Broadcast news writing

[pacey988]

I have considered what it would be like working in journalism as a news writer. Right now I am attending community college, and I think they might have a journalism course, but it is merely an introduction to journalism, and I would assume that any further studies would have to be taken at a four-year university. I live outside the New Orleans area, there used to be a mass communications program at Loyola University but it was shut down because of budget cuts, if I recall. I'm really not in it for the money or being an on-air presence or anything like that, despite the fact that I believe I have a very good voice. I am open to working for either the print or electronic media. I really can only afford to go to one four-year college. Does anyone here have any suggestions on what I should do? I'm not even sure if my community college even has a journalism class or school paper, since it was adversely affected by Katrina, and classes have either been eliminated or have been taken off the schedule due to lack of interest. Any suggestions would be good.

[Diplomat]

I have considered what it would be like working in journalism as a news writer. Right now I am attending community college, and I think they might have a journalism course, but it is merely an introduction to journalism, and I would assume that any further studies would have to be taken at a four-year university. I live outside the New Orleans area, there used to be a mass communications program at Loyola University but it was shut down because of budget cuts, if I recall. I'm really not in it for the money or being an on-air presence or anything like that, despite the fact that I believe I have a very good voice. I am open to working for either the print or electronic media. I really can only afford to go to one four-year college. Does anyone here have any suggestions on what I should do? I'm not even sure if my community college even has a journalism class or school paper, since it was adversely affected by Katrina, and classes have either been eliminated or have been taken off the schedule due to lack of interest. Any suggestions would be good.

There may be other schools in your area that offer journalism classes. Check around--it may surprise you. Talk with your advisor at community college. Also, contact some of the radio & TV newspeople you respect in the New Orleans area and ask for their insights. Perhaps you can get an internship at one of those outlets.

Good luck to you, and feel free to PM me if you have more questions, etc.

[SamG]

Keep in mind writing for TV/Radio is different than writing for print. Not drastically, but different. Most colleges will have a class for their paper, but not all will have broadcast writing.

[s'news]

Sam has a good point. Also go into this with eyes wide open. The pay stinks early on and you may never move up to where the pay gets reasonable, especially if your interest is in the writing end.

But what do you want to do? By that I mean, where do you want to get to? Do you want to be a reporter for a newspaper? Do you want to work in broadcasting? Those are -- in the overwhelming majority of cases -- two very different career paths.

If what you want is some immersion in journalism in general, my guess is that you should try to hit a large four-year college. It worked for me, and I didn't even have a plan at the time.

[Diplomat]

Sam is right. And again, you should check around--there may just be a four-year college that's close to you and also affordable that has a broadcast journalism program.

Another piece of advice one of the pros passed along to me way back when--learn as much about everything as you can. It may give you an edge when you're writing or reporting a story.

[Newzie52]

Look into LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication; it offers both print and journalism programs, with excellent broadcast facilities. Also check out various LSU branches other than Baton Rouge, as well. It is too bad about Loyola - that was quite a good program.

[overthehill]

Great tips, especially the one to call some of the news folks you respect in New Orleans. I know, from a community college student's perspective, that may take some courage on your part to call a NO anchor or reporter. Just "do it" and you'll be surprised how friendly they'll likely be to you.

Another thing, search Amazon.com for broadcast news writing books. I like ones by Mitchell Stephens and Merv Block. There's also one authored by Forrest Carr and two others. You could buy them used pretty cheaply. They'd give you some insight about how broadcast writing differs from the print style you're likely to learn in your community college class.

Good luck!

[Roy Hobbs]

Merv says makes your post Shorter, Sharper, Stronger!
http://www.gellermedia.com/merv.jpg

[pacey988]

Correction:
Loyola still has a journalism program. I asked about it today at my community college and I was told that that was the case. I am looking at the faculty listings on their web site and I have that confirmed. As for the college I am attending, there does not seem to be a lot of interest in journalism among students there, and I don't even know if there is even going to be a class that will be taught in the Fall or anything. I did leave their professor a call and I hope that she will get in touch with me. I also happened to check out a book from the library today that illustrated the differences between broadcast and print journalism, particularly how CBS and UPI covered the 1980 presidential election. I am sure that it will be a fascinating read.

