MAC225 NEWS WRITING AND REPORTING

MODULE 4 NEWS WRITING AND REPORTING FOR

THE BROADCAST MEDIA

Unit 1 Criteria for Selecting Broadcast Stories

Unit 2 Style
Unit 3 Features/Structure of a Broadcast News Story
Unit 4 Writing a Broadcast Copy

UNIT 1 CRITERIA FOR SELECTING BROADCAST

STORIES

CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Criteria for Selecting Broadcast Stories
3.1.1 Timeliness
3.1.2 Information and Explanation
3.1.3 Audio or Visual Impact
3.1.4 The facts
3.2 The Don’ts of a Broadcast Copy
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Broadcast news stories are written differently when compared to print

news stories that we have been dealing with in our earlier units.
Broadcast stories are written to be easily understood. According to
Mencher (2010:195), “to write effectively for radio you must unlearn the
prose writer’s rules about sentence structure. Disregard such forms as
dependent clauses and balanced sentences. You can even forget the first
grammatical rule you ever learned – that a sentence must have a subject
and a verb. Some of radio’s most effective sentences are not complete
sentences at all. They are descriptive phrases. They save a lot of words
and go over very smoothly on the air”.

These make broadcast copies a little more technical than the usual prose
copies. This unit shall therefore focus on the criteria for selecting
broadcast copy and the things a broadcaster cannot do when preparing a
broadcast copy.

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2.0 OBJECTIVES

At the end this unit, you should be able to:

• explain the criteria for selecting broadcast stories

• explain the don’ts of a broadcast copy
• distinguish between writing for the print and the broadcast media.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Criteria for Selecting Broadcast Stories

There are many reasons why a broadcast news story may be rejected in
the newsroom. Apart from the universally accepted standards, different
broadcast stations have other unique parameters that their reporters must
follow in writing for the station. However, the following could be
regarded as some of the criteria that are generally applied in selecting
broadcast news stories.

3.1.1 Timeliness

Timeliness as a news value is more important to the broadcast news

writer than to the print reporter and writer. Print journalists tend to work
on daily cycles but broadcast journalist work on hourly or less cycles.
Generally, a news broadcaster has to “go to press” many times a day,
particularly if he is working on radio. The news must be up to the
minute. News that is more than an hour old may be too stale for
broadcast selection (Aworo, 2005 in Folarin et al). So, timeliness is a
core criterion in selecting broadcast copies.

3.1.2 Information, not Explanation

Broadcast news writers always look for selection stories that do not need
a lot of explanations in order for listeners or viewers to understand them
easily. They prefer stories that are relatively simple and can be told in a
simple and straightforward manner. The suggested maximum length for
most TV newscast is about 2 minutes; the normal length should be about
20 to 30 seconds (Aworo, 2005 in Folarin et al). What is important to
the broadcaster is giving information not explaining in details what
happened. In essence, the broadcast news story concentrates on the
WHAT and WHERE and delves less into the WHY and HOW of events
because of the airtime allocated to the story (Obe, 2005). Every
broadcast news writer must have this understanding if he or she intends
to write acceptable copies.

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3.1.3 Audio or Visual Impact

Broadcast news editors will always select stories that the audience can
hear or see. As a broadcast news writer, always write for the ear or eye
if you want your copy selected all the time. This is because news events
that have good visual appeals to the audience are usually hot cake. Some
broadcast news events are selected because they have both visual and
audio effects that the public want.

3.1.4 The Facts

In the course of an assignment, many facts will be thrown up at the

reporter. It is his or her duty to organise these facts into some sort of
order. Do not forget that broadcast reports do not require do much detail;
it becomes important that the reporter must organise the facts in such a
way that the important details are not lost. The best practical way to go
about this is to fully understand the facts you want to base your story on
before you begin the writing process. Afterwards, you could write from
your memory and only use the facts to crosscheck. This technique when
expertly used results in concise, clear copy.

Other Criteria

A broadcast story that must be accepted according to Mencher (2010)

should use everyday language, written in short sentences, limit every
sentence to one idea, use the present tense whenever appropriate and
usually the story should confine itself to one overriding theme.

