1. Writing for Broadcast Journalism

2. 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?)

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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