2/28/2016

BBCNEWS|SchoolReport|Scriptwritingtipsandrealexamples

LowGraphicsversion|Accessibilityhelp

SchoolReport
Teachers'resources
Studentreports
SchoolReport2012

Help

Pagelastupdatedat15:33GMT,Tuesday,15July200816:33UK
Emailthistoafriend

Printableversion

Scriptwritingtipsandrealexamples

SchoolReportFirstClick
Projectnews
Usefullinks
Contactus
Newsfeeds

Hereareafewscriptwriting
tipsandexamplesofrealBBC
scriptswhichteachersmight
findusetomodelsforwriting
TVandradionews.

BBCNEWSSCHOOLREPORT
Mapofparticipatingschools

RELATEDBBCSITES
NEWS

ThesamplescriptsarefromBBC
RadioNews.

Findyourschoolinouralphabeticallist
Registerfor201213

SPORT
CBBCNEWSROUND
ONTHISDAY
EDITORS'BLOG
WEATHER

BBCpresenterHuwEdwards

PROJECTBASICS
SchoolReport:twominuteoverview
WhatisBBCNewsSchoolReport?

SCRIPTWRITINGTIPS
Decidehowlongyourentireprogrammeshouldbe.Atypicalradio
newsbulletinisbetweentwoandthreeminuteslong.
Havingallocatedthetotallengthofyourprogramme,decideonthe
lengthofeachreport.Mostpeoplespeakatthreewordsasecond,
sothescriptfora30secondreportcontainsabout90words.This
worksheetwillhelpyou.

Frequentlyaskedquestions
SchoolReportpaperwork
RESOURCESFORTEACHERS

Lesson1:Findingnews

Keepingyournewssafeandlegal
PrepareyourschoolwebpageFAQ

Worksheet3.2:Scripttemplate

Howolderstudentscantakepart

Thinkaboutyouraudienceanduseappropriatelanguage.
Writeasyouspeak.Youdon'thavetouseformallanguage.
Keepreadingyourscriptsout
loudtocheckhowtheysound.

MASTERCLASSHIGHLIGHTS
Reportingevents

Findingnews

Avoidrepeatingthesameword
toooften.

Presenting

Writeanywordswhicharetricky
topronouncephonetically.Look
attheFiveLivescriptbelowfor
anexampleofhowtodothis.
FiveLivescript

NewspresenterFionaBruce

Livenupyourreportswithlotsofinterviewsandsoundorvideo
clips.Longsectionsofscript,containingonlythepresenter'swords,
canbecomeboring.
Remembertotelltheaudiencewhosaidwhat.Inotherwords,credit
yoursources.

TOPSCHOOLREPORTSTORIES
FebruaryPracticeNewsDayasithappened
Facebookbossrespondstocriticism
Changingsports
|Newsfeeds

Radio4script

Ifyoudidnotmanagetorecordthebestquoteoftheinterview,but
youdidwriteitdown,donotbetemptedtoreadthequoteoutloud.
It'sbettertoparaphraselikeRadio4havedoneinthisexample:
TonyBlairhassaidremarkableprogressisbeingmadein
AfghanistanandthatBritainiscommittedtosupportingthecountry.
Analyseasmanyprogrammesasyoucan.Itmighthelpstudentsto
answerthesequestions:
Howlongwastheprogramme?
Werethereheadlines?
Diditcontainmusic?Remember,inordertousemusicinYOUR

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/6180944.stm#3

1/4

2/28/2016

BBCNEWS|SchoolReport|Scriptwritingtipsandrealexamples
newsyouhavetocomposeityourselforobtainpermissionforit's
use.Breakingcopyrightlawisaformofstealing.
Howmanystoriesdidtheprogrammecontain?
Howlongwereeachofthereports?
Whatwasthelanguagelike?
Whichsoundandvideoclipswereused?
Didyoufinditinteresting?

