Broadcast News Writing Stylebook

by Papper, Robert A.

• ISBN13: 9780205146932
• ISBN10: 0205146937
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1994-10-01
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Readability	1	(10)
The Computerized Newsroom	1	(3)
Working with the Wire	2	(1)
Assigning Stories	2	(1)
Producing Newscasts	2	(1)
Archiving Information	3	(1)
Good News and Bad News	3	(1)
Rules of Readability	4	(7)
The Printed Word	4	(1)
Handling Corrections	4	(1)
The Slug	5	(1)
Hyphenation	5	(1)
Abbreviation	6	(1)
Symbols	6	(1)
Initials and Acronyms	6	(1)
Names	7	(1)
Numbers	7	(2)
Ages	9	(1)
Emphasis	9	(1)
Pronouncers	10	(1)
Spelling	10	(1)
Words	11	(18)
Keep It Simple	11	(1)
Keep It Conversational	12	(1)
Informal Words	12	(1)
Contractions	12	(1)
Formal Terminology	12	(1)
People ... Not Persons	13	(1)
Keep It Clear	13	(3)
Common Usage	13	(2)
Technical Terms	15	(1)
Definite and Indefinite Articles	16	(1)
Keep It Tight	16	(1)
Make It Powerful	17	(1)
Use Strong Nouns and Verbs	17	(1)
Avoid Weak Qualifiers	17	(1)
Get It Right	18	(1)
Says	18	(1)
Saying Too Much	19	(1)
Think	19	(1)
Common Problems	19	(10)
Phrases and Phrasing	29	(18)
How to Say It	29	(7)
Voice	29	(1)
Tense	30	(1)
Clarity	31	(1)
Conciseness	32	(1)
Clauses and Phrases	32	(1)
Positive Phrasing	33	(1)
Pronouns	34	(1)
That	35	(1)
Time and Space Problems	36	(1)
What to Say	36	(5)
Title and Identifiers	36	(1)
Attribution	37	(2)
Quotations	39	(1)
Numbers	40	(1)
Race	40	(1)
What You Didn't Mean to Say	41	(6)
Dates	41	(1)
Unintended Meanings	41	(1)
Editorials	42	(1)
Cliches	43	(1)
Sexism	43	(1)
Personalization	44	(1)
Last Note	45	(2)
Sentences	47	(8)
Keep It Short	47	(3)
One Important Idea per Sentence	47	(2)
Keep It Simple	49	(1)
Make It Clean, Clear, and Concise	50	(5)
Make Every Sentence Count	51	(1)
Avoid Repetition	52	(1)
Stay Positive	52	(1)
Make Sense	53	(1)
End Strong	53	(1)
Last Note	54	(1)
Leads and Endings	55	(14)
Types of Leads	56	(4)
Main Point Leads	56	(3)
Other Leads	59	(1)
Figuring Out the Lead	60	(6)
What's the Story About?	60	(1)
Say Something Meaningful	61	(1)
Keep It Simple	61	(1)
Be Direct and to the Point	62	(2)
Start with the New News	64	(1)
Save the Name for Later	64	(1)
Save the Day and Date for Later	65	(1)
Update Leads	65	(1)
Responsibility	66	(1)
Types of Endings	66	(3)
Future Ramification Close	66	(1)
Summary Point Close	67	(1)
Information Close	67	(1)
Opposition Point of View Close	68	(1)
Punch Line	68	(1)
Stories	69	(16)
Plan Your Writing	69	(5)
Why Run the Story?	69	(1)
Do You Understand?	70	(2)
What's the Story About?	72	(1)
What's the Lead?	73	(1)
In What Order Do You Tell the Story?	73	(1)
Story Logic	74	(5)
Handling the Basics	74	(1)
Will It Stand on Its Own?	75	(2)
Answer the Logical Questions	77	(1)
Make the Writing Structure Interesting	78	(1)
After the Writing	79	(2)
Does the Story Support the Lead?	79	(1)
Will the Audience Understand?	79	(1)
Use Humor Sparingly	80	(1)
Read the Story Out Loud	81	(1)
Transitions	81	(4)
Within Stories	81	(2)
Between Stories	83	(2)
Working with Bites, Actualities, and Packages	85	(6)