[TVMattNYC]

Keep in mind writing for TV/Radio is different than writing for print. Not drastically, but different.

No. It is DRASTICALLY different. I doubt very many newspaper writers could ever tell the whole story in one sentence.

[UpNorth]

if you have a good voice and aren't looking to be on tee-vee, then radio might be just the place for you! Lots of major universities have a public radio affiliate on campus, and they generally take all the free labor they can get (and you get class credit and real experience).

I covered all kinds of things on behalf of my school's public radio - I wasn't running errands or doing BS work. I covered major news stories (gang murder, presidential candidates), did live reports, did some work on a statewide network project. While I did not remain in the media, it was one of the best work experiences of my life.

The number of jobs are lower, but there's also fewer applicants..

[pacey988]

I have some radio experience, mostly reading for the blind. I have a sample of a broadcast that I did if anyone would like to hear it. As far as I know, only UNO has a public radio station on campus, and I do not know if they have a broadcast journalism program or a mass communications program. I spoke with the professor of journalism at my community college and she suggested either the news writing program at Delgado Community College or Loyola University, if I can afford it and if there are grants available.

[pacey988]

I checked, and UNO does not have a journalism program, Loyola is probably out of my price range, so the only option I have is Delgado Community College and their mass communications program there. They do have a print/broadcast journalism concentration there, but I am wondering if broadcast news writing is available as a stand-alone course and/or if there are any internships available. Granted, I have probably two semesters of general studies left, but I ask because I am interested in pursuing this as a career. Again, I don't see myself as an on-air type, but I would like to do something that involves writing.

[Newzie52]

Correction:
Loyola still has a journalism program. I asked about it today at my community college and I was told that that was the case. I am looking at the faculty listings on their web site and I have that confirmed. As for the college I am attending, there does not seem to be a lot of interest in journalism among students there, and I don't even know if there is even going to be a class that will be taught in the Fall or anything. I did leave their professor a call and I hope that she will get in touch with me. I also happened to check out a book from the library today that illustrated the differences between broadcast and print journalism, particularly how CBS and UPI covered the 1980 presidential election. I am sure that it will be a fascinating read.

Good news about Loyola!!! I checked, and they have modified things and moved remaining broadcast journalism courses into the School of Mass Communication. Worth checking out, at least, and don't automatically assume you couldn't afford it; Jesuit schools generally are very much into "need based" grants, etc.

[pacey988]

Yeah, they did re-organize everything after the storm and merged everything into one department. The main reason why I felt that I could not afford Loyola was because I met with a counselor today about other preliminary classes I would have to take before I would take journalism, and she figured that it would probably be too expensive for me. As it now stands, I am going to have to transfer to another college because the community college I am now attending does not have a journalism program, as I have said before. I did get around to emailing someone in the local media about this, as well as the instructor at Delgado Community College, who as far as I know is involved in television production; she may know something about broadcast and print journalism classes but I am not sure if she is the right person to ask. I attended that college for a semester in 2004, and I wanted to take the broadcast news writing course there, but I had to take the general courses first. This year marked my return to college, I had been disillusioned with it but now I am sticking with it and I am enjoying it very much. I feel very much at home there, and I just want to learn as much as I can.

As I said, I checked out a book about the contrasts between CBS and UPI's coverage of the 1980 presidential campaign, and I am very much interested in current events such as this year's campaign, the war and other things. I feel that it is very much in my benefit to learn about things, no matter where they are taking place. I just don't know if I even have the courage to be a reporter, which is why I have asked about being a writer. I would love to work for television or radio, pay is not a concern, only the fact that I want to have some experience in a newsroom environment. What I would like to know is this: what are some of the key differences between print and broadcast journalism? I know that there are differences in writing styles and in terms of the overall immediacy of coverage. I know that I am probably worrying about something that I won't have to worry about for a while, but I am just very curious about this kind of thing.

