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Tips for writing radio news scripts

Radio journalists need to have an ear for the most newsworthy audio and must be able to write clear and informative scripts introducing the material they have gathered. It’s not just about sounds; it’s about words, too.

The following was written for media trainers at the Media Resources and Training Centre (MRTC) of the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The MRTC runs various journalism diploma courses including one in electronic media.

The importance of the words

The script is what makes sense of the information you have gathered. It is the framework for your story. It brings together the most important elements, and helps your audience understand the significance of the points the people you have interviewed have made.

Keep it short and simple

The script should be written in simple, short sentences. Try to use everyday language and terms your audience will understand. It should not contain any complicated concepts that could confuse and distract.

University of Jaffna media students learning how to edit sound at the Media Resources and Training Centre (MRTC) Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Photo credit: MHM via Flickr (some rights reserved)

Use the script to introduce the audio

The script should offer the audience introductions to the audio you are including. It should tell the listener what’s coming up without repeating the words they are about to hear. Don’t summaries too much; you should not take away the power of the clips in your piece.

Grab the attention of the audience

You are crafting a tease into material that is designed to make people stop and listen. The language should be in the active tense. The most important information must feature in the first few sentences. However, the quality should be consistent throughout and the script must not tail off at the end.

Your opinions don’t matter

Your script should be factual and without comment or descriptive words. Don’t try to attract listeners by including your own emotions. That’s not your job. Those who listen to your radio package will make their own decisions about the power of the information you are broadcasting.

Deliver a complete and fair report

Your script should weave together all the elements you have gathered for your story without suggesting that any one is more important than the other; that’s for the audience to decide, not you. You have a responsibility to set out the information in a way that doesn’t lead or mislead.

Journalism students from the University of Jaffna using mobile phones to rehearse before recording their news and current affairs programmes. Photo credit: MHM via Flickr (some rights reserved)

Scripting before interviewing

Some journalists choose to draft a script before they have conducted the interview. That’s fine as long as the journalist retains an open mind and does not orchestrate or stage manage the interviews to fit into the structure they have already planned.

Scripting after interviewing

Some journalists prefer to listen to the material before they start their script. This approach can lead to a fresher sounding piece. However it can also lead to confusion if you have too much material and no idea how it is going to be edited and scripted together.

Fact checking

Fact check every piece of information that you are including in the script. Also fact check what has been said by those you have interviewed. Decide whether the fact checking has raised any issues that need to be covered in the script.

Editorial ethics

Check the script against the editorial ethics of objectivity, impartiality and fairness. Do not give extra weight to one point of view. Most of the people you interview will have strong points of view – you wouldn’t be interviewing them if that were not the case. However your script needs to be fair to all.

The beginning

Start the script by addressing the main point made in your introduction. Later in the script you can add context and analysis that may help the audience understand the issues raised by those you are interviewing. But start with a crisp and sharp introduction that highlights the main points.

University of Jaffna journalism students recording their news and current affairs programmes at the Media Resources and Training Centre, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Photo credit: MHM via Flickr (some rights reserved)

The ending

Always end your script with a fact and not a vague line such as ‘we will have to wait to see.’ Your audience wants information not overused clichés. Consider asking your interviewees what’s likely to happen next and summarise their expectations in your last paragraph.

Does it make sense?

Read the script back to yourself. Have you left any gaps? Do you need to do any further research? Check it with a colleague. A second pair of eyes works for radio scripts as well as print. Check your choice of audio, too, you may have missed a more important clip.

The author of this piece, David Brewer, is a journalist and media strategy consultant who set up and runs the website Media Helping Media. He delivers media strategy training and consultancy services worldwide and his business details are at Media Ideas International Ltd. He tweets @helpingmedia. This article was originally published at Media Helping Media under a Creative Commons License. Read the original article.   

Tags: audience, fact checking, interview, journalism, radio, reporting, script, tips, training,

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