video tech notes

Contractions
Make sure to use contractions unless you want to give the sentence emphasis or are reporting a serious story.
Example (good) Jack Neufeld doesn’t want to go to the football game tonight.
Example (bad): Jack Neufeld does not want to go to the football game tonight.
Pronouns
Using pronouns humanizes your work and make sure to use the right noun for what you’re talking about. You personalize or make sure the audience knows who you’re talking about.
Example (good example for personal): We’re in for the time of your life.
Example (bad): you’re in for the time of your life.
Verb Tense
Make sure you use the right tense and try to stay away from the past tense. You can use various verb tenses in a sentence just make sure it makes sense.
Example (good): Elementary teacher Josh Avalon has died.
Example (bad); Elementary teacher Josh Avalon is dead.
Time Elements
You should always tell your listeners the time frame of something but try to avoid saying “today” all the time. Make sure you put the time element in a place where it makes sense.
Example (good): A horrible storm hit Portage la Prairie early this morning.
Example (bad): This morning a horrible storm hit Portage la Prairie.
Verb Voice
Make sure when you use a verb use an active voice instead of a passive voice.( you can use a passive voice but keep it down to minimum)
Example (good): The batter hit the ball.
Example (bad): The ball was hit by the batter.
Abbreviations
Never use them unless they are very well known because the audience wants know what you are talking about. Use Hyphens between letters you want pronounced separately.
Example (good): Portage Collegiate Institute is the best school in Portage la Prairie.
Example (bad): P.C.I is the best school in PLP.
Numbers
Try to write numbers easily for newscasters to read them and don’t use symbols spell them out. Digits over two should be written out as numerals with their proper endings. You can also round up numbers to make them easier to read and never use am or pm for time. ( times of day, phone numbers and addresses can be used as numerals)
Examples
One, two, three and four instead of 1, 2, 3 and 4
140 dollars instead of $140
!0 centimeters and 120 kilometers instead of 10 cm and 120 km
10 -point -2 –million instead of 10.2 million
About 600 instead of 599
6:00 this afternoon instead of 6:00 PM
Punctuation
Is good to help the newscaster understand what they are reading better.
The cure for cancer the scientists at the lab indicate……is an apple a day