Difference between News and Current Affairs programmes
TV production and programming is concerned with different types and formats of programmes related to news, entertainment, lifestyle, sports and other forms of storytelling and narratives. The technique that goes into producing any show of any genre is related to television production studies. Even in the realm of news, there are various types of news. Hence let us discuss the main differences between a news show and a current affairs show:
1. Timing: News, it is said, is an acronym derived from N (North), E (East), W (West), S (South). Hence any event or happening that is discussed immediately, within seconds of its occurrence, is termed as news. Hence the concept of 'Breaking News' in television. In print, the news maybe a little delayed due to its publication once within 24 hours. Current affairs, on the other hand, implies events or happenings that have happened a few days or weeks ago but still continue to be in news due to its follow-up events or updates in the incident. For example, a man has died is news; what happens after his death and its repercussions is current affairs as the matter will be discussed for a number of days after.
2. Content: News generally entails bare minimum details about who, what, when, where, why and how. It contains the factual details about various happenings. However, current affairs relates to a detailed discussion on the topic taking everything into account- history, causes, impact and significance. Hence news bulletins are simple narration of events as and when they happened. While current affairs shows are debates and discussions on a happening.
3. Proximity: News events usually relate to events and occurrences that happen closer home. They relate to events and happenings close to your city, town, district, state or country. However, current affairs shows can be general discussions on any topic around the world. News events are enlisted for a news bulletin. But current affairs shows relate to a theme or topic of larger interest.
4. Themes: News bulletins usually relate to immediate occurrences with regular updates on them. Their themes range from sports, politics, entertainment, business to weather, environment and science. Current affairs discussions are more about the influence and effects of happenings on society and several socio-economic issues of general interest. Since news is more like a rapid fire around it entails larger variety of topics while a single current affairs show will relate to a single theme.
5. Duration of shows: Since news bulletins are half-hour or of one hour duration, these carry short news snippets related to various events. Hence each news item is short and crisp to inform the viewer. Current affairs shows are a detailed discussion on a single news or one or two news items. For example, Twenty-Twenty, Fast 100 and Rapid Fire are some examples of news bulletins while The World This Week, Hard Talk, Aap ki Adaalat are examples of some current affairs shows.
6. Panelists and guests: A major difference between a news bulletin and a current affairs show is that a news bulletin may have one guest and a discussion in one segment along with news stories but a current affairs show is all about discussions, debates, panelists where the guest speakers may be anywhere between 4-7. Guests are experts in their own fields who are willing to share their knowledge on a particular topic and discuss that with the anchor or the show host.
7. News stories: In news bulletins, news stories are usually of short duration, anywhere between one minute to two-three minutes. However, in current affairs shows, the same story maybe edited for a longer duration- five minutes to seven minutes. Bulletins have simply stated facts while treatment of stories for current affairs shows are more like features or even documentaries.
Hence we see that there is a major difference between a news bulletin and a current affairs show. Furthermore there are news magazines like Newstrack, which have not been discussed here.
Theme of programmes
Broadly, television programmes maybe divided into four main types: news and current affairs, talk shows, reality shows and fiction and issue-based shows.
Most news bulletins are categorized under news and current affairs. Apart from news bulletins which are thirty minutes long and upto even an hour, there are chat shows and talk shows.
Talk shows are programmes where there is one main anchor and panel of guests or even one main guest. There maybe an audience for a brief chat on the topic which provides more energy to the programme. There are many examples of talk shows and chat shows. Some of the main ones are 'Koffee With Karan', 'We The People', 'Rendezvous with Simi Grewal', etc.
Then among non-news programmes there are reality shows. Reality shows are generally quiz programmes or programmes where people from among the audience are invited to be a part and engage in the show as part-time actors or talents. Some good examples of reality shows are Khatron ke Khiladi, Kaun Banega Crorepati, Big Boss among others like Bournvita Quiz Contest, etc.