[pacey988]

I do have some good news: The weekend anchor at New Orleans' CBS affiliate got back to me, and while he told me that internships at that station are only available to LSU students (I really can't afford to go there and besides, my sister is already attending school there and being away from home is a struggle for her), there may be a position available for a job as a desk assistant. What I would like to know is this: what does a desk assistant do, and is it something that requires experience in television? I was told that it is a paying position and it is a good way to gain experience, but those are the questions I have.

[Spike]

What I would like to know is this: what does a desk assistant do, and is it something that requires experience in television?

Desk assistant is an entry-level newsroom position that rarely requires experience. You will be trained. Or rather "trained," since most training in teevee news involves someone pointing out a few things and you having to figure out the rest on your own.

The position generally involves making and taking phone calls and listening to the scanner, plus other clerical-type duties as required. It isn't a writing position, but I have seen desk clerks talk producers into letting them write stories to learn more about producing. It is a good starting point to learn how a teevee newsroom operates and what everyone does, and it serves as a good jumping off point for other positions within the station. The pay is usually not great.

Regarding school, I'm going to give my standard advice here. Don't major in journalism or mass communications. You don't need a degree in journalism to work and be successful in journalism. Minor in journalism or mass communications and major in something else while getting whatever experience you can in the real world while you're in school, either through working or through internships.

Everything you need to know to work in journalism you will learn in the core classes required for a minor, then in the craft itself when you go to work. In television and radio, what gets you a job is your tape. In print, what gets you a job are your clips. If your tape or your clips are good, the manager won't care what you majored in or where you went to school. If your tape or your clips are bad, your degree won't help you.

So why not major in journalism? Because the degree itself is a waste of time and money. You come out knowing a little bit about journalism, then you have to go cover all these stories about things you don't understand. Journalists are expected to know a little about a lot of things, at least enough to be able to ask the right questions. You'll be covering business, government, science, transportation, engineering, law... The list goes on and on. It's much better to pick some other subject that interests you as your major, so that you'll have a starting point or specialty and can be your paper's or station's go-to guy for that subject.

Major in finance, or psychology, or political science, or one of the hard sciences, or just about anything other than journalism that you can 1)combine with your journalism experience to make yourself more marketable and 2)fall back on as a second career if the journalism thing doesn't work out the way you think it will. You think right now that journalism is all you'll ever want to do, but if you peruse this site you'll frequently see posts from people who felt the same way you do and now feel trapped in a career that didn't live up to their expectations because they have no other knowledge or skills. One poor guy recently posted that he felt so trapped he was considering suicide.

So, how do you get employers interested if you don't have a degree in journalism or mass comm? The journalism minor is enough to give you the basic skills you need. Then work. Work that entry-level job in a newspaper or broadcast station to get general experience for your resume. Work for your student publication or broadcast station to build your clips or reel. A journalist coming out of school with a folder full of good clips and a degree in economics or criminal justice is going to be more attractive than a journalist with the same writing skill but no other specialized knowledge. J-school graduates are a dime a dozen, and having a degree in something else will help differentiate you. A degree in something else will make you more attractive, not less.

I am a bit biased, because I went back to school to study business. But knowing what I know now, if I were to start over as a young kid who wanted to write for newspapers or the web, I would major in finance or economics and specialize as a business writer or at least have that knowledge to draw upon. Too many journalists write stupid things about the stock market and the economy out of ignorance. The ones who actually know their stuff produce better work and tend to rise up into the higher paying positions. If I absolutely despised business topics, I would consider criminal justice instead. There will ALWAYS be coverage of crime and courts.

So, with all that in mind, your horizons change considerably. You mentioned that the school you can afford doesn't have a journalism program. Big deal. I'm sure it has a school newspaper. There's your source for building clips. Take the journalism classes where you can get them. If the school you can afford doesn't have any journalism classes at all, enroll in the more expensive school just long enough to get the core classes, then finish your degree in something more valuable at the cheaper school.

