Broadcast style tips

Exercise 5. Prepare a 15-20 minute speech and be ready to answer the questions of the auditorium.

Exercise 4. Prepare a speech with a previously written a composition on one of the suggested topics.

1. How I spent my childhood.

2. How I met my husband (boy-friend, best friend).

3. What I want to give my children most.

4. A happy couple I know.

5. The person I admire the most.

6. The greatest compliment I have received.

7. The kindest treatment I have received.

8. The most interesting argument I have had.

9. The proudest day in my life.

10. The greatest mistake in my life.

11. A strange experience I had.

12. A narrow escape I had.

13. The best party (picnic) I have attended.

14. My elementary school years.

15. My secondary school years.

16. My university years.

17. The teacher I liked (disliked) the most.

18. The subject I liked best (least) at school.

19. My graduation day.

20. What I do in my spare time.

21. My plans for the future.

22. My favorite holiday (sport, season, movie, play, song, opera, music, painting, book, actor, sports figure, comedian, composer, painter, writer).

23. A musical instrument I play (I would like to play).

24. What I would do if I had three wishes.

25. How I learned to swim (dance, type, play an instrument, drive).

26. A time I spent in the hospital.

27. My first bus (train, plane, boat) trip.

28. My pet.

29. Animals I have seen in the zoo.

30. The restaurant I like best.

Bear in mind: Write a deliberate plan of your speech paying special attention to the composition planning and other recommendations (see p. …).

1. The achievements of modern civilization.

2. Modern art trends.

3. What we need to know about the history of our country.

4. Why some species extinct.

5. Genetically modified organisms.

6. Physics is the queen of sciences.

7. Scientists who changed the world.

8. The most important inventions of human civilization.

9. Religion and faith.

10. Ukrainian military organizations during the II World war.

11. Plastic surgery.

12. Democracy in Ukraine.

13. A leader or a tyrant.

14. People of Ukraine and their mentality.

15. Famous Ukrainians.

16. Ukrainian dialects.

17. Ukraine and European Union: perspectives of relations.

18. Diets and health.

19. How to stop the corruption.

20. There are no bad students.

21. Do we need to have so many specialists with higher education.

22. How to avoid robbery.

23. Can the prison change a person.

24. Capital punishment.

25. Extreme kinds of sports.

26. Exotic countries.

27. Nuclear power stations.

28. Longevity: heredity or style of life.

29. Freedom.

30. How to live without quarrels.

2.2.1. Broadcaster’s oral performance.

Study:

1. The best way to learn broadcast style is to listen to radio deejays and television anchors/reporters.
2. Write clearly. Read copy aloud to hear how it sounds.

3. Use conversational style - simple and direct.

4. Transitions are necessary, but pay close attention to how natural they sound in the broadcast.

5. Use active voice.

6. Emphasize the latest news of a continuing story, but give necessary background early to provide context for the story. The rule is that every story should stand on its own.

7. Use present tense, but don’t belabor it. Not every story must sound as if it just happened moments before the newscast.

8. Don’t cram too much information into the lead. The 5 W’s and H lead (from the print media) will confuse audience. Try for a softer lead with non-essential facts that get audience’s attention to the story but are not too complex.

9. At the same time, don’t underestimate your audience and talk down to them.

10. Keep sentences short (easier for broadcaster to say and easier for listener to follow) and economical (give necessary info in as few words as possible).

11. Avoid highly technical words, professional jargon, clichés and obfuscation by bureaucrats.
12. Avoid sexism in pronouns.

13. Find the lead, then tell story chronologically.

14. Answer logical questions, and if you don’t know the answer, say so but do not ignore the question.

15. Use humor sparingly. Humor often muddles the distinction between a serious subject and a lighthearted one.