broadcast
critique
broadcast
critique
b r o a d c a s t school name
school year
program name
critique
EVALUATION SERVICES
“Educating, training and supporting scholastic journalists and their advisers”
The Florida Scholastic Press Association’s purpose is to educate, train and support scholastic
journalism statewide. FSPA, an organization of
more than 200 student publications and broadcast programs, offers a variety of services to assist journalism students and teachers. One is an
evaluation service for publications and broadcast programs.
For many advisers and staffs, asking an outsider to evaluate their publication is not easy.
Egos are fragile. While most of us conceded the
value of constructive criticism, we seldom enjoy
having our “pride and joy,” the publication we’ve
spent countless hours producing, assessed by
someone who didn’t have to endure the long
road to creating the publication.
If they only knew how late we stayed up to meet
out deadline.
They just don’t understand how underfunded we
are.
Well, out of 35 students, seven did the work.
Although we value the merit of a top rating, we
need to remember that awards are not the only
rewards of critiquing service. Some rewards include the following:
•
Positive competitive spirit can service as
a motivator to improve weak areas of publication.
•
Consistent membership and rating can
build a tradition of excellence from one year to
the next.
•
Recognition can enhance a student’s college and career potential and can enhance an
adviser’s professional standing.
ELIGIBILITY FOR JUDGING – All Florida high
school and middle/junior high school publications and broadcast programs that are FSPA
members for the current academic year are eligible for the critique service.
JUDGES – Each year, approximately 30 individuals are judges for the FSPA evaluation service.
Judges are journalism teachers and publication
advisers from other states who are recognized
for their publication programs, college and university journalism professors, college yearbook
advisers and members of the professional media with experience with student publications.
The judge receives the publication, evaluation
forms and directions about judging. The judge
is encouraged to be specific in offering recommendations and to identify strengths, as well as
weaknesses, of the publications reviewed.
RANKING -- Newspapers, magazines, broadcast
programs and yearbooks are evaluated by ranking areas of five categories. The judge then gives
that category a score based on the rankings
within the specific categories. The final score is
determined by averaging each scores from each
category, for example All Florida = 5, Gold = 4,
Silver = 3, Bronze = 2, and Merit = 1. Rankings
will be determined by adding the points.
AWARDS – All Florida awards are announced
at the FSPA State Convention banquet each
spring, with staffs receiving award certificates
and plaques. Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Merit certificates will be mailed with scorebook results.
All Florida certificates or plaques not picked up
at the convention will be mailed after the convention.
Broadcast
1
The evaluation is divided into four sections. Each section has a numerical rating ranging from 5 to 0, as shown
below
• VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS – How well the item conveys the message through video, graphics and set design.
• VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS – How well the written word is prepared for the program.
• AUDIO – How well the audio blends with the video to tell the story from a creative standpoint.
• TALENT – How well the talent instills confidence and sets the mood for the entire program.
EXPLANATION OF FINAL EVALUATION SYSTEM
Each division in each section is rated in final grade as
•All-Florida (always) = 5
•Gold (frequently) = 4
•Silver (usually) = 3
•Bronze (sometimes) = 2 or
•Merit (never) = 1
•Special Distinction = Judge’s discretion based on overall impression of the section.
➢ Judges will annotate both positive and negative elements of the publication in RED so that the staff can easily
recognize the remarks. Therefore, judges will write in your publications.
➢ Judges will include comments relevant to each division and therefore each section in the space on the pages
provided. In addition, they will include detailed supplementary comments explaining their overall impressions.
PART ONE: Visual Communications
General StyleRating _____
• Pictures are stable and level unless there is a strong reason to have camera movement.
• Story has started with a strong visual image to bring the viewer into the story.
• Photographer has focused on natural action. He/She has avoided staging in journalistic news reporting.
• Strong composition is maintained, keeping in mind basic photographic principles: rule of thirds, headroom, eye
flow, leading lines, nose room, etc.
• Sequence is used. Matched action shots have been edited together to advance the story.
• A variety of shot locations have been used.
• A variety of shots is utilized including close up’s, medium shots and wide shots with a clear emphasis on tight shots.
• Video should have a planned format, with beginning, middle and end.
• Story has ended with a strong visual image the viewer with remember.
• Uses cutaways to eliminate jump cuts (Jump cut - when an on screen character appears to jump from one location
to another.)
• Zooms, pans used sparingly and for effect. Moves have a clear starting point and ending place.
• Coverage may extend beyond the school but should appeal to a student audience.
EthicsRating _____
• Productions should treat topics in manner appropriate for use with a high school audience.
• Program content should avoid racial, sexual, religious or ethnic stereotypes.
• Offensive or biased language should be avoided.
• Entries should not be adaptations of ideas, programs, skits or sketches from national media. This includes the una
uthorized use of copyrighted material, including music.
Technical QualityRating _____
• Video production should feature adequate and appropriate three-point or cross key lighting.
• Graphics use typeface that is easy to read and proper size. Credits are easy to read: appropriate typeface and speed.
• Consistent, correct color balance.
• Camera is steady, on a tripod.
