The document discusses automatic news production and metadata standards for news stories. It describes how news stories were traditionally summarized in plain text but are now captured using structured XML formats like NewsML-G2. NewsML-G2 is an international standard maintained by IPTC that improved upon earlier standards by establishing a clearer structure for news items and packages and integrating better with content management systems. The document also notes that the Belgian broadcaster VRT now uses automatic news production methods.

1. Automatic News Production
Robbie De Sutter
September 12, 2008

2. Introduction – Making the News

3. Metadata
Information on the news story
– Content description (who, what, where, when, …)
– Administrative information (reporter, cameraman, …)
– Rights information (usage terms, copyright statement, …)
– Technical information (video format, audio format, …)
– …
Past: plain text (cf. telex)
Present: proprietary structured text (XML, e.g. NMS)
Future: international standardized structured text (XML)
IPTC’s NewsML-G2

4. Examples