Unit 3

Chapter 3 -Analysis of T.V Programmes

Soap Opera
A continuously running episodic work of dramatic fiction which runs into several episodes
with an open narrative. On weekdays these programmes are aimed at house-wives – the
target audience also became the target consumers for the products. Romantic and family
dramas are the content for these shows, with open-ended story & multiple characters.

Daily Soap
When did it all begin in India
Hum Log was the first television soap programme to be telecast by Doordarshan in 1984
nationwide in one fixed time slot across all centres as part of National Network.
A story of the middle-class joint family, their struggles and aspirations; it was written by
Manohar Shyam Joshi and directed by P.Kumar Vasudev.
A trend setter on the Government controlled Doordarshan, Hum Log became a milestone
and tried to combine entertainment with an attempt to promote social values through
television drama. It ran for 156 episodes in 17 months.

The script structure of soap operas

The plot of a Soap opera has a few parallel tracks or sub-plots in the storyline which run
simultaneously with the main story, providing possibility of a bigger expanse and larger
number of characters. This weekly soap may also have intersecting storylines with a
possibility of one track getting more popular than the other and certain characters becoming
the focal point of the audience interest. It is very rare that a soap opera will have a defined
conclusion.

Significant features of a soap opera

Usually there is a centrally defined milieu, situation such as a family or office to which all
characters belong. To this central plot are added many subplots depending upon the
individual activities of the characters 'outside' the central milieu.

Higher the TRPs, more is the revenue from advertising. There is a full-time specialized
mechanism keeping track of the TRPs and audience responses. If at a given point the TRPs
are perceived to be dwindling, then an alternative or a strong diversion is suggested to the
writers, as 'mid course correction'. Television Rating Point (TRP) is used to determine the
collective popularity of shows, and thus the channel's.

Educational Television, Non-Fiction on T.V

Television first came to India on Sept 15, 1959 as the National Television Network of
India. The first telecast started on Sept 15, 1959 in New Delhi. After a gap of about 13
years, second television station was established in Bombay in 1972 and by 1975 there were
five more television stations at Shrinagar (Kashmir), Amritsar (Punjab), Calcutta, Madras and
Lucknow. Doordarshan introduced colour TV during the 1982 Asian Games. The second
phase of growth was witnessed in the early nineties and during the Gulf War, that foreign
channel like CNN, Star TV and domestic channels such as Zee TV and Sun TV started
broadcast of satellite signal.

Non-Fiction Shows on Television

Non-fiction TV shows range from serious news and current affairs broadcasts to
programs that are purely entertaining. A focal point for national attention on complex issues,
a record of the human experience and the natural world, or an instrument of artistic and
social expression.
A documentary is defined as a nonfiction report that devotes its full time slot to one
thesis or subject, usually under the guidance of a single producer. Documentaries are
notable because they have intertwined with wrenching moments in history.

Reality Television
It presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual
events, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded. Eg- Big Boss &
Survivor. Reality television frequently portrays a modified and highly influenced form of
reality, utilizing sensationalism to attract viewers and so to generate advertising profits.
Participants are often placed in exotic locations or abnormal situations, and are
sometimes coached to act in specific scripted ways.

Chapter4 -Content Analysis of Newspapers and Periodicals

The Editorial Page is made up of several articles and a Letters to the Editor
column. In the top middle is a lengthy article; this is the lead feature. Below it is what is
simply called 'the middle', usually a short article written in a light vein. There may be one or
two other articles or 'columns' on the page.

The Editorial and Op-Ed Pages are usually followed by a page or two of 'International
News. The final pages of a newspaper are devoted to reports and features about sports.
Often, advertisements appear prominently on these pages. Several daily newspapers
devote whole pages to classified advertisements (situations vacant, situations wanted,
matrimonial, and so on) and display advertisements (corporate and industrial ads, consumer
ads, tenders, notices, retail ads and real estate ads.

