BROADCAST WRITING

Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or video signals which

transmit programs to an audience. The audience may be the general public or
a relatively large sub-audience, such as children or young adults.

Writing for broadcast takes a different level of skills than writing for
print. The writer must use all of the techniques that he or she has learned in
writing for print and must refine those techniques for broadcast copy. The
most important of these techniques is that of condensation. The broadcast
writer must learn to select and condense information. The writer must learn
that an even higher value is placed on brevity than in writing for print.

Selection of news —
While many of the basic news values are still at
work in the selection of broadcast news, the broadcast journalist works with
an additional set of considerations. Timeliness is one of the most important
of those considerations. Broadcast news emphasizes immediacy; the news
that is the latest is often the news that is mentioned first. The emphasis on
information rather than explanation is another of those considerations. The
broadcast medium is generally not one that allows time for a full and
complete development of a story. Getting information to listeners and
viewers is of primary importance. The audio or visual impact of a story is
another important consideration in the selection of news for broadcast. A
story that has good pictures or compelling audio is likely to be used over a
story that does not.

It is said that:

"Writing is hard work- it is only easy for those who haven't learned to
write."

Writing broadcast news can be divided into two story types. Both types are
based on the time it takes to present the information to your targeted
audience.

News Features are stories between 3 and 7 minutes long about things that
have happened in the past. The ideas and pictures for feature news stories
are usually planned out on a storyboard. Writing news feature storyboards
involves explaining how the audio (sounds) and the shots, (visual details) will
present the researched background facts and information.

Breaking news and daily announcements are stories that are happening
today or in the near future. Breaking news and daily announcements are
usually written into a teleprompter to be read on-air by announcers. Writing
breaking news and daily announcements involves presenting information in
short stories between 15 seconds and 1 minute long. Sources of information
may be limited. The information can be incomplete or possibly inaccurate.
Usually, you have a very short time to contact sources to confirm or correct
information. A rule-of-thumb that advertising writers use to estimate a
story's time is that at a normal speaking pace, 65 words equal 30 seconds.

Whether you are writing news features, breaking news or daily

announcements, the following are basic rules to follow:

1. Th e Le ad .  
                     The most common story structure for the broadcast news story
is dramatic unity with its three parts: climax, cause and effect. Journalists
should also understand the importance of an attention-getting lead in making
sure that listeners hear and understand their stories. Such leads require a
deft touch on the part of the writer. They may look easy to produce at first
glance, but they are more difficult to do well than they appear.
Three types of leads used commonly in broadcast news are the
single-feature lead in which the most important part of the story is
emphasized at the beginning; the umbrella lead, or blanket lead, which
features two or more important elements; and the chronological lead, which
tells the story in the order it happened. The lead in broadcast is like the
headline in newspapers; it lets the reader know what the story is about. The
WHAT is usually the most important of the Ws and H; followed by the
WHO. The WHEN should be as current as possible. If the WHERE is not
apparent to the viewer/listener, it should also be included. The HOW and/or
WHY take longer to explain and should be saved for the last part of the
story. The lead should not begin with a name. Save the name for the second
sentence. Many listeners are doing other things while the news is on and may
miss the name if it is mentioned first. You could start with the person’s title,
such as “Secretary of the Treasury”, followed by the name.
2. Quo tes .
          All comments should be attributed. The attribution word in broadcast
writing is says. Using the present tense makes the story seem more current.
Say: “Those were his exact words”, or “That’s the way she said it,” or
“Quoting him exactly.” Do not use the “quote, unquote method.” Paraphrasing
will probably work better than quoting a person directly. You can use sound
bites to get direct quotes.

3. W riti ng st yle .
There are a number of differences in writing style between
broadcast writing and writing for print. Style rules in broadcast writing are
designed primarily to make it easy on a news reader to read out loud. Use
short sentences. Be brief and concise. Avoid using adjectives and adverbs.
Stories cannot run over the time allotted. The story should have a
conversational feel, so the writer should write the story the way he would
tell it in person. Repeat words and significant facts if necessary. The
listener may not have another chance to hear the same story.

4. Co ntr acti on s.
Contractions are okay to use in broadcast journalism as they sound
conversational.

5. Us e of “o ur” an d “ us”.
    Unlike newspaper reporters, broadcasters are visible components of the
story, and they are a part of the community that they are telling about. So
it is permissible for broadcasters to refer to “our” town and “us.”

6. A cti ve v oice .
      As in newspaper reporting, broadcasters should use the active voice
rather than the passive.

7. T ense .
      Use present tense whenever possible, but it is okay to mix tenses as long
as the story makes sense. Make the story sound as current as possible with
phrases such as “Just moments ago”, “shortly before noon”, and “this
afternoon.”
8. Abbre viat ion s.
        Avoid using abbreviations except for Mrs., Mr., or Dr., which the
announcer would read as entire words. If abbreviations must be used, you
need to place hyphens between letters and numbers that should be
pronounced separately. The announcer may be reading your copy cold and
may not realize what you had intended. Write: U-S-A, not USA. Write N-
double A-C-P, not NAACP. But use 1999 or NATO.

