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Write feature stories and prepare for broadcast on radio
Level
6
Credits
20
Purpose
This unit standard is for people who are employed in news media outlets and
who are required to write feature stories for broadcast on radio.
People credited with this unit standard are able to: identify feature stories for
broadcast on radio, produce a brief for each story, and gather information for
the stories; and write feature stories and prepare for broadcast on radio in
accordance with 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
for journalism, 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.
Special notes
1
Evidence presented for award of credit must be in accordance with the required
standards for applied broadcast journalism, found in the current edition of the Radio
Code of Broadcasting Practice (Wellington: New Zealand Broadcasting Standards
Authority, July 2008) available at http://www.bsa.govt.nz/codesstandards-radio.php –
for radio mode.
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2
Industry text:
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
feature 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 radio as part of a bulletin or as a package.
4
Evidence is required for three feature stories representing a selection of the various
story options which may include written scripts, voicers, packages, live Q&As
(question & answers) or live reports.
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;
a feature story (also known as an analysis item or backgrounder) is a story that does
not necessarily break news, but takes an in-depth look at a subject. It offers a
broader perspective of a news event or issue, or profile of a person in the news or
important to a community, and may or may not be time-critical. It may be a written
script, a voicer, a package, a live Q&A (question and answer), or a live report;
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.
Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Identify feature stories for broadcast on radio, produce a brief for each story, and gather
information for the stories, in accordance with industry standards.
Range
feature stories may include but are not limited to – hard news, features, news
profiles, human interest, sports, business, special interest.
Performance criteria
1.1
Feature stories are identified from events and items of interest, and a brief for
the development of each story is produced and approved.
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1.2
Information for feature 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 is included as appropriate.
Element 2
Write feature stories and prepare for broadcast on radio, following the approved brief.
Performance criteria
2.1
Feature stories are drafted in accordance with industry standards.
Range
may include but is not limited to – introduction; clarity;
conciseness; writing for the ear; 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.
2.2
Opinion and controversial facts are clearly identified and attributed.
2.3
Feedback on the draft 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
Feature stories are revised to incorporate changes required from the feedback.
2.5
Final draft of each feature 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 feature stories.
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2.9
Communication is made with other team members to ensure the broadcast runs
smoothly.
Range
may include – duty editor, bulletin editor, sound technician.
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