Writing for Broadcast

1
Writing for Broadcast

• Chapter 18

2
Print/Broadcast Differences

• Print news is written for readers scanning a page
  with their eyes
• Print stories can be reread
• Most 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
• Reporting and newsgathering are similar too
  identifying central point, finding the best story
  angle, doing background research, conducting
  interviews, identifying best quotes/soundbites,
  writing well, and adhering to journalistic
  principles of accuracy, fairness, balance, and
  objectivity

4
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
• Never put an unfamiliar name first in a story
• Omit a persons middle initial
• Place the description, age, job title, and other
  identification before a persons 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

5
Broadcast Writing Tips

• Add phonetic spelling to ensure proper
  pronunciation Bow-fort, North Carolina
  Beuw-fort, South Carolina
• 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

6
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, say 30 seconds
• But like the inverted pyramid, the story often
  puts information in descending order of importance

7
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
• See script example on page 496
• Another example is on our website