M - Antennae The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture

well as role of their actions in creating and maintaining
such problems over time. Newsround then although
helping to introduce environmental problems to the
young, does not appear to provide the appropriate
cultural resources that its audience requires to
understand the relevance of such issues within the
modern world.
Notes
(1) Newsround is a BBC children's news programme. It appeared first twice weekly
in 1972 has developed into an established part of the BBC children's programme
schedules. At present, the programme is broadcast on terrestrial and digital
channels daily and accompanied by a yearly series of twelve-minute documentaries
called Newsround Extras. Moving from a traditional slot of 5.25 to 5pm in 2000
and then back again, the eight and a half minute programme consists of two or
three main stories and a summary of other shorter stories within a 'Newswrap'
section. Its agenda includes stories that are relevant to children as well as those
that interest and entertain them. A Newsround website also supports the daily
broadcasts by providing story summaries, background information on important
stories and message boards.
(2) The project examined the production of BBC Newsround with field
observations, in-depth interviews with programme producers and a detailed
quantitative and qualitative analysis of the news programmes broadcast across the
period 1972-2000. Aspects of the case study including news observations and
interviews appear as evidence within this discussion. The news professionals’ voices
that feature for instance were recorded in interviews that took place in various
social settings including the newsroom, offices, and coffee shops. The standard
interviews followed a schedule of questions and lasted for over an hour and a half.
Then, these were analysed to compare professionals’ views of the news audience
and news practices. The sections of interview transcript that appear above have
been examined across the team and verified against observations of the news
production process. These are presented as representative of a collective
professional view of the children's news programme. A fuller discussion of other
aspects of the study can be found in the following: Matthews (2003); (2005);
(2008); (2009) and Matthews (forthcoming).
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Julian Matthews is a lecturer in the Department of Media and Communication,
University of Leicester. His research interests include the production of news forms
and the professional mediation of social problems and risks. He has published his
research on the production of the children’s news programme in several journals
and has recently finished a book on the topic.