Make Yourself Adaptable to Any News Medium
Program Date: Feb. 6, 2023

Leigh Ann Caldwell, now at the Washington Post, has worked for radio, television and print outlets. She says writing for broadcast differs greatly from print news writing. She shared tips with NPF’s Paul Miller fellows for appearing on radio and television. [Transcript | Video]

4 takeaways:

Come to terms with saying less. In broadcast media, highlighting the two or three most important points is preferable to include as much detail as possible. “For a broadcast story, the details don’t exist,” Caldwell said.  She advised fellows to think in headlines.

“Think about three … main big points that you want to make. And you’re lucky if you get two of them in,” she said. “If you have a good opening sentence and a strong point to end with, you’re probably OK.”

Radio can serve as a good transition into television. Because radio lacks a visual element, reporters new to broadcast hits can focus on developing voice. Broadcast voices for radio and television are similar, so once reporters master radio, they can consider moving to television. Caldwell, who started her career at a radio station, said “radio is a really, really great way to start.”

The lack of visuals for radio also opens it up to more stories. Television is “visual first,” Caldwell said. “If you don’t have the visual, it almost doesn’t exist. That’s why so often it’s so hard for many stories that happen on Capitol Hill, for example, to become TV stories.”

Practice, practice, practice. One strategy to transition between print and television is to practice as much as possible. “Say yes to the 5:00 a.m.’s, say yes to the 3:00 a.m.’s, say yes to the local television stations in the middle of North Dakota if they ask you because it’s just more and more practice,” Caldwell said. “And the more comfortable you get, the better. And then the more they’ll ask you back.”

It’s OK to say no. If a reporter isn’t familiar with the material they’re being asked to speak on, it may be better to decline. “If you’re not comfortable talking about something, you have to think about what best serves you,” she said. Podcasts, particularly, have time to go deep on a subject so you need to know it well. Even if reporters are concerned that if they decline a first request, they won’t be asked in the future, transparency is key. When declining a request, reporters should explain why and thank the requestor for thinking of them. If you can refer them to another journalist, bookers will appreciate it. “If you say no every single time, they will stop asking you,” Caldwell said. “If you say yes six times and no once, no skin off their back. They understand.”


NPF is solely responsible for the content. 

Leigh Ann Caldwell
Reporter, The Washington Post
1
Transcript
How to Navigate Digital, TV, Radio and Print
Subscribe on YouTube
4
Resources
Resources for How to Prepare for a TV or Radio Hit
Help Make Good Journalists Better
Donate to the National Press Foundation to help us keep journalists informed on the issues that matter most.
DONATE ANY AMOUNT
You might also like
How to Write for Broadcast News, Print, Digital, Wires
Journalists, Know Your Rights at Police Scenes, Protests
PACER: How Journalists Mine Records