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Broadcast Writing Style

Broadcast Writing Style. Print/Broadcast Differences. Print news is written for readers scanning a page with their eyes Print stories can be re-read People like newspapers for their detailed information Prints stories are written based on word count and column inches.

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Broadcast Writing Style

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  1. Broadcast Writing Style

  2. Print/Broadcast Differences • Print news is written for readers scanning a page with their eyes • Print stories can be re-read • People like newspapers for their detailed information • Prints stories are written based on word count and column inches • Broadcast news is written for listeners and viewers tuning in with their ears and eyes (for TV) • Broadcast words, once spoken, are gone forever • People like broadcast news for quick, up-to-date info • Broadcast stories are written for length of time: 30 sec., 2 min., etc.

  3. Print/Broadcast Similarities • Although the writing styles for print and broadcast are different, the types of stories chosen are not • The best stories for print and broadcast are also the best stories in print

  4. Print/Broadcast Similarities • Reporting and newsgathering are similar too: • identifying central point • finding the best story angle • doing background research, conducting interviews • identifying best quotes/sound bites • writing well • adhering to journalistic principles of accuracy, fairness, balance, and objectivity

  5. Broadcast Writing Guidelines • Adopt a conversational, informal and relaxed style • Write short sentences that are to the point and limited to one idea per sentence • Present information in an up-to-date format • Use present-tense verbs • Round off numbers and give them meaning • Shorten long titles

  6. Broadcast Writing Guidelines • Never put an unfamiliar name first in a story • Omit a person’s middle initial • Place the description, age, job title, and other identification before a person’s name not after as done in print • Leave out ages and addresses if they are not important to the story • Place the attribution before what is said: “who said what” • Avoid pronouns: may be unclear who you are referring to

  7. Broadcast Writing Tips • Add phonetic spelling to ensure proper pronunciation: Bear County, Texas for Bexar County • Spell out numbers up to and including eleven • Use numerals for 12 to 999 • Use “says” instead of “said” to sound more current and now • Use a combination of numerals and words for large numbers • Use words instead of abbreviations • Spell out figures, signs and symbols • Use hyphens for numbers and letters to be read individually: C-B-S • Avoid alliterations or tongue twisters

  8. Pyramid vs. Inverted Pyramid • The best broadcast leads are short: 12 words or so • Broadcast uses a pyramid style body of the story organization: complete story is written for time given, like 30 seconds • But like the inverted pyramid, the story often puts information in descending order of importance

  9. Scripting Broadcast Stories • Broadcast story “scripts” have more narrow left and right margins and are double spaced for readability • Corrections can be neatly made on script using block-style editing • Much more use of electronic files these days • Producing software makes script formats concerns less relevant • (AP ENPS)

  10. Writing the News Storyas noted at start of semester • Elements of News • Timeliness • Proximity • Significance • Conflict • Prominence • Human Interest

  11. News Elements • TIMELINESS News is what happens now, what happens in the immediate present or what may happen *What has already happened (historical and background information) is mentioned briefly in stories to provide perspective and explain “why.” This usually occurs in follow-up reports when you have had time to investigate the background. Examples….

  12. timeliness • Firefighters controlling blaze at local post office late afternoon • Five o’clock newscast • Story focus = fire at post office, authorities on the scene, injury report, damage estimate • Ten o’clock newscast • Story focus = update on blaze (how long to get under control), damages, injuries, speculation of cause from authorities

  13. News Elements • PROXIMITY News is what happens close to us - either geographically or emotionally - so we can identify with the event “nothing’s going on…” (finding news) Examples…

  14. proximity “The railroad crossing at Main Street and Jefferson Avenue was the scene of an early morning accident as a trailer truck tried to make it through descending crossing guards.…” Stories that happen in our communities are of interest because we relate to the situation. A good journalist must determine what is most momentous, interesting or signifcant about the story to the audience.

  15. News Elements • SIGNIFICANCE News is what affects us in some way, whether financially (increase in gas prices), physically (horse meat in “Big Burger” burgers detected), emotionally (school shooting), or in some other way that has a direct bearing on our lives. Examples….

  16. significance If the story is newsworthy, the information will have direct relevance to our lives. Information related to our personal health and financial stability is often significant. “The Centers for Disease Control reports that increased obesity among children is responsible for many kids having hypertension and diabetes by age 12.

