Broadcast News and Writing Stylebook

Description

Features

• A series of short, easy-to-read sections provide students with a quick-reference guide to the various aspects of broadcast writing.
• A full outline and examples of virtually every broadcast news writing problem, along with solutions, prepares students for the variety of challenges that they may face in the field.
• Tips from the pros are sprinkled throughout the book to help illustrate the various points on gathering and sorting information, writing a compelling story, collecting great soundbites, and more.
• Chapter 9 on bites now includes not only how to write into and out of bites, but also what makes good bites and how to strengthen weak ones, offering students helpful information on a very common type of broadcast writing.
• Chapter 8 on Stories contains many explanations and examples, providing a more thorough and in-depth discussion of this integral part of broadcast writing.
• Chapter 14 on Convergence, Multimedia and Online News expands and updates the latest news approaches on web, incorporating the latest research on how, where and why people get news online.
• A new chapter on the Environment adds to the specialty list of coverage areas.

New to this Edition

• A new first chapter incorporates the best research available to examine the future of news.
• A completely reorganized second chapter explains what news is - with examples - and incorporates story ideas, story types and the assignment desk.
• Tips from the pros are sprinkled throughout the book to help illustrate the various points on gathering and sorting information, writing a compelling story, collecting great soundbites, and more.
• Chapter 14 on Convergence, Multimedia and Online News expands and updates the latest news approaches on web, incorporating the latest research on how, where and why people get news online.
• Sections on active voice, cliches and the glossary of terms have all been expanded, and more examples have been added throughout. 
• A much expanded chapter on working with pictures includes how the best in the business make their stories better - and how students can, too.
• Thechapter on producing news for TV has been expanded, including examples of newscast lineups, helps students understand how a newscast is put together.
• A new chapter on the environment  provides information for aspiring reporters on the major environmental issues of the day and defines important terms.

Table of Contents

1. The Future of News

The scope of media use

Media use is more complex than it used to be

It's hard to measure media use

What we think we know about media use

What we don't know about media use

So where are we going?

2. News.

What is News?

Balancing News Values

Types of stories

Where story ideas come from

The assignment desk

The morning (and afternoon) meeting

3. Readability. 

Broadcast news writing

Writing for the ear v. writing for the eye

Rules of Readability

4. Words.

Keep It Simple.

Keep It Conversational.

Keep It Clear.

Keep It Tight.

Make It Powerful.

Get It Right.

Common Problems.

5. Phrases & Phrasing.

How to Say It.

What to Say.

What You Didn't Mean to Say.

Last note

5. Sentences.

Keep It Short.

Make It Clean, Clear, and Concise.

Last note

7. Leads & Endings.

Types of Leads.

Figuring out the Lead.

Types of Endings.

8. Stories.

Plan and Focus

Story Logic.

Story structure

Transitions.

Before You're Done.

9. Working with and Gathering Bites, Actualities & Natural Sound.

The feel of natural sound

Collecting Sound.

Working with Bites, Actualities and natural sound

Packages.

10. Interviewing.

Conducting successful interviews

Beyond the interview

11. Radio: Story Forms & Working with Sound.

Radio Story Forms.

Drawing Radio Pictures.

12. TV: Story Forms.

Story Forms.

Putting Packages Together

Live Reporting

Golden Rules

13. TV: Working with Pictures.

The Power of the Visual Image.

The TV Balancing Act.

Picture Cautions.

Care about the story

Strong stories have central characters and a plot

Prove your story

The element of surprise

Connecting with truths

14. Convergence, Multimedia and Online News.

Some Basic Terms and concerns

Research and the Web

Convergence

The Information Web Site

Multimedia

15. Producing News on TV.

Overview

Audience

Newscast Structure

Building a Local Newscast

16. Teases & Promos.

Promotion.

Tease … Don't Tell

Make Them Care

Going too far

17. TV Script Form & Supers.

Abbreviations.

Script Form.

Supers.

18. Ethics and the RTNDA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

Ethics

The Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

19. Business, Economy & Taxes.

Reporting on Money.

Defining Terms

20. Calendar.  

Solar and Lunar and the World's Major Religions.

Calendar Holidays.

State holidays

21. Crime & Legal.

Crime Reporting

Attribution.

Defining Terms

22. Education.

Education Reporting

Defining Terms

23. Environment.

Reporting on the environment

Defining Terms

24. Geography.

Where Are We?

Defining Terms: United States

Voice of America Pronunciation Guide

Defining terms: World

25. Government.  

How the System Works.

Defining Terms

26. Health & Medicine.

Reporting on Health and Medicine.

Defining Terms

27. Space & Aviation.

Defining Terms.

28. Sports.

Reporting Sports.

Sports and Teams.

29. Weather & Natural Phenomena.  

Reporting Weather.

Defining Terms