Broadcasting is the form of journalism that is exciting as it allows you to appreciate voice recording and the use of airtime.
If there is something interesting in life that is exciting, it is hearing your voice in the airspace.
Broadcast news, whether on radio or television, is different from print media in that it emphasizes OPPORTUNITY, which alters the writing style of the news.
In broadcasting, particularly on the radio, breaking news is prioritized, which means that IMMEDIATION is valued above any other news value in broadcasting, unlike print media.
Broadcasting, from experience gained, differs slightly in style compared to print media.
The conversational style combined with strict writing and clarity is overemphasized in radio broadcasting.
Current events often work as a determining factor in radio broadcast as they can be used as a newscast.
This leads to broadcast media being referred to as “now” media as opposed to print media.
Opportunity, as one of the most valuable novelties, becomes a determining factor in WHY a piece of news is broadcast.
Time or lack thereof determines HOW a problem can be reported or disseminated.
Airtime is valuable in broadcasting as it emphasizes the WHAT and WHERE more than the WHY or HOW.
Broadcasting deals with INFORMATION rather than EXPLANATION.
And most stories need to be told in 20 to 30 seconds and no story can last more than two minutes.
Unlike print media, broadcasting is different, particularly when you consider the technology involved.
The news is selected for radio because a reporter has recorded an audio report at the scene.
Some news items are selected for television broadcast because they are visually appealing.
NEWS which is recorded words directly from the sources who would have seen, affected or participated in the event makes broadcasting unique compared to print media.
Radio transmission depends on SOUND BITES. SOUND BITES are recorded voices of people the reporter is speaking to directly; those involved or saw the event.
The reporter can capture SOUND BITE by talking to the people who saw or visited the area where an event occurred using the phone, mobile phone, Skype technology from the studio.
People involved in SOUND BITE may also include government officials, politicians with local interests, eyewitnesses, and those who arrived on the scene.
In broadcasting, reporters are encouraged to “write like they talk”, and this leads to the CONVERSATIONAL STYLE which is simple and informal.
What’s key in streaming is knowing you’re talking to people, so tell them WHAT happened.
Tell him WHAT you just saw. In radio reports we use simple, short sentences with “transitive” verbs in the active voice.
These are some of the essentials of radio broadcasting that I enjoyed following during my days in the field.
Writing in conversational style in broadcast reports does not mean that one can use slang or colloquialism or things that are ungrammatical.
The conversational style allows for the use of sentence fragments and truncated sentences, which are sometimes loosely linked and may begin with guesses such as “and” or “because”.