BSJ Bachelor of Journalism: Broadcast News Production 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a breaking news story develops during a live broadcast, what is the producer's first priority?
- Rewriting the entire rundown before informing the anchor
- Communicating updated information to the anchor via IFB while adjusting the rundown in real time (Correct answer)
- Cutting to commercial to buy time for preparation
- Waiting for a second independent confirmation before making any changes
Correct answer: Communicating updated information to the anchor via IFB while adjusting the rundown in real time
Producers feed updated information to anchors through IFB and simultaneously restructure the rundown so the broadcast can pivot without going off-air.
Question 2: What does the '180-degree rule' govern in broadcast news videography?
- The maximum pan speed a camera operator should use
- Maintaining consistent screen direction by keeping the camera on one side of an action line (Correct answer)
- The angle at which sunlight should hit a subject's face
- The minimum arc a camera must travel during a B-roll sequence
Correct answer: Maintaining consistent screen direction by keeping the camera on one side of an action line
The 180-degree rule requires the camera to stay on one side of the action axis so subjects maintain consistent left-right screen positions across cuts.
Question 3: A photojournalist is filming a police operation and officers order them to stop recording on a public sidewalk. What is the journalist's legal standing in the US?
- Officers have authority to stop recording any law enforcement activity
- The First Amendment generally protects the right to record police in public spaces (Correct answer)
- Journalists must have a press credential to record police in any capacity
- Recording restrictions apply only in states without shield laws
Correct answer: The First Amendment generally protects the right to record police in public spaces
Federal courts have broadly held that the First Amendment protects the right to record police activity in public, absent a legitimate safety or investigative justification.
Question 4: In broadcast news editing, what is the technique of 'J-cut' used to accomplish?
- Cutting from one interview subject directly to another without B-roll
- Allowing the audio from the next clip to begin before the video cut occurs (Correct answer)
- Trimming a package to exactly fit a 'J'-shaped rundown slot
- Adding a jump cut transition between two soundbites from the same speaker
Correct answer: Allowing the audio from the next clip to begin before the video cut occurs
A J-cut lets incoming audio precede the video transition, creating a natural, flowing edit that smooths scene changes and maintains narrative momentum.
Question 5: Which of the following best defines 'embargo' in the context of broadcast news reporting?
- A government ban on covering a specific topic
- An agreement to hold a story until a specified release time set by the source (Correct answer)
- A legal injunction preventing a story from airing
- A contractual blackout period required by an advertiser
Correct answer: An agreement to hold a story until a specified release time set by the source
An embargo is an agreement between a news organization and a source to withhold a story until a mutually agreed release time, often used for press releases or research publications.
Question 6: What is 'white balance' and why is it critical in broadcast news camera operation?
- A microphone calibration setting that filters ambient white noise
- A camera setting that adjusts color temperature so whites appear neutral under different lighting conditions (Correct answer)
- A legal standard requiring equal race representation in on-air talent
- A post-production color grade applied uniformly across a news package
Correct answer: A camera setting that adjusts color temperature so whites appear neutral under different lighting conditions
White balance calibrates the camera to interpret true white correctly under a given light source, preventing color casts that make skin tones and backgrounds appear unnatural.
Question 7: What is the function of a 'rundown' in a broadcast news production environment?
- A summary of the station's annual revenue performance
- A sequenced list of all segments, their formats, and timing for a news broadcast (Correct answer)
- A script template used by field reporters for live shots
- A log of all B-roll footage catalogued in the media asset management system
Correct answer: A sequenced list of all segments, their formats, and timing for a news broadcast
The rundown is the master blueprint of a broadcast, listing every segment in order with its format type, duration, and technical requirements.
BSJ Bachelor of Journalism: Broadcast News Production 4
When a breaking news story develops during a live broadcast, what is the producer's first priority?