3.2 The Don’ts of a Broadcast Copy

a. Do not scare listeners

b. Do not give orders
c. Do not start a story with:

• “As expected”
• “In a surprise move”
• “ A new development today”
• “Our top story tonight is”
• “There is” or “It is”
• A participial phrase
• A personal pronoun
• A question
• A quotation
• An unknown or unfamiliar name
• Someone’s “making news” or “making history”

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• “Another”, “more” or “once again”.

d. Do not characterise news as good or bad

e. Do not use any form of “to be” as the main verb in your lead
f. Do not bury the verb in a noun
g. Do not use “yesterday” or “continues” in your first sentence
h. Do not use “no”, “not” and negatives in your first sentence
i. Do not use newspaper style, language or rituals
j. Do not cram too much information into a story
k. Do not lose or mislead a listener
l. Do not make a factual error

Adapted from Mencher, Melvin (2010). Mencher’s News Writing and

Reporting (11th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Explain 10 don’ts of a broadcast news copy.

4.0 CONCLUSION

From our discussion so far, it is obvious that broadcast news serves a

purpose different from the print output. It is basically intended to
provide the audience with information without necessarily bugging them
down with so many details. How to go about doing this correctly is the
focus of the unit which concentrated on the criteria for selecting a
broadcast story.

5.0 SUMMARY

This unit focused on the criteria for selecting a broadcast copy and the
things a broadcast news reporter is not expected to do in the course of
preparing and writing a broadcast news story.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Justify with four valid reasons why a broadcast copy is more

interested in giving out information and not details.
2. How will you use facts in writing a typical broadcast story?

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7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING

Agbese, D. (2008). The Reporters’ Companion. Lagos: Newswatch

Books Limited.

Bonder, F. F., Davenport, J. R., & Drager, M. W. (2005). Reporting for

the Mass Media (8th ed). New York: Oxford University Press.

Brooks, B.S., et al. (1998). News Reporting and Writing. New York: St.
Martin’s Press.

Charnley, M. (1996). Reporting. Toronto: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Folarin, et al. (Eds.). (2006). Themes in Communication Writing. Lagos:

SMC.

Harper, C. and the Indiana Group (1998). Journalism 2001. Madison:

Coursewise Publishing.

Hule, B. D. & Anderson, D.A. (2003). News Writing and Reporting for
Today’s Media. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Mencher, M. (2010). Mencher’s News Writing and Reporting (11th

ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Mencher, M. (2003). News Reporting and Writing (9th ed.). San

Francisco: McGraw-Hill.

Moemeka, A. (2000). Reporter’s Handbook: An Introduction to

Effective Journalism. Kearney, USA: Morris Publishing.

Obe, J. (2005). Reporting Diverse Areas: A Concise Text. Akure: SMC.

Rich, C. (1999). Writing and Reporting News: A Coaching Method (3rd

ed.). New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Stovall, J. G. (2006). Writing for the Mass [Link]. New York: Pearson
Education.

Walker, S. (1975). News Writing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

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UNIT 2 STYLE

CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Style
3.1.1 Personal Style
3.1.2 Era or Period Style
3.1.3 Media Style and Mechanics
3.2 Broadcast Style
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Every media organisation of worth has a style guide, which helps the
journalists in that organisation know how to present their copy in an
acceptable manner. This is because writing, whether for print or
broadcast, runs on style. Style distinguishes, say a print copy from a
broadcast copy. The major difference between a broadcast copy and
advertising copy is style. The way Public Relations’ copies are written is
different from the way advert copy is written. Again, the difference
manifests as style. Style is everything that makes a copy from a
particular type of medium different from the others. Therefore, reporters
are expected to conform to the style guide in writing and presenting their
copy.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

At the end this unit, you should be able to:

• describe what style is all about

• identify the unique broadcast style of writing stories
• apply broadcast style in writing and presenting your own
broadcast stories.

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3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Style

Ekwelie (1992:56) notes that every aspiring writer must contend with
three basic styles thus:

a. His own emerging style which will make his writing distinct.
b. The style of his times with regard to sentence construction,
diction as well as syntax.
c. The style of his or her medium, which is a hybrid between normal
and the idiosyncratic use of language.

These are further explained below.