9. N um ber s.

•  Spell out figures through ELEVEN. Use numerals for 12-999. Use
hyphenated combinations for numerals and words above 999.
(Example: 33 -thousand.)
• Round off numbers unless the exact number is significant.
• Use "st," "nd," "th," and "rd" after dates, addresses and numbers to
be read as ordinary numbers. (Example: "2nd Street," "May 14th")

10. Sy mbol s.
Spell out symbols. Use dollars instead of $. Use percent instead of %.

11 . Me as ure ment s/ am ou nt s.
     Spell out words which deal with measurements or amounts. Use inches
instead of “. Use pints instead of pt.

12. O rdin al n umber s.

It is permissible to write st, nd, rd, and th after numbers used in
addresses and anywhere else ordinal numbers might be used: 17th
Congressional District; 4210 43rd Street.

13. R ou nd o f f n umber s.
     Write “about 1000” rather than an exact number such as 1002. Or you can
use words such as around, about, close to, just under, just over, nearly.

14. Ti me .
Avoid the use of a.m. or p.m. Say “this morning” or “this afternoon” as
these sound more current. Follow the rules for writing numbers if you are
using exact times. Use informal time references, such as “tomorrow” or
“yesterday” rather than “Tuesday” or “Thursday”.

15 . P un ct ua tio n.
     Sentences are short, and punctuation should be kept to a minimum. Use
only the period, dash, question mark and comma. Three periods indicate a
pause. A double hyphen is used instead of parentheses.

16. C orrectio ns .
     Do not use copyediting symbols to correct mistakes. This will only confuse
the announcer. Instead, strike out a word or sentence completely and retype
it.

17. S pell ph one tic all y.

  If a word is unusual and may cause problems for the announcer, spell it
out phonetically, such as using “I-sen-trop-ik” for the word isentropic.
Broadcast writers should learn how and when to use phonetic spellings for
words or names that will be unfamiliar to the reader. Journalist should
remember that broadcast copy is often written on deadline, and news
readers may not have time to practice reading their copy before they go on
the air. A good exercise for journalist is to have them spell their names
phonetically.

18. E asy Li st enin g Form ul a.

    Avoid more than 12 two-syllable or more words in a sentence.

19 . T ra ns iti on s.
Help the story flow smoothly by using transitions such as “for example”,
“for instance”, “as an illustration”, “furthermore”, “in addition”, “accordingly”,
etc.

20 . A void h is si ng s ou nd s.
     Avoid causing sibilance. A series of words that begin with or contain the
letter S will cause a hissing sound.
21. R ead a lo ud. R eme mber th at y ou a re ‘ Wri tin g f or t he e ar ,
no t the eye’ .
This is the key difference between writing for broadcast and writing for
print. Students need to understand that what they are writing will be read
aloud, not read silently. The listener has no opportunity to go back and “re-
hear” a news broadcast to see what he or she has missed. In that regard,
clarity in writing becomes one of the chief goals of the writer. Before giving
your copy to the announcer, read it aloud yourself to catch problems.

22 . B E C ARE FUL ! The following words have more than one meaning and
must not be used improperly:

Accident= Accidents happen all the time, but so do intentional acts. Don’t
predetermine cause by a haphazard word choice.

Admit= Other than meaning to grant entrance, the word means to concede or
confess and implies acknowledgement of wrongdoing.

Claim= Claim means to demand or assert a right (generally used in legal

context).

Elderly= This may be viewed as a negative. Use only for people 65 years of
age and above—and even then, use carefully.

Ghetto= Do not use lightly. This is a section of the city overwhelmingly

inhabited by members of a minority group and/or a minority group that has
been forced to live in that section.

Guerrilla, insurgent, rebel= Guerrilla fighters generally employ hit-and-run

tactics; insurgents or rebels fight against the government generally and are
more appropriate terms to use in most cases.

Illegal= Use only in reference to a violation of law.

Leftist, rightist, radical= Use more precise political descriptions. These are
at best subjective terms as are conservative, left, right, moderate. Also, a
radical wants upheaval of the existing government, so be particularly careful.

Sanction, sanctions= Sanction, as a verb or noun, means authoritative

approval. Sanctions, as a noun, usually in international law, refer to efforts
of one or more countries to force another to change some policy. When
speaking, be sure to make the distinction clear.

Survey= Only use this word if there has been an actual survey.

23 . C om mo n pr oblem s. The following list represent some of the most

misused, misunderstood or mispronounced words by broadcasters. Be sure to
articulate words accurately so they cannot be misunderstood as another
word with a different meaning. Also, make sure the word you say, is the one
you mean!