Fiction-based shows are said to be a few crime shows where stories maybe fabricated and played in the form of theatrics and dramatized to showcase an incident. Issue-based television shows are the ones like 'India Matters' on NDTV which deal with an issue of development like poverty, hunger, disease and gender. These are more like magazines or documentaries lasting from 30 minutes to one hour.
TV production and programming is concerned with different types and formats of programmes related to news, entertainment, lifestyle, sports and other forms of storytelling and narratives. The technique that goes into producing any show of any genre is related to television production studies. Even in the realm of news, there are various types of news. Hence let us discuss the main differences between a news show and a current affairs show:
1. Timing: News, it is said, is an acronym derived from N (North), E (East), W (West), S (South). Hence any event or happening that is discussed immediately, within seconds of its occurrence, is termed as news. Hence the concept of 'Breaking News' in television. In print, the news maybe a little delayed due to its publication once within 24 hours. Current affairs, on the other hand, implies events or happenings that have happened a few days or weeks ago but still continue to be in news due to its follow-up events or updates in the incident. For example, a man has died is news; what happens after his death and its repercussions is current affairs as the matter will be discussed for a number of days after.
2. Content: News generally entails bare minimum details about who, what, when, where, why and how. It contains the factual details about various happenings. However, current affairs relates to a detailed discussion on the topic taking everything into account- history, causes, impact and significance. Hence news bulletins are simple narration of events as and when they happened. While current affairs shows are debates and discussions on a happening.
3. Proximity: News events usually relate to events and occurrences that happen closer home. They relate to events and happenings close to your city, town, district, state or country. However, current affairs shows can be general discussions on any topic around the world. News events are enlisted for a news bulletin. But current affairs shows relate to a theme or topic of larger interest.
4. Themes: News bulletins usually relate to immediate occurrences with regular updates on them. Their themes range from sports, politics, entertainment, business to weather, environment and science. Current affairs discussions are more about the influence and effects of happenings on society and several socio-economic issues of general interest. Since news is more like a rapid fire around it entails larger variety of topics while a single current affairs show will relate to a single theme.
5. Duration of shows: Since news bulletins are half-hour or of one hour duration, these carry short news snippets related to various events. Hence each news item is short and crisp to inform the viewer. Current affairs shows are a detailed discussion on a single news or one or two news items. For example, Twenty-Twenty, Fast 100 and Rapid Fire are some examples of news bulletins while The World This Week, Hard Talk, Aap ki Adaalat are examples of some current affairs shows.
6. Panelists and guests: A major difference between a news bulletin and a current affairs show is that a news bulletin may have one guest and a discussion in one segment along with news stories but a current affairs show is all about discussions, debates, panelists where the guest speakers may be anywhere between 4-7. Guests are experts in their own fields who are willing to share their knowledge on a particular topic and discuss that with the anchor or the show host.
7. News stories: In news bulletins, news stories are usually of short duration, anywhere between one minute to two-three minutes. However, in current affairs shows, the same story maybe edited for a longer duration- five minutes to seven minutes. Bulletins have simply stated facts while treatment of stories for current affairs shows are more like features or even documentaries.
Hence we see that there is a major difference between a news bulletin and a current affairs show. Furthermore there are news magazines like Newstrack, which have not been discussed here.
Theme of programmes
Broadly, television programmes maybe divided into four main types: news and current affairs, talk shows, reality shows and fiction and issue-based shows.
Most news bulletins are categorized under news and current affairs. Apart from news bulletins which are thirty minutes long and upto even an hour, there are chat shows and talk shows.
Talk shows are programmes where there is one main anchor and panel of guests or even one main guest. There maybe an audience for a brief chat on the topic which provides more energy to the programme. There are many examples of talk shows and chat shows. Some of the main ones are 'Koffee With Karan', 'We The People', 'Rendezvous with Simi Grewal', etc.
Then among non-news programmes there are reality shows. Reality shows are generally quiz programmes or programmes where people from among the audience are invited to be a part and engage in the show as part-time actors or talents. Some good examples of reality shows are Khatron ke Khiladi, Kaun Banega Crorepati, Big Boss among others like Bournvita Quiz Contest, etc.
