Broadcasting
How many thoughts should be in a sentence of broadcast?
One.
Is the correct version national anthem or National Anthem?
It's lowercased as national anthem, but "The Star-Spangled Banner" is capitalized.
AP: p. 199
Which is correct: OBGYN or OB-GYN?
OB-GYN: You never have to spell out the whole thing, but you do need the hyphen.
What is the main rule to use when covering race in a story?
Look up current preferred terms; ask for preferred terms for people involved, consider when it is an irrelevant factor, since drawing unnecessary to any race can be considered bigotry.
When are seasons capitalized? When are they lowercase?
Lowercase when alone: winter, spring, summer...
News articles focus on details and completeness. What do broadcasts focus on?
Immediacy
Please give the rules for each type of numeral:
1. What is the rule for numbers less than nine?
2. What is the rule for ages?
3. What is the rule for centuries?
4. What is the rule for grades in school?
5. What is the rule for numbers in the millions and up?
6. What is the rule for sports scores?
1. Less than nine = spelled out
2. Ages = numbers with hyphens if an adjective (the five-year-old girl; no hyphens, if a noun (the 5 year old)
3. 10 or higher = numbers (21st century); under 10 = spelled out (fifth century)
4. 10 and above = numbers (10th grade); under 10 = spelled out (ninth grade)
5. Use numbers when in the millions, billions, & trillions (1 billion, 2 trillion, etc.)
6. Sports scores = Numbered, with hyphens (5-2 loss)
How should you refer to older people? What are the preferred terms?
Senior citizens, seniors or elderly are all acceptable, especially in headlines. In the story itself, aim to be more specific = people 62 and older, etc.
What is the difference between "raised" and "reared"?
All living beings can be raised; only humans can be reared.
Reared = to bring up and care for a child
According to AP style, when should you use "shall" and when should you use "will"?
Shall = to express determination
Will = is typically for all other cases
What is used to express pauses in a broadcast script? What punctuation is rarely used?
... = pause
Exclamation points and questions are rarely used.
Children's names in AP style have different rules than adults. When a person is under 15, what is the rule for how you address them?
What is the exception to that rule? (Must get both for the points)
Children under 15 can be addressed with their first name after the first reference.
EXCEPTION: If it's a murder case (or something else serious), you treat them as adults and use their last name on second reference.
P. 199
What is the difference between palate, palette, and pallet?
Palate = roof of the mouth
Palatte = artist's painting board
Pallet = a low platform, flat transport structure, or a small bed filled with straw and used directly on the floor
Which is correct?
1. Rock 'n' roll
2. Rock 'n roll
3. Rock and roll
4. Rock & roll
1. Rock 'n' roll, except for the hall of fame, which is spelled Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Smart devices are always spelled as two words, except for two. What are they?
Ex. smart TVs, smart homes...
1. Smartwatches
2. Smartphones
If you have to quote someone in a broadcast, what do you say?
If you have to quote it: Mayor John Jones says…and I’m quoting now…”That jerk of a Councilman will never get me to approve of a new thoroughfare.”
When are nautical miles and knots used in AP style?
Never. Although they refer to the distance and speed measurements of air and naval personnel, they aren't used in AP since few people know what they equal.
Nautical mile = 1.15 traditional miles
Knot = 1 nautical mile per hour
AP: p. 201
When can you change a quote? How do you do so?
If the quote contains many errors, paraphrase it. If it has a minor error, such as using towards instead of toward, leave it.
However, you can update style: For example, if someone refers to a certain amount of money or a number, you can write it according to AP style = $3, No. 1, etc.
Never use parenthesis to explain.
Where is the "Rust Belt"?
Areas of the Midwest and Northeast where factories are old and closed. For example, Detroit, MI.
Sneaked or snuck? Which should be used as the past tense of sneak?
Sneaked. "Snuck" is considered slang/too casual.
What is the main difference in how the 5Ws & H are organized in a broadcast compared to a news article? Why is this?
Broadcast stories delay significant facts in order to give the audience time to warm up to the story and spread the 5Ws & H over many sentences to keep engagement and simplicity.
In AP, you have to include definitions of terms related to nuclear energy. What are the definitions of core, fission, gray, meltdown, and uranium?
Bonus: What do roentgen & sievert refer to?
Core: This is the part of a nuclear reactor that contains the fuel and releases energy.
Fission: This is the releasing of energy.
Gray: This is the standard measure of radiation a material has absorbed (Gy).
Meltdown: The worst possible nuclear accident in which the reactor core overheats to such a degree that the fuel melts (can penetrate the housing and get into the environment).
Uranium: a metallic, radioactive element used as fuel in nuclear reactors
Bonus:
Roentgen = measure of X-ray exposure
Sievert = amount of radiation absorbed by living tissue
Presently means in a little while or shortly, NOT now.
What is the difference between riot, unrest, protest/demonstration, or revolt/uprising?
Riot = wild or violent disturbance of the peace, uncontrolled chaos
Unrest = vaguer, milder term for a condition of angry discontent that could lead to revolt
Protest = specific actions, such as marches, sit-ins, rallies that are man to register dissent. Can be legal or illegal, peaceful or violent, organized or spontaneous.
Revolt = a sustained period of protests or unrest against powerful groups or governing systems; broader, civil upheaval
What EIGHT state names are never abbreviated in the dateline or text of a story?