1. Electronic Media: Writing,
Editing and Execution
Good qualities of a TV Anchor
Writing to visuals

2. Good qualities of a TV anchor:
Good Communication skills: Tv reporters and anchors need to have excellent
communication skills as well as excellent writing skills. They should have excellent
command over the language, must speak grammatically correct language, syntax,
pronunciation, tone and storytelling — no matter how stressed or tired the anchor or
reporter may be.
Mastery of multitasking: The reporter and the anchor should have the ability to
simultaneously take in a producer’s instructions via an earpiece while scanning new
information from computer messages, texts or Twitter; listen to what other reporters on
the team are sharing and interviewees are adding; monitor incoming video and many
others at the same time.

3. Interviewing skill: An instinct for what
people need and want to know, for
what elements are missing from the
story, and the ability to draw
information by skillful, informed
questioning and by listening; all in a
very short span of time.
Acute sense of timing: The ability to
condense or expand one’s speech on
demand, to sense when a story needs
refreshing or recapping, to know without
even looking at a clock how many words
are needed to fill the minute live feed or
interviewee.

4. Reporters /Anchors should be versatile: The
entire broadcasting team is often expected to
complete a number of varying duties. Reporters,
for instance are often called upon to find a story,
conduct interviews, shoot footage, write the
story, and report the story. Everyone involved
should be willing and able to perform multiple
duties.
Possesses a Good Personality: Most important
for those on camera, anchors and reporters
should have a friendly disposition that viewers
can connect with. A smiling face and a gentle
tone help viewers to develop a sense of trust and
rapport.
Authority &Credibility: The viewers look up to
him as a role model, an icon. When he anchors,
he invades the privacy of his viewers. Therefore it
is a tall order for him to maintain his credible
image even if he is off camera.

5. Good voice and diction: This includes his
projection on camera, his makeup, his
body language, facial expression,
hairstyle, voice quality, phrasing, diction,
enunciation, modulation.

6. Yalda Hakim - Presenter and Correspondent
Yalda joined BBC World News in December 2012 and made her on-
screen debut in March 2013 presenting a special three-part series
of Our World entitled,Iraq: Ten Years On. Before joining BBC World
News, Yalda was the presenter of SBS Dateline in Australia. From a
headline-making investigation in Afghanistan's Kandahar province
to her reporting from Libya during the Arab Spring, Yalda has built
up a wealth of journalistic experience around the world.
Stephen Sackur - Presenter, HARDtalk
Stephen presents the channel's flagship current affairs interview
programme,HARDtalk. A BBC News journalist since 1986, Stephen has
worked across BBC World News, BBC News Channel and BBC World
Service. In 2010, he was named 'International TV Personality of the Year’
by the Association of International Broadcasters.

7. Nic Robertson, CNN, International Correspondent
Most recently Robertson has been reporting on the escalating
violence in Syria, from both inside and outside the country.
He is also known for his extensive reportage on the Arab Spring
and its repercussions, as it spread across the Middle East.

8. Oprah Winfrey
In 1986, Oprah Winfrey became the first black female
host of a nationally syndicated daily talk show with the
premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Oprah Winfrey became the first black female billionaire in
the United States in 2003.
Billionaire Oprah Winfrey is best known for hosting her
own internationally popular talk show from 1986 to 2011.
She is also an actress, philanthropist, publisher and
producer.

9. Qualities of a good television reporter
You have to be fast and accurate.
Television news looks simple but the process
o make it simple is a complicated one. Gather
as much information as you can and ensure
that the final presentation is simple.
In television the operative word is vision. A
reporter has just two minutes to give a complete
picture of the news and words should enhance
the pictures.
Be in the right place at the right time. In
television, visuals matter, so it is not only
sufficient to explain the facts, it is equally
important to capture the moment.

10. Similarities between newspaper journalism and television journalism
Both print and broadcast
journalism deal with the
impartial, accurate and
objective reporting of events.
They thus share common
journalistic values.
Both forms of journalism
involve the use of a network of
reporters who rely on their
news sources to uncover
stories and report them.
In both print and electronic
journalism, editorial control is
exercised over the reporters and
the stories uncovered by them are
selected, edited and given
final shape by the editorial team.
Both seek to hold power-holders
accountable to common people. In
democratic societies, especially,
journalism is said to be the
“watchdog of
democracy”.

