ABSTRACT
Broadcast news writing involves not only the basic elements of all good writing but a number of special conventions and peculiarities of its own. Broadcast copy must be easily readable. Because breaking news and the nature of the business may result in last-minute changes in reading assignments, there are basic rules to give any announcer a fighting chance to convert words into meaningful and readable copy. Broadcast copy differs from print and web in two critical conceptual points. First, it is designed to be read aloud; second, it is written to be understood by people who only get to hear it. Although every station does things a little differently, and newsroom computer systems tend to dictate technical form, this chapter presents some general guidelines accepted in the industry. The whole point of these rules is that anyone should be able to pick up any piece of copy and read it well.
