Page 74 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

BROADCAST WRITING AND SPEAKING

Live reports introducing and ending packages tend to be longer than
just packages, with the amount of Q&A determining total length.

A Closer Look

Take a look at this broadcast story:

Police are searching for two men and maybe a baby who robbed a
downtown convenience store last night. Maybe a baby because one of the
masked men cradled what witnesses said could have been a baby in one
arm—while holding a gun in the other. Police say customers and clerks were
told to lie down on the floor of the Martin Quick Stop at Jackson and Main.
They say the man with what might have been a baby kept his gun on the
customers while the other jumped behind the counter and emptied the cash
register. The two got away in what witnesses described as a 1970s-era, rusted
Oldsmobile.

This story would work well as a radio story or television reader. Note
64 that all the sentences are short. Note also that there is a geographic
identifier in the lead. We always need that so the audience isn’t left
wondering where the story takes place. Note also that the unusual
aspect of the story—the man with a baby—is featured right in the
lead. While we work to avoid repetition of words or phrases, here
we repeated a phrase, “maybe a baby,” because it’s unusual and helps
emphasize and clarify a critical point.
If we had sound from one of the witnesses, it would likely run after
either the lead or line two. In radio, we would have to introduce the
person speaking. In television, we would usually just run the bite and
super the name and description of the speaker. In radio, the story with
sound might work like this:

Police are searching for two men and maybe a baby who robbed a downtown
convenience store last night. Jane Smith was shopping for snack foods when
the men came in. “I couldn’t believe it. I just kept looking back and forth
between the baby and the gun. At least I think it was a real baby.” Police
aren’t sure at this point. They say customers and clerks were told to lie down
on the floor of the Martin Quick Stop at Jackson and Main. They say the man
with what might have been a baby kept his gun on the customers while
the other man jumped behind the counter and emptied the cash register.
Jane Smith said, “I have never been so scared in my life.” The two got away in
what witnesses described as a 1970s-era, rusted Oldsmobile.