Actuality footage seems much more immediate when it is broadcast with its original sound. Note whether the soundtrack was recorded with the visual material, or if there is a voice-over. This is to avoid the tendency for film of senior figures to be broadcast in their absence, just to ensure that they are constantly in the public eye. This may be apparent from the way in which the film has been edited, or it might be possible to deduce from independent information about what happened at a news event. The authority and credibility of television performances can be affected by the angle of the camera.
Background is also important.
Television news items are often accompanied by a projected graphic which is intended to sum up the item. The same graphic is likely to be repeated if the story is one which runs over a number of bulletins. Such graphics should be neutral representations of the subject matter of the story. But sometimes they can be used to present a particular angle. A TV graphic for political negotiations in South Africa in 1993 showed two white men and one black man.