3.1.1 Personal Style

Personal style is usually identified with individual writers. It is a style

most established authors are known for. Chinua Achebe, for instance,
has his style of writing as reflected in his novels. The same is applicable
to the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, who is known to write
for a particular audience. This comes in their choice of words, phrases
etc and the way and manner such words, phrases etc are presented in
their works. Wole Soyinka’s “The Lion and the Jewel” is written in a
different linguistic style from “The Man Died”. Journalists should strive
to apply personal style in whatever they do. It makes you unique.
Personal style does not have to flagrantly abuse the house or media style
of a particular media organisation. House style takes precedence but a
journalist may decide to apply such a House style in a very unique and
personal way.

3.1.2 Era or Period Style

This is the prevailing style of a particular period in history. The style of

the Shakespearean Age and the Modern American Literature are totally
different. Language changes with history and time. For instance, during
the colonial days in Africa, the rhetoric of politicians and the so-called
statesmen were largely nationalistic. Today, the language has changed.
Such rousing patriotic speeches then may not impress anyone again
especially in the midst of abundance and paradoxical lack caused largely
by a very corrupt and inhuman political class who are basically
amassing wealth at the instance of the hungry masses.

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3.1.3 Media Style and Mechanics

As we noted in the introductory part of the unit, every media

organisation has its style, usually called House Style or Style Guide. A
House Style is a journalistic code book, detailing how everything that
pertains to writing should be handled. The House Style differs from
media house to media house; from the print media to the broadcast
media etc. However, notwithstanding the differences manifested in
styles in the different media organisations, the standards and mechanics
of writing remain universal. Each House Style stems from standard
language usage but sometimes bows to stylistic idiosyncrasies. Bad
mechanical style is a bane to good writing. Ume-Nwagbo cited in
Aworo (2005) noted for example that the English Treason Act of 1351
came under strict scrutiny during the trial of the Irish nationalist Roger
David Casement in 1916, over the way the wording, originally in
Norman French, was or was not punctuated. That case was one instance
in which the absence of comma would have saved the neck of accused
for high treason.

It is no longer news that poor punctuation gets in the way of good

writing. Written language is a very demanding assignment and must be
treated as such. This is corroborated by Francis Bacon, the father of
English essays, when he noted that “words are like leaves. Where they
most abound we cannot find the fruit of the truth beneath”. This is a
serious warning against verbiage or simply verbosity. A writer therefore
must follow the medium’s style guide on punctuation, spelling,
capitalization, diction, syntax, and taste.

3.1.4 Broadcast Style

Broadcast news writers make use of the conversational style or what we

refer to as “language style.” According to Mencher (2010), broadcast
news serves a purpose different from that of the print. Its primary intent
is to provide the public with basic information quickly and clearly. The
broadcast writer is much more interested in getting the story idea across
without the details. This is the major reason the broadcast style is unique
and rigid. The broadcast journalist examines every word and idea before
use. This is because too many words may squeeze another item in the
story and too many ideas and the listener or viewer may become
confused.

A typical broadcast style of writing will contain the following

guidelines:

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1. Use short sentences and words the announcer can pronounce

without gasping for breath.
2. Do not attempt to tell too much in your opening statement. The
radio listener requires a little time to adjust after each story.
3. Never lead into a story with a question. There is a little line
between such leads and commercials.
4. Avoid hanging and dangling phrases since they break up the flow
of thought.
5. Attribution should precede assertion where and when a story
must be attributed. Also, attribution should come at the beginning
of a sentence where necessary.
6. Be conversational. This means you should write the way you talk.
7. Do not start a story with a participial phrase.
8. Use ordinary, one-syllable words whenever possible.
9. Use vigorous verbs. This means you should as much as possible
avoid adjectives and adverbs.
10. The active voice is always preferable than the passive voice. Use
it.
11. Use familiar words in familiar combinations.
12. Write simply and in a direct manner. Always avoid the use of
unnecessary words.
13. Write in language that could be read easily.
14. Use a phrase to indicate someone is being quoted.
15. Place titles before names and they should be used for proper
identification of people and nothing more.
16. Where appropriate and accurate, use the present tense or the
present perfect tense.
17. Numbers must be written to be read aloud. The best way is to
write out numbers from one to 10 and then to use figures for
numbers up through 999.
18. Round off figures especially the ones dealing with budgets,
money matters, and so on.
19. Avoid the use of tongue-twisting words.
20. Avoid abbreviations unless they are standard abbreviations that
could easily be understood by all.
21. Avoid the use of symbols or sketches.
22. Do not hyphenate words.
23. Avoid unnecessary use of quotations and reduce the use of
punctuation marks too.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Discuss 15 things you must not do when writing a broadcast copy.

