Shaping Broadcast Decisions

Covering the community in television and radio involves the same principles of news that exist for print journalism. Yet, one of the major differences between television journalism and print is the moving, visual aspect of television. The newspaper and periodical photograph is static and accompanies articles to bring depth to the reader. The television camera brings the story into the lives of the viewers where they can quickly interpret much of the story for themselves. Television becomes larger than life just by the swing of the camera focus.

John Leonard (1997) in his book Smoke and Mirrors, says, “If newspapers are what Fritzsche calls a ‘Word City,’ television is an Image Megalopolis, an Imaginary Capital. This Realm of Signs is every ...