Final Exam
Paul McGrath
First … a little test
Take out a sheet of paper.
This is one last test of your
wordsmithing skills.
Write down your favorite
color.
Follow that by writing down
three one-word adjectives
that come to mind when you
think of that color.
A little test …
Now write down your
favorite animal.
Follow that with three
one-word adjectives
that come to mind when
you think of that animal.
A little test …
Now write down what your
favorite vacation or getaway
spot is. Be specific or
general; this is where you
go to relax or have fun.
Follow that with three oneword adjectives about that
locale.
A little test …
EXCHANGE PAPERS
WITH A PERSON NEAR YOU
A little test …
This is not just a wordsmithing test … it’s a rudimentary
psychological profile.
How you describe your favorite color is how psychologists
determine how you see yourself.
A little test …
How you describe your favorite animal is how psychologists
determine how you think others see you.
A little test …
And last, but certainly not least …
How you describe your favorite getaway spot is how
psychologists determine how you view your love life.
FINAL EXAM
• The final is take home. You can fax or email me your
test by the prescribed deadline. My Chron fax number is
713-220-6806 and my home fax is my phone number,
281-374-6858. If you are faxing to my house, call me
first so I can set up the printer. If faxing to the Chron,
call me afterward to let me know it was sent.
FINAL EXAM
• What it covers: AP style (20 points), fill in the blank off
your notes and textbook (30 points, four short answer
questions (20 points), story rewrite (30 points).
Remember, all of you who showed up for “bonus points”
day already have 3 points going into the final.
FINAL EXAM
• How I grade the story rewrite: name and fact errors
will be 15 points each with a maximum deduction of 30
points (getting the same name wrong three times will be
30 points, not 45). AP style and spelling errors are 2
points each. The rest is pretty subjective, but I will pay
particular attention to the lede, transition, wordiness and
what you list as missing information.
FINAL EXAM
• Your overall grade is calculated like this: AP
exercises (10%), story assignments (60%) with the
current events counting as one story grade and the
profile counting double, final exam (25%) and the
remainder -- 5% -- is an assessment of your effort,
improvement, participation (absences) etc.
Broadcast Presentation
Paul McGrath
Credibility Issues
Paul McGrath
CREDIBILITY ISSUES
• Earlier in 2006, a number of Miami journalists were fired
or disciplined for taking money to work for the Voice of
America, the U.S. propaganda network.
• Perhaps more insidious is the growth of “fake news,”
video news releases done in the sheep’s clothing of a TV
news story. Many government agencies and businesses
send news releases to broadcast mediums that are
barely distinguishable from news stories.
CREDIBILITY ISSUES
The latest issue or hottest product is presented by a
“reporter” in much the same format of a regular news
story.
The same “reporter” may have different names in
different stories.
The unwitting TV station, therefore, may run an update
on No Child Left Behind that was actually created by the
Education Department.
Fake News
What you need to know as a broadcast
news consumer
What you need to avoid as a broadcast
news reporter
THE PROBLEM WITH FAKE NEWS
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Video_news_releases
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Communications Commission has mailed letters to the
owners of 77 television stations inquiring about their use of video news releases, a type of
programming critics refer to as ``fake news.''
Video news releases are packaged news stories that usually employ actors to portray
reporters who are paid by commercial or government groups.
The letters were sparked by allegations that television stations have been airing the videos
as part of their news programs without telling viewers who paid for them.
FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said Tuesday the letters ask station managers for
information regarding agreements between the stations and the creators of the news
releases. The FCC also asked whether there was any ``consideration'' given to the stations
in return for airing the material.
``You can't tell any more the difference between what's propaganda and what's news,''
Adelstein said.
The probe was sparked by a study of newsroom use of material provided by public relations
firms.
THE PROBLEM WITH FAKE NEWS
The study, entitled ``Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed,'' was compiled by the
Center for Media and Democracy, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization that monitors
the public relations industry.
When stations air video news releases, they are required to disclose to viewers ``the
nature, source and sponsorship of the material that they are viewing,'' according to the
FCC.
The rules were prompted by payola scandals of the past, in which broadcasters accepted
money from companies to hype their products without labeling the effort as advertising.
Diane Farsetta, senior researcher with the Center for Media and Democracy and co-author
of the study, said that did not appear to be the case in the study but that ``the main reason
is economy. These are free stories that are given to stations that are continually underresourced.''
Farsetta said despite the publicity, stations are continuing to air releases without disclosure.
