Broadcast Journalism Quiz

One main difference between print journalism and broadcast journalism is that broadcast journalism:

• Uses far fewer sources for each story

• Relies heavily on the written word alone

• Is delivered through sound and/or visuals rather than just text

• Is never edited before airing

At a small radio station, the news director typically:

• Serves as an on-air anchor only

• Oversees staff, assigns stories, and often reports and writes as well

• Only manages equipment and technical issues

• Works exclusively with the advertising department

Reporters generally gather information for their stories by:

• Making up details for dramatic effect

• Using only information from press releases

• Conducting interviews, doing research, and making observations

• Writing scripts first and finding facts later

When assembling a broadcast news story, journalists usually:

• Begin by writing a full newspaper article and then editing it down

• Collect sound bites, write copy, record voice-overs, and edit it all together

• Only use raw footage without editing

• Skip any revision process before airing

A key element of a television news script is that it:

• Is always written in poetic verse

• Includes instructions for visuals, pacing, and camera shots

• Never includes the reporter’s name

• Is identical to a print news article

Broadcast journalism is often considered more emotionally engaging because:

• It uses complex vocabulary that challenges listeners

• It provides immediate visual and auditory cues, like facial expressions and tone of voice

• It is always shorter than print stories

• It never follows standard ethical guidelines

"Writing for the ear" in broadcast journalism means:

• Using complicated sentences and jargon

• Crafting copy that sounds natural and is easily understood when spoken aloud

• Ignoring pronunciation and pacing

• Speaking as quickly as possible

A split-page script in television news:

• Places all instructions in one long paragraph

• Separates the anchor’s spoken words from production cues, making it easier for the crew and anchor to follow

• Displays a finished transcript only for the director

• Is never used in modern broadcasting

"Natural sound" in radio news is important because it:

• Replaces the need for any verbal narration

• Provides background ambiance that enhances the realism of a story

• Is illegal to use without permission

• Is always louder than the reporter’s voice

"Actualities" in broadcast news are:

• Written transcripts of foreign language interviews

• Sound bites from newsmakers or events that give authenticity and credibility to the story

• Completely fabricated audio clips

• Always replaced by music soundtracks