Writing Help – Page 6 – Survive Your Job In Television News

Parroting bites

Ever heard that phrase? Parroting bites is a common writing flaw in television news. It seems like such an obvious no-no, but it happens a lot. So let’s define it, to try and stop it from happening.

Parroting bites, means repeating what the sound bite said in the anchor copy, sometimes word for word. It usually happens right before or right after the sound bite. While writing for the ear involves some repetition, it is not a good idea to “parrot.” It actually confuses the person listening. The viewer wonders, why are they saying the same thing over and over, then misses the next part of the story.

Bites do need set up, and that often involves explaining the gist of what the person is going to tell the viewer, but you should not parrot. Focus on why the sound bite is relevant in the set up. Often the bite is relevant for two reasons, the person saying it and/or the bite explains the importance of the information you are providing. So, focus on those reasons when setting it up. “This lawmaker is behind the legislation.” “This witness saw exactly what happened.” “So why is this research important? This doctor explains.” Catch my drift? That makes the viewer want to hear the sound bite, and immediately recognize the importance of the context of the sound. Since you have so little time to explain much of anything, you need each word to really count, including set ups to sound bites. Parroting wastes time.

If the sound bite is hard to understand, you can paraphrase afterwords, but say that’s why you are doing it. “Just to make sure you heard that, he said…” Parroting involves directly repeating the bite, without explaining why. If you explain why, it is not parroting.

One last thought on parroting sound bites. It makes the anchor or reporter reading the script, appear that they do not understand the story and, have no idea about the person the sound is coming from. It screams, “This anchor just reads, and doesn’t know that he/she is talking about!” Think about it. When you talk to someone and they repeat exactly what you said back to you, you question if the person really gets what you are talking about. Same rule applies go parroting bites in news copy. Credibility is crucial. So don’t parrot bites.

That term is suspect: When to use the word and when to avoid.

By now most of you know we have a cliché list of words and phrases you just should not use. “Allegedly” is one of the very worst, and we explained how to get around it. Now let’s talk about another very overused, and obviously misunderstood term: “suspect.”

By definition “suspect” means: “to think (a person) guilty without having proof.” It is a term police, lawyers and judges use. Viewers get the essence of it, quite possibly more than most newsies. I say that because when you watch an a-block in most newsrooms around the country, you hear “suspect” being used, in a way it should not, constantly.

Here’s a common example, when describing a convenience store robbery with surveillance video. “Here you see the masked suspects approaching the counter with guns and demanding cash from the register.” Um, no. “Here you see the robbers pointing guns at the cashier.” The people with the guns, who then take handfuls of cash from the register are not “suspects.” They are the people who did it. Police may not know their names yet but, you can see in the video, they are the “robbers.” The people in the video are guilty, the video shows proof. You see them committing the criminal act.

Now here’s what to do, if the person is not wearing a mask. As we explained in “Getting around allegedly” if you see the person doing it and police confirm that’s what happened, simply attribute it. “Police say you are watching a man rob this store.” “Suspect” is not going to help you here. The man is seen holding the gun. State the facts. Attribute to police.

Inexperienced writers, if you are unsure, exercise caution. These concepts take a while to grasp. Remember, you must attribute. Words like “suspect” do not really protect you. Saying for example, “Police call Joe Schmo a suspect.” can still create problems. You can say police have identified a suspect and not show a face or say a name. Remember, unless the person is a public figure, the name is less important to viewers than the fact investigators are moving forward and possibly solving the crime. The safest bet, is to wait to say a name until there are charges. Once a person is arrested, they are no longer simply a suspect. So saying “Suspect Joe Schmo is charged with.” is not a protection. The term suspect, has to be used clearly, not as a crutch phrase.

Why generic video is a killer for TV news.

Yes, the title of this article is a strong statement. TV news is up against some large hurdles, the largest being making sure your newscasts and stories actually have impact for the viewer. If they don’t, viewers leave. Generic video creates an instant disconnect. That’s why I defined it and talked about ways around in Show it, explain it, and that’s why I am dedicating a second article. It is important to understand that this common crutch really kills credibility.

If viewers watch a story, and the video doesn’t make sense with the words two things happen: The viewer gets confused and misses half of the story, and the viewer starts wondering if the person reading the story knows what he/she is even talking about. Think about it, would you do a presentation for a group of people and not use the correct power point diagrams? Would you notice if the graphics don’t make sense and become angry that the speaker keeps flashing them up anyway, just so there is something on a screen? This is how generic video comes off to TV news viewers. It is confusing, and frustrating.

Viewers want to grasp what you are saying and showing to them. Video and sound help imprint it in their busy minds, so they actually remember what was said, who said it and what it meant. That is too powerful a tool, to just write a story, and hope the video makes sense. You must know what your images are, and relate the facts to the video. Otherwise you are telling viewers to go elsewhere, because your station is clueless.

So if you want to stand out on the job, and as a journalist period, show video, use sound, and explain it. Vow to never put a piece of video into your package or your newscast that you don’t reference in some way. It’s time to say goodbye to generic video.

Writer’s Block. Ways to inspire at crunch time.

My brain’s favorite time to develop writers block was sweeps, when I was slamming copy before the newscast. (Sound familiar? Who’s with me?) It’s not an ideal time to stare at the screen and hope the words just come. So how do you get around that blank screen and blank mind? These techniques just might spark some inspiration.

Keep some of your favorite writing in a folder

Great writing, inspires great writing. Keep a folder with your favorite teases, vo’s and other nice writing handy. This can be stuff you wrote or something a mentor wrote. The point is, by pulling out the folder and reading some of these beauties, you might just get inspired. The techniques you notice in these scripts might trigger ideas.

Look at how other producers or reporters wrote the story, with goal of making yours different

Most of us thrive on the thrill of competition. Hopping into another rundown and looking at how a different reporter or producer wrote the story naturally sets off the “I can top that!” instinct that’s innate in most newsies. It often helps you quickly brainstorm a different approach or angle and, next thing you know, you bang out a bunch of good copy.

Get up and walk around

A change in scenery can really refresh your mind. Get up from your desk or the live truck and walk around. Get the blood rushing to your brain again. The longer you sit, the more comatose you feel and the less you think. You know the drill. A quick walk often gets everything moving again, including your news brain.

Eat a snack.

Keep a little something around to munch on. I know we are all calorie conscious. So, it doesn’t have to be chocolate. In fact, something crunchy, can be a good distraction as well. Often when you reach for the snack you realize you didn’t eat lunch. (Again, sound familiar?) You can’t write well when you are out of fuel.

The most important thing to do is not panic, especially if the writer’s block hits when you are really slamming on deadline. If none of these tricks work and you are down to one story, see if someone else can throw in a first line for you. That can be enough to get the ball rolling and finish the script. Bottom line, you will get the work done. You have to!