• Production should demonstrate careful, thoughtful editing and mixing.
• Correct framing of interview sound bites.
Broadcast
2
Recommendations and Commendations
Average Rating: _____ Rating Guide – All Florida, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit
SPECIAL DISTINCTION: ____________
EXPLANATION:
PART TWO: Verbal Communications
News WritingRating _____
• Stories should report recent events, happenings and issues that affect the high school student.
• The following news elements should have been met: proximity, consequences, names, conflict, emotions, unusual
ness, human interest.
• There should be an interesting angle.
• Script should have short sentences in a conversational style, using active verbs. Information should be specific in relation to the news story. Clichés are kept to a minimum.
• Balance and fairness is a must – avoid editorializing .
• The story is understandable to the audience and interests its audience.
• The topic should be approached with a unique angle in mind.
Feature WritingRating _____
• There are a wide variety of features, including human interest, personality profiles, historical, informational, and
news features.
• It is obvious the reporter has researched the story. As many people as possible have been interviewed and written
materials as secondary sources have been used.
• Feature stories should bring some kind of emotion from the viewer.
• The features are interesting to the viewer.
• The reporter uses vivid details and images, as if he/she is witnessing the events.
• There is a theme or focus without very little wandering from the focus of the story.
• Natural sound should be used whenever possible allowing the people to tell their own story with sound bites and
the subject’s voice as narration.
• Controversial statements should be part of a sound bite, not a reporter’s copy.
• The topic should be approached with a unique angle in mind.
Sports WritingRating _____
• The reporter has shown an understanding of the sport being reported.
• The surroundings as well as the event itself should be covered.
• It is essential that action verbs and specific information be used.
• Besides showing the specific of the sport, the story must also be understandable to the person who doesn’t under
stand the sports.
• Sports clichés are kept to a minimum.
Broadcast
Recommendations and Commendations
Average Rating: _____ Rating Guide – All Florida, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit
SPECIAL DISTINCTION: ____________
EXPLANATION:
PART THREE: Audio Communications
AudioRating _____
• No copyrighted music is used without specific written consent from the artist.
Correct audio levels are used – not too soft, not distorted.
• Voice-over is clear, well-paced, not overdone.
• Audio levels must be consistent.
• Audio productions should lead the listener through the production with appropriate narration and/or music.
Sound bites are clear. Theyt should go with the story without adding an inside joke or other subliminal or subcon
scious meaning to the story.
• Sound bites must be clear, understandable and at a correct level.
• Natural sound should be part of the story and can often stand alone without narration.
Recommendations and Commendations
Average Rating: _____ Rating Guide – All Florida, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit
SPECIAL DISTINCTION: ____________
EXPLANATION:
3
Broadcast
4
PART FOUR: Talent
TalentRating _____
• Talent should be appropriately attired, prepared and make eye contact.
• Talent should be poised and professional, demonstrating a high degree of confidence and stage presence.
• Phrasing, diction and pacing should demonstrate a reasonable attempt to adapt to standard broadcast style, gram
mar is correct.
• Reporter should be secondary to the story. Don’t let the reporter overpower the story or guests or become the
story itself.
• If more than one anchor, cross-talk is at a natural comfort level.
• Makeup and accessories are broadcast news appropriate
• Any kind of gestures make the broadcast look natural.
Recommendations and Commendations
Average Rating: _____ Rating Guide – All Florida, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit
SPECIAL DISTINCTION: ____________
EXPLANATION:
Broadcast
5
Judge’s Summary Comments
Judge’s signature (optional)
Final Rating
Each division in each category is rated as ALL FLORIDA (5 points), GOLD (4 points), SILVER (3 points),
BRONZE (2 points), or MERIT (1 point).
Publications will be awarded one of the following ratings based on the rankings of each category:
(Check “Special Distinction” if the section is awarded.)
Part One:
Visual Communication
Rating _____
Special Distinction: _____
Part Two:
Verbal Communication
Rating _____
Special Distinction: _____
Part Three:
TalentRating _____Special Distinction: _____
Part Four:
AudioRating _____Special Distinction: _____
_______ All Florida (20-18)
_______
Gold (17-16)
_______
Silver (15-12)
_______
Bronze (11-8)
_______
Merit (7-0)
_______
Number of Special Distinctions
Other recommended press associations
The following scholastic press associations provide evaluation services. Costs and deadlines vary. Contact the organization to obtain further information.
Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA)
303 Journalism, 2950 Broadway
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027-3899
212-854-9400
Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA)
College of Mass Communication & Information Studies
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
803-777-6284
National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA)
2221 University Ave., SE
Suite 121
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-625-8335
Quill & Scroll Society
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
319-335-3457
The evaluation form was revised in 2011 by Jane Robbins, Evaluation Services Coordinator, with the help of Wayne Garcia, FSPA Executive Director, Ravika Rameshwar, FSPA Office Staff, Denise Honey and Linda Evanchyk. Additional assistance of material was made possible from Nebraska High School Press Association, Kettle Moraine Press Association (KEMPA), Interscholastic League Press Conference
and Virginia High School League, Inc.