Week 11

Chapter 11 review

Key points:

-Broadcast is written for the ear, not the eye.
-Time is limited with broadcast.
-Use inverted pyramid for prioritising the story.
-Keep writing to lean to fit in with the time limit.
-Be aware of the readers abilities with words, pronunciation and punctuation.
-Choose appropriate lead for the story to grab the listeners attention.

What are the key differences between writing for broadcast and print media?

One of the key differences in writing for broadcast instead of print is the use of punctuation. Hyphens and commas are used a little differently and a lot more full stops are needed. This is so the presenter reading the story can present it with clarity and avoid stumbling or slurring over words. The use of hyphens to break down two words, or emphasis a break in between one word is not seen in print the way it is used in broadcast.

Pronunciation also plays a part in broadcast writing as opposed to print. Some words such as names and places may require the use of different phonetic spelling. This is to help the presenter correctly pronounce words in the presentation. This is not seen in print. Spelling of a word remains correct and unaltered.

The other key difference, is print is read once and remains a hard copy of a story. However the listening and visual audience may hear the same news item several times a day. Therefore the writing layout has to be changed around though out the day. The listener will recognise repetition and tune out or turn off. By freshening up the layout of how it is written to be presented, the listener hears it differently and will be less inclined to change station.

Also choosing words carefully and keeping sentences short are important in broadcast as limited time only allows for so much information to be delivered. Prioritise the information needed to compose the story and get the message across and be cautious of the length. Listeners are unable to return if they miss parts, unlike in print. So making sure the right lead with right information, bundled into a small time frame is of high importance. There is more time to read a story than to listen to one.

Week 5 interview-30 Second script

Well this task is somewhat difficult for me. I interviewed two Japanese students who were in my home for over two weeks. Their English clearly was not as fluent as their first language.

30 seconds of script for this interview literally would be four or five words. Not enough words between the two of them could compile 30 seconds of script! I chose to interview them as it was a different topic for me to use, and also they got to practise their English skills; listening and speaking.

If I had known I was to further use this interview to become a script later on in the course, I would have interviewed other people instead on a different topic.

 

Quiz 11 reflection

This quiz was interseting as it was based on the chapter where words can have more than one meaning. That just causes confusion for so many people! On first attempt I got 9/10 and then second time round 10/10. This one was not as hard for me for one reason. My mother!

She used to hound us constantly about correct English and grammar and she would correct us all the time. It was very annoying. Sadly, I have now turned into my mother and find myself correcting my children (and my husband).

 When people use 'them' instead of 'those' it makes me cringe! When I hear a news reader saying 'sudden' instead of 'suddenly' I cringe! Growing up, my mother was right, there was no such word as 'sudden' in the dictionary! It is now though. Many words have now been added to the 'English' language. For example the word 'tweeps' has been added. It means people that follow you on Twitter. It is a made up word. Yet we keep adding these made up word to the dictionary.

Being bought up very old school I hate that we add words like this. My mother was so determined to raise children with correct English and grammar. We were told 'If you can not speak the Queens English then do not speak it all!' Oh yes we gave our mother grief over this for sure. She did it for a very good reason though.