Real-Life Communication
Television producers have to be able to process information quickly
and effectively.
You're a producer for a major television news
program. While the noon newscast is on the air, an urgent message comes over
the wire service. There's been a report of an Air Elbonia jet, en route
from Chicago to San Juan, crash landing in the Rockies. The 737 was carrying
99 passengers and four crewmembers. Investigators are on their way to the
site.
Another wire service says the crash of AC-350 was witnessed by
a motorist. Roger Voyeur saw the plane flying low over the mountains above
Route 495-A before it disappeared.
"It was real funny to see the jet
flying so low. Then it kind of turned and went behind a mountain. Then I saw
a big orange glow," said Voyeur. The wire service says unconfirmed reports
suggest flight AE-350 left late from Chicago after the plane had problems
with its landing gear.
You contact an affiliate station in San Juan.
The station has sent a crew to the site by helicopter and is hoping to have
some video back within two hours. You won't have video in time for this
newscast but it will be in for the next news at 6:00. You decide to insert
a 30-second piece of copy in the newscast to let viewers know what's
happened.
Remember, you're writing so someone else can read your
script. This is big news!
Before you start, just a note on writing
for TV:
Broadcasters write in short sentences. A good rule to follow
is to put one thought in one sentence. Also, use active phrases instead of
passive phrases. Instead of, "There was a plane crash in the Rockies," a broadcast
journalist would write, "An Air Elbonia jet has crashed in the Rocky Mountains."