and keeping a fan base/ recognition that defines you as a film maker. Also it is worth noting that accuracy is more important than speed , so you can create a rushed piece of factual programming but it may be lacking accuracy and it would definitely have an effect on the grade it achieved however if you took the time to dissect the information you were putting out there it would show the commitment and effort you put into making the factual program and it would eliminate any overlooked misinformed piece of fact.
Balance
To keep a factual program balanced one must display fairness when discussing two sides to an argument by showing both sides to an argument you show that you have no bias as to whose side you are on you also have to comprehensively show each side so that you can avoid any complaints that you may receive, if your factual program isn’t balanced or doesn’t show all the relevant facts that relate to the topic at hand then viewers will juts not watch it they might also not watch another programmes you have as they could suspect that that show also has a level of unbalance. The only time it is acceptable to become biased on your program is at the end of it when everyone of the relevant facts has been acknowledged and talked about and all the relevant evidence has been put forward, then you can show a bias (providing that the evidence backs up your bias.) If you have shown that your bias is backed up by evidence the audience should not have a negative opinion of your bias, they should see that all the evidence points towards your bias.
Impartiality
All factual programs should be impartial. This means that they do not take sides. By taking sides they could be offending certain viewers and can be hiding certain information from the public that they have a right to know. Being partial can be treating someone or thing differently to others of a similar variety. This would show that you favor them over others. In the media sectors you have to treat everyone the same this includes giving people the same types of opportunities that you would give someone else, a good example of being partial in a broadcast would be if whoever was presenting the program asked one person there opinion on something but didn't ask another what their opinion as well, the broadcaster would have to show both sides of the argument by asking the same questions to each party involved, therefore showing impartiality.
Objectivity
Objectivity means there is no definitive bias, objectivity id based solely off facts and not opinions.
This is very important especially within factual programming as the consumer whom is watching your productions, expects to be getting information that is factually right, this means they can make truly informed decisions on the topic. In most cases of factual programming there has to be a lack of bias because you don't want your audience to feel as is you are forcing something upon them as this could ruin their viewing leisure and they would lose interest, it gives the viewer a chance to have their own opinion on the program, this would useful to a producer as it shows them the mindset of the viewer and gives them an idea of what to produce and what not.
Subjectivity
The opposite of Objectivity as this is based purely off opinion, this too can play a huge part in factual programming as it could decide whether the program is more objective or subjective, this also however depends on the topic of the factual program Some factual programs have a topic that the
majority of people will have a strong opinion on and may not want to hear any other side to the topic, By agreeing with the vast majority the producer would be receiving a larger audience as it would appeal to them. However some people might want to hear the full arguments in the program as they feel it gives them the freedom to choose their opinion.
Opinion
The opinion of a factual program can have a sever effect on the popularity.
This is because a producers opinion can decide what is included into a program and what isn't. If the producer has a strong opinion on the topic then they can edit it so that it portrays their opinion to the public. This is not always a good thing as there will always be some people who don't agree with their opinion but if it's the majority of people that don't then the feedback will most likely be negative. other peoples opinions also matter and should also be taken into account when producing a factual program, as they do not want to offend/insult anyone as this can have very negative implications form them and the production. It is a good idea for a producer to research different opinions on different topics as an aide when creating a factual program
Bias
Bias can hugely effect a Factual program. If the factual program is created with a bias nature then it can portray something or someone in a specifically negative or positive way. This is because the producer will be very opinionated to the topic and wants to portray their opinion across to their audience. Bias can sometimes persuade audiences who do not already have an opinion to then have the same opinion. This is because the audience might be talked in to thinking negatively or positively about something without actually knowing all the facts. This might be done to get more people on backing up someone or thing to show what they are doing is right. For example if there was a sports related factual program on then they may be bias as they are trying to persuade more people to support a certain team so they can benefit with more followers.
Codes And Conventions
News Reader
A field reporter is someone who is talking about a headline story in the "field" the field being the location at where the headline is taking place, they will be talking about any new developments and interviewing witnesses and experts to try and find out what happened and what their options are on the event/story. Normally field reporters don't have a dress code as such, they normally are dressed for their location, so if they are in a cold location they will be wearing clothes that will keep them warm. There is a level of danger of being a field reporter as they are the ones who are sent out into war zones to report on them and talk to those effected.
Interviewing
Interviews are important in the news as it allows the audience to get more personal information on a headline. In an interview, the people related to the headline will be asked questions, these can range from their opinions on something or straight facts. The people interviewed can be people who have something to say about a headline or the headline could be about this person. An example is if a political party has announced a change then the leader of the party could be interviewed and a member of the public with a strong opinion of the change could be interviewed. Interviews are often done in a place that is convenient for the person being interviewed. This also gives the audience some extra information about the person as they will be able to gather some from the area. Interviews are good for giving the general public more personal information. This is useful as the public would not usually be able to find this out and therefore would be more interested in watching it.
