News Stations

I’ve spent years around news organizations. So I am going to devote this post to the quality of the news outlets in the Balkans. The production values of the Romanian outlets are actually quite professional. However, the content is biased depending on the political party from which they draw their funds. People know which station is which, and you can get a balanced viewpoint by flipping between channels. Realitea TV, the station of the main opposition, looks the best. The lighting and camera moves look perfectly fine. Reporters doing live shots in the field are common. Some of the talent could use a bit of wardrobe help though. As is common in Romania the women wear scarves and it often makes them look as if they have no necks. The reports are very biased, but only once have I seen them cross the line into something that looks like outright anti-government propaganda (reporter not showing her face, making un-factual comments on the video and endless butted bites of protestors saying how much hated the government. The graphic read something like “Boc-hated by all”). Another station, OTP, seems to be a bit more factual, doing things to involve the audience like a phone-in poll on who still approves of the government here. Apparently 1/3 of people still do. They look rather professional. Pro-TV is the only network I have seen that could use some appearance coaching in Romania. They do not seem over zellously biased but have some issues: static, wide camera angles on the anchor. The weather man also gave the entire weather report standing in front of the chroma-key. Because of this reason they are not on too much in the office. The Moldovans could use a bit more help. First, their anchors and reporters read off of clipboards even when they are in the studio. They do not read off of them correctly either, taking small ‘sips’ of copy and then looking up. Therefore, they are not looking down and not at the camera; they do not look like they know what they are talking about. Their lighting could also use some work. People seem to be only lit from the front, or from one side, and have odd shadows on their faces. The camera angles are wide and static in the news studio. On talk shows, the changes between three camera angles (wide shot, tight on host, tight on guest) seem to have little regard for who is talking. At least they are changing them though. On Journal TV, one of the Moldovan stations, the people seemed orange. This many have just been the signal, but if not, the DP needs a talking to. I have not yet had a chance to take a good look at the Bulgarian stations. I will do that when I get to Sofia.