4. Always finish your story

5. Two things about broadcast news we need to understand

6. Substance and format

7. Writing a TV news script: the substance

8. Writing a TV news script
It’s brief

9. Writing a TV news script
It’s brief
Gotta gather as many facts and video as time permits

10. Writing a TV news script
It’s brief
Gotta gather as many facts and video as time permits
Use friendly, conversational tone

11. Writing a TV news script
It’s brief
Gotta gather as many facts and video as time permits
Use friendly, conversational tone
Active voice

12. Writing a TV news script
It’s brief
Gotta gather as many facts and video as time permits
Use friendly, conversational tone
Active voice
Present tense

13. Writing a TV news script
It’s brief
Gotta gather as many facts and video as time permits
Use friendly, conversational tone
Active voice
Present tense
Attribution before quotes

14. Writing a TV news script
“Talking head bad. Video good.”

15. Writing a TV news script
“Talking head bad. Video good.”
Write to your best video: lead with the strongest shots

16. Writing a TV news script
“Talking head bad. Video good.”
Write to your best video: lead with the strongest shots
Engage emotions

19. It’s live and you never know...

20. Format your story: the style

21. Format your story: the style
Idea is to make your copy readable and to fit exactly into the news slot

22. Format your story: the style
Idea is to make your copy readable and to fit exactly into the news slot
Spells out who says what and what the viewer is seeing on screen

23. Format your story: the style
Idea is to make your copy readable and to fit exactly into the news slot
Spells out who says what and what the viewer is seeing on screen
Much more complicated and technical than print or internet media

24. Format your story: the style
Idea is to make your copy readable and to fit exactly into the news slot
Spells out who says what and what the viewer is seeing on screen
Much more complicated and technical than print or internet media
No standardization from station to station

25. Here’s what we’ll use for WLAF-TV

26. Here’s what we’ll use for WLAF-TV
Always use split-page format (two columns)

27. Here’s what we’ll use for WLAF-TV
Always use split-page format (two columns)
Left shows what viewers see; length of segment (TRT); and who’s saying it

28. Here’s what we’ll use for WLAF-TV
Always use split-page format (two columns)
Left shows what viewers see; length of segment (TRT); and who’s saying it
Right column shows the exact words the viewer will hear

30. WLAF-TV style
All copy being read is ALL CAPS

31. WLAF-TV style All copy being read is ALL CAPS
The words being spoken in sound-bites or SOT will be in lower case (initial caps) in Italics

32. WLAF-TV style All copy being read is ALL CAPS
The words being spoken in sound-bites or SOT will be in lower case (initial caps) in Italics
Put the name of newscast, date and your name (as the writer) in upper left

33. On camera tips
Be ready for the unexpected

34. On camera tips: College of Charleston
Be ready for the unexpected
E’s and I’s! Energy, enthusiasm, emphasis, inflection and interpretation

35. On camera tips Be ready for the unexpected
E’s and I’s! Energy, enthusiasm, emphasis, inflection and interpretation
As you write your copy, say it out loud:

36. On camera tips Be ready for the unexpected
E’s and I’s! Energy, enthusiasm, emphasis, inflection and interpretation
As you write your copy, say it out loud: can it be read easily and naturally

37. On camera tips Be ready for the unexpected
E’s and I’s! Energy, enthusiasm, emphasis, inflection and interpretation
As you write your copy, say it out loud: can it be read easily and naturally; is it easy to understand

38. On camera tips Be ready for the unexpected
E’s and I’s! Energy, enthusiasm, emphasis, inflection and interpretation
As you write your copy, say it out loud: can it be read easily and naturally; is it easy to understand; is it conversational;

39. On camera tips Be ready for the unexpected
E’s and I’s! Energy, enthusiasm, emphasis, inflection and interpretation
As you write your copy, say it out loud: can it be read easily and naturally; is it easy to understand; is it conversational; get rid of awkward words

40. On camera tips Be ready for the unexpected
E’s and I’s! Energy, enthusiasm, emphasis, inflection and interpretation
As you write your copy, say it out loud: can it be read easily and naturally; is it easy to understand; is it conversational; get rid of awkward words; determine real length of story

41. More on camera tips

42. So let’s try it
Write and record a 15-second lead-in to SOT. You are a reporter for WLAF-TV. You are life at the scene of a train-car crash. A Tropicana juice train carrying 2.5 million cartons of juice rammed a Dodge Ram truck at the intersection of US 301 and 27th Street in Bradenton. No one is hurt. You are leading in to a sound-bite from the train engineer, Bob James...

43. Teams
Ashlyn & Avery
David & Dylan
Holton & Ian
Miranda & Sarah

45. Assignment 3/6
Prepare and tape a one-minute news package

46. Assignment 3/6 Prepare and tape a one-minute news package
You will turn in your script and show the video next week