Experts And Witnesses
Experts and witnesses can be very effective in news. They can give more unknown information to a subject that can make it much more interesting for the audience. An expert is good because they can provide facts that most people don't know about and in turn can also provide explanations to questions raised by the topic. A witness is just as useful as they can give a story of what they have seen to give the audience a visual on an event that has taken place it depends on the story what type of person you want to talk to, if it was a crime a witness would be better as they would have intimate details of the crime as they were there, whereas an expert would have knowledge of past events or scientific news reports.
Report Structure
Most factual programs are set out the same way this is because of the most effective techniques are used the most and everyone is most familiar with them so they constantly using them. Normally it will start off with a introduction, this gives the main basic points of the news story's to come, this is usually filmed inside a studio but if the report is being made by a field reporter in the field about something to to with that location then they might introduce it from there this is effective as it gives the audience some context behind why they are there, during the report they may show some graphical statistics that help the audience understand the news report and what it means for example they may show how many kids have school lunches in the UK every year if the report pertains to school lunches. After the introduction tot he news report there may be an interview with someone there for example they may interview some kids about their school lunches gaining their opinions on what they think about them.
Realism Documentary
A realism documentary is a form of documentary that is based on facts and the truth. Everything they show is entirely accurate. The aim behind a realism documentary is to show an audience the full truth behind real life events and people. This engages viewers as they can learn a lot from these forms of documentary. A lot of the time nature is the main topic of a realism documentary, this is because you can make an incredibly factually correct piece of factual programming on nature with just an email to an expert on the different aspects of nature, they can also be focused on someone and their life but this isn't really common as it would be quite boring just following someones life day to day not showing anything, however a day to day life of a insect would be much more interesting to us a humans as wer don't live that kind of life.
Dramatisation in documentaries
Dramatisation is when a documentary will show acted pieces in between the usual interviews. This is done for effect as it gives the viewers a visual as to what is being discussed in the documentary. This is often done in documentaries that are based on historical events. This is because depending on when the event happened there is likely no film footage of it to display in the documentary and therefore a reenactment is required. Experts can define what the actual event would have been like so the producer can make a clip of the actors showing the audience what happened. This also helps make the documentary more interesting as it could show scenes of action, drama and other genres. Another popular use for dramatisation is in crime documentaries. Crimes are often reenacted in documentaries to show the audience what took place. This is useful as the person involved in the crime can not always explain the event good enough so that the audience can get a visual and also just watching the person speak about the event can get boring to watch whereas the crime acted out would be entertaining.
Narritivisation in documentaries
Narritivisation is another effect used in documentaries. This is when found footage and still images are used to help give the audience a visual. This is helpful as the viewers can get a much more accurate representation of an event as the clips being showed are from when it actually took place. These are more often used in documentaries that are based on recent events. This is because there is often footage of the event that can be used. There are many documentaries that have been made on 9/11. This a good example of when narritivisation is used. There is a lot of footage of 9/11 so people watching a documentary on it can see exactly what happened. This is useful as it lets the viewer become more involved in the documentary which in turn would make it more entertaining to watch.
All factual programs should be impartial. This means that they do not take sides. By taking sides they could be offending certain viewers and can be hiding certain information from the public that they have a right to know. Being partial can be treating someone or thing differently to others of a similar variety. This would show that you favor them over others. In the media sectors you have to treat everyone the same this includes giving people the same types of opportunities that you would give someone else, a good example of being partial in a broadcast would be if whoever was presenting the program asked one person there opinion on something but didn't ask another what their opinion as well, the broadcaster would have to show both sides of the argument by asking the same questions to each party involved, therefore showing impartiality.
Objectivity
Objectivity means there is no definitive bias, objectivity id based solely off facts and not opinions.
This is very important especially within factual programming as the consumer whom is watching your productions, expects to be getting information that is factually right, this means they can make truly informed decisions on the topic. In most cases of factual programming there has to be a lack of bias because you don't want your audience to feel as is you are forcing something upon them as this could ruin their viewing leisure and they would lose interest, it gives the viewer a chance to have their own opinion on the program, this would useful to a producer as it shows them the mindset of the viewer and gives them an idea of what to produce and what not.
Subjectivity
The opposite of Objectivity as this is based purely off opinion, this too can play a huge part in factual programming as it could decide whether the program is more objective or subjective, this also however depends on the topic of the factual program Some factual programs have a topic that the
majority of people will have a strong opinion on and may not want to hear any other side to the topic, By agreeing with the vast majority the producer would be receiving a larger audience as it would appeal to them. However some people might want to hear the full arguments in the program as they feel it gives them the freedom to choose their opinion.
Opinion
The opinion of a factual program can have a sever effect on the popularity.
