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Writing for broadcast. Glenn Fine, i nspector general of the U.S. Justice Department. NPR story. What’s different?. Critical news value: Timeliness/immediacy Information more than explanation Audio/visual component to storytelling People vs. concepts
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Glenn Fine, inspector general of the U.S. Justice Department NPR story
What’s different? Critical news value: Timeliness/immediacy Information more than explanation Audio/visual component to storytelling People vs. concepts Think of the constraints of the medium
The writing process Stress immediacy by using present tense Think of timely phrasings: “This morning,” “a few minutes ago.” Update information before running the report
Writing tips Short, readable sentences Write conversationally (but don’t resort to slang, colloquialisms or incorrect grammar) Well-known names don’t need to be said in full: President Bush, Senator McCaskill of Missouri Be clear: Listeners/viewers will get the information only once
Broadcast writing Be aware of how the audio and video pieces fit together Avoid abbreviations unless they are common Use hyphens for acronyms not pronounced as a word: F-B-I Do not use symbols – spell out words Use standard 1.25-inch margins, 12-point Times Roman Average about 15 lines a minute