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4.0 CONCLUSION

The broadcast writer must be simple and direct. He or she must always
bear in mind that he/she is writing for the ear and the eye. Make
sentences simple, short and easy to understand. Do not attempt to cram
too many information and facts in your story and remember your
listeners and viewers are basically in a hurry. Do not keep them waiting
and guessing.

5.0 SUMMARY

In this unit, you have learnt the meaning of style and the implication in
broadcast news writing. You have also learnt the broadcast style and
how to apply the knowledge in writing and acceptable broadcast copy.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Define style in broadcasting.

2. Why is it necessary to have style guides in broadcast media
houses?

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING

Agbese, D. (2008). The Reporters’ Companion. Nigeria: Newswatch

Books Limited.

Bonder, F. F.; Davenport, J. R. & Drager, M. W. (2005). Reporting for

the Mass Media (8th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Brooks, B.S.; et al. (1998). News Reporting and Writing. New York: St.
Martin’s Press.

Charnley, M. (1996). Reporting. Toronto: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Folarin, et al. (Eds.).(2006). Themes in Communication Writing.

LagosNigeria: SMC.

Harper, C. & Indiana Group (1998). Journalism 2001. Madison:

Coursewise Publishing.

Hule, B. D. & Anderson, D.A. (2003). News Writing and Reporting for
Today’s Media. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Mencher, M. (2010). Mencher’s News Writing and Reporting (11th

ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

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MAC225 NEWS WRITING AND REPORTING

Mencher, M. (2003). News Reporting and Writing (9th ed.). San

Francisco: McGraw-Hill.

Moemeka, A. (2000). Reporter’s Handbook: An Introduction to

Effective Journalism. Kearney, USA: Morris Publishing.

Obe, Joseph J. (2005). Reporting Diverse Areas: A Concise Text. Akure

Nigeria: SMC.

Rich, C. (1999). Writing and Reporting News: A Coaching Method (3rd

ed.). New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Stovall, J. G. (2006). Writing for the Mass Media. New York: Pearson
Education.

Walker, S. (1975). News Writing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

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UNIT 3 FEATURES/STRUCTURE OF A BROADCAST

NEWS STORY

CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Structure of a Broadcast News Story
3.1.1 News Highlights
3.1.2 Lead
3.1.3 Correspondents’ Reports and Inserts
3.1.4 Lead-in and Lead-out
3.1.5 Wrap Around
3.2 Features of a Broadcast News Story
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Broadcast news writing is unique and designed to suit the mechanics of

the profession. The writing also requires a higher order of skill than
those required for writing for newspapers and newsmagazines.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

• identify the basic structure of broadcast news stories

• identify the features of a broadcast news story
• list and discuss the characteristics of broadcast news writing
which differentiate it from other forms of writing.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Structure of a Broadcast News Story

News broadcasts have identifiable features and sections with special

significance. It is usual for news broadcasts to begin with a time check,
station identification, greeting and the name of the newscaster (s).
However, different broadcast stations have individual styles, which do
not differ significantly from what is presented below.

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3.1.1 News Highlights

This comes up at the beginning of the programmes and gives listeners an

idea or run-down of the major stories contained in the day’s programme
in a descending order of importance. News highlights are also referred
to as top stories of the day. They should be brief, punchy, interesting,
attracting and written in the present tense. They also serve to arrest
listener attention and get the listener to sit down for the real gist.

Examples as adapted from Kombol (2005) include the following.

a. National Economic Council meets over current power sector

reforms.
b. A bill to enforce the use of seat belts by motorist is being
considered by the Senate.
c. Sokoto House of Assembly grants Governor Degoye Kpongo a
leave of absence of 120 days.
d. Federal Government designates Bar Beach Towers Lagos as
military barracks

3.1.2 Lead

The broadcast lead opens news stories. In writing the broadcast lead,
immediacy is the key. Listeners and viewers must be made to
understand that the news is current and the events are happening now.
Because of this, broadcast leads are always written in the present tense.
The broadcast lead should not attempt to answer the 5Ws and H like its
print counterpart. Only the most important of all of these should be
featured in the broadcast lead.

