How to Write for Television

In recognising the power of television pictures it is easy to undervalue the importance of the accompanying words. Yet the need for good writing has never been greater. Audiences are being asked to understand political, social, economic and environmental issues which will fundamentally affect their lives in the closing years of the 20th century and beyond. As a television reporter you will fail if what you provide is not comprehensible to ordinary people.

Keep it simple

Despite the welcome development of news-related programmes dealing with specialist subjects, most television journalism is aimed at a general audience. Unlike newspapers, able to target readership precisely according to sociopolitical groupings, television has to appeal to and be understood by all, so it must neither be too intellectual nor insult the intelligence. Your main aim must be to tell your stories in language which is: ● Accurate ● Clear ● Simple ● Direct ● Neutral.

Write as you speak

Something strange comes over many otherwise good journalists when they write for television. Clear thoughts become cluttered and confused, simple sentences convoluted. Direct language translates into ‘officialese’.

The rule is: think before you write. Better still: think aloud before you write. The less natural it sounds, the more likely it is to be wrong. When did you last hear someone in the course of normal conversation say: ‘I see the government is proposing a one billion pound cash boost for the National Health Service?’ You might have heard ‘I see the government’s going to give the National Health Service more money. It’s a billion pounds.’

Be logical

● Where possible, tell stories chronologically.

● As a general rule try to make it one short sentence, one thought.

● Understand what you are writing: if you don’t, no-one will.

● Don’t be put off by the language of official documents. Sometimes they are written deliberately to confuse or obfuscate, but more often the writer has no feeling for words.

● Always ask yourself: what am I trying to say? Then say it.

Avoid stupidities

Mistakes are made by reporters blind to the context of their words. Unintentional double-entendres, carelessness or insensitivities creep into broadcast material. Be alive to the changes in word usage. For example, ‘gay’ has a modern meaning far removed from its once better-known definition of joyful or light-hearted.