In print writing, the audience has the ability to go back and reread any sentences or paragraphs they may not understand. In broadcast writing, this is not an option. This is why broadcast writing requires a very different skill set than print writing does. Here are 5 Tips for writing for broadcast!
- Clarity is key: In order to not lose the meaning of the sentence and to maintain clarity, it is not necessary to follow all punctuation rules. The use of ellipses and commas helps to keep phrasing for the ease of the announcer.
- Simply Simple: Get to the point without overloading the audience with information. Sticking to one idea per sentence will make the story more easily understood.
- First thing’s first- attribution: In broadcast writing, as opposed to print writing, the attribution comes before the quote. The audience wants to know who is saying the information.
- The shorter, the better: Sentences in broadcast writing should be even shorter than those in print writing. The same is true for individual words in the sentence, but avoid jargon. The trick is to eliminate all unnecessary information and use easily understood words.
- Slow and steady wins the race: It is easy to lose your audience if you move too fast or too slow through information. Make sure to reinforce the key points and let it sink in before moving on to the next idea.
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