Visual Writing

It is a common misconception among many audiences that television and visual reporters are exempt from the pressure to write well. Reporters telling a story with video and audio have the difficult task of sifting through footage and creating a clear story able to expand and explain the issue they are covering. A useful tip from the “Writing the Package” article was to pre-plan what one wants his or her story to be before he or she shoots video and attempts to edit a package. Having a clear idea and plan of what shots and interviews will be important for the piece allows the reporter to save time and focus on capturing the most compelling moments and audio. This quote from Bob Moon from the AP Network News stuck out to me, “You must reflect on the story before the need to write it occurs.” This is an important philosophy to adhere to as we become more involved in shooting video and writing packages.

-Abbie Schmid