EXAMPLERADIOSCRIPTS
BelowarethreeBBCradio
scripts,allbroadcastonthesame
day.
Itisinterestingtocomparethe
differentstoriesandthechoiceof
languageadoptedbyeach
programme,andtodiscusshow
thisrelatestoaudience.
Itisalsointerestingtonotethat
allthescriptsarequiteshort.
Askingstudentstoreadthemout
loudandtimethemselves
encouragesthemtobeCONCISE
whenwritingtheirownscripts
oneofthethreekeywritingskills
involvedinjournalism.

THREECs
Clear
Correct
Concise

Key
Eachscriptiswrittenforapresentertoreadout.Itmighthelp
studentstothinkofanewsscriptlikethelinesofaplaywithan
invisiblePRESENTER:atthebeginning.
Thepointatwhichasoundclipisplayed,andthepresenterstops
reading,ismarkedbyAudioinsertNAME:
Thewordsatthebeginning(INWORDS)andendofeachclip(OUT
WORDS)andthelengthinminutesandseconds(DURATION)of
theclipareshownsothepresenterknowswhentostartreading
again.

Radio4script
FiveLivescript
Radio1'sNewsbeatscript

Radio4
TonyBlairhassaidremarkableprogressisbeingmadein
AfghanistanandBritainiscommittedtosupportingthecountry.He
wastalkingaftermeetingtheAfghanPresident,HamidKarzai,inthe
capital,Kabul.MrBlairsaidthepeopleofAfghanistandeservedto
liveinaproperdemocraticstate.
AudioinsertNAME:AFGHANBLAIR
INWORDS:Ourcommitment...
OUTWORDS:...challengeswithyou.
DURATION:0'11''
TheIraqigovernmenthasrejectedclaimsfromaninternational
humanrightsgroupthatthetrialofSaddamHusseinwasunfair.
HumanRightsWatchsaid,amongotherthings,keyevidencehadn't
beendisclosedtothedefenceinadvance.
DozensofPalestinianshaveconvergedonahousewhichthey
believeisunderthreatfromIsraeliwarplanes.Thisisthesecond
timeinrecentdayscivilianshavebeenurgedtoactashuman
shieldsatthehomesofmilitantsinGaza.OnSaturday,Israelcalled

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/6180944.stm#3

2/4

2/28/2016

BBCNEWS|SchoolReport|Scriptwritingtipsandrealexamples
offaplannedairstrike.
TheAmericantechnicalstockexchange,Nasdaq,haslauncheda
takeoverbidfortheLondonStockExchange.Nasdaqistryingto
challengethedominanceofitsmainrival,theNewYorkStock
Exchange.
HealthunionshavecriticisedproposalsforNHShospitalstobeable
toadvertiseforpatients.TheDepartmentofHealthhaswarned
trustsnottospendtoomuchonmarketingtheirservices.Doctor
LaurenceBuckman,fromtheBritishMedicalAssociation,rejected
theidea.
AudioinsertNAME:NHSBUCKMAN
INWORDS:Patientswant...
OUTWORDS:...careforpatients.
DURATION:0'09''
EnvironmentalprotestersareblockadingabigShellpetrolstationin
Birmingham.Theysaythey'reangrythattheimpactoftheoilgiant's
workontheenvironmentandalsothewaytheybelieveittreats
peopleinthirdworldcountries.
Backtotop

