Electronic and Digital Media
What the domain tests
This domain covers radio, television and digital news: their grammar, production vocabulary and the editorial problems created by speed and convergence.
Core rules and concepts
- Radio is a 'blind' medium: immediacy, intimacy, sound effects, voice modulation and the theatre of the mind. Television adds visuals; the picture must match the word.
- TV news terms: anchor, PTC (piece to camera), sound bite, voice-over (V/O), package, OB van, PCR, teleprompter, lower-third graphics, TRP.
- Shot sizes: wide, medium, close-up; camera moves: pan, tilt, zoom, track. Editing transitions: cut, dissolve, fade.
- Digital journalism: hypertext, interactivity, multimedia, immediacy; SEO, unique visitors, page views; social media distribution; citizen journalism; verification of user-generated content.
- Convergence means one newsroom feeds many platforms; it does not mean the same copy should be pasted everywhere.
Worked example
A cyclone hits the coast. The TV package might open with an anchor intro, cut to a reporter's PTC from the beach, run a sound bite from a relief official, cover affected families with a V/O, and close with graphics on helpline numbers. Reasoning: each element does a different job-presence, evidence, emotion, service. A digital version would add a live blog, an interactive map and a verification note on a viral video.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing PTC with V/O. Writing a TV script like a newspaper lead. Using unverified social media clips. Ignoring the difference between reach and engagement. Naming a minor or a victim without consent.