How to Write Radio News Scripts

Learning how to write news for radio broadcasting can be a challenge because it is a format that has its own rules. First and foremost, radio news scripts are written for listeners, not readers or viewers. Follow these basic guidelines for writing a radio news script:
Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions
Things You'll Need
y 1. o Computer

1
Know that radio news writing is aimed toward the listener, so the writing should be clear and simple. No words that are difficult to pronounce, nor require a dictionary to understand.

2
Write an outline. Determine the key elements of the story. These are the essential components. Ask yourself: Who? What? Why? Where? When?

3
Write a tease. This will be used with other teases to whet the appetite of the listener before the news is aired. This should not be longer than a sentence.

4
Write a lead sentence. This is used to grab the listener's attention. Be concise and accurate with your lead.

5
Write the body. Include all necessary facts, figures, and main points. Radio news stories are typically 100 to 300 words, based on the amount of time dedicated to the story. 100 words equates to approximately 30 seconds of air time.

6
Write a story conclusion. This should be no longer than a sentence or two that sums up the key points of the story.

7
Format your script in accordance with basic radio script guidelines which may vary from radio station to radio station.

8
Fact-check the script and review your grammar. Present the script to a copy-editor that might find mistakes you overlooked.

Tips & Warnings

y y Keep it fresh. Repetition is the most common error made in regards to leads and teases in radio news. Some of the basic radio script guidelines include: All copy should be typed and double-spaced. Date the first page of the script. Indent all paragraphs. Don't use semicolons and write out abbreviations. Use underlines for emphasis and dashes for long pauses. Avoid technical terms or jargon that will go over the heads of the public. Fact check. Your journalistic credibility is at stake, so don't be careless. Limit the amount of figures you include. Too many numbers become confusing. Keep sentences short so the reporter can take a breathe. Use the active voice. "He jumped the hurdle" instead of "The hurdle was jumped by him." Write in the present tense for immediacy. That is, instead of "The citizens of Old City will vote today" try "Old City citizens are voting." Be objective in your writing, do not editorialize or add personal or philosophical comments. Stick to the story. Never plagiarize. Writing that you claim to be your own should always be your own. If not, you invite the possibility of litigation.

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How to Write for Radio News Broadcasts

Writing for news radio can be challenging for the novice. Writing a script for a news radio broadcast is vastly different from writing a newspaper article or other informative document. When writing for news radio, the journalist must write in a way that's easy for the listener to process. This means using a conversational tone in an easy-to-understand, brief script. Consider the following tips for writing a news radio script.
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions
Things You'll Need
y Computer Wire copy, press releases or other information sources for the script Printer

1. Writing News Radio Scripts

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1
Write in all capitals and double spaced. This is the standard format for broadcast scripts, as it's the easiest format for the broadcaster to read.

2
Write in the present tense. News radio broadcasts focus on what's happening now, not what happened 10 minutes ago. Writing in the present tense is standard practice in broadcasting.

3
Write for the ear. When writing for news radio, you must write as you speak; this is different from virtually every other writing style. Writing for the ear is much more informal than many writing styles. Write the news radio script in a voice that you might use if you were telling a friend about the news story.

4
Practice word economy. Don't use 10 words if you can effectively convey the same message in five words. Short and sweet is key when writing for news radio; listeners have much less patience than readers.

5
Mention only the vital facts. News radio broadcasting scripts should contain only vital information. In particular, many former print journalists are tempted to include name, age, city of residence and other facts that are typically included in print news stories. Only include this information if it's vital and significant to the story. A 43-year-old robber's age is not significant, whereas a 9-year-old robber's age is significant.

6
Estimate and use round numbers. Listeners have a difficult time processing "1,893." It's much easier to say "nearly 2,000." Only include specific numbers if it's absolutely vital to the news story; in most cases, rounding the number is more effective.

Include notations on pronunciation when appropriate. The broadcaster's preference will vary---some prefer that a notation is included on every instance of the word, while others prefer a notation on only the first instance of the word.
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8
Use dashes for cases where each letter of an abbreviation must be pronounced. This means "EPA" would be "E-P-A." Conversely, "PETA" would remain "PETA" since it's pronounced as a word; the individual letters are not spoken.

9
Read the script aloud. Once complete, read the news radio script aloud to look for errors, difficult wording or areas that lack clarity. This is particularly important if the broadcaster will be reading the script "cold," without having read the script before he reads it on air. A scripting error on a cold read can be disastrous for the broadcaster.

10
Look for ambiguity. When reading over the script, check for ambiguity and clarity. Avoid potentially ambiguous terms like "he" if more than one person is referenced in the news story. Remember, radio listeners can't reread a paragraph if they don't understand. The broadcaster has one shot to get the message across, so the script must be clear and direct.

Tips & Warnings

y y Get to know the broadcaster who will read your news radio scripts. Each broadcaster has preferences that should be accommodated when possible. Always read a script aloud before it's aired. Missing words and difficult-to-say word arrangements, for example, can adversely affect the quality of a broadcast.