11. Differences between newspaper journalism and television journalism
Print journalism can reach out only to people who can read, hence its reach
is also limited, whereas television and radio can reach to all sections of the
society irrespective of the literacy levels. Thus the appeal of the broadcast
journalism is wider.
The presentation and language of television journalism should be very
simple compared to that of print. In print, the readers have the option of
referring back to different sources in case the meaning of certain words
and phrases are not clear. What this means is that in print journalism words
exist on a page and if the reader does not understand a particular word or
passage then he or she can go back to it and read it again. But in
broadcast, if something is not understood, it is gone forever and one cannot
go back to it. For this reason, the presentation and language of broadcast
journalism tends to be far simpler and easier to understand

12. Differences between newspaper journalism and television journalism
Television news deals more with
news events than with analysis
and interpretation.
Print journalism has the luxury
of being able to afford the
publication of analysis, since it is
meant for a literate, and often
significantly educated readership
which is interested in delving
beneath the surface of the news.
In TV journalism, news
reporting is faster as it is a
24X 7 medium and enabled
by more advanced and
sophisticated technology.
Print news tends to lag behind
in terms of speed and it is
published once in a day.
TV news tends to make speed
a priority while print tends to
make accuracy a priority.
Broadcast news is delivered
sooner, and is therefore
fresher, while printed news is
more reliable.
Live news exists only in the
broadcast medium, but does
not exist in print.

13. The printed word appeals more to the intellect,
while the use of images, sounds and ambient
noise in broadcast journalism tends to appeal,
subconsciously, to people’s emotions as much as
to their minds. Thus, print is a more intellectual
medium, while broadcast inevitably has elements
of performance built into its method, which carries
a certain emotional appeal.

14. Differences in writing styles in print and audio-visual
Why the differences?
Writing styles have evolved in newspapers, radio and television due to
the unique nature of each medium and to the manner in which its
audience consumes each medium.
VS

15. Differences: Lead
Newspaper:
A summary lead is best if it tells readers the most important of the
5W's and 1H: who was involved, what happened, where, when, why and
how did it happen. However, if including all 5W's and H will clutter the
lead sentence, the less important elements are reserved for the
following sentences. An ideal length is 35 words or less.
Radio/Television
It is more likely that only part of the 5W's and H will be heard. The why
and how will be left for a later paragraph, or not included in a short item.
Unless the time is significant, it is likely to be dropped.

16. Differences: STORY STRUCTURE
Newspaper:
The inverted pyramid begins with the most important information.
Succeeding paragraphs contain details that are less and less important.
Editing can be done by cutting from the bottom of the story, but if time
permits a story should be edited line by line.
Television:
Most newscast items are so short that there is time only for a few of the
most important details of a report. A visual story may begin with the most
dramatic footage if there is any, then show video that matches the written
copy scene for scene. As already noted, if the words and pictures do not
support each another they compete with each other for the viewer's
attention. In that case the contest is unequal, for the pictures have more
impact.

17. Newspaper:
A news item should contain every pertinent fact. Readers who
weary midway through the report can turn to another news item.
While it would be ideal if every reader read every bit of every item,
reality dictates that the reader has the option of when to flip the page.
Television:
A news item should contain a limited number of the most important
facts. The visual element must be taken into account. Interesting
videotape may keep the attention of the viewer who otherwise may
become uninterested midway through the report
Differences: STORY STRUCTURE

18. Differences: Sentence Structure
Newspapers:
The good writer will choose sentence structure from the rich variety
afforded by the English language, including long, short, active,
declarative, periodic, and passive constructions, although the active
voice is preferred to the passive. Clauses may appear between subject
and verb or between verb and object.
Television:
The television news writer assumes that the longer the sentence the
less it will be understood. Clauses at the start of sentences or between
subject and verb are virtually taboo. Most clauses can stand on their own
as separate sentences

19. Differences: Sentence Structure
Newspaper:
As a general rule, short sentences are better than long sentences, but it
is more important to marshal the facts necessary for understanding a
news story in a style that is grammatically correct.
Television:
Short sentences are best, but the occasional long sentence is
acceptable if it is not freighted with difficult words or complex ideas. If
your information is not understood it is valueless.

20. Differences: Sentence Structure
Newspapers:
Past events are told in the past or perfect tense. For eg: The police
was asked to look into...
or
The police has been asked to look into
Television:
Some, but not all, newsrooms prefer the present tense for past
actions:
The police is being asked to look into...

