The term “News Production Workshop” refers to the newsroom which has to do with the sum total of activities in the newsroom.
News itself is a product of so many hands and it is called a bulletin. In the news room there is the newsroom personnel, the editorial board, the editorial meeting, the editorial policy and the News production process. Television News by its concept is a thing of beauty and the art you pick from the television that compliments the technology. Newsroom is the workshop, where things are created, bringing things that are nothing into something.
The reporter in the newsroom is the creator, that is, he or she is responsible for creating news. Those involved in the news workshop are the boss, his assistants, and the equipment. The bulletin is the last product of the newsroom. The production process of the news begins with the Assignment Editor who assigns the reporter to a beat. The reporter develops or produces a report (a film or a non-film story) and submits this to the Duty Editor who proof-reads and edits for technicalities or news-worthiness. The report is then given to a Production Secretary who types out a clean copy.
Again, the Editor will proof-read for possible typing errors, after which he assembles and aligns it with the other stories to make the day’s bulletin. Meanwhile, if it is a film story (for TV), the tape (or disc) containing the shots or rushes is taken to the Audio Visual Film Editor who edits the pictures to suit the story. While the final edited material is taken to the Transmission Controller (TC), the scripts which are now assembled in the bulletin are handed over to the Duty News Caster who rehearses it and casts it live on air.
The telecast itself is guided and assisted by the Studio (Floor) Manager, Studio Engineers, Cameramen and other studio hands. In the Transmission Control Unit, the Newscast is directed by the Transmission Controller (TC) and assisted by the Sound and Vision Mixers.
The News Production Process is concluded with a Post-Mortem analysis. Post-Mortem is a medical term that is borrowed into journalism to mean the final touch of the editorial crew. In journalism, Post-Mortem analysis refers to the meeting of all those involved in the production of the day’s bulletin where they discuss or analyze the successes or otherwise of the day’s News Production Process.
Graphically, the News Production Process follows in this order: Assignment Editor, Reporter, Editor, Production Secretary, Film Editor, News Editor, News Caster, Transmission Controller, and Post-Mortem. The process on radio is virtually the same except for the absence of visuals.
