Streaming live news engages viewers by giving them raw, on-the-spot content. It’s especially effective when a story has the potential to affect viewers emotionally, such as an on-the-spot report from a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.
Live shots are an integral part of most television newscasts. They can be pre-recorded and edited before being broadcast or, as in the case of breaking news stories, filmed on the spot and then transmitted as it happens in real time. In the latter situation, the whole newsroom has to react quickly to ensure a story is transmitted first, and that it is delivered in full broadcast quality.
Breaking news live shots don’t usually get much planning; when something major is happening unexpectedly, the station simply puts their training to use and sends a reporter to the scene (wherever that might be). That said, even planned live shots require some thought, as they have to be carefully managed in order not to go off script.
For example, when a reporter is asked a question by the anchors they must be able to respond as quickly as possible. In addition, to avoid hearing their own voice on air (which can be distracting) they are normally fed a mix-minus signal in their IFB.
This is the news program’s audio minus their own voices, and it allows them to talk as normal in the field without any delay. It is also used to cue them for anchor tosses, location information for supers and roll cues for any VOs, SOTs or PKGs they might introduce.