This is because a producers opinion can decide what is included into a program and what isn't. If the producer has a strong opinion on the topic then they can edit it so that it portrays their opinion to the public. This is not always a good thing as there will always be some people who don't agree with their opinion but if it's the majority of people that don't then the feedback will most likely be negative. other peoples opinions also matter and should also be taken into account when producing a factual program, as they do not want to offend/insult anyone as this can have very negative implications form them and the production. It is a good idea for a producer to research different opinions on different topics as an aide when creating a factual program
Bias
Bias can hugely effect a Factual program. If the factual program is created with a bias nature then it can portray something or someone in a specifically negative or positive way. This is because the producer will be very opinionated to the topic and wants to portray their opinion across to their audience. Bias can sometimes persuade audiences who do not already have an opinion to then have the same opinion. This is because the audience might be talked in to thinking negatively or positively about something without actually knowing all the facts. This might be done to get more people on backing up someone or thing to show what they are doing is right. For example if there was a sports related factual program on then they may be bias as they are trying to persuade more people to support a certain team so they can benefit with more followers.
Codes And Conventions
News Reader
A newsreader is a presenter of a news program that delivers the latest news to the country, they can either be a regional newsreader or a nationwide news reader, There are normally one or two presenters at a time this normally offers diversity for the station. The image above shows a normal set up for a newsreader sat behind a desk with prompts , they will be looking straight at the camera as if they were addressing their audience, looking at the auto que. There is also general work things normally around the desk they are behind, like pens, tablets, mugs.
Field Reporter
Interviewing
Interviews are important in the news as it allows the audience to get more personal information on a headline. In an interview, the people related to the headline will be asked questions, these can range from their opinions on something or straight facts. The people interviewed can be people who have something to say about a headline or the headline could be about this person. An example is if a political party has announced a change then the leader of the party could be interviewed and a member of the public with a strong opinion of the change could be interviewed. Interviews are often done in a place that is convenient for the person being interviewed. This also gives the audience some extra information about the person as they will be able to gather some from the area. Interviews are good for giving the general public more personal information. This is useful as the public would not usually be able to find this out and therefore would be more interested in watching it.
Experts And Witnesses
Experts and witnesses can be very effective in news. They can give more unknown information to a subject that can make it much more interesting for the audience. An expert is good because they can provide facts that most people don't know about and in turn can also provide explanations to questions raised by the topic. A witness is just as useful as they can give a story of what they have seen to give the audience a visual on an event that has taken place it depends on the story what type of person you want to talk to, if it was a crime a witness would be better as they would have intimate details of the crime as they were there, whereas an expert would have knowledge of past events or scientific news reports.
Report Structure
Most factual programs are set out the same way this is because of the most effective techniques are used the most and everyone is most familiar with them so they constantly using them. Normally it will start off with a introduction, this gives the main basic points of the news story's to come, this is usually filmed inside a studio but if the report is being made by a field reporter in the field about something to to with that location then they might introduce it from there this is effective as it gives the audience some context behind why they are there, during the report they may show some graphical statistics that help the audience understand the news report and what it means for example they may show how many kids have school lunches in the UK every year if the report pertains to school lunches. After the introduction tot he news report there may be an interview with someone there for example they may interview some kids about their school lunches gaining their opinions on what they think about them.
Realism Documentary
A realism documentary is a form of documentary that is based on facts and the truth. Everything they show is entirely accurate. The aim behind a realism documentary is to show an audience the full truth behind real life events and people. This engages viewers as they can learn a lot from these forms of documentary. A lot of the time nature is the main topic of a realism documentary, this is because you can make an incredibly factually correct piece of factual programming on nature with just an email to an expert on the different aspects of nature, they can also be focused on someone and their life but this isn't really common as it would be quite boring just following someones life day to day not showing anything, however a day to day life of a insect would be much more interesting to us a humans as wer don't live that kind of life.
Dramatisation in documentaries
Dramatisation is when a documentary will show acted pieces in between the usual interviews. This is done for effect as it gives the viewers a visual as to what is being discussed in the documentary. This is often done in documentaries that are based on historical events. This is because depending on when the event happened there is likely no film footage of it to display in the documentary and therefore a reenactment is required. Experts can define what the actual event would have been like so the producer can make a clip of the actors showing the audience what happened. This also helps make the documentary more interesting as it could show scenes of action, drama and other genres. Another popular use for dramatisation is in crime documentaries. Crimes are often reenacted in documentaries to show the audience what took place. This is useful as the person involved in the crime can not always explain the event good enough so that the audience can get a visual and also just watching the person speak about the event can get boring to watch whereas the crime acted out would be entertaining.
Narritivisation in documentaries
Narritivisation is another effect used in documentaries. This is when found footage and still images are used to help give the audience a visual. This is helpful as the viewers can get a much more accurate representation of an event as the clips being showed are from when it actually took place. These are more often used in documentaries that are based on recent events. This is because there is often footage of the event that can be used. There are many documentaries that have been made on 9/11. This a good example of when narritivisation is used. There is a lot of footage of 9/11 so people watching a documentary on it can see exactly what happened. This is useful as it lets the viewer become more involved in the documentary which in turn would make it more entertaining to watch.
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