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Newscast Critique

Many TV newsrooms conduct a brief newscast critique session after a show is over. The producer or another news manager often leads the discussion, and most of the time, there are some things that could have been better within the newscast.

Watch the first block of this broadcast produced by students working for the University of Mississippi's NewsWatch 99. The newscast aired one day after two tornadoes touched down in nearby towns. If you were the producer of the show, how would you answer the following questions?

What was done well? As the producer you'll want to reinforce the positive aspects of the show, as well as those things that could be improved.

What three things should the team try to do better the next time a big news event occurs in the coverage area? Be specific--for example, did the show need more information, was the writing weak, or did the anchors need more energy? You don't want to try to fix everything, instead you should focus on making changes that will have the biggest impact.