Teacher Process
Broadcast News is a long WebQuest, designed to take between two to three weeks to complete. Plan for the students to take three hours for research and culling of information, four hours to prepare and print the publication, and up to six hours to shoot and edit the video presentation.
A clip from the film Broadcast News is used to begin this WebQuest. This scene is approximately 20 minutes into the film. It is the "Frantic Run" sequence, where an assistant editor must make a mad dash with a videotape of the lead story. He runs from the video edit bay located at one end of the television station, to the other end located in Master Control. All the while the anchor is already on the air reading the lead-in to the piece.
As the instructor, your main role is to act as coach, idea person, motivator, and information provider when a group requires assistance. You will need to step back once the students begin, but always keep an eye on their progress. You must also determine when each Action Step or Process has reached it conclusion. In the real world, such a project might take 80 or more hours to complete, therefore make certain students stay on track by reminding them of time limits for each Action Step.
The under motivated students will require your guidance. Hopefully, these students will show a keen interest during the production phase. The producer and director of the video project, as well as the lead developer of the publication, may also require your extra support and guidance. Encourage their leadership!
It is also important you contact your local television station(s) prior to the beginning of this WebQuest. Contact either the Executive News Director or the station's Production Manager to request their assistance. If they agree to help with this WebQuest, set up a time the students can contact them. This will give station management ample time to prepare for your visit and video/photo shoot. If at all possible, the entire class should join in the field trip. At the end of this WebQuest, you may choose to have the class view one of the three films suggested on the Teacher Resouces page. Please view them ahead of time for age appropriateness.
Good luck and may the force be with you!
As the instructor, feel free to choose Option Two, which I have not included in the Student Page Process (That will be another WebQuest currently under construction). Once the students have completed Process 1 (Action Steps 1 thru 4), Process 2 commmences. As a group, have the students choose a particular role or job they would like to take on. Once they have their chosen role, they will develop and design a complete newscast. For example, the assignment editor will work with the news producer to determine a set number of news stories to cover. The news reporters will cover these story with their camera people. The Executive News Director will work with the Producer to make certain everything within the news content area is complete and ready for "air".
Process 3 would be the actual production of the newscast utilizing the "content" the class developed in Process 2. The TV studio crew, (director, camera technicians, etc) will shoot the newscast as a live segment. Anchors will read from scripts prepared by reporters, copy writers and themselves (Anchors usually edit their copy right before air, to give it their own "voice"). The Weather Anchor will create his/her content and present a weather segment, etc. Choosing this option will allow this WebQuest to be shortened to a one or two week project.
NOTE: You must have access to technical and support equipment. This would include minicams for remote shoots, computer editing equipment, and a production studio or similarly equipped classroom for creating the "live" newscast. Videotape the entire newscast for later viewing.