WRITING FOR RADIO
Always find the newest/most relevant or important aspect of the story and write it in the TOP LINE.
A good habit to get into is attributing your source of the story in the top line if possible. Ie New
figures from the Department of Health reveal patients are waiting longer to see a doctor... rather
than hospital patients are waiting longer to see doctors. The findings come from the Department of
Health.... far more words using up your allocation of seconds. You the journalist always remains
impartial – so state who is claiming a breakthrough in medicine, or which side in the war says their
people have been killed. When sourcing a story find a few sources who tell you broadly the same
information to check its factually correct. Words to attribute – according too, sources close to, a
report has found etc .
Your story/script needs to be clear when spoken aloud. Get into the habit of reading your script out
loud – you will spot obvious mistakes and words that will cause you to trip over them. What may
seem clear to the eye – can be confusing when you are listening or reading something.
One point/idea per sentence. Sub –clauses make it harder to understand the story.
Start by stating a point full stop. Then explain the point. The information should unfold naturally,
similar to the inverted pyramid style of writing.
DOS AND DONT’S WHEN WRITING
DO : Spell out numbers ie money £3 million – should be 3 million pounds. Also round up or down
figures, especially where the exactness isn’t necessary. Ie nearly a thousand pounds is far more
easily understood than nine hundred and sixty pounds and fifty pence.
BE CAREFUL: With percentages, 25 percent of people think .... is better written as a quarter of
people quizzed about blah thought..... Or one third of school pupils miss breakfast sounds better
than 33 percent of school pupils
DO: Add time references. Ie in the last hour.... It adds immediacy and drama. But today can be
overused. Your listener expects your stories in bulletins especially to be about today. But if
something happened last week for example but is a new story then specify – ie a woman’s body
found last week in a dustbin has been identified as....
DO: identify breaking news, Broadcast and online media has the power to break stories faster than
convention print newspaper. Emphasise this – ie in the last few minutes the Prime minister has
resigned...or reports coming in suggest that missing schoolgirl blah has been found alive....
DO write in present tense as if the news is still in progress or has recently happened. Tense and
present progressive verbs, which suggest ongoing action adds to immediacy. Things that have
already happened do however need to be referred to in past tense ie The UN says it has proof the
whatever Government ordered the airstrike that killed 127 people last month.... by using the newest
angle of the proof you then move into the What of the story.