  17. News Elements • CONFLICT News is whatever happens between two opposing forces - whether between individuals, nations or as the result of fateful occurrences. Examples…

  18. conflict • Person v. Person • Political race for public office • Person v. Self • Student earns GED after dropping out of school • Person v. Fate • Accident victim learns to walk again • Person v. Nature • Family stays together despite losing home in tornado

  19. News Elements • PROMINENCE News is what happens to famous people, places or things. Examples…

  20. Celebrities, pro athletes, rock stars, and national politicians get a lot of attention. Justin Bieber… It is important for journalists to cover such famous people when they do newsworthy things. prominence “The President will be in town Saturday to give the commencement address at SMU. The place is jumping with Secret Service agents and news media everywhere.”

  21. News Elements • HUMAN INTEREST Ultimately, news is anything in which people are interested. If you think a story would interest a majority of your audience, it is probably newsworthy. Examples…

  22. human interest Stories that highlight unique human behavior often attract our attention because they are out of the ordinary. “These two football fans have traveled more than 8,000 miles, camped outside three stadiums and braved sub-zero temperatures to see every Denver Bronco game this season.”

  23. But -- Civic Journalism videos... • Framing a story -- when you determine a focus, what kind of ‘frame’ are you putting around it? --conflict? • ‘Two sides to every story’? (no -- many) • Instead, spend more time ‘in the middle’ -- instead of the extremes on the ends • The concept is that your well-developed story can generate ‘more light’ (understanding) and ‘less heat’ (friction) “These two football fans have traveled more than 8,000 miles, camped outside three stadiums and braved sub-zero temperatures to see every Denver Bronco game this season.”

  24. Writing the news story Understanding the news elements helps us know what to emphasize when we put the story together. Always start with the most important news element that will capture the most attention from your audience.

  25. Writing the lead • The LEAD - the sentence that begins the report by summarizing the essence of the story to come. • A good lead grabs the attention of viewers and causes them to need to know more • The lead should highlight the “news” element • The most typical lead is the summary

  26. Writing the lead • Summary Lead • A summary lead emphasizes the outcome of the story so far to give viewers the most important news up front • Highlights one or two main facts to help audience get into the story • Hard news v. Soft news • Hard News = Used for breaking news or major stories in which the audience expects just facts • Soft News = Can be used for lighter stories or interpretive pieces when you want to emphasize the human interest and emotional aspects of a story Let’s see how this works…

  27. Writing the lead • Facts: • It is July, and sanitation workers have been negotiating for higher wages • Workers are planning to strike if requests are not met this week • City Council is scheduled to meet in three weeks • What is important to viewers about this? • If workers strike, it could be three weeks before trash is picked up How can we write this in a one-sentence intro? …

  28. Writing the Lead • Hard News Lead: • This lead emphasizes the latest news in the conflict but keeps a serious tone “Your trash pick-up could be delayed a few weeks if city sanitation workers strike as promised and city council refuses to discuss the issue for another three weeks.”

  29. Writing the Lead • Soft News Lead • This lead emphasizes the bad smell of the problem with a slightly lighter tone than the hard news lead. “We’ll soon be smelling themounting garbage instead of spring roses if the Commerce City Council doesn’t reschedule its meeting.”

  30. Writing the Lead • Other Lead types: (handout) • Suspended interest • Question • Freak events • Well-known expressions • Staccato • Metaphor • Literary allusion • Parody

  31. “A Montana woman wondered why her dog kept jumping into her bed as she tried to sleep. The reason became clear when she got up to find a python in the bathroom.” Writing the Lead • Suspended interest • Delays the climax or essence of story until end of the lead.

  32. Writing the Lead • Question • Use this lead type sparingly. It is dangerous because if the question lacks substance, the audience will lose interest. “Would you like 5,000 turkeys? An Atlanta brother and sister are searching for that many to donate to the needy this Thanksgiving. …”

  33. Writing the Lead • Freak Events • Crazy occurrences are natural material for leads that introduce an unusual story “At zero degrees, it was a chilling sight to see a Colorado couple in swimsuits at Bear Lake saying their wedding vows. It was their plan to take a ‘second plunge’ at the conclusion of the ceremony.”

