Chapter 10 Newswriting for Broadcast
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reporter track:
Everything spoken
by the reporter in a
package.
the reporter poses additional writing challenges. For example, a reporter
extensively researched the designer of a new high school theater and con-
tacted the designer to schedule an in-person interview. After conducting
the interview, the reporter and photog return to the studio with interview
footage and notes. The reporter must now put the story together.
The fi rst step is to log the video footage. Logging the footage is neces-
sary so the reporter can quickly fi nd each statement on the recording during
the editing process. The reporter fi rst views the recorded interview footage
and notes the time code (specific location address code) for each question,
each answer, and, if necessary, the main point of each answer. Also, all the
comments made by the interviewee should be transcribed with the corre-
sponding time code noted. By reviewing a written copy of the interview-
ee’s comments, the reporter can easily decide which comments to use as
sound bites and where to fi nd the video and audio for the comments. After
logging the interview, the reporter logs the B-roll footage to review other
footage that may be inserted to support the story. Nat sound is also logged
at this time for use later, as necessary.
Everything spoken by the reporter in a package is the reporter track,
Figure 10-3. The reporter track connects all the interview sound bites used
in the story and provides viewers with additional information not con-
tained in the sound bites. A package rarely includes audio of the reporter ’s
original question. A novice reporter may be tempted to ask interviewees
to restate the question in their answer, but this is not recommended. This
technique results in unnatural and awkward responses from interviewees.
A good reporter can write the reporter track and cut sound bites together
so that the meaning of the interviewee’s statement is clear without hearing
the original question.
Some of the interviewee’s comments recorded on the footage may
phrase things better than the reporter can. These are noted as “big A,” or
“big answer,” comments. “Big A” comments may be emotional statements
made by interviewees, narration, or simply a good turn of a phrase. Other
recorded comments may be more effi ciently and clearly summarized by
the reporter. These are noted as “little A” comments, and they become the
basis for the reporter track.
Production Note
Experienced reporters can actually begin writing a story in their mind
while on location or even while an interview is in progress. They envision
the presentation sequence for information and recognize which comments
from an interview should be used as sound bites in the package.
Experienced reporters can often write and shoot stand-ups
while on location for a story. However, beginning reporters need
to work through the process of logging the tape and studying
the information and footage to determine the best way to
present a story to the viewer.
After the video footage has been logged, the reporter can begin writing
the story. The very fi rst sentence of a story is the lead. A hard lead begins
the story abruptly and does not waste words. It contains a straightforward
lead: The very fi rst
sentence of a story.
hard lead: The fi rst line
of a story that begins
the story abruptly and
immediately presents
the most important
information.