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Write news stories and prepare for broadcast on television
Level
6
Credits
30
Purpose
This unit standard is for people who are employed in news media outlets and
who are required to write news stories for broadcast on television.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: identify news stories,
produce a brief for each story and gather information, and write news stories
and prepare for broadcast on television following the approved brief.
Subfield
Journalism
Domain
Applied Journalism
Status
Registered
Status date
20 March 2009
Date version published
20 March 2009
Planned review date
31 December 2013
Entry information
Recommended: Unit 25361, Develop rounds, gather
information, and plan stories for publication or
broadcast, or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and
skills.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and
industry.
Standard setting body (SSB)
Competenz
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0002
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
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Special notes
1
Evidence presented for award of credit must be in accordance with the required
standards for applied journalism, found in the current editions of: Statement of
Principles (Wellington: New Zealand Press Council, 2006) available at
http://www.presscouncil.org.nz/principles.html – for print journalism; Pay Television
Code of Broadcasting Practice (Wellington: New Zealand Broadcasting Standards
Authority, January 2008) available at http://www.bsa.govt.nz/codesstandardspaytv.php; and the Free-to-Air Television Code of Broadcasting Practice (Wellington:
New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Authority, August 2006) available at
http://www.bsa.govt.nz/codesstandards-freetv.php.
2
Industry texts may include but are not limited to:
Burrows, John, and Cheer, Ursula, Media Law in NZ (South Melbourne: Oxford
University Press, 5th ed, 2005);
Price, Steven, Media Minefield: A journalists’ guide to media regulation in New
Zealand (Wellington: New Zealand Journalists Training Organisation, 2007);
Tully, Jim (ed), Intro: A beginner's guide to professional news journalism (Wellington:
New Zealand Journalists Training Organisation, 4th edition, revised 2008). This
publication can be obtained from Competenz website www.competenz.org.nz.
3
This unit standard has been designed for learning and assessment in the workplace.
For assessment against this unit standard candidates will submit a portfolio of news
stories that they have prepared and written from information gathered using practical
skills learned during their workplace training. The stories submitted will have been
completed within times set by the news media outlet, and will have been broadcast
on television.
4
Evidence is required for three news stories representing a selection of the various
news story options for broadcast on television.
5
Definitions
the appropriate person refers to the person within the news media outlet who
ensures that stories meet the industry standards. This person may be the senior
producer, chief reporter, bulletin editor, or editor;
a brief describes the main purpose of the proposed story and contains the who, why,
what, where and when elements of the story. Approval for the brief will be given by
the appropriate person in accordance with industry standards;
industry standards refer to the required standards for applied journalism and the
industry texts and sources cited in the special notes as well as documented policies
and procedures set down by the workplace;
news stories are timely and succinct accounts of unfolding events of public interest,
usually unfolding within any 24-hour timeframe. News stories may be referred to as
scripts;
the workplace news diary lists assignments for today, records assignments that have
taken place, and future assignments that are upcoming. It may be used in
conjunction with electronic diaries and/or hard copy folders of past, present, and
future events.
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Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Identify news stories for broadcast on television, produce a brief for each story, and gather
information, in accordance with industry standards.
Range
news stories may include but are not limited to – hard news, breaking news,
news packages, features, news profiles, human interest, sports, business,
special interest.
Performance criteria
1.1
News stories are identified from events and items of interest breaking and
developing within any 24-hour cycle, and a brief for the development of each
story is produced and approved.
1.2
Information for news stories is gathered and recorded, to meet the requirements
of the approved brief.
Range
may include but is not limited to – use of storyboarding, graphics
and sound material, actuality grabs and audio cuts;
direct quotes, reported speech, paraphrases, summaries;
documented facts;
packages (graphics, breakouts, vox pops);
context/background information about people referred to in news
stories – full name, age, gender, occupation, honorific, marital
status;
voiceovers, audio cuts of interviews, wild sound editing for bulletin
or package;
statistical and numerical information.
Element 2
Write news stories and prepare for broadcast on television following the approved brief.
Performance criteria
2.1
News stories are drafted in accordance with industry standards.
Range
2.2
may include but is not limited to – introduction; clarity;
conciseness; formal presentation and speech conventions
including standard grammar, punctuation and pronunciation; no
jargon, slang or clichés; duration; in context; editorial legal and
ethical guidelines; complex data; numbers expressed in plain
language; in-house style guides.
Opinion and controversial facts are clearly identified and attributed.
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2.3
Feedback on the draft new stories is sought from the appropriate person, before
deadline for editing, and all information related to the production of the stories is
stored in accordance with industry standards.
2.4
The news stories are revised to incorporate changes from the feedback.
2.5
Final draft of each news story meets the requirements of the approved brief,
and is in accordance with industry standards.
2.6
Recorded material required for the broadcast is confirmed as operational before
the recording begins.
Range
may include but is not limited to – sound, video, graphics.
2.7
Interviews are prepared and undertaken in accordance with industry standards.
2.8
Delivery of voiced items is integrated into stories.
2.9
Communication is made with other team members to ensure the broadcast runs
smoothly.
Range
2.10
may include – producer, duty editor, bulletin editor, cameraperson,
sound technician.
Angles for follow-up stories are identified, and entries are made in the
workplace news diary in accordance with industry standards.
Please note
Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated
authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against
unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register
credits from assessment against unit standards.
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards
must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations
wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for
tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact Competenz info@competenz.org.nz if you wish to suggest changes to the
content of this unit standard.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016