[LDN]

News is about information, most of that can be conveyed by text, graphics and what the presenter is saying. Most of the time the pictures are fine in a box in the corner.

If you want full screen pictures and no graphics, then Pathé News is your thing.

That argument is somewhat undermined by some of the changes that BBC News has made:

[*]Removing the second, descriptive line of text from the lower-thirds. 
[*]Reduction of most stories to a single four- or five-word headline, which is often left on screen for several minutes at a time. 
[*]The frequent deactivation of the ticker/flipper, replacing it with nothing but a URL. 
[*]Displaying nothing but the same three or four headlines on a loop on the ticker, on the rare occasions when it functions (rather than 6 or 7 major headlines, along with sport, business etc); or using it to endless cycle contact information that is already shown on screen in pushback. 


You're right -- news is about information, but the BBC's actions have shown that text -- at least on the lower thirds -- is no longer considered an essential part of how they share that information with the audience. 

BBC News has greatly reduced the functionality, usefulness, and the value, of the lower-thirds in recent months. Just how useful is it to audiences to introduce a story, play out the package, return to the studio, and chat with a guest -- several minutes of on-air time -- showing absolutely nothing on screen but the same four-word story title? And while showing them no world headlines or anything else on the ticker except the URL? 

As a result of the BBC's changes, the lower thirds are now, quite literally, a waste of space.