WEEK 4 TOPICS Editing for Broadcast Media Editing

WEEK 4 TOPICS: Editing for Broadcast Media Editing copy for broadcast is different from editing copy for print media. For broadcast, never use newspaper copy editing symbols. They are too difficult for an announcer to interpret while reading on air. To edit a word in broadcast script, black it out completely and rewrite it in the space above it.

Guidelines for preparing Copy for Broadcast News story The format and aesthetics of broadcast news copy are important because too many extraneous marks can distract an announcer and as a result detract from the news story. If an announcer gets confused, then listeners surely will be, and they may switch stations or go to another online site for their multimedia news.

Broadcast Copy Guidelines Use standard 81/2 - by 11 inch paper so that all big stories fit neatly together and smaller ones do not slip out

Guideline Two Type on only one side of the paper so an announcer knows immediately where the next story is. This will prevent on-air paper shuffling

Guideline Three Double-space the lines in order to visually separate lines for announcing and to give more room for editing

Guideline Four Standardize copy with either all uppercase or uppercase and lowercase letters

Guideline Five Place only one story on each page. If more stories are written that can be used during a newscast, the announcer might become confused about which of the two stories on a page should be omitted

Guideline Six Put a slug in the top left corner of the page. The slug contains the story identification in one or two words, the reporter’s name, the date and the time of newscast. If the story runs longer than one page, the slug on subsequent pages should include the page number, repeated several times for clarity e. g. “ 2 -2 -2”. Rarely is a story more than one page long.

Guideline Seven Begin each story about six lines below the slug. The space between the slug and the story can be used for editing or adding transitions between stories.

Guideline Eight Omit datelines because most broadcast reach only local listeners (National wires use datelines because they are syndicated across the country) Datelines: Lines in a written/ a printed publication giving the date and place of issues or composition Syndicate: A Group of media that are managed by one company

Guideline Nine Indent the first line of each paragraph of a story. Create spaces to indicate a new paragraph.

Guideline Ten Never split a sentence or paragraph across pages of copy. The announcer needs to read smoothly and should not have to look for extended endings on other pages Furthermore, the story will sound less confusing if a thought (paragraph) is completed even though the rest of the story happens to be on another page that is missing

Guideline Eleven Use an end mark at the end of the story to indicate there is no more. Use the traditional end mark “# # #” or “-30 -”.

Guideline Twelve Add “MORE” or a long arrow pointing to the bottom of the page to indicate that the story continues onto the next page

Guideline Thirteen Television scripts require additional graphical information that appears on air such as the name and title of the people being interviewed. This information must be spelled correctly on the script.

Broadcast Example Police are (are) for a Kalamazoo woman who (feld) the Military Base (court house) (mommens) after being convicted today

Black out errors Blackout the words in parentheses e. g. The second (are) on the first line. The word (Feld) should be black out. The words (court house) should be black out and the word (momments) should be black out

The right sentence Police are looking for a Kalamazoo woman who fled the Military Base Courthouse moments after being convicted today

Treating Broadcast Copy Limit the number of handwritten words inserted into copy

Use fewer editing marks If the copy requires a lot of editing, type a clean copy. The fewer editing marks, the fewer times an announcer hesitates or stumbles while reading.

Time the story Write the timing of the story e. g. “: 20” and number of lines in the top right corner of the copy page. Remember that for most announcers 15 lines of copy equal one minute of reading time. Some journalists prefer to denote only the number of lines.

Use circles Circle all information that are not to be read on air, such as the slug, end mark and timing

Reviewing Broadcast Copy The announcer should read all copy aloud to become familiar with what has been prepared for the newscast. If the reader makes mistakes, the story must be rewritten. While reading each story, the announcer should confirm that his/her reading time matches the average number of lines per minute. The announcer should also mark or personalize the copy for word emphases or difficult pronunciations.

Story length for Broadcast Copy Story value can be denoted by the time allotted for the story. Broadcast stories can run from 10 seconds to five minutes in length. If the story warrants special attention, it should run from one to three minutes in length. The announcer should let someone else listen to the story to determine whether it is complete or too long. If the story is too long, it the duty of the announcer to determine if additional details are distracting the focus of the story, and he/she must cut them off.

Broadcast Copy Sample Escape Convict Lagos 1/12/00 6 p. m. (Slug) : 32 8 lines (Timing) Police are looking for a criminal woman who fled the Military Base Courthouse moments after being convicted today. Assistant prosecutor Tolu Johnson says the trial had just ended when Pat Ugono hit a guard and ran to freedom, at about three o’clock. The 28 year-old Ugono had just been convicted of assault and robbery charges from last May. Police officer James Iroha says the woman was wearing jeans, and a white short-sleeved shirt and tennis shoes. Police say Ugono is dangerous -30 - or # # # (end mark) Note: The slug, Timing and End mark should be circled.

GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK

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