The question of journalistic neutrality in TV news has never been more contested. While producers, editors, and journalists wrestle with core challenges (e.g. source selection or maintaining impartial reporting language), there is an often overlooked element guiding the audience’s perception: the music.

The Significance of Sound

Choosing a news music package has considerable implications on a producer’s ability to maintain impartiality. It powerfully brands the station and segment, instantly creating a recognizable identity for the audience. The compositions must project authority and accountability without projecting judgment. The cues need to be rich enough to signal the gravity of the subject matter, yet emotionally non-committal.

This is the paradox: To maintain neutrality, news music must intentionally forego its power to persuade while remaining both serious and pleasing to the ear.

How Warner Chappell Production Music Achieves the Balance

As music providers, we serve as dedicated partners in a station's mission for objectivity. Our work involves deliberate attention to musical elements that could be perceived as editorializing.

• Engineering Neutrality: Every musical choice, from the dramatic fanfare of an open to a subtle rhythmic bed, is crafted to signal seriousness without tipping into sensationalism or undue emotion. This is absolutely critical when covering sensitive or volatile topics.

• Universal Sound: We consciously steer clear of specific musical scales, instrumentation, or harmonic progressions that carry an inherent partisan or cultural implication. The goal is a universal, authoritative sound.

• Tempo and Rhythm Control: Neutrality is best achieved through stable, predictable rhythmic structures and moderate tempos. We avoid aggressive shifts in dynamics or rhythm that could signal alarm or anxiety to the viewer.

• Orchestration for Gravitas: Our compositions favor full, rich orchestral textures that project global scope and professionalism.

• Building Modular Scores: We deliver a comprehensive music package that gives producers precise control. This allows them to select cues tailored exactly to a story's weight, including:

To learn more about our News Music, click here.