WINOL’s circulation this semester needed a boost; it was a slow start but still a rise on last year. Initially, figures started at 270 unique IPs and 206 new users. Although not staggering numbers, WINOL could have around 400 viewers from these stats as the university has one IP. The team made improvements weekly as we upped social media and created an Instagram and Pinterest. WINOL progressed on Alexa every week but was not a huge competitor in student journalism; we are still below our rivals. We need to sell our content, it’s good enough but what’s the point if nobody is watching it. The latest figures are up to 404 unique IPs with viewers staying on the site for longer and looking at more articles. Viewers are coming for the bulletin and staying for the features.
Our biggest views should come from Wednesdays as deadlines are all centred round the Newsday. To gain a more widespread audience we could have a trickle of content coming onto the site throughout the week. We do not want viewers to log on and think that it is not being updated and effectively a dead site. Last year we had this influx of text stories from different beats and features, however the team is more focused on video leading the site this semester.
WINOL introduced the role of social media this year. We needed to be more disciplined with this; it’s a credible role to have and worthwhile but we needed strict deadlines for the team. We should have had a minimum of social media tasks for each member; more shares, more follows and, more likes equal more views and more credibility. This would make us the place to go for local news, sports and features. We reached our goal from last year to 2000 twitter followers by running a competition to our audience.
We also had a graphics role this year, which excelled; we kept up with the changing times of journalism and were able to produce some great graphics in picture lacking stories. The quality of these was not only to fill space but really added something to packages. With the introduction of new titles, WINOL looked more professional and increased our credibility.
WINOL’s main issue is audience – it’s unclear whether to focus on campus or Hampshire news. I think this was a particular issue with the Super Features bulletin; there were aspects of the show that were dependent on families and friends watching, for example the Christmas jumper Flipagram. Remember that journalism is for the people.
Features has come on so far due to great leadership and direction. The team churned out fantastic, strong video led content. We launched the new W2 site with Laura Trant as guest, which has been very successful. WINOL established rules that we do not have any bad photos, as the team are improving we are having to remove old content to meet the new standard. Visually, all features are excelling with different beats to attract all different audiences. However, across the board packages are lacking an angle and some features have left viewers thinking and what? This needs to be a focus for next semester because we have cracked the visuals but the other aspect is to sell the story – if you have no angle why would anybody watch it. You should never produce something without thinking about the audience.
Super Features was the ultimate test for the team. We filled the airtime easily and it was a great opportunity to showcase features, practice for the General Election and give studio roles to members not involved in Newsdays. The production was visually striking but it lacked substance in the angle as I mentioned. Some of the packages were disappointing in that commentary could have been re-voiced and re-scripted and sections on VTs were perhaps too long. The whole broadcast needed a thread throughout and to be tied together at the end – to entertain the audience from start to finish. Technically the bulletin ran smoothly through the gallery and studio, there were merely some content issues. I worked the VT machine for the broadcast without any issues or missed cues. This very first two hour production for the team was impressive and there is no reason why we cannot produce more feature bulletins.
Sport is another triumph this year; we have a stronger and larger sports team than previous years and new ideas. There has been a good variety of features and match coverage – Sportsweek got brought back due to the volume of content. Tough Mudder was one of the stand-out pieces with great shots from all different angles, good grabs and fantastic access to a national event on our doorstep. Goal of the month was a great success as well, the idea behind this was so simple yet the scope for audience interaction and views is huge. The Eastleigh match postponement fire story was great to get and each week the team has improved PTCs and scripting/voices. It has been an exceptional term for sport.
As Environment Correspondent, my aim was to produce packages on national news stories with a local angle – not every week but most – getting into the headlines as much as possible. Overall, I am extremely pleased with what I have achieved. I produced four packages, all of which were national stories, three were in the headlines and added multiple OOVs to the bulletin throughout the term. My Remembrance Day package was a re-edited and re-voiced report made of Stephen’s clips. I also produced three comment pieces as a columnist and presented one week and, was news editor the other – these were on top of my aims. I feel like I developed hugely this semester – I am much more confident with writing to pictures and voicing. In my own time, I practiced annunciation and emphasis on scripts – Angus picked up on this extra work. I am much more confident with PTCs now, this semester I produced my first walkie talkie and experimented with my involvement in packages i.e getting on the horse. Last semester, I was struggling with the scripting now I think it is one of the most enjoyable aspects. I have greatly improved my editing skills – obsessing over every detail paying particular focus to my sound edits and blends. I now have the basics firmly in place and this gives me more room to hone in on the finer details. I am a chess player reporter – knowing my timeline before going out on location, I’m telling the story.
My strongest report came at the end of this semester with badgers. It was great to get Chris Packham and the CEO of Badger Trust – they were great talkers and provided good grabs. This package had so many pictures from all different angles right into the action and the sound was crisp and natural. The PTC really added to this package – I made sure I was in the march and walked out of the shot so viewers could see the action behind me. I wanted to highlight the words in the DEFRA statement to make it more interesting and look like the news – this I achieved painstakingly but I learned from my previously static milk statement. My report was commended by the charity and is on the Badger Trust website as coverage of the protest and I have been asked to film future protests in London for the charity. I feel that my comment piece on the cost of badger culling is one of my strongest articles as well but I am looking forward to more features training next semester. My text story scooped Hampshire Chronicle by a few hours on the Wednesday. I also scooped ITV by a week on my milk package, which I thought was really strong and one of my best produced so far. I worked hard on package promotion this semester – sharing links on social media, putting them on forums and forwarding to contacts – every package has more views than last semester’s work.
My week as News Editor went really well; I maintained control of the bulletin from the moment the last week’s show went out until my bulletin was broadcast. Six of the stories from news conference were followed through to broadcast and did not fall through; I made sure that reporters knew what I was expecting including shots, angles and quotes. I arranged extra rehearsals on the Tuesday for the gallery team and Tate, and communicated constantly between production, Tate and reporters. I also made text stories a priority this week so they trickled through continuously throughout Wednesday and were all published before broadcast. This was the first week we broadcast on time, the first time we had an as live this semester and we didn’t have to re-record any links; the week had discipline and aims.
I wouldn’t describe any of my packages as weak but my most disappointing report was on horses. The lenses for the camera were designed for mid-focus so the interviews are marginally soft and I would have preferred better sequences with the vet but time was restricted. I also could have worked on my PTC and relaxed more. I could have improved my graphic in the milk package by putting a move on it and in turn simplifying it frame by frame. My week of presenting wasn’t my strongest; I struggled with the in-studio chat and was nervous but towards the end links I had much more relaxed into it. I think for the first time my script needed improving but wasn’t too bad.
News as a whole, technically, has improved massively with most reporters using DSLRs and coming up with good news. Top stories include: Stephen’s coverage of the Southampton gas explosion, the Ferguson riots two-way with our sister college and, Nick Clegg’s interview. These particularly made use of great contacts and are stories with legs.
Another highlight, was Politics and Power; it had a great variety of components, made use of contacts for the in-studio debate, included impressive graphics from the titles to graphic analysis, presenting was extremely strong and just needed refining.
For WINOL, links need to be in on Tuesday night without fail, there needs to be more communication between teams, every reporter must come to conference with back up stories and, we need to make rehearsal time for Newsdays. We also need to have an on the day story every single week – whether that is a live or a package. Reporters need to build contacts and sign up to press releases as some of our biggest stories came direct from inboxes this semester.
megrosefisher 