Unit 5 – Writing
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Broadcast News
• NPR serves as the example of radio broadcast
journalism.
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-Television is tends to be the primary news
source for most people
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-The 6:00pm and 11:00pm are the most
important for local TV stations
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-News magazines are starting to diminish
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-Internet is emerging as the primary news outlet
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-Many examples of convergence
News Stories
• -The newscaster is someone employed to deliver the
news (suggests all they do is read)
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-The politically correct term is broadcast journalist
(they gather, write, edit, and arrange news)
• -News is an acronym for north, east, west, south and
applies to happenings all around us
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-Local, National, International, Sports, Weather
• -Hard news – traditional, breaking or on-going stories
that have impact, and that they audience should know
• -Soft News – feature news that is interesting or
enjoyable, but has less impact on listener
• -With so many happenings, how do we determine what
is newsworthy?
Newsworthy Elements
• Proximity – geographical closeness, or the relevance of the
issue to the listeners
• Timeliness – what is happening right now, most recent aspect
of the event, immediacy
• Currency – latest aspect of an issue, or an update on an event
that used to be timely
• Human Interest – emotional impact a story may have, affects
feelings and sensibilities
• Significance/Impact – how many people are affected, how
seriously they are affected
• Oddity – events that are unusual and out of the ordinary,
interruptions of everyday events
• Conflict – clash of opposing sides,
• Prominence – people of authority, celebrity, popularity, names
make news
News Values
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Accuracy – attention to details, do not miss your target
Brevity – brief, SVO style, single themed stories
Clarity – precise, clear, and simple language
Relevance – select most important/meaningful material for
your audience
Attribution – provide credit to the source of the information
Identification – document names, titles, and other descriptions
correctly
Fairness and Balance – give both sides the opportunity to give
their say
Objectivity – write in 3rd person, avoid subjective opinion
(color)
Truth – strive for truth amidst numerous opinions, statements,
facts, etc.
Newscaster Criteria
• Credible – professional, accurate, reliable,
trustworthy
• Authoritative – serious, free of accents
• Unobtrusive – sincerity, proper inflection, proper
articulation and pronunciation
• Educated – knowledgeable on a wide range of
news issues, geography, history, politics, current
affairs
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News Sources
• Wire Service / Affiliates (Network Indiana)
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-Have reporters around the state and distribute
stories to all member stations (affiliates)
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-Usually broadcast-ready, but many local stations
will re-write for style, corrections, angle, or length
• Local Newspapers
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-Utilize this for story ideas and actual stories
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-Proper news technique would require rewriting the
newspaper story and giving credit to the paper
• Press Releases
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-Often produced by a public relations firms
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-Ethical concern of news value vs. promotional
value
Radio Newscast
• 2-5 minute report, broadcasts every hour
• -Stories range from 10 seconds to 2 minutes, but
usually less than 30 seconds long
• -Usually stack all local news stories first unless there is
a national or international story of major
significance
• -Kicker story is used at the end (humorous or human
interest report)
Radio Newscast
• Employs as many actualities as possible
• -Sound of the news event or voice of a newsmaker
• -Ambient noise or nat sound can also be used to
add interest and immediacy to the report
• -Voicers can be used to air a live report from the
scene of the event
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-Must use a tag line
Writing Process
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1. Find a story
2. Read the story
3. Put the story away
4. Identify essential information (5W/1H)
5. Identify why it is important to audience
6. Write a lead that captures attention/prioritizes
information
7. Write other information in bite sized chunks
8. Check for accuracy of information using original
story
9. Read out loud for grammar, spelling, style, format
errors
10. Revise, save, print
Leads
• The lead tells the listener what the story is about and
usually only contains a few facts
• Hard Lead
• -Tells what the story is about in absolutely straightforward manner
• -Simple stories that are important to the audience
work well for this type of lead
• “The state legislature voted overwhelmingly today
to cut back school funding by 20 percent”
Leads
• Soft Lead
• -Starts with what the story is generally about, or the
general impact of the story
• -Complicated stories work well, makes the easier for
audience to follow
• “School systems throughout the state may have a
tough time getting by. The state legislature today
voted . . .”
Leads
• Throwaway Lead
• -Introduce a subject using a short sentence or a
sentence fragment
• -Good for varying the pace, and provide a short
bridge between related stories
• “Trouble for state school systems. The state
legislature today voted . . .”
Leads
• Umbrella Lead
• -Sets up the audience for different aspects of a
single story
• -If a subject has taken several significance actions
• “The state legislature today passed bills that will
raise taxes, lower some salaries and change school
funding”
Leads
• -Delayed or Suspense Lead
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-Entire story is told chronologically, and the
punch line or point of story comes at end
• -Question Lead
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-Question that is intriguing or that the audience
will want to answer in the affirmative
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-Can become annoying, use it sparingly
Leads
• Figuring Out the Lead
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-What is the story about?