[Spike]

And one other thing. If you write for your school newspaper, try like hell not to write like a school newspaper writer. School newspaper writers tend to read their own school newspaper and emulate what they see there from other writers. It gets them into a sort of negative feedback loop where they never progress. Some school newspaper writers even get somewhat self-congratulatory about it, patting themselves on the back for their own mediocrity.

You should be reading the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time, Newsweek and whatever other national publications interest you. Read your local newspaper, too. The Times Picayune has a good reputation. Try to pick up on those writers' techniques. The more you read, the more naturally good writing will come to you.

I'm tempted to suggest not reading the student paper at all, just so you don't pick up bad habits.

[pacey988]

Thanks for the advice.

First of all, I do not believe that my school has a newspaper, unfortunately. As for majoring in one subject or another, right now I am undecided as to what I want to do. I am currently taking general studies classes (math and English) at the college, and I just don't know if the majors available will help me out. Earlier in the semester, one of my classes was dropped due to lack of interest and enrollment, and one of the counselors asked if I wanted to take a history class (primarily pertaining to the Civil War era). I turned it down, because I wanted to focus primarily on the required classes I would need to transfer to another college. Now that you mention things such as financial reporting or criminal justice, those things might interest me. You might find this interesting, but when I was a kid, I used to love reading the stock market reports in the newspaper. I agree about the Times-Picayune, there is some excellent writing in that paper. Pay is really not a concern for me, only the fact that I am going to be getting experience in a newsroom environment. Politics is something else that I am interested in, I have been following the elections, and I am going to see if there is anything available for a degree in political science.

Another thing I should mention is this: I have no interest in being a reporter or an anchor. I am more interested in a behind-the-scenes position, either as a writer or as a producer. My financial situation at this time does not allow me to enroll in a four year university like Loyola. The only other place that I can attend besides the school that I am currently attending is Delgado Community College. I have not been back there in four years and I don't know what the tuition is there or anything, but I will check it out. Now, as far as I know, Delgado does have a student newspaper, but I agree with you, I wouldn't go so far as to emulate what the students write there. In closing, I do not know if there are any openings at WWL, there may be an opening, but I still intend on finishing college at the same time as my possible employment at the station. Thanks for the advice.

[Spike]

Sorry, I misread your earlier post and for some reason thought you had an interest in print reporting as well.

I have no interest in being a reporter or an anchor. I am more interested in a behind-the-scenes position, either as a writer or as a producer.

The job title of "news writer" doesn't exist in the majority of local television stations. That function is usually filled by producers, associate producers (APs), reporters and anchors. You will have writers in some larger market stations, and you'll find them in the news services, but for the most part those jobs are scarce.

If you're not interested in reporting, you're pretty much focusing in on producing. AP positions generally don't pay well and are filled with people trying to move up into producer positions. I've never met anyone with a career goal of being an associate producer. So what you're setting yourself up for is to pursue a position as producer. That means you'll have to learn the other trappings of being a producer as well.

If that's what you want, that assignment desk job you mentioned above isn't a bad place to start. I would tell you not to worry too much about studying journalism right now. If you can land that job and get some newsroom experience, you'll very quickly figure out what you need to do to build a career in the business. If you can convince the producers to let you do a bit of writing and get someone to coach you, you will likely find that you can learn everything you need to know about writing for broadcast in the newsroom, without ever setting foot in a journalism class at all.

Once upon a time that's how everybody learned. Journalism is a craft, meant to be learned on the job by doing it.

[pacey988]

To be honest, I really don't know what I want to do. I think that my main concern right now is just getting my foot in the door and seeing where that may lead me. Right now I am pursuing my options, at the very least, and I am checking to see if the same position may be available at the other stations, or if there is an opening at the Times-Picayune. I live in St. Bernard parish, and they have either just re-opened or are about to re-open their bureau there, and I am going to see if there are any openings for entry-level positions. I certainly do not aspire to be an associate producer, now that you mention it, but right now I am just focusing on doing anything I can to get my foot in the door. As I said, pay is not a concern, but how much experience I will gain is a concern.