Stations that received the letters have been given 60 days to respond. If the FCC decides
they have violated the rules, punishment could include fines or license revocation.
--On the Net:
Center for Media and Democracy: http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews/stationlist
Ethical dilemmas
• Fake news is certainly not
the only ethical worry in
the broadcast medium.
• In her book, “Truth and
Duty,” (pages 113-114)
former CBS producer Mary
Mapes -- she of the Bush
National Guard story fame
-- talks about how TV has
contributed to a “culture of
celebrity.” She warns
against subjects who play
to the camera.
Ethical dilemmas
Specifically, she refers to the coverage of the Jonesboro,
Ark., school shootings.
In the aftermath, there was much competition for an
interview with the father of one of the shooters.
The father refused to commit, but one morning while
talking with Mapes he told her that he had decided to go
with NBC’s “Today” show.
Why? Because it had the “best ratings among the top
ten cities and the best coverage nationwide.”
It was like a scene out of Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born
Killers” -- the father of a teenage murderer negotiating
with the national networks to get the best ratings for his
son’s story.
Believability
Paul McGrath
One
demographic
study
indicates that
the average
age of the
typical
nightly
network
news
watcher is
60.
BELIEVABILITY
• From July 30, 2006, Pew
Report on Media Believability
BELIEVABILITY
• From July 30, 2006, Pew
Report on Media Believability
BELIEVABILITY
• From July 30, 2006, Pew
Report on Media Believability
BELIEVABILITY
• From July 30, 2006, Pew
Report on Media Believability
BELIEVABILITY
• From July 30, 2006, Pew
Report on Media Believability
Lasting Images
Paul McGrath
Lasting images
The broadcast landscape has changed greatly in the past
three decades, largely because of cable and the Internet.
But like its print cousins, the broadcast medium is not
ready for the grave just yet.
Since we live in the age of converging communications
skills, someday you might find yourself having to do a
stand-up outside an apartment fire, then writing a story
for the online news product and then producing a third
piece for the print side.
Radio and TV are mediums for the eye and ear. Think
about some of the big stories from the past 10 years -the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, the shuttle Columbia
explosion, etc. It’s the images from the video that stick
with us longest, not the images that were used in print.
Broadcast News Judgment
Broadcast journalists view news a
bit differently – they need pictures
and sound
NEWS JUDGMENT
One of the big differences between print and broadcast
is how those mediums define “what is news.” The
broadcast mediums have a narrower scope. There are
four major criteria for shaping news judgment for
broadcast mediums:
1. Timeliness: TV news magazines may have
proliferated, but “the breaking story” still rules the day
2. Information or content: Broadcast stories have to
answer the “what” question quickly because of the time
factor; there is not much emphasis on the “why” and
“how”
NEWS JUDGMENT
There are four major criteria for shaping news judgment
for broadcast mediums:
3. Audio/visual impact: Being somewhat of a slave to
the technologies involved, TV doesn’t like stories without
pictures; radio folks like sound bites
4. People: Humanizing the stories gives them greater
impact. It’s a first cousin of some of those anecdotal lede
approaches we’ve talked about.
NEWS JUDGMENT
Of course, there are other differences between print
and broadcast:
-- Broadcast folks are more concerned with “time” rather
than “space.” This time-forced focus on brevity fosters a
lack of depth, which is one of the major criticisms of
broadcast journalism.
-- Also, the broadcast reporter is much more concerned
with their appearance and manner of speech than print
reporters. Voice and looks matter in their story-telling.
NEWS JUDGMENT
Of course, there are other differences between print
and broadcast:
-- The print reporter may go into battle with tape recorder
and a photographer, but the broadcast reporter has a
microphone and generally has a “CREW.” At the
networks, the person you see reporting a story may not
have done any of the reporting at all -- it was all done by
producers or assistant producers. The “reporter” supplies
the star power.
-- Broadcast reporters don’t have to describe sights and
sounds -- they can let the technology do that for them.
NEWS JUDGMENT
But there are also similarities …
-- Both mediums are utilizing the Web more and more to
fill in the gaps in their coverage.
--The main similarity is the need for good writing.
Broadcast Writing
Paul McGrath
CHARACTERISTICS OF BROADCAST WRITING
Because news is weighed a bit differently at broadcast mediums, the
writing takes on certain characteristics:
1. Immediacy: Focus on what’s happening now.
--Broadcast writers try to achieve a sense of immediacy by using the
present tense as much as possible. The price of gasoline hasn’t
“gone up” it is “going up.”
