Danelle Grey
Graphic Artist, Seven
Written by Daniel Clark on 2008-10-17
What do you see happening in the next five years in the television broadcasting, or more specifically the news industry?
Whatever happens, there is no doubt that it will be in regards to technology, especially with regional news. This is because we have a lot of older equipment. Newer technology will influence how the news is both put together and displayed, probably one of the biggest hurdles we will have is making the level of technology we currently adopt work with the new devices. Given that my department needs to be ‘on’ or at least towards the ‘cutting edge’, we will never be able to fully predict what will happen in five years, as we are only led by the graphic program designers. However, as we get more advanced hardware and software, our department will expand, and we will not only do graphics for the news, but for more and more televisions shows. This is starting to happen now, but who knows where it will end.
What are the biggest challenges you and your organisation face as a member of the Greater Brisbane media community?
As I said previously, technology is going to be the biggest thing. Due to the Sunshine Coast being classified as regional, we seem to get all the cut-offs of what Brisbane used to have. So we get older things to begin with. This is why it always seems to be a constant challenge. We have to remain competitive and first class in order to gain market share, but we are given second hand tools to begin with. Thus, it is down to us here in the station to work harder and be more creative to reduce the slack. For example, the particular machine I work with is called a ‘Collage’, and there is no support for it inside Australia. We have to contact places in Europe to get assistance for it, and let me tell you, contact is by a belated email, not a first-class ticket to Paris!
What are some of the most important/valuable skills that graduates can bring to your industry?
Well, the business is a bit of a sausage factory, so you really need the ability to face up to an abundance of work and be able to push it out really quickly. On the other hand, creativity is a big thing in our department, and is a huge ‘must’ for prospective employees to have. Because we have such an ingrained line of certain styles, having someone new to influence that is always exciting. Given the type of industry it is, employment tends to come from practical experience or who you know. I think the best way for anyone, including a media graduate, would be to come in as a casual. This is how a lot of the people in here started. Then they are the ones who end up the getting jobs, by learning more about the company before they actually start, and are first inline when someone leaves.
How would you rate the performance of Channel Seven local news in comparison to other national and international news media services?
We are growing immensely. As far as regional news goes, we get the largest audience ratings and everything. This is because Channel Seven has a great reputation in this particular regional segment. I cannot quote the exact figures for Brisbane metropolitan news, but I have heard that it is a similar story for their specific news time slot. I know overall Channel Nine has the highest ratings. Yet, up here we have the biggest viewer base when it comes to news programs, and in respect to local news, we have a better quality program, and that is what puts us over the line. I believe Channel Nine get a lot more off-cuts than what we do. They look terrible in comparison to what we are doing at the moment. So I think people are slowly breaking habits and becoming more aware of the quality that Channel Seven local news provides.
How has new media such as the Internet and mobile communications revolutionised your workplace?
Well that’s a tough one for my department, because we do not use the internet nearly as much as some of the other areas. Except for when we do not have any relevant pictures on our own database, Google images is a lot quicker than having to physically take a new photo myself. Then I use Photoshop to manipulate them to achieve our required results. With national news for example, the internet has allowed Channel Seven to access stories from databases around the world, as is the case when you see them airing footage from places like CNN. However, as we are a local news program, most of our stories are still collected physically by our own Journalists. Digital technology has made it possible for sending footage between the editors without losing quality. Plus, the internet allows us to send national stories to Brisbane only moments before they are aired.
Is your workplace finding it increasingly hard to cope with some of the newer technologies in regards to retaining viewers, such as the ‘usual news watcher’ now getting their information from websites or news blogs?
I do think more people are getting their news from these other sources. That is one of the driving forces behind why we keep updating our looks. About a year ago they updated all of our plasmas, which were about 100 in total. This all goes towards changing the look and feel of the news and making it more appealing to our intended audience’s eyes. You have to perceive yourself or the program as offering better quality to retain and gain audiences. Thankfully, that is something our program offers over other platforms. Additionally, I do not believe the problem is quite as prominent up here on the Sunshine Coast because we do have an older audience which is not as computer savvy. It also helps that the presenters are known personalities in the community, with a lot of the people up here having grown up with these faces alongside them.
Do you feel that there will always be a place for your role at Channel Seven, or free-to-air broadcasting itself?
I hope so, but there is every chance that one day we will all be out dated. Technology keeps advancing, and people are going to mobile phones with internet access, so they can constantly read and watch what they want whilst they are on the go. So, I mean, I hope we will still be around. As we travel through the future we will have to keep changing the program and think of more creative ways to conduct marketing. Like when we had Yvonne start about a year ago. They marketed her as a fun loving tomboy, and it is working. Everyone is really taking to her. It is about making the presenters more personable and giving the audience something to identify with. Combining clever marketing with staying at the forefront of television and graphic design technology is hopefully the path to our survival, and my continuing career.