RadioFiveLive
TonyBlairhassaidremarkableprogressisbeingmadein
AfghanistanandBritainiscommittedtosupportingthecountry.He
wastalkingaftermeetingtheAfghanPresident,HamidKarzai,inthe
capital,Kabul.Atanewsconference,MrBlairsaidthepeopleof
Afghanistandeservedtoliveinaproperdemocraticstate.Hegave
thispledge:
AudioinsertNAME:AFGHANBLAIR
INWORDS:Iwantto
OUTWORDS:withyou
DURATION:0'23''
AformerRussiansecurityagentremainsinaseriousconditionin
hospitalinLondon,wherehe'sbeingtreated,underpoliceguard,for
theeffectsofpoisoning.AlexanderLitvinenko,anoutspokencriticof
PresidentPutin,wastakenillaftermeetingacontactatasushibar.
TheSundayTimesreporter,DavidLeppard,toldFiveLiveMr
Litvinenkowaskeentotellhisstoryeventhoughhewasseriously
ill.
AudioinsertNAME:RUSSIALEPPARDACT
INWORDS:Iwastold....
OUTWORDS:.....myinterviewwithhim.
DURATION:0'20''
Apoliceofficerwhowasseriouslyinjuredwhenhispatrolcar
overturnedinLeedsonSaturdaymorninghasdied.The36yearold
officerwasrespondingtoacallwhentheaccidenthappened.
DozensofPalestinianshaveconvergedonahousewhichthey
believeisunderthreatfromIsraeliwarplanes.Thisisthesecond
timeinrecentdayscivilianshavebeenurgedtoactashuman
shieldsatthehomesofmilitantsinGaza.FromthetownofBeit
Lahiya,here'sAlanJohnston.
AudioinsertNAME:GAZAJOHNSTON
INWORDS:Theowner...
OUTWORDS:...Saturdaynight.
DURATION:0'35''
Rescueteamssearchingfortwoiceclimbersmissinginthe
Cairngormsovernightsaytheymayhavebeencaughtinan
avalanche.Thepair,bothfromtheAberdeenarea,hadbeen
climbingintheCoireantSneachda(PRON:CORRYANSNECHDA)
areayesterday.Thealarmwasraisedwhentheyfailedtoturnupat
ameetingpoint.
EnvironmentalprotestersareblockadingoneofthemainShellpetrol
stationsinBirmingham.Theysaythey'reangrythattheimpactof
theoilgiant'sworkontheenvironmentandalsothewayittreats
peopleinthirdworldcountries.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/6180944.stm#3

3/4

2/28/2016

BBCNEWS|SchoolReport|Scriptwritingtipsandrealexamples
Inthecity,theonehundredshareindexisdown33at6158.
Backtotop

Radio1Newsbeat
AformerRussiansecretagent'scriticallyillafterclaimshewas
poisoned
AnexRussianspy'sunderpoliceguardinhospitalafterclaimshis
government'striedtokillhiminaLondonrestaurant.It'sthought
AlexanderLitvinenko'swaspoisonedwithachemicalcalledthalium.
He'dmetacontacttotryandexposewhomurderedareporter
who'dheavilycriticisedtheRussianPresidentVladamirPutin.
AlexanderGoldfarb'shisfriend.
GOTOAUDIONAME:r1monRussianSpyGoldfarb
OUTWORDS:canhardlytalk
DURATION:0'11"
TonyBlair'sthankedBritishtroopsinAfghanistanforthecourage
they'veshownfightingtheTaliban.Hespentanhourandahalf
talkingtosoldiersatthemainBritishcampinHelmandprovince.
Thegovernment'sputtingmoremoneyintoapupilmentoring
schemeinschoolstotrytostopbullying.Itcomesasanewreport
says20thousandchildrenareskippingclasseseverydaybecauseof
bullying...
GOTOAUDIONAME:0800bullying
OUTWORDS:theirresponsibilityto
DURATION:0'09"
Mountainrescueteamsaresearchingfortwoiceclimberswho've
gonemissingintheCairngorns.It'sthoughtmayhavebeencaught
inanavalanche.MichaelMulford'sfromRAFKinloss...
GOTOAUDIONAME:1030climbers
OUTWORDS:suddenunanticipatedavalanches
DURATION:0'07"
BlackburnandSpursbothendedupwithtenmenina1alldrawat
EwoodPark.RedcardsforTugay(tooguy)andHossamGhalyand
MartinJolgotintoanargumentwiththeref.
AndmoreproblemsforHeartsintheSPLaftera10defeatat
hometoRangerstherewasafansprotestcallingforcaptainSteven
PresslytoberecalledandownerVladimirRomanovtogo.
RadioOneNewsbeat..moreat...11.30...
Backtotop

Emailthistoafriend

Printableversion

Bookmarkwith:
Delicious

Whatarethese?
Digg

reddit

Facebook

StumbleUpon

BBCCopyrightNotice
MMVII
Backtotop^^
TermsofUse
PrivacyPolicy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/6180944.stm#3

4/4