Chapter 11: Writing for Broadcast

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Broadcast writers often use the acronym ______ as a guiding principle for their work.

A. KISS

B. KITT

C. GIGO

D. ASAP

Learning Objective: 11-1: Explain the differences between broadcast writing style and traditional inverted pyramid.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Nuances for Broadcast Writing

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. ______ writing means sticking firmly to the noun–verb or noun–verb–object sentence structure.

A. Contemporary

B. Concise

C. Communal

D. Concrete

Learning Objective: 11-1: Explain the differences between broadcast writing style and traditional inverted pyramid.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Writing Concisely

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. In broadcast, the audience members only get ______ chance(s) to hear what the reporter said.

A. zero

B. two

C. one

D. three

Learning Objective: 11-2: Apply strategies to write for the ear as opposed to writing for the eye.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Writing to Be Heard

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. In broadcast writing, complex numbers are written ______.

A. in exact numbers

B. in as many decimal places as possible

C. precisely

D. in accurate approximations

Learning Objective: 11-2: Apply strategies to write for the ear as opposed to writing for the eye.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Writing to Be Spoken

Difficulty Level: Hard

5. Radio consumption happens primarily ______.

A. in vehicles

B. at home

C. at work

D. in waiting rooms

Learning Objective: 11-2: Apply strategies to write for the ear as opposed to writing for the eye.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Writing for the Distracted

Difficulty Level: Hard

6. Most broadcast scripts are ______.

A. written in longhand

B. typed and double- or triple-spaced

C. typed and single-spaced

D. hand printed

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. When you type your script, look for opportunities to recast your verbs in ______ tense.

A. past perfect

B. past

C. present

D. future

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. Broadcast scripts often include phonetic elements called ______.

A. platonics

B. phonics

C. announcers

D. pronouncers

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. When you need to use abbreviations, you can use ______ to dictate how you want someone to pronounce something.

A. hyphens and spacing

B. bold

C. title case

D. italics

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Hard

10. Audience members are used to listening to ______ stories.

A. reverse chronological

B. chronological

C. inverted-pyramid

D. expanded inverted-pyramid

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. The lead of a broadcast story is written akin to a ______.

A. paraphrase

B. print or Web lead

C. print or Web headline

D. direct quote

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: The Lead

Difficulty Level: Hard

12. If a print story is a pyramid, a broadcast story is more of a(n) ______.

A. expanded inverted pyramid

B. expanded pyramid

C. rectangle

D. circle

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Body

Difficulty Level: Easy

13. The reporter can use a personal sign-off that includes the station’s call letters in the ______.

A. close

B. lead

C. middle

D. top

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Close

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. When journalists create stories for broadcast, the goal is to use the video and the spoken words to ______.

A. go against each other

B. augment and support each other

C. disappear over time

D. melt into one over time

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Writing to Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. Small portions of interviews are called ______.

A. blurbs

B. snippets

C. soundbites

D. buzz

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Writing Into and Out of Soundbites

Difficulty Level: Easy

16. ______ is the simplest form of storytelling in broadcast, as it involves nothing but a script and the anchor or reporter.

A. Package

B. VO/SOT

C. Voice-over

D. Reader

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Reader

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. The ______ story starts with the journalist reading the first sentence from the story while on camera.

A. voice-over

B. package

C. reader

D. VO/SOT

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Voice-Over

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. ______ integrates the use of a soundbite or two into a story.

A. Package

B. VO/SOT

C. Reader

D. Voice-over

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: VO/SOT

Difficulty Level: Hard

19. In a ______ type of story, reporters edit the video and voice their script in advance so that the entire story is ready to plug into the newscast.

A. VO/SOT

B. reader

C. package

D. voice-over

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Package

Difficulty Level: Hard

20. A ______ type of story involves integrating interaction between the reporter and the anchor during a live newscast.

A. VO/SOT

B. reader

C. package

D. LOS

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: LOS

Difficulty Level: Hard

True/False

1. Broadcast writers often use the acronym KISS as a guiding principle for their work.

Learning Objective: 11-1: Explain the differences between broadcast writing style and traditional inverted pyramid.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Nuances for Broadcast Writing

Difficulty Level: Hard

2. Complex writing is important in broadcast.

Learning Objective: 11-1: Explain the differences between broadcast writing style and traditional inverted pyramid.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Writing Concisely

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. A script written for the ear should appeal to the senses.

Learning Objective: 11-1: Explain the differences between broadcast writing style and traditional inverted pyramid.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Nuances for Broadcast Writing

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. The biggest difference between writing for print-based products and writing for broadcast is not in how the material is received.

Learning Objective: 11-2: Apply strategies to write for the ear as opposed to writing for the eye.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Writing to Be Heard

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Broadcast writing structure isn’t exactly conversational.

Learning Objective: 11-2: Apply strategies to write for the ear as opposed to writing for the eye.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Writing to Be Spoken

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Scripts often include phonetic elements called phonetics.

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. When you need to use abbreviations, you can use hyphens and spacing to dictate how you want someone to pronounce something.

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Broadcast copy tends to use exact numbers.

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Broadcast writing tends to follow less of an inverted-pyramid structure than print or web writing.

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. In broadcast, the writers assume that the audience members are paying full attention to the story.

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Lead

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. The lead of a broadcast story is akin to a print or web headline.

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Lead

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. The first sentence of a broadcast body story will look like a print lead, although still not as detailed.

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Body

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. The final sentence of the story can bring the story full circle and close the loop.

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Close

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. Unlike the other media used to disseminate content, broadcast has a face-to-face component to it that gives it a more impersonal feel for the audience members.

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Writing for the Distracted

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. When journalists create stories for broadcast, the goal is to use the video and the spoken words to augment and support each other.

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Writing to Video

Difficulty Level: Easy

16. Small portions of recorded interviews are called soundbites or actualities.

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Writing Into and Out of Soundbites

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. A decent pace is usually your standard conversational approach, just sped up.

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Polishing Your Final Piece for Delivery

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. VO/SOT stands for “voice-over/sound on tape” and integrates the use of a soundbite or two into a story.

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: VO/SOT

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. The package involves integrating interaction between the reporter and the anchor during a live newscast.

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Package

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. The types of stories broadcast journalists create vary based on length and the integration of video and audio elements.

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Types of Stories

Difficulty Level: Medium

Short Answer

1. What are some things to consider when writing broadcast stories?

Learning Objective: 11-1: Explain the differences between broadcast writing style and traditional inverted pyramid.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Nuances for Broadcast Writing

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. What are some script writing basics?

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. How is a broadcast lead different from a print lead?

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Lead

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. What is the name of the familiar broadcast journalism problem when you don’t have supporting video?

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Writing to Video

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. What ways can you close a broadcast story?

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Close

Difficulty Level: Medium

Essay

1. How can you best prepare broadcast writing?

Learning Objective: 11-2: Apply strategies to write for the ear as opposed to writing for the eye.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Nuances for Broadcast Writing

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. What is the difference between writing for print and writing for broadcast?

Learning Objective: 11-1: Explain the differences between broadcast writing style and traditional inverted pyramid.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Nuances for Broadcast Writing

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. How do broadcast stories and print stories differ in terms of structure?

Learning Objective: 11-5: Apply basics of style to script writing.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Structure

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. How can you integrate additional elements into broadcast writing?

Learning Objective: 11-4: Understand the ways in which writers match words to video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Integrating Additional Elements

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. What are some tips for polishing your final piece for delivery?

Learning Objective: 11-3: Construct a standard broadcast story for delivery without video.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Polishing Your Final Piece for Delivery

Difficulty Level: Medium