The Basics of Broadcast Journalism Newswriting

1. The Basics ofBroadcast Journalism Newswriting Mr. Dudek

2. Rewriting • Be original • Read the source then tell the story.

3. Short, Lean Sentences • Average Length: 20 words • Natural, conversational flow • Alternate long sentences with short ones • Alternate simple declarative sentences with sentences starting with and, but, or because • Write the way you talk.

4. Short, Lean Sentences • “Speaking before a group of Lindblom students, State Senator Tim Bergman today announced his candidacy for governor. • “State Senator Tim Bergman told a group of Lindblom students today that he’s going to run for governor.”

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6. Write “Lean” Sentences • Get rid of excess words • No adverbs • Limit use of adjectives • Be brief, but don’t omit details.

7. Write “Lean” Sentences • “Looking happy and excited, Mayor Daley walked quickly to the podium.” • “Mayor Daley raced to the podium.”

8. Keep Leads Simple • You cannot answer the five Ws in one sentence • Limit sentences to one idea each.

9. Keep Leads Simple • “Governor Quinn says he paid only 50 dollars in state income taxes last year, be cause he suffered heavy losses in the stock market and donated his gubernatorial papers to Southern Illinois University where officials set the value of those papers at $300 thousand. Buy a Yearbook!

10. Keep Leads Simple • “Governor Quinn says he paid only 50 dollars in state income taxes last year for two main reasons. • First… he suffered heavy losses in the stock market. • And second… he donated his gubernatorial papers to Southern Illinois university. The school claims those papers are worth about 300 thousand dollars.

11. The Fewer Syllables, the Better • Don’t use a multi-syllable word when a mono-syllable word will do • Transmit • Lacerations • Sufficient • Interrogate • Deceased. Send Cuts Enough Question Dead Only $35

12. Easy to Hear AND Easy to Read • The goal is to write something that will be easily understood when heard • …but…. • It should also be easy to read. Your “talent” needs to be able to ready it without error.

13. The Specifics ofBroadcast Journalism Newswriting Mr. Dudek You know you want one.

14. Writing the Lead (Yes, we have to do Leads again) • The Emphasis Lead • Start with most important fact • Who, What and When (maybe why) • “Mayor Daley resigned this morning” • “A hurricane blasted Hawaii yesterday.”

15. Writing the Lead • The Umbrella/Blanket Lead • Less specific; more general • It covers a number of things, but they are all related • “The Supreme Court ruled on three landmark cases today” • “There will be a number of changes next year at Lindblom.”

16. Writing the Lead • The Verbless Lead • Don’t use this one much, because it’s not the way we talk • “A busy day at City Hall” • “More good weather in our future..”

17. Writing the Lead Do it now! • The Chronological/Narrative Lead • Start with the first thing that happened; then the 2nd; then the 3rd. • Good for lighthearted features

18. Writing the Lead • No Questions, Please.

19. Writing the Lead • Broadcast Journalism Activity #1 - Leads Buy a Yearbook!

20. Names and Titles • For names that are hard to pronounce, you should put a pronunciation guide next to their name • Nick Khabibulun (Hah-bee-BULL-in) • David Chriseoman (KRISH-oh-man)

21. Names and Titles • For unknown names, never use them in the first sentence of a lead. • “Peter Jones of Midcity won the World Scrabble Championships last night. He said it was the most fun he had ever had.” • “A Midcity man won the World Scrabble Championships last night. Peter Jones said it was the most fun he had ever had.”

22. Names and Titles • When a person is well know you can start a lead with them. • In fact, if they are well know because of their position, you can even omit their first name: • President Obama • Mayor Daley • Principal Mather

23. Names and Titles • For really long titles, don’t put it all in front of the person’s name. • “The vice president of the Englewood Mothers for the Protection of our Youth, Lori McFadden, says her group will sponsor an “Awareness Fair” next Friday. She says…” • “The vice president of a local child safety group says her group will sponsor an “Awareness Fair” next Friday. Lori McFadden, the Englewood Mothers for the Protection of our Youth, says…”

24. Names and Titles • First names are given the first time only • Every following reference is last name only • Omit middle initials unless the initial has become associated with that person. • Barrack H. Obama (no) • George W. Bush (yes)

25. Names and Titles • Broadcast Journalism Activity #2 - Names Buy a Yearbook!

26. Attributions • An attribution is telling the listener who said something; a quote • Unlike newspapers, attributions are never at the end, or in the middle of a quote • Attribution always comes first.

27. Attributions • Print Journalism: • “I’ve discovered a cure for cancer and it really works,” Dr. Beverly Atwater said. • Broadcast Journalism: • Doctor Beverly Atwater says she discovered a cure for cancer that really works. Everybody is doing it! Buy the book already!

28. Attributions • Says • Reports • What’s wrong with “claims”? “insists”? “discloses”?

29. Names and Titles • Only use direct quotes when something is too important or unique to be paraphrased • “…and we are quoting him here…” • “…and these are her exact words…” • “… what he called…”

30. Attributions • Broadcast Journalism Activity #3 - Attributions Buy a Yearbook!

31. Verbs • Voice: Active voice is better • Tense: Present tense is better

32. Verbs • Broadcast Journalism Activity #4 - Verbs Buy a Yearbook!

33. Abbreviations and Numbers • Avoid standard abbreviations • Bad: Calif., IL, Wed., Nov., Gov, Sgt. • Good: California, Illinois, Wednesday, Governor, Sergeant • By the way… contractions are acceptable.

34. Abbreviations and Numbers • Organizations should be written out the first time, then you can use abbreviations after that. • “People Opposed to Pornography … known as POP … is at it again. POP members are hosting a book burning…” • Well know organization can be abbreviated right away: NASA, F-B-I, U-S-A.

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36. Abbreviations and Numbers • Use Hyphens to separate letters in acronyms and abbreviations: • F-B-I, C-I-A, N-double-A-C-P • Don’t use hyphens if the name is read as a word: • NASA, MADD, NATO

37. Abbreviations and Numbers • Numbers • 1-9: spell out the words • 10-999: write the numbers • Anything larger is a combination: • 26-thousand • 147-thousand-834 • One-thousand-5 • (Except at the beginning sentences…)

38. Abbreviations and Numbers • Symbols • Do not use symbols. Spell it out: • 123-dollars • 10-cents • 35 feet • 72-degrees • 51-percent

39. Abbreviations and Numbers • Ordinals • Use st, nd, th after numbers in dates and addresses, Still spell out 1-9: • 63rd Street • First Place • Fifth Avenue • May 19th

40. Abbreviations and Numbers • Bits and Pieces • 12.5 million = “12-point-five-million” • 1/3 = “one-third” • 33% = “33-percent”

41. Abbreviations and Numbers • Rounding Numbers • Complex numbers are confusing to hear; don’t be afraid to round numbers • 1,604 = “about 16-hundred” • 999,987 = “slight less than one million”

42. Abbreviations and Numbers • Grouping Numbers • The year 1996 is typed “19-96” • The address of our school: • 61-30 South Wolcott • 6-1-3-0 South Wolcott • Single digits are acceptable

43. Abbreviations and Numbers • Telling Time • Do not use a.m. or p.m. • Use “this morning”, “tomorrow afternoon”, “yesterday evening”. • O’clock is acceptable

44. Abbreviations and Numbers • Broadcast Journalism Activity #5 – Numbers and Abbreviations Buy a Yearbook!

45. Write a Broadcast Story • Broadcast Journalism Activity #6– Write a Story Buy a Yearbook!

46. Homework • Clip a news story from the newspaper at least 500 words long • Rewrite the story for broadcast journalism Buy a Yearbook!