Unit 37 – Presentation Techniques for Broadcast
A presenter is the public face or voice for a program either on television or on the radio. They are responsible for introducing and interviewing guests, presenting information and in some cases opinions, link between segments of the show and some are even required to take part in onscreen activities. However depending on the format of the program can depend on the style and techniques used by the presenter.
News presenters are perhaps the best known type of presenters you will see on TV. Huw Edward a Bafta award-winning BBC news presenter offers key aspects to becoming a top new presenter. Getting work experience is fundamental in both an academic format through a degree and in the field actually reporting on news events will both help improve skills. He also suggests taking time as a reporter and correspondent first as it will give you a broader experience and give an advantage when presenting the news. Keeping to the format of a journalist is also important as it helps to deliver the facts correctly and reassure viewers. Working hard and remembering nobody is indispensable as it will enable you to stand out from others who work half-heartedly. Looking well-presented and smart also is important as it reassures the viewer as you appear professional. Equality in both genders and diversity in the age of presenters will boost viewing figures. Being constantly aware of current events is crucial. Finally controlling nerves and being confident only makes the information you are presenting more believable to those viewing (Feeney-Hart).
Another commonly encountered type of presenter is a continuity announcer. A continuity announcer is someone who links television programs through announcements between programmes to give continuity to a channel (dictionary.reference.com). Their main requirement is to put across information in an interesting and as pitchy way as possible, this is to keep viewers with the channel from programme to programme (Minelle).
Broadcast journalism is where information is relayed to the public through venues outside of newspapers such as television, radio and the internet. This type of presenting can be more relaxed than a traditional news reporter as the presenter will be aiming to relate at more specific audiences but can still be aimed at a broad audience. With the internet now being a major player in getting news to audiences, broadcast journalism is now a style seen much more often. It also enables the presenter to get information to their viewers in a much quicker fashion than a daily newspaper as it allows them to release the information pretty much instantly over the internet (study).
Another common format for a presenter is that of a magazine programme presenter. This format sees short nonfiction stories connected through the commentary and discussion by the presenters (thefreedictionary). Morning and daytime television in particular sees this format more than any other time slot, shows such as “This Morning” is set with two presenters who interview guest and introduce segments to viewers while also offering general discussion and their own opinions on a matter. BBC’s “One Show” is another good example of a magazine programme, however unlike “This Morning” which runs for several hours, the One Show is only thirty minutes long. This shorter run time forces the show to focus on larger current events than This Morning which has the time to focus on smaller and more local events. The presenter typically dress slightly more casually but remain smart in their appearance and their language is slightly more relaxed than a news reporter to assist at putting guests at ease while allowing viewers to feel they are nice approachable people.
Lifestyle programmes introduce a different type of presenter. A lifestyle presenter will be an “expert” in the field the show focuses on (Smith). Many shows have used this format over the years, for example the old British show “Ground Force” is a brilliant example of a lifestyle presenter. Featuring three presenters each was an “expert” in their own areas of garden redesign. Alan Titchmarsh the primary presenter was a professional gardener and gardening journalist prior to appearing on TV. With his insight into plants specific needs he was the planet expert for the show. Tommy Walsh would focus more on construction aspects of the show such as patios are decking, given his building background gave him all the expertise required to achieve their goals. Finally you has Charlie Dimmock who would focus more on water aspects to the garden but also assist with the plants for the garden. The three created a dynamic which drew great attention due to their passion for their field and key information they would feed to their viewers. To assure audiences the presenters of lifestyle programmes are “experts” in their fields they will use key terminology for the programme itself. With Ground Force the Latin names of plants would be more commonly used over common names given the plants by the public.
Documentary presenters can sometimes follow a similar style to a lifestyle presenter as many can be considered “experts” in the field they are documenting, but the majority tend to be persistent, passionate and give a sense of their personality when presenting a documentary. Passion is perhaps the most crucial aspect for a documentary presenter as the presenter needs to connect with the viewer for the documentary to be a success. David Attenborough is perhaps the most famous documentary presenter in the world, and one thing viewers are always able to see is his pure passion behind what he is presenting to the viewers. However something a documentary presenter does require more than any other presenter is patience as they do have to wait for specific events to occur to document (Mcpherson). Additionally the language and appearance of the presenter can vary depending on the subject and target audience for the documentary. For example an in-depth documentary look at how the latest music star has risen to fame is more likely to be presented by a younger presenter with a more casual look to attract a younger audience and use more casual language over expert terminology. Where a documentary focusing the bombings of London during WWII is more likely to see be presented in a much more formal manner using more mature language and even could see and older presenter who is more likely to be sensitive to the subject being documented.
One presenter that requires the ability to show personality more than any other is that of a DJ presenter. Where they have to use personality through the power of their voice alone means they have to be engaging on a higher level to that of a TV presenter. A TV presenter can rely on their physical appearance, mannerisms and how they react to situation for audiences to see, meaning their personality is shown on multiple layers. A DJ has only the power of their voice to try and achieve the same. DJs such as Nick Grimshaw, Chris Evans and Martin Starke all have very distinct different personalities which allows listeners to become more engaged and inclined to listen more. However even while they are not seen by audiences DJs will still dress smartly to keep up a professional atmosphere in the workplace and many will use their hands while they talk much like they would naturally if they could be seen. Stations can also vary greatly on content. National stations such as BBC Radio One is more likely to focus on celebrity gossip and news that effects the nation as opposed to a local radio station which is more likely to focus on news relating to local affairs. A DJ’s speech pace can also vary depending on the news, when a DJ is excited about news of the latest songs they tend to speak much quicker. This indicates excitement behind the news which can be understood by the listeners as they cannot see excited body language and expressions from the DJ (Starke).