Example:

a. The First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Kemi Fashola, says maternal
mortality is on the rise in the state.
b. Two types of broadcast lead are commonly used in most
broadcast stations. The first is the shot-gun lead, which identifies
a single development in the story and the second is the umbrella
lead, which is also called summary lead because of its tendency
to highlights a series of developments in the story.

3.1.3 Correspondents’ Reports and Inserts

Correspondents’ reports add credibility to the broadcast news report as

the various media audiences are made to see that the media organization
in question was actually at the scene of the event and had reporters on
ground to monitor the situation and report direct from the scene.

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Through correspondents’ reports and inserts, listeners and viewers are

brought to the scene of the event. This also helps to add detail to the
report.

Example:

a. The National Assembly says all governments parastatals will be

offered for sale. The spokesperson for the Assembly Kalu Ngor
stated this at ……
b. Correspondent Jimoh Ibrahim completes the story.

3.1.4 Lead-in and Lead-out

The lead-in is used to prepare the minds of listeners for correspondents’

reports and inserts. It is regarded as a transition device that transports the
listeners from the story into the correspondents’ reports that has more
detail.

On the other hand, the lead-out takes the listeners from the scene of the
event back to the studio where the story is expected to be wrapped up.
Lawrence (1983) cited in Kombol (2005) notes that while the lead-in
prepares the audience for the video or audio report, the lead-out re-
identifies the voice in the actuality or video segment.

Examples:

a. ……, State House Correspondent Yemi Adenuga now completes

the report. (Lead-in).
b. …., from Lagos, Amaka Igwe now reports (Lead-in).
c. ….. that was Yemi Adenuga from the State House (Lead-out).
d. …..Amaka Igwe from Lagos (Lead-out).

3.1.5 Wrap Around

Wrap around is simply a sign out by correspondents to indicate that they

are through with their correspondents’ reports. Upcoming reporters
should note that it is proper for the correspondent to say his or her name
and the name of the station before signing off on the reports.

Example:

a. ….. From Lagos, Amaka Igwe reporting for Channels Television.

b. ….. Amaka Igwe, Channels Television.

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3.2 Features of a Broadcast News Story

Features or characteristics of a broadcast news story have a lot to do

with the style of broadcast media organisations. Since style has been
dealt with in the preceding unit, we will for the sake of emphasis
reiterate some of the basic features of a broadcast news story thus:

1. Broadcast copy is written in the way people speak. So, it is

conversational.

Example:

a. The lead defence counsel in an advanced fee fraud trial, Mr. Olisa
Agbakoba, is threatening to file a motion for mistrial unless some
documents are furnished by the prosecution.
2. Sentences in broadcast news stories are usually short. Brevity in
sentence construction is the key word here. Apart from being
short, the sentences should also be simple in nature. Complex
sentence structures confuse listeners.

Example:

a. Complex sentence:

Following the decision of the International Court of Justice at The

Hague, the Netherlands, over the sovereignty of Bakassi Peninsula, the
Cross River State Government has been barred from exercising any
control or power over the communities in its estuary.

b. Shorter sentences (Acceptable for broadcast news story):

The Cross River State Government has been barred from exercising any
control over the communities in the Bakassi region.
This follows the decision of the International Court of Justice at The
Hague, the Netherlands, over the sovereignty of Bakassi Peninsula.

3. Independent clauses should be avoided in broadcast news writing

because they often delay the main theme of the story.
Example:

a. POOR: Having identified the problems inherent in corruption, the

Chancellor of Covenant University has condemned corruption in
its totality.
b. BETTER: The Chancellor of Covenant University has
condemned corruption due to its inherent problems.

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4. The sentence structure for broadcast news stories remains the

Subject-Verb-Object type of writing sentences even for print
media organizations.

5. Broadcast news stories are written in the active voice. The active
voice is rigorous and lively, while the passive voice is dull.

Example:

a. Active voice: The lawyer took his wife home

b. Passive voice: His wife was taken home by the lawyer

6. Use the present tense which gives a sense of immediacy and

currency.

Example:

a. WEAK: The Vice-Chancellor said Monday she will remove her

deputy over the allegation.
b. STRONG: The Vice-Chancellor says she will remove the deputy
over the allegation.