Fiction-based shows are said to be a few crime shows where stories maybe fabricated and played in the form of theatrics and dramatized to showcase an incident. Issue-based television shows are the ones like 'India Matters' on NDTV which deal with an issue of development like poverty, hunger, disease and gender. These are more like magazines or documentaries lasting from 30 minutes to one hour.
Programme timings:
Programmes can also be divided into categories based on the timing at which these are going to be aired. There are broadly five main categories- early morning, afternoon, evening, prime time and late night.
Early morning shows are usually light and based around cookery, lifestyle, features, and lighter themes related to soft news rather than hard news. Just like radio broadcast in the morning resounding spiritual chants, even television broadcasts programmes related to astrology, including a quick recap of the main news of the day. Breaking News usually starts coming in by 11 a.m.
Afternoon bulletins are hard news shows as details related to follow-ups are updated at this time. Live OBs and Breaking News go on to be played in this time slot. Sometimes, catering to a target audience of housewives and sit-at-home mothers, programmes related to various soaps and serials are also showcased like 'Saas, Bahu aur Saazish', and 'Saas, Bahu aur Betiyaan' among others.
Around 3 p.m. news bulletins again relate to hard news. Between 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. news are usually a recap of the day's happenings with fresh updates on afternoon bulletins. The stories in the evening are usually longer and lengthier with updated soundbites. Markets close at 3:45 p.m. hence business news is usually shown at 4 p.m. and sports bulletins are also played at around 5 p.m. before the main news bulletin at 6 or 7.
Prime time usually begins at 7 p.m. and goes on till 10 p.m. These are hourly news bulletins with special names like DNA, Master Stroke, Aaj ki Baat, Aap Ki Adalat, etc. These contain hard news bulletins interspersed with discussions and graphics on some key issues of discussion and debate. Some time a few prime time shows maybe in the form of chat shows or talk shows as well.
Late night shows begin at around 11 p.m. and are usually a recap of the main news bulletins. These bulletins are not very long but usually last for thirty minutes. Some times programmes related to entertainment and Page 3-type reports and shows are aired at around 11:30 p.m. Some example of these are 'Raat Baaki' and 'Night Out' on NDTV. After 12 midnight programmes related to telemarketing are aired overnight till 5 a.m. or unless there is Breaking News.
Programme Types:
Programmes can further be divided into types based on target audience- local news channels, regional news channels, national news channels and global or international news channels. Programming can thus vary from one type to another based on the basic news values- proximity, timeliness, etc.
Local news is that which caters to an audience around the city, district or Tehsil. Some examples of these news channels are ABC News, K-News, DD Bihar, Mahua News channel, etc. Here events and happenings around the city- accidents, product launches, promotional events, city festivals are reported in detail. News related to how the city residents are going to be affected are discussed in such channels.
Regional news channels relate to an audience in one region- northern, eastern, western or southern. JAIN TV or Vijay TV down south are good examples. Here news relates to a single district, state or even more than one state is covered. News usually is about more than one city definitely.
National news channels cater to a larger audience as it is broadcast far and wide in the entire country. Here a single news bulletin will first showcase news which matters to the entire nation, not just a single region, state or district. Hence a bulletin will first give priority to news of national importance, then one or more states, and lastly the bulletin will contain and 'en finale' story from the world of entertainment. Here a bulletin is divided such that it includes news from all genres- first politics or general interest, then business or sports and finally entertainment.
Globally, a news channel caters to an international audience. Here programmes are shown based on what their local audience prefers and likes to watch, yet priority is given to a news item of global concern. For example, on an international news channel, Trump-Kim Jong Un meet will be headline first and PM-Jinping meet outcome will be next in line. Even in sports, FIFA World Cup will be aired first and a local cricket match result later.
Next we will discuss various beats and what is the content of various specialized news beats on news channels.