-- If there is no danger of inaccuracy or deceit, omit the time element
altogether
-- If you have to use the past tense in the story, include the time
element
-- Remember to update. The best way to avoid having “yesterday’s
news” is to update with a new development, attempt to localize, etc.
Broadcast: 10 differences from print, PR
• 1. Use a friendlier, more conversational tone (when
appropriate). “Watch out for construction on the East
Loop tomorrow as you’re headed to work.”
• 2. Keep it short, simple and easy to follow. One idea per
sentence; limit sentences to 20 words or fewer. Use
simpler words.
• 3. Say so long to the inverted pyramid. Broadcast stories
need a beginning, a middle and an end.
• 4. Use present tense. You want to sound new, fresh and
immediate
• 5. Contractions are OK. They generally aren’t in print.
Broadcast: 10 differences from print, PR
• 6. Attribution, quotes get different treatment. In print, the
attribution generally goes behind the quote or statement.
In broadcast, it’s generally the opposite.
– Print: Jones gave a confession, police said.
– Broadcast: Police say Jones confessed to the crime. (note the
use of present tense)
7. Use phonetic pronunciation where necessary. Barack
(buh-ROCK) Obama (OH-bomb-ah)
8. Use punctuation to aid delivery. Avoid hyphenating in
scripts or breaking sentences between pages. Use
ellipses or dashes to create pauses. Use underlines
or CAPS for emphasis.
Broadcast: 10 differences from print, PR
• 9. Avoid abbreviations and symbols in scripts. Is “St.”
street or saint? Is “Dr.” doctor or “drive”?
• 10. Numbers: round them off, spell them out. Don’t use
$497,457; use “about 500,000 dollars” or “about a half
million dollars.” Make numbers easy to read:
– 0: Write as zero
– 1-9: Spell out as words. Maybe eleven also since it can look like
two L’s
– 10-999: Use numerals
– Above 999: try to round off; use combo of words and numerals
CHARACTERISTICS OF BROADCAST WRITING
Because news is weighed a bit differently at broadcast mediums, the
writing takes on certain characteristics:
2. Conversational style: Write the way you talk
-- Use simple, short sentences
-- Use transitive verbs. Transitive verbs do things to things;
they demand a direct object.
-- Don’t use slang, colloquialisms or incorrect grammar
CHARACTERISTICS OF BROADCAST WRITING
Because news is weighed a bit differently at broadcast mediums, the
writing takes on certain characteristics:
3. Tight phrasing: Remember, your foe is time instead of space. Time
is less forgiving
-- Sentences should be no more than 12-15 words
-- Cut down on adjectives and adverbs
-- Using active voice over passive voices will trim some verbiage
-- Concentrate on the bare facts; print and online folks will fill in the
details
CHARACTERISTICS OF BROADCAST WRITING
Because news is weighed a bit differently at broadcast mediums, the
writing takes on certain characteristics:
4. Clarity: Unlike print and the Web, broadcast audiences can’t go back
over the copy (unless it’s in the crawler!). The audience only sees it
or hears it once -- or until the next news break.
-- In addition to short sentences, use nickel-and-dime words. See
above…
-- Avoid too many numbers
-- ** Don’t be afraid to repeat words or phrases. Repeat proper
names rather than use pronouns. Be sure to “tee up” (use
identifiers) for unfamiliar names. Longtime Houston businessman
John Smith died Wednesday……
-- Avoid foreign words and phrases
-- ** Keep the subject close to the verb. (NO: “Bagwell, who has
been struggling at the plate recently, smacked a three-run homer in
the ninth inning.” YES: “Bagwell smacked a three-run homer in the
ninth inning. He’s struggled at the plate lately.”)
Broadcast Leads
Paul McGrath
BROADCAST LEADS
Here’s a surprise: Broadcast leads, just like their print
cousins, strive to capture the attention of their audience.
It has to have enough substance or style to draw attention
but not so much information that it hinders
comprehension.
Unlike the print lead of 35-45 words, broadcast ledes
should probably be fewer than 15 words -- 20 max. So,
don’t crowd the lede with too much information. Waiting
for certain questions to be answered will also keep the
audience listening or watching.
Also, just like the print lede, the broadcast lede must set
the proper tone and mood for the story.
Tragedies aren’t cute. Don’t mislead (TSU anecdote)!