7. Always use words that convey currency like “Today”, “This

morning”, “Earlier today”, “Monday morning”, and so on.
8. Use contractions where appropriate. It is part of everyday speech
because people tend to cut words short to say more in less time.
Contractions obviously make broadcast news writing more
conversational. However, where they will mislead the listener or
be totally misunderstood, they must be avoided. The broadcast
news writer should also know that negative contractions are
avoided in broadcast news writing (Kombol, 2005).

Example:

a. POOR: The Vice-Chancellor says she won’t apologize for the

many rules in Covenant University.
b. GOOD: The Vice-Chancellor says she will not apologize for the
many rules in Covenant University.

9. Homonyms are certain words that sound alike and it very easy to
mistake one for another. Broadcast writers should guard against
such mistakes. Proper use and in the right context is advised.
10. Punctuation, quotations, use of numbers, abbreviations and
acronyms are usually subject to House Styles and Guides. This
has been dealt with in the unit on Style. Please, go back to that
unit if in doubt.

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11. Finally, it is expected that a typical broadcast copy should have

the following basic rules.

a. All copy should be typed.

b. All copies should be doubled-spaced.
c. One story should be limited to a page.
d. Words that are difficult to pronounce or require some special
emphasis should be underlined.
e. A single word should not be split between pages.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Justify the application of the first three rules discussed under the features
of broadcast news story.

4.0 CONCLUSION

Broadcast news writing is guided by many rules as could be seen from

this unit and the other preceding units. To have a full grasp of these rules
and apply them without stress, it is advisable that upcoming broadcast
news writers should constantly practice these rules. By so doing, they
will become familiar with their use and application.

5.0 SUMMARY

In this unit, you have learnt about the structure and standard features of
broadcast news writing. It is expected that you are now familiar with
such structural features and is able to apply them in your writing.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

Identify and discuss the structure of a broadcast news story.

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING

Agbese, D. (2008). The Reporters’ Companion. Lagos Nigeria:

Newswatch Books Limited.

Bonder, F. F; Davenport, J. R., & Drager, M. W. (2005). Reporting for

the Mass Media (8th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Folarin, et al. (Eds.).(2006). Themes in Communication Writing. Lagos:

SMC.

Harper, C. and the Indiana Group (1998). Journalism 2001. Madison:

Coursewise Publishing.

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MAC225 NEWS WRITING AND REPORTING

Hule, B.D. & Anderson, D.A. (2003). News Writing and Reporting for
Today’s Media. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Mencher, M. (2003). News Reporting and Writing (9th ed.). San

Francisco: McGraw-Hill.

Mencher, M. (2010). Mencher’s News Writing and Reporting (11th ed.).

Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Moemeka, A. (2000). Reporter’s Handbook: An Introduction to

Effective Journalism. Kearney, USA: Morris Publishing.

Obe, J. (2005). Reporting Diverse Areas: A Concise Text. Akure: SMC

Stovall, J. G. (2006). Writing for the Mass Media. New York: Pearson
Education.

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UNIT 4 WRITING A BROADCAST COPY

CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objective
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Steps to Writing News for the Broadcast Media
3.1.1 Start with a Broadcast Lead
3.1.2 Introduce Lead-ins and Lead-outs
3.1.3 Remember to Wrap Up
3.1.4 Remember to Relate Words to Pictures
3.1.5 Avoid Clichés
3.2 Writing a Broadcast News Story
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Reading

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Writing a broadcast news story or copy to be read by a newscaster is

different from writing it for a newspaper. Broadcast copies are written in
a way that it would be easy for newscasters to read. The primary goal of
the broadcast news story is to make the copy easy for the newscaster to
read as well as easy for the audience to understand.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

• write a typical radio and television news story or copy.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Steps to Writing News for the Broadcast Media

3.1.1 Start with a Broadcast Lead

The broadcast lead opens news stories. In writing the broadcast lead,
immediacy is the key. Listeners and viewers must be made to
understand that the news is current and the events are happening now.
Because of this, broadcast leads are always written in the present tense.
The broadcast lead should not attempt to answer the 5Ws and H like its
print counterpart. Only the most important of all of these should be
featured in the broadcast lead.

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Example:

a. The First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Kemi Fashola, says maternal
mortality is on the rise in the state.
b. Two types of broadcast lead are commonly used in most
broadcast stations. The first is the shot-gun lead which identifies
a single development in the story and the second is the umbrella
lead which is also called summary lead because of its tendency to
highlight a series of developments in the story.

