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Television Production & Broadcast Journalism
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
When doing news programming, getting shots using perception-
manipulating camera techniques is extremely unethical. Using shots like
this is an intentional attempt at manipulating viewers to adopt the opin-
ions of the news producers. This is sometimes called yellow journalism,
propagandizing, or brainwashing.
To impart a neutral feeling, the camera should be placed at the talent’s
eye level. News sets in professional television studios are on raised plat-
forms. The goal of news programming is to have newscasters relate to the
audience and be believable as they report. Since newscasters sit in chairs,
the cameras would have to look down on them as they report. It is not
practical to have the cameras pedestal down to the eye level of the talent.
Camera operators would have to bend over to see through the camera’s
viewfi nder for the entire duration of the shoot. Building platforms for the
newscasters is much less expensive than the medical care required for cam-
era operators with back ailments from being bent over lowered cameras for
extended periods of time.
News sets are often built on top pf platforms so that the newscasters will be at eye level with the cameras.
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