Now we have broadcast crime media and some fictional crime television shows. Can you name some?

Advantages of Crime Reporting:

1. Curiosity - easy to get attention
2. Security - how safe are we?
3. Helps solve crimes - timely release of information

1. Fear - how dangerous is the world?
2. High frequency - causes disinterest
3. Makes the world look more dangerous than it is
   Ex: School violence ~ schools are one of the safest places for children to be

• Use dramatic unity structure (climax, cause, effect) - or the hourglass format (inverted pyramid, chronology)
• Maximize attention catching with facts in lead
• Hold audience's interest
• Educate the public
• Keep the tone serious, but be creative

• Minimize harm
• Be fair to all concerned (public listeners, victims and families, and the accused and families)
• Be aware of unwritten editorial policies on how to cover crime
• What does the law say?
  Names
  Convicted vs. accused (use alleged, believed)

Script Style:

1. Type on a full-size sheet of paper (8 1/2 x 11).
2. Double-space the copy.
3. Use uppercase and lowercase letters (ALL CAPS IS HARD TO READ).
4. Use 60-character lines (L and R margins of 1.25" and Times New Roman font set at 14): each line takes three seconds to read - 20 lines equals about one minute of copy; 200 words equals about one minute.
5. Use separate sheets of paper for each story.
6. Slug each story in the upper left-hand corner with a one-word or two-word summary of what the story is about, followed by your last name, the date, and the running time of the story (how long it takes to read it).
   Sample Slug:
   Fire deaths
   Decker
   3/29/00
   :30, :60 or 1:00, 1:30, etc.
7. Follow the slug with a headline (not read on the air, nor counted in run time)
8. Don't divide words or numbers or hyphenated phrases at the end of a line and continue them on the next line. End each line with a complete word. Don't make a page break in the middle of a sentence.
9. If you go to a second page, write and center (MORE) on the bottom of page 1.
10. Show the end of your story with # # # centered below the end tag.
11. If you need to make a last-minute correction, black out the mistake completely and print the correction above it.

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Professor Name: Candace Decker
Last Updated: 3/29/00
Published by North Dakota State University