  34. Writing the Lead • Well-known expressions • Use sparingly as well since clichés can be trite and uninteresting • There’s gold in them thar hills “Chicago firemen today learned that you can “teach an old dog new tricks” when they coaxed a German shepherd from a two story building onto a stretcher below.”

  35. Writing the Lead • Staccato Leads • Sets the tone with a one-two punch that gets the story off the ground “Rain…then sleet, snow, and wind… that is how the day began for the residents in our nation’s capital.”

  36. Writing the Lead • Metaphor • Uses figures of speech that connect us to other aspects of life with which we are familiar “Florida has been anything but the ‘Sunshine State’ for the past week. The entire area is under a severe weather watch and flooding is expected.”

  37. Writing the Lead • Literary allusion • References to fictional or historical characters to begin a story “Will Rogers said, ‘I never met a man I didn’t like.’ Well, Will Rogers never met…”

  38. Writing the Lead • Parody • A take-off on events and sayings currently in vogue and of widespread interest “You’ve heard ‘Let Mikey do it?’ Well, two men are resting well tonight because Mikey rescued them after a Copper Mountain avalanche. This was a first for Mikey, a St. Bernard pup, owned by one of the men.”

  39. Lead Link to body Body Writing the story • Once you have the lead, you must organize the rest of the information in a logical format • INVERTED PYRAMID style was developed in the Civil War by newspaper journalists • Included the five W’s/H (who, what, when, where, why, how) • Facts listed in descending order of importance in case entire story did not get transmitted from battlefield to news office Broadcast style modifies the inverted pyramid…

  40. Lead Body Writing the news story • Broadcast style often follows a PYRAMID (conversational) format • Concise lead with one or two W’s (who, what) • Story follows in informal style presenting facts in descending order of importance, driven by what has the best video for TV • Place emphasis on the event not the time to keep news fresh and appear as if just occurred

  41. Writing the news story • Audiences expect to hear news that is happening now • Although news happens before the newscast, write as if just occurring “Sanitation workers will be on their regularly scheduled routes tomorrow with a retroactive pay increase of 50 cents per hour. Our air will smell cleaner thanks to City Council’s decision last night.” “Sanitation workers will be on their regularly scheduled routes tomorrow with a retroactive pay increase of 50 cents per hour. Our air will smell cleaner thanks to City Council’s decision last night.”

  42. Conversational Don’t you know, contractions can help? Whassssup? - It should not be street jargon Should sound as if we are speaking to the audience, not reading Related Information must be relevant Answer the question, “What does this have to do with me?” for audience in first two sentences Creative Important facts can become dull without lively writing Make sense Organization with logical flow and progression Technically correct Anchors, producers and others involved must be able to read the copy and understand it to deliver it properly. Communicating effectively

  43. :20 to :30 for a reader or VO story 8 lines 10 pound bag :30 / :15 / :20 for a VSV Balance Lead main point 1, support Reaction and comment Main point 2, support and close 1:30 for a PKG Lead and main point 1 Reaction and comment Main point 2 Reaction and comment Main point 2 b and reaction and comment Main point 3 and close Communicating effectively

  44. List your main facts Outline the main ideas W W W W W H and so what? Conversational and grammatically correct You have to first know what you’re talking about You have to then be able to relate that story to an individual -- write to one -- third person, objective Communicating effectively

  45. ‘Write to the pictures’ -- start with a strong visual lead that telescopes the story to come Balance in story between reporter track with b-roll / sound bites / stand - up Reporter tells Who, What, When, Where, Why and How (only the facts) Sound bites should mostly be ‘reaction and commentary’ from people connected to the story TV News writing reminders

  46. Television is a language Words, but effective visuals Focus, information gathering, meaning, 5 W’s Lighting, Audio, Images, composition Visual storytelling, NPPA Eyewash, wallpaper Clear focus, write the pictures first, shoot sequences, prove the focus visually, story focus in spot news, tell story through people, strong nat sound, build in surprises, keep sound bites short More... TV News writing

  47. Address the larger issue, make the report memorable, writing the lead (handout) Provide visual proof -- butcher with his cleaver at Ft. Worth meat market: inflation’s effects The close: so strong that nothing else can top it White space, nat sound, pacing, write to the pictures, reportorial editing Incues and outcues -- see sample scripts Some issues about good writing, some about production, like padding, cues, etc. TV News writing -- Chap. 1

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