Daily newspapers have a main section and accompanying it are one or more
supplements. For instance, the Times of India & Delhi Times. Some have additional
Supplements such as a Business, a Lifestyle and even a Real Estate Supplement.
' Supplement Journalism' has taken off in a big way in city papers because
this marketing strategy allows for local retail advertising and for segmentation of
readers in terms of their interests and the neighbourhoods where they live.

What is a Lead

A lead in broadcasting can mean the leading story of the newscast, or the beginning of a
story. A headline's role is to generate audience engagement by catching their attention. A
lead is the first paragraph of the story. After the headline, it is the most informative and
impactful part of the entire story.

Editorial Page

Editorials are typically published on a dedicated page, called the editorial page, which often
features letters to the editor from members of the public; the page opposite this page is
called the op-ed page and frequently contains opinion pieces by writers not directly affiliated
with the newspaper. This is where letters to the editor, political cartoons, and editorials --
unsigned commentary that reflects the collective position of the newspaper's editorial board
appears. Letters are often among the best-read section of any newspaper, for this is where
readers, express their opinions. Editorials are not news, but rather reasoned opinion based
on facts.
Op-eds run on the page opposite the editorial page and often publish opinion articles written
by people not employed by the newspaper

Sources of News: 1. Press Release or Handout · 2. Press Conference or Briefing · 3.

Interview · 4. Legislatures · 5. Courts · 6. Conferences, Seminars and Symposia: · 7.
Speeches: · 8. Reports 9. News Agencies. 10. Witnesses of crime, accidents, or other
events 11. people involved with or affected by a news event or issue.

What are primary and secondary sources in journalism?

A primary source is "first-hand" information, sources as close as possible to the origin of the
information or idea under study. Primary sources are contrasted with secondary sources,
works that provide analysis, commentary, or criticism on the primary source.

Elements of a newspaper
1. Name of the newspaper
2. Section
3. Headline
It sums up the story or article. It’s usually in a larger font and often in bold.
4. Drophead
It’s a secondary headline that provides additional information about the story.
5. Byline
It's the author of the article. It appears at the beginning of the article.
6. Dateline
It has two elements: the name of the place from where a story originated and the date on
which it was written. It usually appears in bold letters.
7. Lead
It briefly gives the most important information.
8. Body
It supplies additional information. It’s divided into small paragraphs.
9. Photo
They are used to make a text easier to understand or more interesting.
10. Caption
It used to describe a photograph.

Periodicals - are materials that are published at regular intervals (monthly, quarterly, daily,
etc.) Intended for different audiences, periodical articles contain current information, which is
especially important in fields such as science, business, psychology, and technology.

What are the four types of periodicals?

1) scholarly journals, 2) trade/professional journals, 3) popular magazines & newspapers,
and 4) sensational magazines

Chapter 6

Entertainment sites -Sites developed for the distribution of entertainment content or

focused on the entertainment industry; including, sports, games, news, gossip, humor,
reviews, or promoting a specific celebrity or group. It contains high quality content that is
entertaining for the target audience.Eg Netflix

Information websites- that mostly communicate information about certain organizations

and their activities, facilities etc. They are interactive in the minimal sense of answering
queries. Eg Third Space Gym.

Educational websites - deal with educational content in a variety of ways. Some offer
structured on-line education and courses for a price, while some offer free of cost content
online like lesson plans references etc. Eg KhanAcademy

Business websites- especially of the corporations are defined according to their

corporate imaging and norms and are not open to use by public. They are the technical,
specific, meant to be used only by the people within the organizations or by people who are
related to them through work.

Social Networking websites- Facebook, Instagram began as websites popular with the
youth and have grown phenomenally all over the world. They offer a lot of applications and
combine possibilities of personal and social.

Blog as personal Expression

Blogs are websites or parts of them maintained by individuals. They are expected to
make regular contributions to the blog and these contributions are in various forms. Blogs
vary in form and content depending upon the themes and primary audience they aim at. A
blog is very similar to a website, where one can find content regarding any topic in a
written/text format, along with images, gifs, etc. A vlog, on the other hand, consists of video
content published on any topic. There are various blogging and vlogging platforms that
support both paid and free domain.