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-Say something meaningful
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-Keep it simple
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-Start with news
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-Focus on people, focus on local
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-Put location in the lead
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-Be direct and to the point
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-Save the name, day, and date for later
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-Update leads
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-Never go wrong with a main point lead
Writing Broadcast News
• Stories should be appropriate and written in a
conversational style
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-Write the way you talk
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-Write for the ear and not the eye
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-Slightly more formal and precise than an
everyday conversation
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-Avoid slang, and incorrect grammar
Writing Broadcast News
Word choice should be simple and clear
Sentences should be short and precise
Numbers should be rounded off
Abbreviations and acronyms should be avoided
unless they are well known
• Unnecessary words should be edited out
• Contractions can be used to make the copy short
and conversational
• Accuracy should never be compromised, if you
don’t understand it, then don’t write it
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Writing Broadcast News
• Attribution should be used at beginning of the sentence
to reference the source of a story or statement
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-“says”, “told”, “reported” – indirect quotes
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-“in his words” – direct quotes
• “Alleged” or “accused” should be used to avoid
convicting someone before the courts have done so.
• Quotes should be used only if there is concern over the
exact source of the quote
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-Otherwise, quotes are awkward
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-Use the term “quote”, but avoid using “unquote”
• The reporter should remember that he knows more
about the story than the audience
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-The audience only gets to hear your story once
Writing Broadcast News
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Ages and titles should be given before the name
Present tense should be used
Active voice should be used
Time references should be kept close to the verb
Writing Broadcast News
• Slugs should always be used to begin a story
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-LAST NAME
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-DATE
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-TIME
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-STORY IDENTIFICATION
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-STORY LENGTH/WORD COUNT
• Documentation of actualities should include the
length and an outcue (last few words)
• News should be written to time
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-Read the newscast out loud
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-4 lines (40 words) = 15 seconds
Writing Broadcast News
• Pyramid organization should be utilized
• -Most important points of the story are given in a
concise lead, then remaining details follow in
descending order of importance
• -Give who, what, when, where, why, and how in
short simple sentences that are easy to read aloud
Ending News
• Figuring Out the End
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-Future ramifications – tells us where the story
goes from here
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-Summary point close – restates what the story
was about
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-Information close – provides a new, related but
of information
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-Opposition point of view close – provide a
counter argument
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-Punch Line – if you used a delayed or suspense
lead, must now provide unexpected twist
Radio Commercial Forms
• Straight-Read
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-Copy is presented with no music or other
effects
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-Depend on quality of one’s voice
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-Emphasis, Pausing, Inflection, and Rate
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-Chosen based on tone of voice and
enthusiasm
Radio Commercial Forms
• Fact Sheet Commercial
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-Listing of basic information and characteristics
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-Announcer must ad-lib the spots
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-Sounds natural
• Straight Read and Fact Sheet are difficult because
the only tool you have is your voice
Radio Commercial Forms
• Music Bed Commercial
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-Punches up straight read commercial
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-Appropriate mood
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-Not distracting or too loud
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-Could also use SFX to create a “natural”
environment
Radio Commercial Forms
• Donut Commercial
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-Combination of recorded message and local
live copy
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-Jingle is at beginning and end, local
announcer is inserted in the middle
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-Timing is essential
• Live Tag
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-Recorded info comes first and announcer adds
a bit of information that connects message at
the end
Radio Commercial Forms
• Spokesperson Commercial
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-Well-known person, owner or manager
• High Production Value (Dramatization/Slice of Life)
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-Collection of voices, music, sound effects,
singers
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-Present everyday scenes and insert
commercial message
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-Mini dramas with characters, settings,
Structure of Commercial
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1. Get Attention
-Ask a question
-Make an unusual statement
-Use a sound effect
2. Create Need
3. Satisfy Need
4. Demand Action
Analyzing Commericals
• Goal
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-Selling is not the only goal
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-Also interested in image
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-What are they trying to accomplish?
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• Mood/Tone
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-Read it to yourself first
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-Tone of voice must be appropriate
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-Understate the tone, don’t be too obvious
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-Identify changes in the mood
Analyzing Commericals
• Sincerity/Energy
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-Must attract and hold attention
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-How should this sound?
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-Be cautious when using humor
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• Message
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-What is advertiser trying to get across?
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-Action, Idea, Urging
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-Identify key information and emphasize it
Analyzing Commercials
• Intended Audience
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-Demographics
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-Listen to everyday conversations
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-Helps with dramatized commercials
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• -Emphasis
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-Key words
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-Mark your copy
Analyzing Commercials
• Timing
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-+/- 1 sec on target
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-Pause, Tempo variation, Clarity, Phrasing
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• Hard Sell v Soft Sell
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Hard Sell – tension and excitement
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Soft Sell – relaxation and conversational
Homework Assignment
Due Tuesday
• You must use the internet or newspapers to find 7
different up to date news articles. Print them off.
o Don’t “Google search” for the element. Actually gather updated news.
• Each article should be a good example of a different
newsworthy element (except timeliness)
• Use the “News Article Log” to document the source and
topic of the article. You must also identify any other
newsworthy elements present and rank them
o For example, if you think the article is prominence then write a 1 in that box,
but if it is also oddity then write a 2 in that box, and so on for all other elements
if they exist
• Then on the “News Article Explanation” give a brief
explanation as to how the article is a good example of
that specific newsworthy element