[Training Column] Perspective of a News Reporter: The Press is Also Conscious of the Presence or Absence of 'Slots' [Updated 20251105]
I am Takagi, your instructor.
Drawing on my experience as a former radio station announcer and news reporter, I conduct 'Crisis Management and Media Relations Training' and 'Explanation Skills Improvement Training' for local governments and public institutions across the country.
Our theme this time is as follows.
The theme for this session is:
Perspective of a News Reporter: The Press is Also Conscious of the Presence or Absence of 'Slots'
Let me start with the conclusion.
There are times when 'available slots' decrease in TV and radio news, as well as in newspaper columns.
Being conscious of the presence or absence of these available slots leads to effective information dissemination.
That is the main point for this time.
Let me explain in detail.
▼ TV/Radio News = Regular news broadcast times are almost fixed due to program scheduling. (Excluding breaking news, extended broadcasts for major news, etc.)
▼ Newspaper Articles = There are limits on the number of lines and characters due to page layout. (Excluding online news, extra editions, etc.)
Therefore, regarding news broadcast times and newspaper article space,
the 'available slots for news' are determined in advance, and news reporters perform the task of'news organization'to fit within the broadcast time or the number of lines on the page.
As for news organization tasks, TV and radio news often summarize one story in about 1 to 1.5 minutes, while newspaper articles are finished by counting the number of lines according to the importance of the news.
(*Broadcast time and number of lines vary depending on the importance of the news.)
By performing this 'news organization' daily, the flow naturally leads to fitting within the broadcast time or newspaper space, which is, needless to say, a matter of course.
Now, for the main topic of this session.
There are times when these 'available news slots' decrease drastically.
I teach the following three main events that affect news organization.
The three main events that reduce regular news are 'elections, disasters, and high school baseball'.
Many of you may have already realized this, but let me explain them one by one.
■ Main timings when regular news decreases
(1) Elections
・During election season, candidate profiles are introduced in newspapers, and special election-related features are compiled. As a result, the 'available slots' on the page for regular articles decrease drastically.
・In TV and radio news, especially at NHK, special election-related features are often compiled, which reduces the 'available slots' for broadcasting other information.
(2) Disasters
・When a large-scale disaster occurs, disaster reporting and disaster-related information for daily life naturally take priority.
・Events such as local news stories and personal interviews are pushed back due to the priority of information.
(3) High School Baseball
・High school baseball attracts high national attention, and the number of 'open slots' for news decreases, especially from June to July. In newspapers, articles introducing participating teams and tournament outlooks for summer high school baseball increase in prefectural editions and similar sections.
・Not only the Mainichi Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun, which are the organizers of high school baseball, but other newspaper companies also show a similar tendency to 'prioritize high school baseball.' As a result, the publication and introduction of local news and personal interviews decrease drastically.
There are other times when regular news decreases besides 'elections, disasters, and high school baseball'; it has become customary for 'open slots for regular news' to decrease during sports events such as the Olympics and the World Cup.
Let me also explain the recent circumstances of news organizations. ...
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