21. Names, quotes and attribution
Newspaper:
Direct quotations are common. The person being quoted may be
identified at the start, middle, or end of the quote.
The attribution may precede, follow, or be integrated in the middle of a
statement. It usually follows the statement. For eg, The crime rate in the
city has increased by 50% over the last five years was reported by the
city police chief yesterday.
Television:
When the videotape shows the person making the statement, a
character generator super/aston identifies the speaker three or four
seconds into the video. Identifying the speaker in the intro copy is
optional.
Attribution always precedes a statement. Effectively, the sentence
begins by identifying the source, for eg, The city police chief has
conceded that there has been an increase of 50% in crime rates over the
last five years.

22. Writing to visuals
Television is an audio visual
medium
In television, one writes to be
heard, not read
Language is used along with
visuals and sound
Language must, therefore,
support the visuals and the
sound
Two important rules:
one must write simply and eloquently,
so that the language is understood the
very first time it is heard
one must write in order to
complement the visuals, so that one
does not repeat what is being shown in
the visuals, to supply some further
information to them.

23. The language must be simple and understandable
One must write to complement the visuals
Numbers and quantities must be mentioned
Large numbers must be written in a combination of numerals and words
Scripts should ideally be neatly typed out
Writing to Visuals

24. Astons: The band which appears on screen during a person’s SoundBits,
stating his or her name and designation.
Bugs: A little band which appears on any given side of a screen, stating
the location or time of a story.
Slugs: A band, which appears on screen during a news story stating the
headline of the story.
Ticker: A static or scrolling band at the bottom of the screen which flashes
important news, text messages by viewers or share prices.
Windows: The screen is split into two or more windows showing two
different locations simultaneously.
SOME TERMS

25. Developing a television news story in
the absence of visuals

26. Piece to camera:
A piece to camera is the television term used for when a presenter or a
character speaks directly to the viewing audience through the camera. It is most
common when a news or television show presenter is reporting or explaining
items to the viewing audience. Indeed, news programmes usually take the form
of a combination of both interviews and pieces to camera.
When a news story starts with a PTC, it is called an Opening PTC. An opening
PTC must introduce the story effectively. It is used most often when the reporter
is present in a place where the interior shots of the location are not readily
available, and the reporter has to fall back upon the option of using a PTC. In
such events, the outdoor aspect of a location may be used as the backdrop for
the PTC.

27. When a PTC occurs in the middle of a packaged news story,
then it is called a Bridge PTC. This is to be used when the reporter
is explaining something for which visuals are not available.
Opening PTCs and Bridge PTCs must be used as little as
possible. This is because the strength of television is that it can
show visual evidence. Only when shots are not available for some
reason should Opening and Bridge PTCs be given.
When a news report ends with a PTC, it is called the End PTC or
Closing PTC. This is meant to be a brief byline to the story. A
byline is not merely a summary of the story, it is meant to be an
opportunity for the reporter to appear on screen with a brief,
balanced observation about the story

28. Archives:
Archives of important personalities, incidents like war, accidents, terrorist
attacks etc should be properly archived so that these can be used as visuals
in the absence of adequate footage. Archives help immensely when an
important personality passes away, or when the TV news story needs to shoe
the viewers what happened in the past.
Graphics and animation:
Graphics is a pictorial representation of mathematical figures and help in
understanding the complex statistics. It allows the anchor or the TV news
presenter to simplify the complex numerical representations into a more lucid
language which is easy for the common man to understand.
For certain news stories for which it is not at all possible to get a footage like
how a major fire broke out in a market complex and how it spread can be
explained with animation. This helps the viewers to understand how an event
unfolded in the absence of adequate visuals.

29. Different types of television
news stories

30. Format Description
Package Stories The anchor, using a lead-in, introduces
a story and a reporter. The prerecorded
piece then includes a mix of video,
sound bytes, voiceovers and a PTC from
the reporter who explains some
element of the story or summarizes the
entire story.
VOSOT (Voice Over Sound on Tape) The anchor speaks over a videotape
that includes someone talking. When
the reporter stops, the sound on tape is
turned up and the person on tape is
heard speaking.
Anchor + byte The anchor reads the story without the
aid of visuals which then is followed by
a sound byte.
Formats of TV News

