PTC: The Icon of Electronic Media

By Sabyasachi Amitav

In a world brimming with opportunity, journalism ranks among the more popular career options for today’s generation. And it can safely be said that television is largely responsible for this phenomenon. Before the advance of private channels in India, journalists were only read and sometimes heard (over the radio) but very rarely seen. Public recognition was enjoyed by a handful of high profiles and veteran journalists like khuswant Singh, kuldip nayyar or Arun Shourie. Syndicated columns with a photograph of the author made public figures of some journalists, but to the vast majority of readers, most reporters and correspondents remain anonymous names in newspaper pages.

In India, the entry of private television channels changed things almost overnight. Apart from relatively more aggressive reporting by the new breed of correspondents, it was the PTC that set television journalists apart from their brethren in the print media.

Thanks to the PTC, journalists are no longer faceless entities to consumers of news. Today, many television journalists have earned the respect of the public, the admiration of their peers and the goodwill of the organization they serve.

Be it a cub reporter or a veteran, most television journalists would definitely like to see themselves on the screen. But then just as a well executed PTC can bring fame, a poorly done one can make a laughing stock out of the reporter. It would also end up showing the organization in bad light. It is therefore important to prepare oneself adequately before embarking on giving PTCs. The good news is that with a bit of preparation and practice, even an average reporter can be deliver reasonably good PTCs with confidence and elan.

For starters, PTC is the abbreviation for Piece to Camera. Literally meaning that the reporter is doing a piece or performing for the camera. Instead of remaining behind the scenes, the reporter communicates through the camera directly to the viewer, thereby bringing an element of intimacy and immediacy to the whole presentation.

Plainly speaking, PTC is a reporters’ stand up on the story he or she is reporting on. PTCs are used in special or important stories.

PTCs can come in handy in the absence of visuals required to establish some important angles or aspects of the story. The reporter can then explain those facts with the help of PTC. Apart from covering up for the lack of corroborating / supporting visuals or sound bytes, PTC also establishes the authenticity of the information by attributing it to the reporter.

PTCs are also done to establish reporter’s presence at rare places or on occasions when history is being made.

Types of PTC:

Based on its placement in the report, a PTC can be classified as

1 Opening PTC: This occurs at the beginning of the story. Typically, the report would being with a PTC by the reporter at a location, which is central to the story. It could also be done at the beginning point in the story being filed. This kind of PTC is most effective in cases where the reporter is clear about his story and has planned it accordingly. Apart from drawing the attention of the viewers, this kind of PTC establishes the reporter’s control over the story.

2 Bridge PTC: Also called a mid PTC, this category usually occurs in between the story, mostly as a continuation device when there is shift of location or scene in the story. This type of PTC is useful in taking the story forward or linking different aspects of a story.

3 End PTC: The most common form of PTC. This occurs at the end of the story and is also known as a sign off PTC. These PTCs are basically used to wrap up loose ends in the story or provide analytical insights into the story. But editorializing or sitting in judgment over the issue being reported should be scrupulously avoided.

The best way to conclude the PTC is with an open ended sentence, so that the viewers can draw their conclusions from the facts presented.

Types of PTC delivery:

* Stand up: the most common form of delivering PTC. The reporter faces the camera and speaks about the issue being reported. This is usually done standing at the location with a distinguishable landmark in the background to help the viewer identify the place.

Example: a reporter doing a stand up in the fore ground of the Taj Mahal during Pakistan president Musharraf’s visit to Agra. A reporter giving a PTC at the Wagha Border during the exchange of prisoners by India and Pakistan. In the same time the reporter can infuse some drama into the PTC with a bit of involvement and ingenuity. Example: A major weapons haul by the security forces in Kashmir, the reporter could bring in some variety by holding a seized weapon (of course with the permission of the authorities) in one hand while delivering the PTC.

Some variants of the stand up: depending on the situation, subject or even limitation in terms of camera positioning, the reporter can give the PTC in a seated position or even getting down on his or her haunches. While a good PTC usually is made up of a couple of crisp and concise sentences not running into more than 25 seconds, sometimes the issues involved may force the reporter to make a relatively long PTC. In such instances, the PTC could begin with the camera focusing on the visual with the reporter’s commentary in the background. Then as the commentary continues, the camera can pan to the reporter who continues the commentary looking into the camera and finally signs off.

* Walking PTC: if there is relatively more matters to be said or the subject matter is in the background or in the camera frame, a walking PTC is the best vehicle for conveying the message. But a good walking PTC needs sufficient expertise, confidence and competence on the part of the reporter. Moreover, planning or co-ordination between the reporter and the camera crew is essential. On the whole, a walking PTC is an indicator to the confidence TV journalist.

Example: Events like the Dandi Yatra in Gujarat or the Padayatra of a leading politician can be ideal situations for the reporter to do a PTC on the move.