Bites and Actualities	85	(3)
Keep the Story Moving	85	(1)
Don't Repeat	85	(1)
Watch Out for Partial Lead-Ins	86	(1)
Finding the Lead-In	86	(1)
Writing out of Bites	87	(1)
Packages	88	(3)
Writing into Packages	88	(1)
Understand Where the Story Begins	89	(1)
Package Tags	90	(1)
TV: Story Forms	91	(10)
Story Forms	91	(10)
Readers	91	(1)
Voiceovers	92	(1)
VO/SOT	92	(1)
Packages	93	(2)
Live Reporting	95	(5)
Golden Rules	100	(1)
TV: Working with Pictures	101	(10)
The Power of the Visual Image	101	(3)
Working with Strong Pictures	101	(1)
Working without Strong Pictures	102	(2)
The TV Balancing Act	104	(5)
Use Pictures and Words for What They Do Best	104	(1)
Write TV Loosely	105	(1)
Coordinate Words and Pictures	106	(2)
Visualizing the Story	108	(1)
Use Nat Sound and SOT	109	(1)
Picture Cautions	109	(2)
Use Meaningful Pictures	109	(1)
Today's Pictures	109	(1)
Watch Your Supers	109	(2)
Radio: Story Forms and Working with Sound	111	(6)
Radio Story Forms	111	(1)
Drawing Radio Pictures	112	(5)
The Words	112	(1)
Using Nat Sound	112	(1)
Listen to the Sound Quality	113	(1)
Putting It All Together	113	(4)
Teases and Promos	117	(4)
Promotion	117	(4)
Tease ... Don't Tell	117	(1)
Make Them Care	118	(3)
Quality and Style	121	(30)
Andy Rooney	121	(2)
Susan Stamberg	123	(8)
Charles Osgood	131	(2)
Carole Simpson	133	(15)
Paul Harvey	148	(3)
Business, Economy, and Taxes	151	(16)
Reporting on Money	151	(1)
Defining Terms	151	(16)
Calendar	167	(4)
Solar and Lunar	167	(1)
Calendar Holidays	167	(4)
Muslim Holidays	170	(1)
Crime and Legal	171	(10)
Attribution	171	(2)
When to Use Attribution	171	(1)
Alleged	171	(1)
Misplaced Attribution	172	(1)
Cautions	172	(1)
Get the Terms Right	173	(1)
Defining Terms	173	(8)
U.S. Geography	181	(4)
Where Are We?	181	(1)
Defining Terms	181	(4)
World Geography	185	(14)
Defining Terms	185	(4)
Pronunciation Guide and Locator	189	(10)
Government	199	(10)
How the System Works	199	(1)
Defining Terms	200	(9)
Health and Medicine	209	(8)
Reporting on Health and Medicine	209	(1)
Hospital Conditions	209	(1)
Defining Terms	210	(7)
Space and Aviation	217	(14)
Defining Terms	217	(14)
Sports	231	(10)
Reporting Sports	231	(2)
Reporting Scores	231	(1)
Common Mistakes	232	(1)
Sports and Teams	233	(8)
Auto Racing	233	(1)
Baseball---Major Leagues	233	(1)
Basketball---National Basketball Association	234	(1)
Boxing	234	(1)
Football---National Football League	234	(1)
Golf	235	(1)
Hockey---National Hockey League	235	(1)
Soccer---National Professional Soccer League	236	(1)
College Sports---Football and Basketball	236	(5)
Weather and Natural Phenomena	241	(8)
Reporting Weather	241	(1)
Severe Weather	242	(1)
Defining Terms	242	(7)
TV Script Form and Supers	249	(12)
Abbreviations	249	(1)
Script Form	250	(4)
Standard Anchor Read	250	(1)
Standard 2-shot	250	(1)
Standard Anchor Read with Gfx	251	(1)
Anchor with Voiceover	251	(1)
Anchor with VO/SOT	252	(1)
Anchor VO/SOT with Package Intro	253	(1)
Supers	254	(7)
Names	254	(4)
Location, Date, and Miscellaneous	258	(3)
Glossary of Broadcast Terms	261	(6)
Index	267