Comparing the way news was told 1954 - 2004

Comparing the process of news from 1954 - 1963

News throughout the decades has changed immensely. From using the radio to the invention of the television as well as the technological advancements made in todays world.

In 1954 to 1963, the BBC started to switch from presenting the news on the radio onto the TV. It started with a news conference every morning where such questions like "What will be filmed?" and "Why will it be filmed?" are answered.

The plans will then be turned into pictures. Camera men and crews go out onto location to film the content that they need. This can even be done abroad and the crews are all set out to different locations to all film stuff individually. Eventually, everything is relayed back to the labs in London for processing.

Once the news has been processed, it is then returned and shipped to the editors back at the office. The editors cut the negative and dispose of whats not needed. This part is crucial, so every foot of the film is checked so that the accepted pieces will be able to be joined together.

Writers are then proposed to write a script, its important that the image is already near its finishing stage as the writers will have to watch the footage page and come up with a script based around it. The sound team also have a part to play whilst the editors come to finishing up attaching all the film back to each other. In particular, the sound team assembles the music or other pieces of sound which need to accompany the film, as the film doesn't actually record the sound at his point in history.

Everyone starts to come together as the commentators are against the clock. Sound and projection then come together to create the news.

This is the process of the news in 1954 but by the time of the 1960s the process had changed considerably. The main process of creating the news is still the same but there are subtle differences made. For example, in the 1960s, presenters started to become known by the public. Before the 1960s this wasn't a thing as the presenters identity was kept from the public audience.

Another difference is that agencies would now supply news on film worldwide. This means that not everyone producing work for BBC news was actually under the company, it also meant that world news became a thing and reporting on happenings and affairs world wide were achieved.

My last difference I will list is to do with the fact that news flashes also became a thing in the 1960s, much like the identity of the presenters. The news flashes would be radioed in and lead to being able to give a constant update on any news previously reported or if anything big happens whilst the news is being reported.

Aside from all this, no much else is different about the news from 1954 to 1963, the process is still the same just improvements were made in how it is presented and we became more capable of giving news on the spot via radio whilst still presenting normally via film.

Comparing the news from 1954 and 1963 to 1994 and 2004 

In 2004 news had changed a lot and technology had improved vastly as it still continues to do. Some similarities remain though. Each morning the Editor runs through with everyone involved of the program ahead that following day, just the same as in the 1950s and 60s.

A significant difference here though is that the production had a news desk, the news desks role is to go through camera crews and inform everyone of the locations where recording is needed. Instead of there being one editor, there is a team of editors which all are chaired for a meeting to go through the video and film because being put on air.

There isn't anything much different from today to back then other than the changes listed in production above. The last difference is the speed in which news over abroad can reach the news station. Instead of the reels of film having to be dispatched back to the lab, satellites in the satellite coordination room take in all of the information and stories done from across the world.