Accept, except = accept is to take; except is to exclude

Allude, refer= allude is to speak of something indirectly; refer is to speak of

directly

Allusion, illusion= allusion is a casual reference to something; illusion means

to create a false impression

Boycott, embargo= boycott involves an organized refusal to buy, use or

participate in something; embargo involves a government-imposed restriction
on trade

Die, kill= all people eventually die; some people are killed

Emigrate, immigrate= emigrate means to leave a country to settle elsewhere;

immigrate means to enter a country from the outside.
Ensure, insure= unless you’re speaking about insurance, the proper word is
ensure

Irregardless= not a word, use regardless instead

Rebut, refute= rebut means to argue against with evidence; refute means to
prove wrong

Toward= not towards

Whether or not= should almost always be just whether

Writing for TV news

• Grab the audience's attention. Pay particular attention to the lead.

• Use interview sound bites throughout. Sound bites should not be
longer than 20 seconds.
• Do not forget about the suggested studio introduction. Need to have a
lead-in to your story.
• The first requirement for writing news for broadcast is clarity.
Understanding must be immediate. If have the cleanest copy (devoid
of grammar mistakes), and is unclear, you've not done your job.

Script format

Script formats vary from station to station. All have similar components.
Four basic script formats in TV and radio: single column (radio), the single
column sometimes used in TV, two column principal TV format, with video on
the left and audio on the right, and the film or screenplay format, with each
sequence consecutively numbered.
Script preparation begins with a summary or an outline; a short overview of
what the script is about.

The treatment or scenario is a more detailed chronological rundown of the

prospective script, giving information about the plot, setting and characters,
and examples of the dialogue.

Storyboarding

• Rough sketch of the anticipated shot. Emphasis on ‘rough’.

• Number them to when you will change a shot on your script.
• Give commentary at the bottom.
• What this does is gets you to visualize what your show will look like.
• Also if going to different cameras, let you know if will have problems.
• Draw outline of set and cameras to see if will move.

Scriptwriting

• Start by dividing your page into two columns. Video commands,

explanations of what shots you need, and other special effects should
be listed on the left side; anything related to the audio should be
included on the right side. This will help you and your producer
visualize what you need to say, and will remind you to explain what you
need to show.
• Decide what the approach your video will need. Do you need a straight
voice-over (narration over video)? Will it be hosted by someone on
your staff? Hosted by a professional? Will you include interviews?
• Consider your audience. What will the audience members' interests
be? How long will you be able to retain their attention? An adult
audience's attention span will last about 8 to 10 minutes, if the viewer
does not have a vested interest in the subject matter. If the viewer
does, then the attention span can be stretched a little longer. For
children, plan for three to five minutes. This is often one of the most
difficult aspects of writing a good script. There is often too much to
include in a short time-span.
 • Write the way you speak. Write for the ear, and remember that unlike
something written, your audience cannot go back and refer to
something in a previous paragraph. Most people will not stop a tape and
rewind to refresh their memories, so write in simple, easy-to-
understand sentences.

When you've finished writing your script, use the following as a checklist:

• Have I explained myself in simple language? (When I read the script

aloud, does it sound like I'm talking to an audience or just reading to
an audience?)
• Have I avoided technical language?
• Have I used music and natural sound (background sound) to help tell
my story and break up constant narration or interviews?
• Do I have any lists or main ideas that could be reinforced on the
television screen as they are being discussed?
• Will my audience be interested throughout my entire program?

To save time, use on-screen text to support what you need to state .
Another method of saving time is by avoiding lengthy introductions and
conclusions. Remember that your video tells a story without your needing to
state everything. If your video about an academic program shows children
intent and focused on a lesson, you do not need to tell your audience that
children in this program are 'intent and focused on their lessons.'

Once you have a completed script, if you used two equal video columns on 8.5
x 11 - inch paper (12-point type), consider that a full column of video will last
about 30 to 45 seconds per page. After you've finished writing your script,
why not let someone in your intended audience read over it? You may learn
that you have included jargon or inadequate explanations in some areas. You
also can determine what areas your intended audience will find the most and
least interesting.
CLASS : B.A.(HONS) PART-2

INSTITUTE : ENGLISH.

SUBJECT (MINOR) : MASS COMMUNICATION.

TEACHER CONCERNED : SIR LIAQUAT ALI UMRANI.

TOPIC OF THE ASSIGNMENT :

“FORMULATION OF BROADCASTING NEWS”

DATE : 22-10-2008
REFERENCES:

http://www.mashell.com/~parr5/news_writing.htm

http://www.media-
awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/toolkit_resources/ti
psheets/writing_news_story.cfm

http://aee3070.ifas.ufl.edu/Writing.htm

http://taje.org/fortaje/PDF/writing_for_broadcast.pdf.

http://www.jprof.com/broadcasting/bcstyletips.html

http://www.newswriting.com/newrules.htm