The Techniques of How to Write the Radio News Manuscript

by Ali Margosim

Although it is an audio media, the manuscript and the radio news are relation to the process of writing. But, the technique and the form of manuscript are different to another news media.

Because the radio rely on the listener’s ears, so the letter that will be explained must brief, but clear. According to the theory, it called KISS-Keep it short and simple. In order to flexible and sounds good. To write the radio manuscript, it must use a conversation language.

The important things in the writing manuscript are:
Don’t use the compound sentences
Don’t use the negative words
Don’t use the passive sentence
Don’t too much in using numbers especially the difficult numbers. If the fact of being forced, it must be simplied by using words such as around, about, between, more less, etc.
Don’t too much in using abbreviation
Don’t too much in using foreign term
To make easy for the newscaster, write the name, number, or foreign term with the pronunciation. Example 270 can be written in “two hundreds and seventy”. Writer can be written in “wraite”, etc.
The degree or strata usually is not be needed except if it has relation to the news contents
Remember, one news one story, one sentence one idea
Be usual to make an interesting headline to interest the listener
The duration is not too long