PUBLIC RELATIONS370February 28, 2011

WHY THINK TV AND RADIO

• Radio reaches about 94% of adults daily

• Local television news reaches 150 million viewers daily

• The average American family spends 7 hours watching TV

RADIO AND TV WRITING VERNACULAR

• Reader: Anchor reading a story on camera.

• VO: Anchor reading a story with video rolling over as the anchor reads

• SOT: Sound On Tape. This is a person saying something.

• VO/SOT: Anchor reading over video, with a soundbite from a newsmaker

• Package: What reporters usually do. Preproduced segment with voice track, video and sound

• Natural Sound: Sound from the scene. This is critical to have in anything you send.

RADIO WRITING NUANCES• All caps,

• Give time,

• More conversational…use the word “You.”

• You don’t have to use AP Style.

• Spell out numbers. It’s fifty-four…not 54• Don’t use a comma….use ellipses to allow the reader to

breathe.• Make sure you indent properly between sentences. Leave

enough space.

RADIO WRITING NUANCES• Audio news releases (ANRs)

• Ready to play with script and audio provided.• Many local radio stations are desperate for content.

• Public service announcements (PSAs)

• Unpaid announcement for government or nonprofit organizations.

• As short as five seconds, thirty seconds max.• Radio media tours

• Telephone interviews around the country from one location.• Morning shows are even more desperate for content.

TELEVISION NEWS WRITING • Write to your video.

• Don’t hit it with a sledgehammer.

• It’s OK to use first, second or third person. Write the way you would speak to your friends.

WRITING TO VIDEO THINK ABOUT VIDEO • There’s a lot of crappy bad video.

• Pans• Zooms• Hollow Audio• Shaky Video

WRITING TO VIDEO THINK ABOUT VIDEO • Video should mirror the human eye

• Shoot and move• Wide, medium, tight, super tight.• Quick pacing.

• Storytelling matters

• Capture the moment• Find characters• Use Natural Sound• Your writing should serve as bridges between emotional

soundbites.• Commitment statement. Commitment statement. Commitment

statement. Commitment statement. Commitment statement.

THINK ABOUT GOOD VIDEO• ID Characters

• ID Moments

• ID Natural Sound

• ID Surprises

• Think about shot composition.

• Think about audio

• Think about writing to video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvfaCuVveVw

VIDEO NEWS RELEASE

VNR packages include

• News report with voiceover narration

• Extra soundbites and B-roll

• Clear identification of the video source

• Script, spokesperson information, media contacts, background information

• Give editors flexibility…make your video and soundbites longer than you normally would

PERSONAL APPEARANCES AND PRODUCT PLACEMENT

• Talk shows

• Analyze format, p• Provide guest’s expertise and personality, • Prepare guest

• Magazine shows

• Human interest, • In-depth

PRODUCT PLACEMENT

Identifiable product in programming

• Issue placement: Getting issues integrated into scripts

• Radio promotions: Sponsorship of nonprofit or community events

• Community calendars: Listing of upcoming events

• Documentary videos: Especially useful for cable systems

LET’S TALK SPEECHWRITING

SPEECHWRITINGAUDIENCE RESEARCH

•WHO

•WHAT

•WHEN

•WHERE

•HOW MANY PEOPLE

•WHAT TIME OF DAY

•LENGTH

•WHAT IS THE PURPOSE

•WHO ELSE IS TALKING

SPEECHWRITINGLAYING THE FOUNDATION

• OBJECTIVE

•APPROACH

•STRATEGY

NONE OF THIS CAN BE DONE IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE SPEAKER’S STYLE

•PODIUM

•POWERPOINT

•HOW GOOD ARE THEY IN FRONT OF A GROUP?

SPEECHWRITING

NONE OF THIS CAN BE DONE IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE SPEAKER’S STYLE

•PODIUM

•POWERPOINT

•HOW GOOD ARE THEY IN FRONT OF A GROUP?

•ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DEALING WITH CREATE AN OUTLINE THAT MEETS THE OBJECTIVES YOU OUTLINED

SPEECHWRITING NUANCES•USE PERSONAL PRONOUNS

•AVOID JARGON

•USE ROUND NUMBERS

PUBLIC SPEAKING IS BASED ON THE IDEA OF CONVERSATION. DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE

CONVERSATIONAL

SPEECHWRITING NUANCES

• USE CONTRACTIONS

• AVOID MODIFIERS…“VERY” IS VERY BAD.

• AVOID EMPTY PHRASES…IN SPITE OF

• WE’VE ALL BEEN IN THE ROOM FOR SPEECHES THAT WENT TOO LONG. STATE YOUR CASE. DON’T OVERSTATE YOUR CASE

SPEECHWRITING NUANCES

• BOLD VERBS

• THINGS DON’T GO UP; THEY SKYROCKET• YOU DON’T WIN; YOU LEFT THE COMPETITION IN THE

DUST• VARY YOUR SENTENCE LENGTH.

• USE QUESTIONS TO ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE

• COMPARE AND CONTRAST

SPEECHWRITING

• A DOUBLE SPACED PAGE IS ABOUT TWO MINUTES

• DON’T BE AFRAID TO TIME THE SPEAKER.

• DON’T BE SURPRISED TO WRITE MUTIPLE DRAFTS.

SPEECHWRITINGNUANCES

• THE LEAD ISN’T AS IMPORTANT.

• MANY PEOPLE ARE SETTLING DOWN AND WON’T HERE WHAT YOU SAY.

• USE THAT FIRST :30 TO THANK PEOPLE OR TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT BREAKFAST IS

• GIVE SPECIFICS• PEOPLE REMEMBER LESS OF WHAT

YOU SAY LIVE• POP YOUR KEY POINTS

SPEECHWRITING NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

93% OF COMMUNICATION OCCURS THROUGH VOCAL AND NONVERBAL PERFORMANCE.

•SMILE•POSTURE•EYE CONTACT•ANIMATION•KINETICS (MOTION)

SPEECHWRITINGVISUAL AIDS

• SIGHT ACCOUNTS FOR 83% OF WHAT WE LEARN.

• WHEN A VISUAL COMMAND IS COUPLED WITH A VOICE COMMAND, RETENTION INCREASES 50%

• COLOR INCREAES INFORMATION ACCESS 26%

• VIDEO CAN INCREASE RETENTION BY 50%

• THE MORE BELLS AND WHISTLES, THE LESS TIME YOU NEED TO TALK.

SPEECHWRITING VISUAL AIDS

• POWERPOINT SUPPORTS A PRESENTATION. IT’S NOT THE WHOLE SHOW.

• DON’T REGURGIATE EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON A SLIDE.

• OFFER ADDED ANALYSIS ON SLIDES THAT YOU DON’T GO OVER IN THE PRESENTATION. LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE.

SPEECHWRITING VISUAL AIDS• POWERPOINT SUPPORTS A PRESENTATION. IT’S NOT

THE USE SLIDESHARE.NET

• USE SLIDES AS A CHANCE TO NETWORK.

• THINK ABOUT HASHTAGS

• OFFER YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION

OTHER FORMS OF SPEAKING

• PANEL DISCUSSIONS

• DEBATES

• EXECUTIVE TRAINING

• SPEAKER’S BUREAU

OTHER FORMS OF SPEAKING

ALL OF THESE CAN:

•ACCOMPLISH GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR COMPANY

•ATTACT MEDIA COVERAGE

•GET YOU IN FRONT OF DECISION MAKERS

•CREATE EXTENDED REACH FOR YOUR BRAND

FINAL TWO IN CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

TODAY:

Find five reporters to pitch for your media kit.

One of the five must be a blogger.

Explain why you picked who you picked in a memo to me due by Wednesday at the start of class.

WEDNESDAY AT FIVE

I want a :30 PSA on your organization.

You can pick it it’s for Radio or TV.

Remember the formatting we talked about in class.