How to Write like A TV Reporter

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By christihope
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TV news writing is nothing like the academic style of writing you were taught in school. TV news uses conversational and snappy-sounding language. Think of how you would tell a story to a friend without too much slang and you’re halfway there. With practice and patience, you’ll be able to write like a TV reporter.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Computer
Microsoft Word software
Thesaurus

Step 1

Watch a few TV newscasts to observe the kind of language and phrases that reporters and anchors use.
Step 2

Choose the focus of your story. Keep the theme consistent throughout.
Step 3

Know what you want to say and make an outline, if possible, of the main points that support the focus of your story.
Step 4

Remember to use active verbs and avoid passive sentences. Your tone should be conversational, but avoid using any slang.
Step 5

Make sure your writing is objective, state only the facts, and attribute information to the source or authority. Personal views are only allowed for opinion editorial pieces.
Step 6

Open with an attention-grabbing headline related to the focus. If you’re stuck, write the body of the script first and go back to the headline later.
Step 7

Use a maximum of 11 words per sentence. Each sentence should have only one thought.