This session deals with working in broadcast media -- the do's and don'ts.

1. Writing for Media
Session #5, Part #2
“Writing for Broadcast Journalism”
UCSD Extension Spring 2012

2. Broadcasting
• Most popular medium of mass
communication
• Delivers immediacy and impact
• Avg. American home has over 50 channels
• 6,000+ radio/TV station in US
• 1,700 daily newspapers in US

3. Section of News
• Audio or visual impact (show me!)
• actual event more dramatic than
reporter talking about it
• Timeliness
• breaking news
• Information, not explanation
• simple and straightforward news

4. Characteristics -- 5 Cs
1. Correctness (accuracy)
2. Clarity (no ambiguity, clear and precise)
3. Concise (efficient, saves time)
4. Color (paint a picture)
5. Conversational (style, write like you talk)

5. Story Structure
• Dramatic unity (package)
• climax -- what happened?
• cause -- why it happened?
• effect -- what it means?

6. Story Structure (cont.)
• Completed circles
• Complete package (intro, middle, close)
• Measured in time (not words)
• Written to fit time format of newscast
• 2-minute story (no longer, no less)

7. Newscast
• Tight deadlines (hourly sometimes)
• Timeliness of news stories (news value)
• Prominence of sources (news value)
• Availability of video, audio, slides, film, etc.

8. Radio Formats
• Written copy/voicers (w/o soundbites)
• Sound bites (w/ source soundbites)
• Wrap-around (intro, conclusion)
• Mini-documentary (several soundbites, b-
roll, music, more than a couple minutes)

9. TV Formats
• Reader copy (anchor/reporter reads news)
• Voice-overs (b-roll w/ reporter’s voice)
• Voice-over to soundbite (reporter to
source)
• Package stories (intro, stand-up, soundbites,
etc.)
• Live shots (reporter on the scene)

10. Extended Story (web)
• Must tell a story
• Have central theme
• Have central character
• Beginning, middle, end (wrap it up)
• Interview itself (source can exhibit
personality)

11. Extended Story (web)
• Research
• Preparation (know topic, send questions)
• Interview situation (comfortable location)
• Positioning (don’t look into the camera)
• Questions (ease into the interview)
• Extended interview

12. Questions...