T.V. and Radio vs Print

Television and radio writing are different than print writing. The writing is more simple, to the point. Audio/visual impact is important because people are seeing and hearing the reporter’s voice so they need to be aware of how they are portraying stories.

Stories are short with television and radio. Reporters need to use the inverted pyramid and say the most important points within 20 and 30 seconds so they can start with the next story.

Interviews are also different because the audience can actually listen to the person’s voice as opposed to just reading it. Interviews can go long though so reporters need to choose which sound bites to put into the story and which ones they leave out.

As long as the writing is short and to the point, the story will have done its job. The main point is to inform the audience in as little time as possible.