Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Discussion Topics - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Characteristics of Broadcast News Writing.

10 comments:

Vader said...

Caleb Young

In broadcast writing, why must anchors avoid using abbreviations, not use any symbols for numbers, and not refer to addresses?

Nikkie said...

One thing that stuck out to me is writing for the eye (i.e. print) vs. writing for the ear (i.e. broadcasting). Although it can be done, I think people who are used to writing for print may have a harder transition to make in writing for broadcasting. (For example, print writing voices and tenses may vary while broadcast writing generally uses active voice.)

However, the same could be true for those making the switch from broadcast writing to print. It could prove to be similarly difficult.

I think being able to do both is an incredibly marketable skill, even if one type of writing is stronger than the other. And, regardless of that, both take practice.

(And, am I supposed to respond to other's posts? If not, sorry people. Anyway: Abbreviations and symbols for numbers are not universal and certain abbreviations may stand for more than one thing. You don't want the broadcaster to have to spend time figuring out what those symbols and abbreviations mean. Also, more people may be familiar with general locations as opposed to specific addresses).

Anonymous said...

yesterday to them is not right, they say. but what really is wrong with yesterday. what if you do a follow up story on a game from "yesterday" you cant use the word???

Anonymous said...

abbriviations are good when you can understand it, if you write what you have to speak well then its on you and you should be allowed to do what you want!!

Jill said...

I think it's important for us to discuss why we should not write in inverted pyramid style. We've been taught to write inverted pyramid style for so long now, I have a feeling it might be a little difficult to get out of that habit, especially when reporting something.

Lauren Burke said...

Nikkie and Jill took my first and second top picks. So hang with me if this isn’t total academia.

Page 4, second bold heading: “Active Voice Is the Choice of Broadcasters”.

In this section, they emphasize writing in active voice; a subject does something. Yet their heading for the section is in passive voice.
Sure, “Broadcasters Choose Active Voice” sounds stupid… but at least it’s not contradictory.

Am I the only one feeling the irony, here?

Anonymous said...

Quotations are used differently in broadcast writing, which can be something we could miss when used to using them in regular writing. I think this is important because it could be easily be made a mistake because its a habit we are used to writing in.
Megan Meeker

Anonymous said...

Thank you Caleb, Nikkie, Jill, Lauren, and Megan for responding. There were a few postings without names guys...

Liz Kerns

Alyssa said...

I found something somewhat interesting in the section about forgeign names on page 7.

The names that are difficult to pronounce are often spelled out the way they are pronounced. Such as the name Sarmiento would be seen as Sahr-me-in-toe. So the anchor can pronounce it correctly and not piss anyone off!

Also how they will purposely mis-spell words that can easily be mis-pronounced. Such as useing "base drum" instead of "bass drum". So the anchor will not accidentally saw Bass as in the fish.

Anonymous said...

Very cool Alyssa!