BROADCAST LEADS
Textbooks mention four types of broadcast ledes:
– Single Act Ledes
– Umbrella or Comprehensive Ledes
– Chronological Narrative Ledes
– Soft Ledes
It wouldn’t hurt you to read about those types, but the two
types you will most often deal with if you go into some
form of broadcast are:
-- the “single act lede” and the “soft lede.”
BROADCAST LEADS
The single act lede:
• Goes immediately into the “what happened” and
“who” aspects.
• The “what” is most important, followed by the
“who.”
• The time and place may be included.
• The “how” and “why” come later in the story, if at
all.
Example: A Texas House committee voted today to ban
gays and lesbians from adopting children.
BROADCAST LEADS
The soft lede:
• This is also called “cuing in.”
• It is characterized by using a general statement that will
pique interest before going into the specifics of the story.
Example: Gay rights activists hit another roadblock today in
the Texas House. (note there’s a bit of suspense here;
you don’t know yet what happened, but you can deduce
gay activists won’t like it.)
Story Structure
Paul McGrath
STORY STRUCTURE
• Broadcast writers also have to craft special intros and
conclusions to their audio and video segments, and they
also have to synchronize their words with the taped
segments.
• Keep in mind that a broadcast story often is a cooperative effort of a least a two-person team (not
counting the video and sound crew): the anchor at the
station and the reporter in the field. This is where the
lead-in and the wrap-up come in.
STORY STRUCTURE
-- The lead-in introduces a taped excerpt from a news
source or from another reporter. It is much like the soft
lede, but it should also set up the scene by briefly telling
the “where”, the “when,” sometimes the “what” and to
identify the source or the reporter (“Let‘s go now to
Channel XX reporter Dana Thompson, who’s live on the
scene in Baytown ...”).
They provide a bit of story background and should pique
interest -- but not give the story away.
STORY STRUCTURE
-- The wrap-up serves as the conclusion of one story and
as the divider before the next story. It might simply be the
reporter’s sign-off: “This is Dana Thompson, Channel XX
News, in Baytown.” This is especially important in radio,
because the audience doesn’t have a visual clue to
introduce the next story or the next reporter. You need a
sentence or two to give one story an ending and clearly
separate it from the next story.
The wrap-up also can serve as a summary – give the
what’s next -- for a broadcast story.
Common broadcast story forms
• The reader or tell story: The most basic story type. The
anchor simply reads the story, often accompanied by an
over-the-shoulder graphic, logo, photo etc.
Common broadcast story forms
• The voice-over (VO)
story begins with an
anchor or reporter on
camera. As the news
person continues to
read, the video
changes to footage –
live or “B-roll” – that
illustrates the topic.
Common broadcast story forms
• The voice-over to sound
on tape (VO / SOT) story
transitions from a VO
story to a sound bite or
bites, perhaps official
reaction or witness
quotes to the news event.
U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings
Common broadcast story forms
• The package story combines sound bites,
voice-overs and stand-ups.
Script example
Note the “read rate” of 140 words per minute for Bryan’s Channel 3 anchor
Crystal Galney. (She was timed with a stop watch; CNN uses a computer
program.) VO is voiceover; CG is a computer-generated graphic.
Tips for radio reporting
• Make every word count. The story may be only five or six
sentences. Prune to the bone
• Focus on people first. Giving the amount of a new
budget is boring; but a tax increase affects Joe Sixpack
• Read your stories aloud. Listen for wordiness, clumsy
clauses.
• Record natural sound, too. Radio is a sound medium; so
use sounds. Remember the sounds of the shots in the
Va. Tech massacre? NPR once sent a reporter to Brazil
to get the sound of the Amazon; didn’t fake it
• Paint word pictures. Help the listener visualize the story.
Write with color; don’t just give dry facts.
More tips: Practice, practice, practice
• Record yourself. Listen to the way you speak.
• Adjust your delivery. Raise and lower the pitch and
volume
• The most common problems can be avoided:
–
–
–
–
Speaking too quickly or slowly
Emphasizing the wrong words
Limiting your vocal range
Stumbling over words
HANDOUTS
From CNN and Channel 3 in Bryan
-- Note how some of the tips on conversational
style etc. overlap
-- Note the emphasis on good writing
-- Note the sample CNN script and the short
sentences
Related article
• “Hold that Obit” in September 2006
American Journalism Review
www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4157
Final Words
Paul McGrath