In Defence of the Humble PTC

From Michael Buerk in Ethiopia to Philip Williams in Beslan, Channel 9 journalist Brett McLeod discusses the common criticisms and effective use of the 'Piece to Camera.'

"A TV news story is just a life support system for a piece to camera." I don’t know where I first heard this, but obviously it plays to a predictably cheap and cynical stereotype about self-centred, glory-seeking television journalists. Which of course doesn't mean it's wrong…just not the whole story.

Of all the elements in a TV news story, the one that is likely to gain the most comment, criticism and the occasional heavy object thrown at the 42 inch plasma is the piece to camera, or PTC. Also known as the standup, it is the moment where we are required to talk at the camera for on average 10 seconds, about a sentence or two, that will fit somewhere from halfway to the end of the story.

Some may assume (see above quote) that the PTC is entirely a vanity project for the journalist, a chance for 10 seconds of onscreen stardom, the sole purpose of which is to inflate our already Michelin sized egos and get us free second helpings from the dessert bar at Smorgys. This is demonstrable nonsense. I for one have never been to Smorgys.

Each of the commercial networks has an unwritten rule that for each story there will be a PTC. They like their journalists to get their heads on. It shows that we were actually out chasing the yarn in question. Maybe in part it’s also about promotion; perhaps it's also there so accountants can see where the money's being spent.

Brett McLeod reports

ABC journalists tell me Aunty has a slightly different policy, more implied than explicit, where PTCs are to be used only when considered necessary for the story. Journalists who break this rule may find themselves subject to a mercilessly cocked eyebrow.

But, perhaps the ABC has it right. Why should the humble viewer have to put up with my bonce each and every time I've got a yarn to tell? To tell the truth, after the initial rush of "hey Ma, look at me, I'm on the Telly!" when first starting out in the medium, there have been many times I would happily not do a PTC. Why? Because they're often a pain in the proverbial to do. There's lights and white balances and trucks going past and I really need a coffee first. Most importantly, I can’t think of a bloody thing to say right now.  And often when we get back to the newsroom to write the script we wish we could redo them, so they fitted better to the flow and structure of the story.

Then there's the issue of makeup. Step closer, I'm going to let you in on a secret: real men do wear makeup. There, I've said it.  I was first introduced to the delicate subject of men and makeup in my first month as a TV reporter. Back then, GTV 9 news was run by the legendary John Sorell, whose superb news judgment was only exceeded by his temper. Just saying "good morning" was like poking a bear with a stick. "Says who?!" was one of the gentler responses. One morning he came into the newsroom, barreled past my desk, swiveled back in my direction and said "you looked like shit last night! Get some makeup on or something" without breaking his stride. He was, as usual, right. In the previous evening's bulletin I bore somewhat more than a passing resemblance to Ronald MacDonald, at least in the nose department thanks to a burgeoning pimple (Seriously, at what age do they stop. I mean, I'm almost 50). So, I was introduced to the makeup department, which gave me some powder to conceal my shameful complexion.

So far, so vain, right? However, there is a purpose behind the powder. The journalist talking to camera can be a very powerful piece of television. Think of the number of great PTCs from reporters in the thick of the action in the Middle East, or showing the scale of devastation in Japan or Christchurch.

Showing a reporter in situ adds to the potency of the report. Walter Cronkite’s 1968 report from Vietnam, where he said the war was mired in a stalemate, was said to have influenced Lyndon B Johnson not to run as President.

Michael Buerk’s BBC reports from Ethiopia led to worldwide outrage and the Live Aid movement.

Michael Buerk in Ethiopia

Would the stories have the same impact if the viewer thought they’d been filed by someone sitting in an office?

There are the occasional moments where the PTC allows us to see the impact of a story through a reporter’s reflections. Consider the ABC’s Phil Williams in a Beslan schoolroom straight after the 2004 massacre, where he asks who could do this, what did they hope to achieve, before words fail him and he walks off camera. He could have scripted his thoughts at that point, but didn’t need to – we could see them, the exasperation.

Political PTCs are a category all of their own. They allow journalists a certain latitude as commentator, whether it’s in words, pauses, or wry attitude. It’s only when I see Laurie Oakes deliver his on-camera verdict on the day’s events that I’m satisfied The Oracle Has Spoken.

That said, not all PTCs will necessarily be adding to the gravity, worth, or detail of a story. Some will be, it must be said, just for fun. One that immediately springs to mind is that of my former colleague Wayne Dyer, one of the best tellers of 'colour' yarns in the business. His story from a few years ago was about a group of joggers who did their business at night – in the nude. So Wayne, having had the gauntlet thrown down, did his PTC in the same manner: at night, jogging, nude. I’m not sure if he required extra makeup.