Basic Guidelines for Radio News Scriptwriting (FILIPINO VERSION)

A. Una sa lahat, ang pagsulat ng balita sa radyo ay isinusulat lamang sa tagapakinig, HINDI SA MAMBABASA
MAN O TAGAPANOOD. Upang mas maintindihan ang pagsulat ng balita, maaring sundin ang mga sumusunod:
a. Alalahanin na ang pagsulat ng balita ay nakatuon lamang sa tagapakinig, kaya naman, ang pagsulat ay
dapat malinaw at madaling maintindihan.
b. Wala ni anumang salita ang mahirap bigkasin o ni nangangailangan pang salitang ipaliwanag ng diksyunaryo.
B. Pre-Writing Stage (Hakbang bago sumulat ng balita)
a. Gumawa ng outline. Tukuyin ang mga elemento ng storya. Tanungin ang sarili: Sino? Ano? Saan? Kailan?
Bakit? At Paano?
b. Sumulat ng teaser. Ito ang gagamitin mo upang bigyan ng patikim ang tagapakinig bago i-ere ang balita.
Kailangang hindi hahaba kaysa sa pangungusap.
c. Sumulat ng pangunahing pangungusap (lead sentence). Ito ang ginagamit upang makuha ang atensyon
ng tagapakinig. Maging KLARO at MAG-INGAT sa mga salitang gagamitin sa iyong unang talata.
i. NEWS VALUES:

1. Prominence – Popularidad 6. Oddity – Pambihira at Di Pangkaraniwan

2. Proximity – Kalapitan 7. Human Interest – Apela sa emosyon ng tao
3. Currency – Pinakapinag-uusapan 8. Change – pagbabago ng kapangyarihan/posisyon sa pamamahala
4. Timeliness – Pinakabagong anggulo ng istorya 9. Drama – Misteryo, Kababalaghan, Katatawanan
5. Consequence – Kahalagahan ng pangyayari 10. Conflict – Awayan ng magkabilang panig

d. Isulat ang katawan ng storya. Isama ang LAHAT ng mahahalagang impormasyon, bilang at PUNTO. Sa
isang balitang pangradyo, karaniwang tumatakbo lamang trenta segundo (65 words) hanggang isang
minuto (130 words).
e. Sumulat ng kongklusyon. Saan papunta ang storya? Paano mo tatapusin ang kwento?. Kinakailangang
mabanggit ang mga mahahalagang punto ng istorya.
f. Kailangang MABILIS NA MATINGNAN AGAD ang script at UNAWAIN ang nilalaman. Lalo na ang tamang
salitang gagamitin na ANGKOP SA PANDINIG. Ipakita ang script sa copy-editor na maaring tukuyin ang
mga mali sa istorya.
g. Patingnan sa Time Keeper ang bilang ng salita:
i. 10 seconds = 25 words
ii. 15 seconds = 35 words
iii. 20 seconds = 45 words
iv. 30 seconds = 65 words
v. 60 seconds =130 words
h. Trabaho ng Copy Editor. Panatilihing SARIWA. HUWAG ULITIN ang nilalaman ng teaser at lead. Ito ang
kadalasang pagkakamali ng isang balita.
i. Madaliing ipasa sa encoder ang pinal na balita sa computer.

C. Pangkabuoang Babala sa Pagsulat ng Balita sa Radyo

a. Limitahan ang bilang ng isang balita. Mas maraming bilang, mas nakakalito.
b. Gawing MAS KAUNTI ang pangungusap upang mas makahinga ang taga-ulat.
c. Gawing aktibo ang pangungusap: “Inakyat niya ang bubungan ng mga bahay” sa halip na “Ang mga
bubungan ng bahay ay inakyat ng isang tao.”
d. Gawing kasalukuyan ang nagaganap na balita. Sundan ang pinakahuling kaganapan.
e. HUWAG haluan ng personal na opinyon ang balita.
f. HUWAG gayahin o kopyahin ang nilalaman ng bawat salitang nakapaloob sa anuman istoryang
pinagmumulan ng balita.
D. Setting your Word Document before encoding:
i. Under HOME Tab
1. HIGHLIGHTING Shortcut: (Ctrl + A)
2. BOLD Shortcut: (Ctrl + B)
3. FONT: Arial SIZE: 12 Shortcut: (Ctrl + Shift + F)
4. PARAGRAPH:
a. JUSTIFIED Shortcut: (Ctrl + J)
b. LINE SPACING click “2.0”; click (Ctrl + A); click “Remove Space After Paragraph”
ii. Under Page Layout Tab
1. PAGE SETUP: Margins: 1”; Paper Size: Letter (8.5” x 11”)
2. LAYOUT: click “Line Numbers”; check the “Add Line Numbering”;
3. LINE NUMBERING: From text: Increase to 0.1” (recommended)
a. Numbering: click “Continues”
iii. Additional Shortcuts (FOR FASTER ENCODING)
1. COPY AND PASTE: (Ctrl + C ; Ctrl + V)
2. PRINT: (Ctrl + P)
iv. General Guidelines for Technical Scriptwriting
1. All Character Notations are in CAPS (ex. TAL. 1; TAL 2; MOTHER; CHILD)
2. All Technical (SFX and MSC) designations are also in CAPS
a. Sound Effects (SFX 1: HEADLINE STINGER)
b. Music MSC 2: ‘TITLE’ (TECH. INSTRUCTIONS)
i. Ex: MSC 2: ‘THE LAZY SONG’ (FADE IN… UP… DOWN TO BG LEVEL)
ii. *Only Music Notations are underlined
c. Talents
i. Ex: MOTHER: (GENTLY)

