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Bridgid Nzekwu joined Channel 4 News in 1999 where she is currently a producer and presenter. She started her broadcasting career as a producer at ITN in 1997 and later worked as a reporter on the programmes First Edition and Powerhouse. She has also presented Big Breakfast News and bulletins for Channel 5.
Question 1
|Q: Is there any censorship of the images that can be used on Channel 4 News? Can you give an example of a contentious situation where images were deemed to be too graphic to show on the programme?
A: Bridgid says that Channel 4 News avoids showing explicitly violent or gruesome images that might unnecessarily distress viewers. Last year, for example, hostages were beheaded in Iraq by their captors, who also videotaped the beheading. Channel 4 News, however, did not broadcast these pictures and never shows the point of death or close-ups of dead bodies. Although they try not to censor information, they also don't want to show images that would upset viewers.
Question 2|Q: Can you give an example of a debrief meeting after the news broadcast where there was a controversial issue to discuss? Was the debrief useful and how?
A: Bridgid says that the debrief meeting after the broadcast discusses things that went well and things that didn't go so ell in the programme. Sometimes, if a story in the running order is not finished when it's time to broadcast that slot, it will be moved down in the running order, and in the debrief meeting, the technical problems or journalistic issues that caused the delay will be addressed.
Question 3|Q: Do you always do pre-interviews on the phone before you have a guest on the programme? Has a guest ever given answers that you did not anticipate?
A: Bridgid says that producers always talk to their guests at length over the phone or in person before they appear on the programme to find out what their stance is on a topic, to see if they are articulate or not and how they will perform on screen. Presenters are always fully briefed before they conduct an interview with a guest on the programme so that they can develop the interview before they go on air.
Question 4|Q: What would you do if you contacted your prime interviewee for a story but they were camera-shy?
A: Bridgid says that it often happens that she will want a guest on the programme that has never been on television before and may be camera-shy. When the person comes to the studio, they will be made to feel comfortable, have a cup of tea, and go over the types of questions they will be asked by the presenter. Sometimes, however, a person may refuse point blank to appear on the programme and in that case, they will be asked to recommend a colleague or other expert they may know of.
Question 5|Q: How are guests chosen for interviews? Are there situations where you would want the same person back on the programme and others where you would want a fresh opinion?
A: Bridgid says that guests for the programme can be suggested by Channel 4 News correspondents, presenters or producers, or may have been seen on rival programmes. Channel 4 News usually tries to get fresh faces on the show but sometimes can't avoid having the same guest back when they are the one expert or authority on a topic.
Question 6|Q: Will a newsbelt story ever develop into a bigger story as the day goes on? Can you give an example of this?
A: Bridgid often works on the newsbelt and says that a piece allotted 20 or 30 seconds will often develop into a longer piece over the course of the day. An example she gives is court cases: a case may be briefly mentioned in the newsbelt to mark the day of the trial, but during the day, there might be dramatic developments in the case that merit more attention and cause the piece to become a longer item.
Question 7|Q: How do you prepare for the edit before you go into an edit suite with the editor?
A: Bridgid says that before she goes into an edit suite with an editor, she has spent all day finding the best pictures and researching different angles of a story. Effective images are the most essential part of a television story, and the producer has to have watched the video footage and interviews available and make sure that they are available on the server for the editor to access before she goes into the edit suite. She also has to be up to speed on the story, and has read newswires, press releases and chosen the best bits of the interview beforehand.
Question 8|Q: How do you work with the video editor during the edit? What are the responsibilities of the producer versus those of the editor?
A: Bridgid says that in the edit suite, the work becomes a team effort between the reporter, producer and programme editor. The picture editor is told where the pictures are on the server and uses those to build sequences that will mesh with the reporter's script. The producer, reporter and editor will work together to produce the best possible piece but ultimately, the reporter has the last word over the news item.
Question 9|Q: What are the toughest decisions you've had to make as a producer?
A: The toughest decisions for Bridgid have been under the pressure of time, in the edit suite, 5 to 10 minutes before the piece went to air. At this point, there are usually tough decisions to make over what to include and what to drop from a piece and making those decisions and agreeing with the reporter about it can be difficult.