There are two main types of stories for broadcast writing: news features and breaking news/daily announcements. News features are between 3 to 7 minutes long and discuss past events using a storyboard, while breaking news stories report on current events in short 15 second to 1 minute pieces written for a teleprompter. When writing for broadcast, stories should be conversational, concise, simplify complex ideas, and avoid newspaper-style writing conventions. Writers should also research information, avoid scaring viewers, and not characterize the news.

1. Writing for Broadcast Mr. Jeremy Rinkel

2. Two Different Story Types News features Breaking news or announcements

3. News Features Between 3 and 7 minutes long Usually about things that happened in the past Uses a storyboard

4. Storyboard Explains how audio (sounds) and the shots (visual details) will present the researched background facts and information

5. Breaking News/Daily Announcements Stories happening today or in the near future Usually written into a teleprompter to be read by on-air announcers Presented in short stories between 15 seconds and one minute

6. Breaking News/Daily Announcements Usually have a short time to contact sources to confirm information Normal speaking rate/pace 65 words = 30 seconds

7. Basic Rules of Writing for Broadcast Write conversationally Write concisely Simplify complicated ideas Research and verify all information Avoid newspaper construction in your writing (the viewer hears your story)

8. Basic Rules of Writing for Broadcast Don’t scare the viewers Don’t give orders Don’t bury a strong verb in a noun Don’t start a story with “as expected” or “in a surprise move”

9. Basic Rules of Writing for Broadcast Don’t characterize the news as good, bad, interesting or shocking– (leave it to the viewer) Don’t start a lead sentence with a participle phrase (-ing word) or dependent clause Don’t start a story with “there is”, “there are”, or “it is”

10. Basic Rules of Writing for Broadcast Don’t start a lead sentence with the name of an unknown or unfamiliar person Don’t write a first sentence with yesterday or continues Don’t start a story with “another”, “more”, or “once again” Don’t lose or fail to reach the viewers