Temple Media Project

Temple/London Fall 1999
A Psychological Profile of British Media

The question researched was the level of formality in British and television news and radio presentation. Does it differ from that of the United States? It is important to look at this question in order to see the level of formality society expects and is used to.

In order to analyze the informality of British news, three of the highest rated television channels were chosen: BBC 1, ITV, and Channel 4. The news programs were recorded and reviewed. Nightly news programs were the main focus but the morning and afternoon programs (when applicable) were also taken into consideration. The programs were judged on set (background and where the newscasters were situated), dress, language (vocabulary and sentence structure), and how the news was presented. Programs were then rated on a scale of Very Formal, Formal, Less Formal, and Informal.

All three channels had morning programs. BBC 1 had a more news-oriented program while ITV’s Good Morning Television had a more talk-show approach. BBC 1 often had news updates during the discussion of news events. The anchors sat at a desk and would politely introduce their correspondents or interviewees. ITV also had news updates, but the presentation of information was more like the exchanging of ideas over the breakfast table. The two anchors normally conversed in chairs or on benches with some kind of table in front of them. Channel 4’s morning program, The Big Breakfast (BB), was very casual. It seemed as if the program was designed for kids. Although the program started with news briefs, the hosts then jumped out of their seats and ran around the set. They joked and made fun of each other and the people in the news.

	BBC 1	ITV	Channel 4
Language	Very Formal	Formal	Less Formal
Dress	Formal	Formal	Informal
Set	Formal	Less Formal	Informal
Presentation	Formal	Less Formal	Informal

As for American morning programs, they seemed to be less formal than the British ones. Good Morning America is a good example. The presenters spoke naturally and not as formally as British morning presenters. For set, dress, and presentation it was similar to ITV’s morning program. The presentation was slightly less formal, especially since there was a more significant amount of witty banter between news presenters.

Only BBC 1 and ITV had afternoon news programs on the selected days, and they mimicked the nightly news programs. The afternoon news programs in the United States also resembled the nightly news programs.

These were the main similarities between the three channels’ nightly programs:

The nightly news programs on all channels varied in style, but the language was very formal. Although they adopted a more elevated level of speech using a substantial vocabulary and long sentence structure, their speech seemed forced.

The style of dress is what differed the most between all the programs. On ITV Evening News, both the newscasters’ and the correspondents’ attire was equally formal, but less formal than BBC 1. Channel 4’s correspondents were noticeably less formal in their dress than the news anchors while the news anchors were as formal as ITV newscasters. For example, one of the correspondents observed had a button dress shirt with the first two buttons unbuttoned and a v-neck sweater over it. This is very different from the men and women in suits or dresses that audiences are used to seeing.

All program sets were unique, yet rather formal. They all consisted of an anchor (or anchors) sitting behind a desk with a copy of the news in front of him or her. The backgrounds made the sets different, but each of the backgrounds was very formal.

	BBC 1	ITV	Channel 4
Language	Very Formal	Very Formal	Very Formal
Dress	Very Formal	Formal	Less Formal
Set	Very Formal	Formal	Formal
Presentation	Very Formal	Formal	Formal

The American nightly news programs seem less formal than those in Great Britain. Action News (ABC) is a good example; the newscasters are very friendly and they share personal conversations with each other. On a Friday program, they will talk about what they are going to do for the weekend while asking the weather person if the weather will nice.. They joke around and comment on each other’s stories. American news programs try to show a more family like atmosphere.

To complete this analysis, various British radio stations were listened to over a period of one week. The stations used were Virgin FM, Capitol Gold, Rude FM (Pirate), and London Underground (Pirate).

The mainstream FM stations are comparable to the majority of the stations heard in the US. Almost 50% of London’s FM stations are pirated (illegally aired). Judging by sound quality alone, the majority of pirated stations are working with old equipment since they do not have the proper facilities to broadcast effectively, so the sound quality suffers. Overall, radio DJ’s in London perform a different duty than in the United States. The majority of the DJ’s for pirated radio do not appear to be trained presenters (broadcasters), rather, they are known and respected for their dj-ing capabilities in the underground scene including clubs, parties, and mixed tapes. On the other hand, mainstream stations can afford expensive equipment, experienced hosts (DJ’s), and technicians to perfect sound quality.

It is assumed that pirate radio stations have a listening group that does not mind the imperfections. Because the stations are independent of governmental funding, their listening audience has not been officially established. We assume, therefore, that audiences listening to pirate radio stations tune in simply for the music. The stations serve a listening group that is underrepresented by mainstream radio stations simply becoming the ‘alternative’ not the norm. As for television news, it can be said that audiences in Great Britain are used to a higher level of formality. American audiences are more accustomed to a familiar and friendlier presentation of the news. It would be interesting to see, perhaps in a later study, if the level of formality affects the way people perceive the information given to them.