broadcast

critique

broadcastcritique

b r o a d c a s t
critique

school name Clearwater High School

school year 2016-2017

program name CTN

 EVALUATION SERVICES
Educating, training and supporting scholastic journalists and their advisers
The Florida Scholastic Press Associations pur-
pose is to educate, train and support scholastic
journalism statewide. FSPA, an organization of
more than 200 student publications and broad-
cast programs, offers a variety of services to as-
sist journalism students and teachers. One is an
evaluation service for publications and broad-
cast programs.
For many advisers and staffs, asking an out-
sider 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 weve
spent countless hours producing, assessed by
someone who didnt 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 dont 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 in-
clude the following:
Positive competitive spirit can service as
a motivator to improve weak areas of publica-
tion.
Consistent membership and rating can
build a tradition of excellence from one year to
the next.
Recognition can enhance a students col-
lege and career potential and can enhance an
advisers professional standing.
ELIGIBILITY FOR JUDGING All Florida high
school and middle/junior high school publica-
tions and broadcast programs that are FSPA
members for the current academic year are eli-
gible for the critique service.
JUDGES Each year, approximately 30 individu-
als 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 uni-
versity journalism professors, college yearbook
advisers and members of the professional me-
dia 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 recom-
mendations and to identify strengths, as well as
weaknesses, of the publications reviewed.
RANKING -- Newspapers, magazines, broadcast
programs and yearbooks are evaluated by rank-
ing 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 cer-
tificates will be mailed with scorebook results.
All Florida certificates or plaques not picked up
at the convention will be mailed after the con-
vention.
 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 de-
sign.
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 = Judges 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

3
General Style Rating _____
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 ups, 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.

5
Ethics Rating _____
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 Quality Rating _____ 3
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: _____
3.6 Rating Guide All Florida, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit
I watched the Jan. 26, 2017 show. Good overall look for the show. Great show logo. Nice mix
between physical set and virtual sets. Good use of bumpers to introduce different segments. Sports
was done particularly well. Where are the lower thirds with anchor names? The OTS's for the two
main anchors were placed awkwardly. The anchors were framed well, but the OTS's were too high
and too wide. Try centering in a perpendicular rectangle or square in the right or left third depending
on where the anchor is framed. I liked the local coverage, but using the same photo from the OTS in
an FS shows that you did not have enough visual coverage of the news. Try using a map with the
location marked and maybe a Ken Burns effect drawing the eye to the location. The hand held mic
SPECIAL
was unusualDISTINCTION:
for studio shots.____________
I understand that budget limitations might be the reason, so sacrificing
production look for sound quality seems to be a fair trade off. The "picture in a picture" school news
segment was visually awkward in that the look was more for interviews with sources in another
EXPLANATION:
location as opposed to using it to substitute FSs and anchor shots.

PART TWO: Verbal Communications

5
News Writing Rating _____
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. Clichs 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.

5
Feature Writing Rating _____
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 subjects voice as narration.
Controversial statements should be part of a sound bite, not a reporters copy.
The topic should be approached with a unique angle in mind.

5
Sports Writing Rating _____
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 doesnt under
stand the sports.
Sports clichs are kept to a minimum.
 Broadcast 3

Recommendations and Commendations

Average Rating: _____
5 Rating Guide All Florida, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit
The scripting was outstanding and well written for the anchors to deliver.

SPECIAL DISTINCTION: ____________

EXPLANATION:
Nice job!

PART THREE: Audio Communications

4
Audio Rating _____
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: _____
4 Rating Guide All Florida, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit
The audio was captured well for the studio, but the levels where not consistent from segment to
segment, particularly with the segments using the hand held mic. This could be due to lack of
adjusting the mic level from anchor to anchor or how far the hand held mic is from the anchor's
mouth.

SPECIAL DISTINCTION: ____________

EXPLANATION:
 Broadcast 4

PART FOUR: Talent

4
Talent Rating _____
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. Dont 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: _____
4 Rating Guide All Florida, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit
The anchors all looked great in the staff polos. I liked the different colors. The logo on the left chest
made the look consistent. Jonathan and Lexi had good pacing and diction. However, they looked a
little mechanical. The sports anchor (sorry, could not understand her name when she said it) looked
scared. Her pacing was good, but her speech was very monotone. Kyle had nice camera presence,
but his delivery was choppy. He stumbled over his script a bit. Ivy did a good job with the senior
news. Her delivery was well paced with good voice and diction.
SPECIAL DISTINCTION: ____________

EXPLANATION:
 Broadcast 5

Judges Summary Comments

Good show. You did a good job of informing the school of news and information that had relevance
to your community. My suggestions for improvement would be in-studio audio and more
superimposed graphic use. Mic your anchors in the studio with lavalier mics so the audio comes
through clearer. Add proportional OTS graphics when delivering news and information and change
up what you are showing in the OTS and the FS during the news. Keep up the good work.

Benjamin Merithew, CJE

Judges 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.)
3.6
Part One: Visual Communication Rating _____ Special Distinction: _____

Part Two: Verbal Communication Rating _____

5
Special Distinction: _____
4
Part Three: Talent Rating _____ Special Distinction: _____

Part Four: Audio Rating 4

_____ Special Distinction: _____

_______ All Florida (20-18)

_______ Gold (17-16)

_______ Silver (15-12)

_______ Bronze (11-8)

_______ Merit (7-0)

1
_______ Number of Special Distinctions
 Other recommended press associations

The following scholastic press associations provide evaluation services. Costs and deadlines vary. Contact the organiza-
tion to obtain further information.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA)
303 Journalism, 2950 Broadway College of Mass Communication & Information Studies
Columbia University University of South Carolina
New York, NY 10027-3899 Columbia, SC 29208
212-854-9400 803-777-6284

National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Quill & Scroll Society

2221 University Ave., SE School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Suite 121 University of Iowa
Minneapolis, MN 55414 Iowa City, IA 52242
612-625-8335 319-335-3457

The evaluation form was revised in 2011 by Jane Robbins, Evaluation Services Coordinator, with the help of Wayne Garcia, FSPA Execu-
tive Director, Ravika Rameshwar, FSPA Office Staff, Denise Honey and Linda Evanchyk. Additional assistance of material was made pos-
sible from Nebraska High School Press Association, Kettle Moraine Press Association (KEMPA), Interscholastic League Press Conference
and Virginia High School League, Inc.