A chat show presenter is another unique type of presenter. Typically a chat show presenter presents alone without any other co-hosts. The show is also typically names after then such as “The Ellen Degeneres Show”, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “The Graham Norton Show” are all good example of a chat show following this format. However there are exceptions with shows such as “The Last Leg” and “The Talk” are two shows which use multiple hosts and the show is not named after any of them in the fashion of a typical chat show. Typically chat shows hosts are celebrities that have already received some public fame prior to being awarded their own show. Ellen Degeneres rose to fame in her 1990’s sitcom “Ellen” which gave her a platform to eventually land her own talk show. Depending on the format of the show the host may act as a mediator, interviewer or an educator to the audience and in some cases all three. However the one thing they will always consist of is the host interviewing guests to their show, most typically celebrities or member of the public brought to public attention for one reason or another (wisegeek).
Game show Presenters are the greatest example of an extremely friendly and charming host, with the exception of Anne Robinson. Game show hosts are the key figure for holding all the action from the game show together for the contestants and audience. They are fundamental in keeping viewers entertained through the rights and wrongs of a trivia show. However it is an unsteady road as if the host is perceived by audiences as popular they will go on to bigger and better things, while if they audience fails to engage with them their career is pretty much over. Another aspect you often find with game show presenter is they “grandad factor” behind the host. Game shows are an area where older men work much more than any other age demographic. Bruce Forsyth, Bob Holness and Richard Whiteley are all prime examples of men over 60 being the host of a game show. Perhaps it is an unconscious factor of an older man presenting facts to audiences is easier to accept given how many will draw an older man if you ask them to draw an image of a professor. A chat show host also needs to be quick-witted but at the same time have a feel-good factor, which is not easy to accomplish. A joke from the host to a contestant can be seen by some as a bullying by some, so the host has to play a careful game of making jokes but keeping them light hearted to both the contestants and the audience to avoid falling in favour with viewers.
There are many types of presenters and each one requires its own level of professionalism and standards to achieve the production goals. However these rules will change over time as the format we view media is ever changing along with views from society.
References.
Dictionary. (Unknown) “Dictionary” [Online] Available from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/continuity-announcer [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Feebey-Hart, A. (2014) “Huw Edwards’ top 10 tips for being a news presenter” [Online] Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26766230 [Accessed: 20/02/16]
The Free Dictionary. (Unknown) “The Free Dictionary” [Online] Available from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/magazine+programme [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Gradireland. (Unknown) “Presenter, radio and Television” [Online] Available from: https://gradireland.com/careers-advice/job-descriptions/presenter-radio-and-television [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Mcpherson, S. (2015) “How to become a wildlife tv presenter” [Online] Available from: http://www.discoverwildlife.com/animals/how-become-wildlife-tv-presenter [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Media College. (Unknown) “The Television Presenter” [Online] Available from: http://www.mediacollege.com/employment/television/presenter.html [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Minelle, B. (2014) “Johny Pitts on how to be a TV continuity announcer” [Online] Available from: http://www.ideastap.com/IdeasMag/the-knowledge/johny-pitts-continuity-announcer-presenter [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Radio Times. (2011) “What makes a great game-show host?” [Online] Available from: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-10-11/what-makes-a-great-game-show-host [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Smith, A. (2010) “Lifestyle television programmes and the construction of the expert host” [Online] Available from: http://ecs.sagepub.com/content/13/2/191.abstract [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Study. (Unknown) “What is Broadcasting Journalism?” [Online] Available from: http://study.com/what_is_broadcasting_journalism.html [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Wise Geek. (Unknown) “What does a Talk Show Host do?” [Online] Available from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-talk-show-host-do.htm [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Dictionary. (Unknown) “Dictionary” [Online] Available from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/continuity-announcer [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Feebey-Hart, A. (2014) “Huw Edwards’ top 10 tips for being a news presenter” [Online] Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26766230 [Accessed: 20/02/16]
The Free Dictionary. (Unknown) “The Free Dictionary” [Online] Available from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/magazine+programme [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Gradireland. (Unknown) “Presenter, radio and Television” [Online] Available from: https://gradireland.com/careers-advice/job-descriptions/presenter-radio-and-television [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Mcpherson, S. (2015) “How to become a wildlife tv presenter” [Online] Available from: http://www.discoverwildlife.com/animals/how-become-wildlife-tv-presenter [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Media College. (Unknown) “The Television Presenter” [Online] Available from: http://www.mediacollege.com/employment/television/presenter.html [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Minelle, B. (2014) “Johny Pitts on how to be a TV continuity announcer” [Online] Available from: http://www.ideastap.com/IdeasMag/the-knowledge/johny-pitts-continuity-announcer-presenter [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Radio Times. (2011) “What makes a great game-show host?” [Online] Available from: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-10-11/what-makes-a-great-game-show-host [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Smith, A. (2010) “Lifestyle television programmes and the construction of the expert host” [Online] Available from: http://ecs.sagepub.com/content/13/2/191.abstract [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Study. (Unknown) “What is Broadcasting Journalism?” [Online] Available from: http://study.com/what_is_broadcasting_journalism.html [Accessed: 20/02/16]
Wise Geek. (Unknown) “What does a Talk Show Host do?” [Online] Available from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-talk-show-host-do.htm [Accessed: 20/02/16]