3.1.2 Introduce Lead-ins and Lead-outs

The lead-in is used to prepare the minds of listeners for correspondents’

reports and inserts. It is regarded as a transition device that transports the
listeners from the story into the correspondents’ reports that has more
detail.

On the other hand, the lead-out takes the listeners from the scene of the
event back to the studio where the story is expected to be wrapped up.
Lawrence (1983) cited in Kombol (2005) notes that while the lead-in
prepares the audience for the video or audio report, the lead-out re-
identifies the voice in the actuality or video segment.

Examples:

a. ……, State House Correspondent Yemi Adenuga now completes

the report (Lead-in)
b. …., from Lagos, Amaka Igwe now reports (Lead-in)
c. ….. that was Yemi Adenuga from the State House (Lead-out)
d. …..Amaka Igwe from Lagos (Lead-out).

3.1.3 Remember to Wrap Up

Wrap-up is simply a sign out by correspondents to indicate that they are

through with their correspondents’ reports. Upcoming reporters should
note that it is proper for the correspondent to say his or her name and the
name of the station before signing off on the reports.

Example:

a. ….. From Lagos, Amaka Igwe reporting for Channels Television.

b. ….. Amaka Igwe, Channels Television.

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3.1.4 Remember to Relate Words to Pictures

This aspect is applicable to visuals only. While relaying a videotaped

report, it is important that the words must tally with the pictures. This
requires good editing to ensure words and pictures are complementary.

3.1.5 Avoid Clichés (This section is adapted from Oloruntola

Sunday’s “News Reporting and Writing”)

Eric Partridge, in his Dictionary of Clichés, defines a cliché as a phrase

so hackneyed as to be knock-kneed and spavined. They not only fail to
enliven dull copy, clichés make even the most significant item sound
trite. Hyperboles and clichés are for hacks.

Examples of clichés that should not appear in broadcast news stories are
given below.

• Absolute farce, got the message, painted a grim picture, all-out-

effort, heated debate, picking up the pieces, anybody’s guess,
high-ranking official, pool of blood, at this point in time, how
does it feel?, probe, beat a hasty retreat, in due course, put into
perspective, bid (for attempt), iron out the problem, quiz (for
questioning), bolt from the blue, jobless youngsters, rushed to the
scene, a brutal reminder, last but not the least, selling like hot
cakes, calm before the storm, last minute decision, shot himself in
the foot, calm but tense, leaps and bound, show of force,
chequered career, leave no stone unturned, sitting on the fence,
clampdown, loud and clear, square peg in a round hole, daylight
robbery, major new developments, desperate attempt/bid, up in
arms, stuck to his/her guns, marked contrast, dramatic decisions,
vanished into thin air, dug in their heels, new move, mindless
vandals, nipped in the bud, virtual standstill, effortless victory,
over and above, weighty matter, fell on deaf ears, a whole new
ball game, get under way, saw the writing on the wall, given the
green light.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Identify 10 common clichés that should be avoided in a broadcast news

copy and attempt to replace such with an acceptable word or phrase or
statement.

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3.2 Writing a Broadcast News Story [This section is partly

adapted from Obe (2005:36-38), “Reporting Diverse
Areas: A Concise Text”]

Broadcast news writers must have a clear understanding that they

require enough space and paper to write and that they do not have the
economy of space associated with newspapers and newsmagazines.
They must therefore be vast and knowledgeable in broadcast news
writing to overcome any challenge encountered. Since broadcast news
reports are written for easy delivery, the font size should be big, about
32 points, while the double line or sometimes triple line spacing should
be applied.

When writing a broadcast news story, the writer should begin every new
story from a different page. For television copies, they should be
positioned on the right half of the page while the left side is used for
instructions on video or audio. These instructions are meant for only the
newscasters and are usually written in capital letters while the actual
story is written in small letters. Television copy is written on the right
half of the page in a 40-character line. Each line will contain average of
six words, and the newscaster will use about 25 lines per [Link]
the story continues on the next page, -MORE- is used to indicate this.
This is usually written in parentheses at the bottom of the page. It is also
advised that you end a typical broadcast news story with a complete
sentence. Should the story continue on the next page, it should begin
with a new paragraph.

Samples of broadcast news stories adapted from already cited authors

are reproduced here to guide you in practice and writing:

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Sample Radio Copy [Adapted from Oloruntola Sunday (n.d.)]

