WBA NewsroomOfficer-involved shooting? Sounds like a train-involved wreck, but you hear it all the time. It’s cop-speak, and a lot of inexperienced news writers think that’s how news is supposed to sound. Yet you’ll never hear anyone except a cop, prosecutor, or bad news writer speak like that, and they wouldn’t use such language in everyday conversation. Here’s a funny, but effective post from a good news writer that deals with some of the more common and widespread examples of poor news writing.
There’s an entire section of the WBA Newsroom site devoted to helping any broadcast journalist become a better news writer. It’s here, and it’s full of sub-sections with scores of useful tips on writing better and more effective scripts.
Posted by Tim Morrissey – with thanks to former Madison TV News reporter Marc Lovicott, who’s now with the UW-Madison Police Department putting his writing skills to good use.