ABSTRACT
People tend to remember powerful pictures more than words, and if pictures tell a story, a good reporter should get out of the way. When video is more limited, broadcast news writer need to find relevant pictures, and structure the story around what is available. They should use pictures for what they do best: convey feeling, emotion and action. And they should use the script to fill in what the pictures did not: details, facts and background. Natural sound is real life; so writers can use it throughout stories and coordinate pictures and words. The real challenge in reporting is making the nonvisual story interesting. The best reporters find a way to care about every story they do. Good stories have a beginning, middle and end, and characters that writers care about. The pictures and sound should prove their story. Stories will be more memorable—even everyday stories—if they can find the universal truth in them.
