How does image modify comprehension of television news programmes’ content?

Piotr Francuz, Anna Szalkowska, Magdalena Szubielska

English version of the article

Many premises indicate that on account of excessive amount of text in news, as well as the fast speed of verbal transfer of information, image becomes the main source of message comprehension in television news programmes. Thus, image stops fulfilling an only complementary function and it becomes a base for processing the content included in TV programs. The results of the research reported in the presented article explicitly indicate that meaning of an event can be significantly modified by the specific manner of its illustration. This modification may refer to a range of detailed knowledge about the event, a manner of comprehension of the main idea included in the news, as well as cause and effect relationships between components of the event and attitudes towards news content. Research was conducted for Polish Television S.A. in June 2008, on a group of Polish adults (1000 subjects).

KEYWORDS

comprehension, TV news, TV broadcast, persuasive broadcast