The script is one of the most important elements of a news broadcast, since it outlines the shape of the reports, as well as the order and structure of the whole show. According to Sian Williams (TV headlines and intros: Sian Williams, 2013), it is important to write the best line first, so the audience are hooked. This can be done by starting with a quotation, or describing an image (TV headlines and intros: Sian Williams, 2013), or by telling the story in a self-contained sentence (Thompson, 2010:104).
This is what Thompson (2010:104) calls the 'classic or conventional intro', which is about twelve to twenty words long, and includes the who and what, and sometimes the when. The main advantage of this is that it gives viewers all the basic information straight away so they are able to decide whether the story is relevant to them. It can help keep their attention, since they are not overloaded by facts and figures.
However, starting with a question can be more engaging (Thompson, 2010:108). This is known as 'drop-cuing' (TV headlines and intros: Sian Williams, 2013), and can involve viewers in a story, prompting them to think about it, as the reporter speaks directly to them. Another way to do this is to use the pronouns 'you and we'. The aim of this is not only to be relevant to the audience, but also to be friendly and inclusive (Thompson, 2010:107), which can be necessary for stories which will impact a large proportion of the public.
Sian Williams (TV headlines and intros: Sian Williams, 2013) states that the most important thing is to keep a script 'to the point and punchy' so it is simple for the presenter to read. This allows it to sound more natural when the reporter reads it, helping to give them authority. She suggests that this can be done by finding out as much as possible about the story before writing the script, reading the script out loud when finished, and keeping the audience in mind. Knowing the audience can be key because this will influence the tone the script is written in, as well as the language and style used.
For example, with my practice script below, I decided to use a formal style, because my stories involved serious subjects which were research-based. Yet, my audience is young people between 16-35, so I wanted it to be relatable to them by making them feel as if the reporter spoke directly to them, therefore I aimed to use a conversational tone.
Before writing, I researched press releases (listed below), and copied the key points from each into a separate document. From this, I could highlight the points I thought were the most relevant and order them to create a structure.
TV news scripts are formatted with a line down the middle, and 'technical information for directors, producers, and technicians goes on the left side, the script of the story itself (and sometimes some technical information useful to the anchor) goes on the right side' (Dobbs, 2016:198).
Overall, I think this script could have had a better structure, so next time, I would plan this more throughly before beginning writing. I think this could come from drafting too, as I could benefit from re-organising my ideas. This script could also be better if I added an intro and ending as then it would be a self-contained show in its own right, and I would be able to practise writing these.
The biggest limitation I found whilst using the research was that the ideas are still quite new so I couldn't find much which fitted the angle I wanted to use other than some basic press releases and the actual initial research. However, I believe if I continued to dig, I could find newer information as the research and stories seem to always be developing.
Lueke,
Hilgard, Zimmerman, Bartholow, Gibson (2018) 'Heroic video game violence and prosocial behavior' In: psyarxiv.com 29.08.2018 [online] At: https://psyarxiv.com/nrfqt/ (Accessed on 30 September 2018).
Scutti, S. (2018) 'Do video games lead to violence?' In: CNN [online] At: https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/25/health/video-games-and-violence/index.html (Accessed on 30 September 2018)
Velez, J., Greitemeyer, T., Whitaker, J., Ewoldsen, D., and Bushman, B. (2014) 'Violent Video Games and Reciprocity: The Attenuating Effects of Cooperative Game Play on Subsequent Aggression' In: Sage n.d. [online] At: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/60cf/849b4043fb555c8a917330be8aeaa0a6411e.pdf (Accessed on 30 September 2018)
World Health Organisation (2018) Gaming disorder. [online press release] At: http://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/ (Accessed on 30 September 2018).
Thompson, R. (2010) Writing for Broadcast Journalists (2nd ed.) Oxon: Routledge.
TV headlines and intros: Sian Williams (2013) [user-generated content online] Creat. BBC Academy 1 January 2013. At: https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20130702112133596 (Accessed on 30 September 2018).
This is what Thompson (2010:104) calls the 'classic or conventional intro', which is about twelve to twenty words long, and includes the who and what, and sometimes the when. The main advantage of this is that it gives viewers all the basic information straight away so they are able to decide whether the story is relevant to them. It can help keep their attention, since they are not overloaded by facts and figures.
However, starting with a question can be more engaging (Thompson, 2010:108). This is known as 'drop-cuing' (TV headlines and intros: Sian Williams, 2013), and can involve viewers in a story, prompting them to think about it, as the reporter speaks directly to them. Another way to do this is to use the pronouns 'you and we'. The aim of this is not only to be relevant to the audience, but also to be friendly and inclusive (Thompson, 2010:107), which can be necessary for stories which will impact a large proportion of the public.
