Deck 7: Writing for Broadcast

Question 1

A kicker is

A) a strong line or quote that ends a story.
B) a surprising twist in a story.
C) the climax of a story.
D) the resolution of a story.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

You do NOT need to attribute a(n) _____.

A) actuality
B) sound bite
C) well‐known fact
D) paraphrase

Answer 2

C

Question 3

_____ lead is a mini‐story that illustrates something about the theme or main character.

A) Blind
B) Anecdotal
C) Contextual
D) Soft news

Answer 3

B

Question 4

_____ lead establishes the main point of a story without revealing a key fact, which appears in the second paragraph.

A) Blind
B) Anecdotal
C) Contextual
D) Soft news

Question 5

In general, limit the number of statistics in a story to _____.

A) 1
B) 3
C) 5
D) 10

Question 6

Terms such as "negative economic growth," "periorbital hematoma" and "dehiring staff" are examples of _____.

A) euphemisms
B) clichés
C) weasel words
D) jargon

Question 7

Expressions such as "light as a feather," "raining cats and dogs" and "time will tell" are examples of _____.

A) euphemisms
B) clichés
C) weasel words
D) jargon

Question 8

One of the best broadcast writers was _____.

A) David Sarnoff
B) Philo T. Farnsworth
C) Ansel Adams
D) Edward R. Murrow

Question 9

In general, sentences in hard news leads should NOT be longer than _____ words.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 40
D) 50

Question 10

"His feet flailed like a furious fox" is an example of _____.

A) sibilance
B) simile
C) alliteration
D) metaphor

Question 11

When should you use a middle name or initial on first reference?

A) always
B) if requested by the source
C) never
D) if a person is not well known

Question 12

To convey a sense of immediacy, broadcast writers use ____ tense.

A) present
B) past
C) future
D) past perfect

Question 13

The written version of a broadcast story is called a _____.

A) reader
B) voicer
C) package
D) script

Question 14

You don't need to start thinking about your script until after you've finished your research, reporting and interviews.

Question 15

Select sound bites that are of the same length in a package about a controversial subject, such as abortion, so that all sides receive the same amount of time.

Question 16

Include as much wallpaper video as possible.

Question 17

People remember what they feel longer than what they learn.

Question 18

When attributing a source, use a dynamic verb, such as"declare" or "warn," rather than the neutral verb "say."

Question 19

Boost viewership of an upcoming story by teasing it with words such as "terrific," "special," "stunning" and" spectacular."

Question 20

Conversational writing captures the casual feel of how people talk by including bad grammar, slang, colloquialisms and profanity.

Question 21

"The gray seal was bitten by the great white shark" is an example of passive voice.

Question 22

Words such as "basically," "possibly," "rather" and "on the whole" can weaken your writing.

Question 23

Avoid contractions in broadcast writing.

Question 24

Round off numbers with decimals, such as 73.4.

Question 25

Put the script for each story on a separate page so the rundown can be easily changed.

Question 26

The _____ story form begins and ends with a person who is dealing with a problem or an issue. Information and perspectives in the middle explain the story's significance.

Question 27

The _____ story form introduces a person or place. One or more surprising twists lead to background and context.

Question 28

The _____ story form starts with a summary lead. A transition introduces the chronological telling of the story down to akicker ending.

Question 29

The _____ story form begins with a main character who is struggling with a problem or conflict. The tension rises until it reaches a climax, followed by a resolution.

Question 30

The _____ lead is a mini‐story that illustrates something about the theme or main character.

Question 31

_____ writing refers to writing that captures the casual feel of how people talk.

Question 32

Broadcasters don't use much punctuation, and they don't always follow all the punctuation rules. To show pauses, broadcasters often use _____ instead of commas.

Question 33

If the name of a person or place is difficult to say, the writer should include the _____ in the script.

Question 34

The _____ is the turning point that occurs near the end of a story.

Question 35

The _____ provides closure at the very end of a story by tying up the loose ends or solving the issue.

Question 36

To convey immediacy, broadcasters write in _____ tense.

Question 37

In a script, TRT stands for _____.

Question 38

At the top of each page of a script, put a _____, which includes your name, the date and sometimes the time

Question 39

List and briefly describe the five stages of storytelling.

Question 40

List the advantages and disadvantages of the diamond story form.

Question 41

List the advantages and disadvantages of the Christmas tree story form.

Question 42

List the advantages and disadvantages of the wine glass story form.

Question 43

List the advantages and disadvantages of the narrative arc story form.

Question 44

What is a wallpaper video?

Question 45

Why is it important to spell words correctly in a broadcast script?

Question 46

A strong, satisfying conclusion has two parts. What's the difference between the climax of a story and the resolution

Question 47

List and briefly describe three ways to organize the material you've gathered.

Question 48

Briefly describe three ways to use natural sound to enhance a radio or TV script.

Question 49

Broadcaster Forrest Carr calls these four words worthless:"allegedly," "suspect," "apparently" and "undetermined." Discuss why he calls each one worthless. Do you agree or disagree with him?

Question 50

One way to end a story is with an actuality or a sound bite. What are the three other ways you could end a story?