Writing for Broadcast Journalism

Basic Journalistic Guidelines Timeliness (How recently did the event occur?) Prominence (How famous are the participants?) Proximity (How close to the viewers did the event occur?) Pertinence (How will it affect the viewers’ lives?)

Other factors that influence TV news priorities: Visual impact (Are there strong video images available?) Cost Promotional value (Does the story boost network’s prestige? Ex. Exclusive interview)

Two main types of news Hard news Stories examining events that affect U.S. society as a whole National and international relations Appeals to viewers’ intellect More respected than soft news

Two main types of news, cont’d Soft news Stories that deal with the personal – gossip, scandal, and other human interest stories Weather, sports, entertainment news Appeals to viewers’ emotions

The Basics of Broadcast News Writing Short, simple, direct, declarative sentences Active voice Read story aloud to test it out Avoid abbreviations and symbols Use contractions Begin with statement and follow with attribution (what was said followed by who said it) Use phonetics for words that are difficult to pronounce Standard spelling and punctuation Direct quotes should be no longer than 1 line and right to the news point. The best direct quote is a good sound byte.

Robinson and Levy’s Recommendations for Journalists: More repetition and redundancy: story should be built around a main point. All elements should contribute to this. Emphasize why story is important “Slow down” the news with tight, well-structured reporting and reflective writing. Highlight historical context as well as latest angles Be explicit: don’t expect the audience to get hidden meanings Separate similar stories from one another. Tell the story in human terms Avoid jargon/ technical/ legal terms