E. Glossary of Broadcasting/Broadcast News Terms (APPEARS IN THE SCRIPT)

TECHNICAL TERMS FOR TALENTS AND DIRECTING

BUMPER – music played in intro news segments.
[Ex. MSC 2: ‘BUMPER’ (FADE IN..UP…DOWN…UNDER BG LEVEL)]
CUE (FOR DIRECTOR) – usually a physical signal by engineer or other technical person indicting to anchor to
perform a task (start reading, wrap up, go to break).
COOL OUT – gradual fade of music at the conclusion of a news report.
[Ex. MSC 3: ‘LOCAL NEWS BED’ (COOL OUT)]
FEED - A live or recorded report or a set of recorded reports sent to a station/newsroom via satellite, phone, or
other device for inclusion in a news program.

RESUME FROM COMM. GAP

(Example: TAL. 1 (LIVE FEED) Kapapasok lamang na balita…)
LEAD-IN – broadcast term for beginning part of story news anchor reads introducing the story and/or person
reporting story.
(EX. LEAD-IN: Patuloy pa rin ang palitan ng missiles sa pagitan ng North Korea at South Korea…)
LOCK-OUT (live) – usually the last thing a reporter says in either a live or recorded news story (i.e. PKG)
indicating the piece is ending.
 (Ex. LOCK-OUT: Para sa 97.2 MindaNews FM, NAME Aktibo sa balita)
OUTRO – usually the “Goodbye” or end segment of a newscast often during which news/wx/sports anchors
engage in “happy talk.”
(Ex. TAL.1: Nagsasabing sa (LOUDER) “Oras ng pagmamatyag, kami ay laging namamayagpag)
LINEUP - A chronological outline or order of stories or segments to be used in a newscast. This is the producer's
blueprint for the newscast.
[Ex. TAL.1: (READ LINEUP) Narito na ang mga umaatikabong balita sa nakalipas na dalawang oras.]
RUNNING TIME - Refers either to the estimated time or the actual time of a newscast. Producers/editors should
always estimate the running time of the newscast based on the actual time of each recorded report and her or
his best guess as to the time of each intro and each story to be read by the anchor.
[Ex. Running Time: 5MINS.]

CLOCK
schedule of a broadcast hour, with precise time in minutes and seconds allotted for the various programming
segments; for example, a clock might begin "00:00-01:30 -- news," "01:30-02:30 -- spots," and so forth; often
represented as a pie chart resembling an analog clock.
[Ex. TAL.3: (CLOCK: “02:30 – 03:30”—NEWS) Abot tuhod ang baha…]
SEGUE - smooth transition from one scene or topic to another.
[Ex. SEGUE: MSC 1: (CROSSFADE) – MSC 2: ‘INT’L NEWS BED’ (FADE IN..UP…DOWN…UNDER BG LEVEL)]
STD INTRO - Standard Intro found at the very first line numbering of a news script. Cue as the broadcast
program starts. [Ex. STD INTRO: MSC 1: PROGRAM ID BEDDING (FADE IN…UP…DOWN…UNDER BG LEVEL)]
STD EXTRO - Standard Extro found at the very LAST line numbering of a news script. Cue as the broadcast
program ends. [Ex. STD EXTRO: MSC 7: PROGRAM ID BEDDING (FADE UP…EST…DOWN…AND OUT)]
-END-

F. Initial Preparations before Going Live (Broadcasting)

a. Practice! WHY? Because Practice Makes PERMANENCE! Back-up with earnest prayers.
b. Don’t abuse your voice.
c. Use Proper Phrasing (it would be better to mark slashes between phrases to breathe)
d. Secure your OWN copy.
e. For Tech. D: Check ALL THE EQUIPMENT BEFORE Broadcast. Familiarize more about mixing.
f. For Director: Secure ALL THE FUNCTIONING MICS. If there’s a defect, better not to use it.
g. For Talents: Choose your compatible microphone. Anchor holds the most conditioned mike; Test all the
microphones by saying “TEST MIC”. Mix the concentrated microphone for low voiced talent to a higher
volume and vice versa.

G. Seconds before the Broadcast

a. Take a deep breath and release the air smoothly.
b. Smile and BE EXCITED!
c. Think as if you are already working in a real broadcasting company.
d. Talents? Eyes on the Time Keeper/Director/Judges or someone who is in-charge of the “cue”
e. Director? Eyes on the in-charge of the “Go Signal”
f. Tech D? Test ALL THE MUSIC; Signal the Director to secure that all the connections were properly
settled.

H. During the Broadcast

a. Talents? Give your best performance
b. Analyze, speak clearly and seriously; emphasize words
c. Be dynamic and compassionate
d. Create your own style without sacrificing the justice of the art broadcasting.
e. Smile at all times.
f. Director? Keep an eye of your Technical Director and Talents. *Perform CLEARLY your hand signals.
 g. Technical D? BE ALERT! I repeat, BE ALERT! There may be changes during the broadcast – especially the
connections.

I. After the Broadcast

a. Secure all the equipment were all fixed.
b. Leave the room/stage silently.
c. And BE CONTENTED.

For your success!

Prepared by:

ANTHONY L. REBAMONTE
Broadcast Journalist/Writer/Director
The University of Mindanao