Television reporting: make every image answer a question
A strong video report needs evidence as well as pictures. Plan images around verifiable questions and keep the edit faithful to what happened.
Plan the claim before the shot list
Write the central assertion, who is affected and which facts still need checking. Bring a list of useful images, but let reality correct the plan. Obtain appropriate permissions and tell contributors how their words may be used. An arresting visual cannot establish cause by itself.
Record provenance in the field
Note the time, place, camera operator and relationship of each clip to the event. Capture room tone and verify names and roles on site. If a source alleges wrongdoing, seek records and a response from the named party. Do not edit separate moments into an action that never occurred.
Edit for understanding
Build the sequence around confirmed facts and attribute disputed claims. Check captions, labels, maps, figures and music rights. W3C advises planning accessibility early, including descriptions of essential visual information. Review the final export on a phone and once with audio muted.
Try it
Report a public event in two minutes. Deliver a source-and-date sheet for each claim, six contextualized shots, a voice script and captions checked by a second person.
Before publishing
Do not use illustrative footage that makes a person appear to be somewhere they were not.