31. Reader copy This format is a story read by an
anchor or reporter without visual or
audio aid. It may have a slide or a
graphic in the background.
Voiceovers A videotape of an event is shown with
the sound of the event turned down.
An anchor or reporter speaks over the
tape to talk about what the viewer is
seeing.
Live shots An anchor will introduce a reporter
who is shown live at the scene of some
news event. The reporter can then do
one of the following: PTC, interview
someone, introduce and voiceover a
videotape, or answer questions from
the anchor.
Formats of TV News

32. VOX POP
It refers to the interview of the common man on street on a specific issue
affecting their daily lives in one way or the other. The aim is to get a variety of
answers on a particular subject. The interviewees should be of various ages,
sexes, classes and communities so that the diverse views and reactions of the
general people can be gauged.
The media use vox pops for many reasons, but chiefly for the following:
to test public opinion and reaction
to influence decision-makers
to forecast results of events
to stimulate public debate
to promote the newspaper, radio or television station, and make it more
popular

33. sound bite: A short segment of someone speaking, usually the most
significant or interesting part of what they said.
a short recorded statement that is broadcast on a television or radio news
program
Soundbytes are the words of the newsmakers and is the key to telling a
good news story. TV soundbytes features the faces of the newsmakers
as well as their voices. A byte is also referred to as a sound on tape.
(SOT)
There are certain elements a reporter wants from a SOT
It needs to contain certain relevant information
An ideal SOT lasts 8 secs to 10 secs, else it becomes a speech

34. What Are Feature Stories?
•Feature stories are human-interest articles that focus on particular people,
places and events.
•Feature stories are journalistic, researched, descriptive, colorful, thoughtful,
reflective, thorough writing about original ideas.
•Feature stories cover topics in depth, going further than mere hard news
coverage by amplifying and explaining the most interesting and important
elements of a situation or occurrence.
•Feature stories are popular content of newspapers, magazines, blogs,
websites, television broadcasts and other mass media.

35. Features
Feature is an umbrella term for a number of soft news stories that profile,
humanise, add colour, educate, entertain or illuminate.
News Writing and Reporting for Today’s Media by Anderson
A feature is not meant to deliver news first hand.
A feature is timeless.
A feature must give the reader new information about which he is ignorant.
It must give background to the news, it includes analysis, explanation and
discussion.
Features enable readers to convert information into understanding.

36. Features:
Explain
Expand
Explore
Investigate
Describe
Entertain
Campaign
Comment
Val Williams, Thomson Foundation

37. NEWS FEATURES
News is an objective and factual account
of events.
Features give a new dimension to the
news, it examines and dissects news.
News deals with recent and current
events.
A feature can be both on a recent event
or on an event that might have taken
place some time ago.
News story is generally written in inverted
pyramid pattern as the purpose of the
news is to give a glimpse of an event.
Feature writer has more flexibility. The
feature can be written in a colourful
manner. The writer can communicate his
thoughts in an effective, interesting and
entertaining manner.
Differences between news and features

38. NEWS FEATURES
A news story is limited to a single time and
place. It is not always a complete story in
itself.
Feature is a self-sufficient and self-
contained piece.
The purpose of news story is to inform,
educate and enlighten.
Features entertain, guides and instructs
the readers.
Ideally, lead should be in summary format. The lead in a feature may not be in a
summary format.
Differences between news and features
In hard news stories, the reporter makes the point, sets the tone, and frames the issue in
the first paragraph or two.
In feature stories, the whole story does not have to be encapsulated in an inverted
pyramid lead. The writer can develop the storyline in a variety of ways and choose to
postpone the main point until later in the copy or even the end.

39. TYPES OF FEATURES

40. INTERVIEWS
Interview is a conversation between two people whereby the interviewer asks
certain questions to get the perspectives of the interviewee on a particular
issue.

41. TYPES OF INTERVIEW

44. Personality Interview

45. Personality Interview

46. PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW
• The interviewer should
have thorough knowledge
of the subject. A thorough
understanding of the topic
being discussed is essential
for which research work is
mandatory.
• The interviewer should also
have some information
about the person being
interviewed.
• The interviewer should
seek an appointment
with the interviewee
either on telephone or
should meet the person
and finalize the
schedule.

47. PREPARING FOR AN INTERVIEW
• The interviewer should
prepare questions and
these questions should
have some relevance to the
news story or feature.
• The interviewer should not
talk too much. An
interviewer should also be a
good listener.
• The interviewers approach
must be friendly,
courteous , conversational
and unbiased.
• It goes without saying that
basic manners such as
dressing neatly, arriving on
time, and being courteous
and confident are
necessary.