West Broadway

12- 30
1 – 11 – 88

Flanagan

Members of Citizens for the Preservation of West Broadway plan to

gear up their petition drive again this weekend. The group began
circulating petitions last weekend.

The petitions request the city council to repeal all previous ordinances
and resolutions on the widening of the West Broadway. Many residents
of the West Broadway area complain that the proposed widening project
will damage its residential nature.

Petition drive coordinator Vera Hanson says the group is pleased with
the show of support from residents all over Springfield…. But it
wouldn’t know exactly how many signatures it has until next week.

• Key for Sample Radio Copy

“West Broadway” is the slug for the story

“12 – 30” is the time of the newscast
“1 – 11 – 88” is the date of the broadcast
“Flanagan” is the name of the reporter

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Sample TV Copy [Adapted from Oloruntola Sunday (n.d.)]

Six 6 – 17 art
Jorgenson
MOC JORGENSON A lesson in art and architecture paid off for some
Buchanan High School Students today. Ribbons were the prizes for entries
in a sketch exhibit of scenery and buildings in the capital city area.

SOF: 27
NAT SND UNDER
VOICE OVER
KEY: BUCHANAN The Springfield art club
sponsored the
show and called in Springfield College art
Professor Bill Ruess to judge the artwork.

HIGH SCHOOL
:00-05 Ruess says he was impressed by
the students’ skills, especially those who tried their hands at the different
media for the first time.

• Key For Sample TV Copy

“Six” is the time of the newscast

“6-17” is the day of the broadcast
“art” is the slug for the story
“Jorgenson” is the name of the reporter
“MOC” means the person is live on camera with audio from this
microphone
“SOF: 27” means there is sound on the film lasting 27 seconds
“NAT SND UNDER” means the film sound should be kept at a low
level
“VOICEOVER” means the voice is from the anchor person in the studio
speaking over the film that is being shown.
“KEY: BUCHANAN HIGH SCHOOL” indicates the title that should be
shown over the film.
“00-05”indicates that the title should be shown five seconds after the
report of the news items begins.

Example of a Newspaper Lead Rewritten for Broadcast

Newspaper Lead (Adapted from Mencher 2010):

• As Gov. Alfred Caster neared the end of his seven-day working

vacation aboard a riverboat today, his aides said that he was

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unconcerned about editorial criticism that he had become an

absentee governor whose administration was adrift.

Broadcast Lead:

• Some newspaper editorials have criticized Governor Caster as an

absentee governor. But officials aboard a riverboat with the
governor say the criticisms don’t bother him. The governor is
nearing the end of his seven-day working vacation on the boat.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Copy out two newspaper stories from the Punch newspaper and rewrite
them for broadcast use.

4.0 CONCLUSION

Writing for the broadcast media is both tedious and interesting. An

upcoming reporter or writer should pay attention to the details of doing
this and do a lot of practice to master the art.

5.0 SUMMARY

This is unit re-emphasised some of the points discussed in the preceding

units of this module. It is expected that you can now write a good
broadcast story following the style and rules discussed in this unit.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1. Discuss five of some of the things you need to know as you

prepare to write a broadcast news story.
2. Get any daily newspaper in Nigeria and rewrite its five top news
stories into a radio news copy.

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING

Agbese, D. (2008). The Reporters’ Companion. Lagos: Newswatch

Books Limited.

Bonder, F. F.; Davenport, J. R., & Drager, M. W. (2005). Reporting for

the Mass Media (8th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

Folarin, et al. (Eds.). (2006). Themes in Communication Writing. Lagos:

SMC.

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Harper, C. and the Indiana Group (1998). Journalism 2001. Madison:

Coursewise Publishing.

Hule, B. D. & Anderson, D.A. (2003). News Writing and Reporting for
Today’s Media. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Mencher, M. (2010). Mencher’s News Writing and Reporting (11th

ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Mencher, M. (2003). News Reporting and Writing (9th ed.). San

Francisco: McGraw-Hill.

Moemeka, A. (2000). Reporter’s Handbook: An Introduction to

Effective Journalism. Kearney, USA: Morris Publishing.

Obe, J. (2005). Reporting Diverse Areas: A Concise Text. Nigeria:

SMC.

Stovall, J. G. (2006). Writing for the Mass Media. New York: Pearson
Education.

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