basic tips for radio journalists
DESCRIPTION
Written for journalism students preparing for a career in broadcast journalismTRANSCRIPT
RADIO BASICS
Producing excellent scripts & reports
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Media Helping Media
The main source of the material for this module is Media Helping Media http://www.mediahelpingmedia.org/.
Also including material from The News Manual http://www.thenewsmanual.net/
How to write the intro for a news report
Radio Basics
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Radio Basics – the intro
KISS Keep it short and
simple Subject, verb,
object Everyday speech Short sentences
1: The intro KISS
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Radio Basics – the intro
The subject is the doer The dog bit the
man Not
The man was bitten by the dog
2: Active voice Keep bulletins alive
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Radio Basics – the intro
The subject is the doer The man rode the
mule Not
The mule was ridden by the man
2: Active voice Keep bulletins alive
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Radio Basics – the intro
Start your story with facts What has
happened Not
Names, titles, event details or dates
3: Facts first Not names and titles
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Radio Basics – the intro
We are dealing in news, not history
History can provide context
But news is always new
4: Up-to-date Not history
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Radio Basics – the intro
Radio stories don’t work well if they start with quotes
Leave them to audio clips or reported speech later in the piece
5: Avoid quotes Stick to facts
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Radio Basics – the intro
Have you included the most newsworthy part of the story?
Is the intro short and simple?
Is it in the active voice? Are the facts first in the
sentence? Is the information up-to-
date? Have you avoided
quotes?
6: Check list Have you got the basics right?
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Radio Basics – the intro
Newsworthy 20 words or fewer Attention
grabbing Easy to read Informative Complete
7: Intro musts It’s your news welcome mat
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The script
Radio Basics
Radio Basics – the intro
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Radio Basics – the script
Start the story with the most important elements
This is the intro, which we have just dealt with
This should convey to the listener the main facts
1: Pyramid Journalism Important information
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Radio Basics – the script
The next part of your script should include the details that back up information offered in the intro
This is where other newsworthy details are included
By the time the listener has heard this they should know what has happened
1: Pyramid Journalism Useful information
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Radio Basics – the script
The next part can be used for Quotes Context & analysis Data & statistics or any information
that adds values to the first two parts of the story
1: Pyramid Journalism Nice to have information
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Radio Basics – the script
The story can end with less important information
This information can help complete the story, but it is not essential to the story
1: Pyramid Journalism Not essential, nice to have
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Radio Basics – the script
The difference between radio text and print and online text
Avoid: “.... officials say.”
Better use to find out who says and attribute the information to that source
This could be used on radio, with a few changes
This text would make a 40 second voice report
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Radio Basics – the script
The intro
For radio it would read better written as follows:
“Hundreds of passengers have been evacuated from a ferry that caught fire in the Red Sea, according to ......”
Or
“It’s being reported that....”
And we would attribute in the next line.
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Radio Basics – the script
This would be about the ideal length for a radio report
A straight read of about 40”
No added audio Ideal for breaking
news
Report length 40” straight read
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Radio Basics – the script
Notice, using the pyramid journalism rules, that the final two paragraphs could be removed without damaging the overall news story
The story can be cut at any point and still make sense
Report length 40” straight read
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Radio Basics – the script
Intro
About 15 seconds long
The remaining five paragraphs are about 40” long
This makes the item 55” long
It’s being reported that hundreds of passengers have been evacuated from a ferry that caught fire in the Red Sea.
The Reuters news agency says the fire has been mostly brought under control. This report from ....
According to Egyptian officials, the ferry, carrying at least 1,200 people, caught fire about 15 nautical miles from the Jordanian port of Aqaba.
It was heading for Nuweiba in Egypt. Most of the passengers were said to be Egyptian migrant workers. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Although, officials say, the boat has been severely damaged.
Egyptian TV reported that military aircraft as well as boats were being used in the rescue operation.
Reuters says the ferry is owned by Arab Bridge Maritime Company (AB Maritime), a joint venture between the governments of Jordan, Egypt and Iraq.
More than 1,000 people were killed in 2006 after a ferry crossing from Saudi Arabia and Egypt sank in the Red Sea.
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Radio Basics – the script
Audio
If we had audio of an official we could insert it about here, perhaps covering these points
The piece will still be about 55”
It’s being reported that hundreds of passengers have been evacuated from a ferry that caught fire in the Red Sea.
The Reuters news agency says the fire has been mostly brought under control. This report from ....
According to Egyptian officials, the ferry, carrying at least 1,200 people, caught fire about 15 nautical miles from the Jordanian port of Aqaba.
It was heading for Nuweiba in Egypt. Most of the passengers were said to be Egyptian migrant workers. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Although officials say the boat has been severely damaged.
Egyptian TV reported that military aircraft as well as boats were being used in the rescue operation.
Reuters says the ferry is owned by Arab Bridge Maritime Company (AB Maritime), a joint venture between the governments of Jordan, Egypt and Iraq.
More than 1,000 people were killed in 2006 after a ferry crossing from Saudi Arabia and Egypt sank in the Red Sea.
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Radio Basics – the script
Intro & audio
Intro is about 10” long
Audio is about 10” long
This means we can cover the story for summaries in 20”
Hundreds of passengers have been evacuated from a ferry that caught fire in the Red Sea. Most of the 1,200 passengers were Egyptian Migrant workers.
A spokesman for the Egyptian Authorities said the ferry was about 15 nautical miles from the Jordanian port of Aqaba when the fire broke out.
“There have been no reports of casualties, although the boat has been severely damaged. Military aircraft and boats were used in the rescue operation and it’s thought all passengers are now safely accounted for.”.
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Radio Basics – the script
Other uses
40 “ voice reports
40” reports with one clip
40” reports with two clips
25” voice report
25” clip
10” clip
40” voice report
40” voice + 1 clip
40” voice + 2 clips
25” voice report
25” clip
10” clip
How to create a radio news and current affairs programme running order
Next session
Media Helping Media
The main source of the material for this module is Media Helping Media http://www.mediahelpingmedia.org/.
Also including material from The News Manual http://www.thenewsmanual.net/