Chapter 5: News
Overview
News and information represent the most-listened to formats in radio. This chapter outlines the
following topics: news and today’s radio, the newsroom, the all-news station, the electronic
Student Objectives
Students will have acquired the following competencies in preparing and presenting the news:
xNews gathering—sources;
xNews writing—specific styles;
xNews announcing techniques;
Discussion Topics
xShould the FCC reinstate its requirement that all stations devote a certain percentage
of programming to news and public affairs programs?
xHow do different news organizations report the news?
Class Activities: Studio Drill
(If you do not have a radio lab, try to use the facilities of your school radio station. If you don’t
have a school radio station, then perform the newscasts in class.)
xPerform a five-minute newscast: form “news teams” and assign each team to cover
either world, national, or local news, sports, or weather. Students should write their
own scripts; or if available, use news wire copy.
xOptional: do a sportscast, with two or three students.
xWrite and deliver a “station editorial” commentary.
Assignment
xHave students monitor several different radio newscasts and compare style and
content.
QUIZ: Chapter 5: News
1. A study by the Radio Television Digital News Association indicates that News radio is second only to
what format when listeners are searching for a station to listen to for entertainment and information?
__ a. CHR
__ b. Country
__ c. AC
__d. Urban
2. The deregulation of the medium since the 1980s has had what effect on local radio news service?
__ a. No effect whatsoever
__ b. Has increased the coverage of local news
__ c. HDVPDLQO\IRFXVHGRQWUDI¿FUHSRUWV
__ d. Has decreased local radio news
3. What is meant by the news term “rip ‘n read”?
__ a. You must destroy all news copy after reading it
__ b. A very scathing editorial
__ c. News copy read live by the DJ without rewriting it
__ d. A network newscast read by broadcast journalists
4. How does the operating cost of an all news format compare with other formats?
__ a. Less expensive
__ b. More expensive
__ c. About the same
__ d. Varies by market size
5. Computers in newsrooms are used as:
__ a. Links to the various wire and Internet information services
__ b. Search-by-word or topic search
__ c. Word-processors for writing and editing news copy
__ d. All of the above
6. The news director is usually under the supervision of which department head?
__ a. The music director
__ b. The program director
__ c. The sales manager
__ d. The business manager
7. News directors seek personnel with what qualifications?
__ a. Good looks and charm
__b. A big booming voice
__c. Both a college education and experience
__d. Tape editing skills
8. Unlike a print journalist, a radio newsperson must possess what additional skill?
__ a. The ability to type well
__ b. Must also be a performer
__ c. Proper punctuation, spelling, and syntax
__ d. Have a college degree
9. In what order are news stories usually arranged?
__ a. AOZD\VORFDOQHZVVWRULHV¿UVW
__ b. AOZD\VZRUOGQHZVVWRULHV¿UVW
__ c. Always by their rank of importance
__ d. AOZD\VQDWLRQDOQHZVVWRULHV¿UVW
10. Which is most prominent news wire service?
__ a. Reuters
__ b. AP
__ c. SBS
__ d. UPI
11. By the mid-1960s, the majority of the nation’s stations used which one of the major radio networks for
news programming?
__ a. ABC
__ b. NBC
__ c. CBS
__ d. Mutual
12. What are some of the ways a sportscaster can establish credibility with his audience?
__ a. By sounding austere and serious
__ b. By just relating the straight facts and statistics
__ c. By reading the wire copy in the manner of a trained announcer
__ d. By speaking in a casual and even opinionated manner
13. Broadcasters making false or reckless statements are usually subject to what kinds of legal action?
__ a. Curtailment of their First Amendment rights
__ d. Civil lawsuits for libel and slander
__ c. FCC violations
__ d. Both civil suits and FCC action
14. What quality is considered to be the ethical cornerstone of good reporting?
__ a. To maintain one’s objectivity in reporting a news story
__ b. To be able to create the news event
__ c. To inspire a disturbance or agitate a volatile situation
__ d. To initiate a disturbance for the sake of gaining publicity
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__ a. They are not very important, and cost more than they earn back in advertising
__ b. They can help strengthen a station’s community service image and generate substantial revenue
__ c. They are especially important during middays and evenings
__ d. They are required by the FCC
16. FCC’s deregulation of news and public affairs programming the 1980s initially had what reaction?
__ a. Fears that radio news service would be in decline
__ b. More and better radio news coverage
__ c. Radio news with fewer commercials
__ d. Radio news with more interesting in-depth coverage
ANSWER SHEET
Chapter 5: Essay Questions
1. How does the operating cost of an All News format compare with other formats?
2. By the mid-1960s, the majority of the nation’s stations used which one of the four major
networks for news programming?
3. Broadcasters making false or reckless statements are usually subject to what kinds of
legal action?
4. What quality is considered to be the ethical cornerstone of good reporting?
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6. FCC’s deregulation of news and public affairs programming the 1980s initially had what
reaction?
Chapter 5: Essay Question Answers
1. How does the operating cost of an All News format compare with other formats?
It often costs several times as much to run an effective All-News station as it does to
run one broadcasting music. Staff size in All-News stations far exceeds that of
2. By the mid-1960s, the majority of the nation’s stations used which one of the four major
networks for news programming?
By the mid-1960s, the majority of the nation’s stations used ABC for news
3. Broadcasters making false or reckless statements are usually subject to what kinds of
legal action?
Stories that defame citizens through reckless or false statements may not only bring
4. What quality is considered to be the ethical cornerstone of good reporting?
Objectivity is the cornerstone of good reporting. A newsperson who has lost his or
her capacity to see the whole picture is handicapped. At the same time, the
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7UDI¿FUHSRUWVDUHDQLQWHJUDO part of drivetime news programming at many
6. FCC’s deregulation of news and public affairs programming the 1980s initially had what
reaction?
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a percentage of their broadcast day to news and public affairs programming.