Controversy and the network documentary: Critical analysis of form

Critical evaluation of network television news documentaries frequently contends that the production form is an important factor in the controversial atmosphere that surrounds this type of program. The research reported here was an effort to explore the nature of form in the network documentary. A computerized descriptive content analysis was conducted on programs of the three major networks. Non‐thematic variables ranging from aural verbal word counts to visual‐verbal synchronization were analyzed within the programs of each network and compared across networks to determine proportions and the stability of patterned use. Substantiation was given to the premise that a structured form does exist in the network news documentary. The form appeared to supersede the content of these programs, adding credibility to intuitive critical judgment which places form at the center of the documentary's continuing problems.