Sian Williams (TV headlines and intros: Sian Williams, 2013) states that the most important thing is to keep a script 'to the point and punchy' so it is simple for the presenter to read. This allows it to sound more natural when the reporter reads it, helping to give them authority. She suggests that this can be done by finding out as much as possible about the story before writing the script, reading the script out loud when finished, and keeping the audience in mind. Knowing the audience can be key because this will influence the tone the script is written in, as well as the language and style used.
For example, with my practice script below, I decided to use a formal style, because my stories involved serious subjects which were research-based. Yet, my audience is young people between 16-35, so I wanted it to be relatable to them by making them feel as if the reporter spoke directly to them, therefore I aimed to use a conversational tone.
Before writing, I researched press releases (listed below), and copied the key points from each into a separate document. From this, I could highlight the points I thought were the most relevant and order them to create a structure.
TV news scripts are formatted with a line down the middle, and 'technical information for directors, producers, and technicians goes on the left side, the script of the story itself (and sometimes some technical information useful to the anchor) goes on the right side' (Dobbs, 2016:198).
Practise script:
Video game violence and behaviour package:
To get viewers interested instantly, I decided to use a classic intro into this first part to lead the audience in. However, to make this more inclusive I decided to use the pronoun 'you' so viewers would consider their own stance on the controversial story.
Since most of this story is research-based, whilst describing what researchers have found I decided to use the example of supermarket behaviour to break it down, and create an image which would be familiar to viewers, and therefore stick in their heads.
To give the report authority, and also immediacy, I thought hearing from one of the researchers would benefit the package since they are an expert about the findings, and could explain them the most clearly.
Overall, I tried to include both the positive and negative aspects, however, I feel the report could be more balanced, since there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the results of the research as it is ongoing.
Gaming disorder reader:
Because this is a serious subject which could concern many, I decided to open the report with a question from the studio reporter, to encourage viewers to consider how they feel about it.
I included some graphics to make the information clearer and more broken down, as otherwise so much information at once could be confusing to those watching casually or who don't know anything about the subject, which is likely since the story is quite new.
Gaming disorder live report:
Since the classification was very recent, I thought including a live interview with a psychologist would add more immediacy, but also show the public an expert who could help with the problem, and has a wide range of knowledge in the subject area.Overall, I think this script could have had a better structure, so next time, I would plan this more throughly before beginning writing. I think this could come from drafting too, as I could benefit from re-organising my ideas. This script could also be better if I added an intro and ending as then it would be a self-contained show in its own right, and I would be able to practise writing these.
The biggest limitation I found whilst using the research was that the ideas are still quite new so I couldn't find much which fitted the angle I wanted to use other than some basic press releases and the actual initial research. However, I believe if I continued to dig, I could find newer information as the research and stories seem to always be developing.
Press releases:
Gao, X., Weng, L., Zhou, Y., You, H. (2017) ‘The Influence of Empathy and Morality of Violent Video Game Characters on Gamers’ Aggression’ In: frontiers in Psychology 8 (1)
IFL Science (s.d) How Playing Video Games Affects Your Body and Brain. [online press release] At: https://www.iflscience.com/technology/how-playing-video-games-affects-your-body-and-brain/all/ (Accessed on 30 September 2018).
Leonard, J. (2018) 'What is gaming disorder?' [online] In: Medical news today At: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322478.php (Accessed on 30 September 2018).
Loria, K. (2018) ''Gaming disorder' has been classified as a mental health condition by the World Health Organization — here's what that means' In: uk.businessinsider.com [online] At: http://uk.businessinsider.com/gaming-disorder-classified-as-mental-health-condition-11-2018-6?r=US&IR=T (Accessed on 30 September 2018).
Scutti, S. (2018) 'Do video games lead to violence?' In: CNN [online] At: https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/25/health/video-games-and-violence/index.html (Accessed on 30 September 2018)
Velez, J., Greitemeyer, T., Whitaker, J., Ewoldsen, D., and Bushman, B. (2014) 'Violent Video Games and Reciprocity: The Attenuating Effects of Cooperative Game Play on Subsequent Aggression' In: Sage n.d. [online] At: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/60cf/849b4043fb555c8a917330be8aeaa0a6411e.pdf (Accessed on 30 September 2018)
World Health Organisation (2018) Gaming disorder. [online press release] At: http://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/ (Accessed on 30 September 2018).
Bibliography:
Dobbs, G. (2016) Better Broadcast Writing, Better Broadcast News. Oxon: Routledge.Thompson, R. (2010) Writing for Broadcast Journalists (2nd ed.) Oxon: Routledge.
TV headlines and intros: Sian Williams (2013) [user-generated content online] Creat. BBC Academy 1 January 2013. At: https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20130702112133596 (Accessed on 30 September 2018).
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