How to write a news script: format, examples and a template for TV, radio and video

What a news script is (and how it differs from an article)

A news script is the words a presenter, anchor or reporter will say aloud, plus the instructions that tell everyone else what the audience should see or hear at each moment. It is not an article read out loud. A reader can glance back at a sentence they missed; a listener cannot. That one difference shapes almost every rule in this guide.

Print stories usually pack the who, what, when, where and why into a long first paragraph. Broadcast scripts spread those facts out, one per sentence, and repeat the key point near the end for anyone who tuned in late. They use shorter words, rounder numbers and fewer names, because every extra detail competes for the listener’s attention.

Three formats you will meet

• Television (two-column): the left column describes the video — shots, graphics, name captions — and the right column holds the audio: what the anchor reads and which soundbites play. The two columns line up so the director can see what is on screen while each line is spoken.
• Radio (single column): one column of read copy, with cues for any recorded audio, a pronunciation guide for difficult names and the running time. There is no picture, so the words have to do all the work.
• Online video, Shorts and Reels: usually a single column of voiceover with a second set of notes for on-screen text, captions and visuals. The structure is closer to TV, but the opening has to work in the first two or three seconds, often with the sound off.

The writing skills are the same across all three. Learn to write for the ear once and you can move between a TV bulletin, a radio update and a vertical video without starting from scratch.

The anatomy of a news script

Newsrooms use slightly different names, but most broadcast scripts contain the same parts in the same order.

Slug

A short label of one to three words at the top of the script, such as “LIBRARY HOURS” or “BUS CUTS”. It identifies the story in the running order, on the edit system and in conversations between producers. A slug is never read on air. Alongside it, most script headers list the script type, the presenter or reporter, the date or bulletin and the total running time.

Lead (also called the intro or, in UK radio, the cue)

The first one or two sentences the presenter reads. It states what changed, for whom, and roughly when — in plain words, not a headline. A good lead makes sense even if the listener hears nothing else.

Body

Two to five short sentences that add the details: a number, a reason, a consequence, a reaction. Each sentence carries one fact. In TV scripts, the body is often read over video (a VO) rather than on camera.

Soundbite (SOT, clip or actuality)

A short recorded quote from someone in the story. In the US it is usually called a SOT (sound on tape); UK newsrooms often say clip, and radio newsrooms say actuality or cut. The script gives the speaker’s name and role, the first few words (in-cue), the last few words (out-cue) and the duration, so the presenter knows exactly when to pick up again.

Tag (or outro)

One or two closing sentences after the soundbite or package: what happens next, where to find more information, or the single fact you want people to remember. Avoid ending on a vague line like “Only time will tell.”

Runtime and outcue

The total length of the item, and the final words spoken, so the director or the next presenter knows when it ends. Many scripts also note the runtime of each soundbite or package separately.

Reader, VO, VO/SOT and package: the main script types

In TV news, most stories fall into one of four types. Each one adds a layer of production, and the script format changes to match.

• Reader: the anchor reads the story on camera with no video, sometimes with a still graphic beside them (an over-the-shoulder graphic). Typical length: 15–25 seconds. Used for brief updates or stories with no pictures yet.
• VO (voiceover): the anchor starts on camera, then keeps reading while video plays. Typical length: 20–35 seconds. The script marks exactly where the video starts.
• VO/SOT: a VO followed by a soundbite, often with a short tag afterwards. Typical length: 30–50 seconds. This is one of the most common formats in local TV bulletins.
• Package (PKG): a self-contained report voiced by a reporter, combining their narration (tracks), several soundbites, natural sound and often a piece to camera (a stand-up). The anchor introduces it with a lead-in and may add a tag. Typical length: 1:15–2:30.

Radio has close equivalents. A reader is read copy alone. A voicer is a short report voiced by a reporter with no clips. A wrap (US) or package (UK) is a reporter’s report built around one or more clips, introduced by the presenter’s cue. The lengths above are typical ranges rather than fixed rules; your newsroom’s running order decides the real numbers.

Online creators do not use these labels much, but the logic carries over. A 30-second Short with only your voice is effectively a voicer. Add a clip of someone speaking and you have built a small package.

Writing for the ear: the rules most newsrooms follow

Style guides differ between newsrooms and countries, but these habits appear in most of them. They all serve one goal: a listener should understand each sentence the first time they hear it.

• Use active voice. “The council approved the plan” beats “The plan was approved by the council.” Active sentences are shorter and say who did what.
• Prefer the present or present perfect tense. “The airport says…” and “The company has recalled…” sound current. Use the past tense for things that clearly finished at a specific time.
• One idea per sentence. If a sentence needs a comma to hold a second fact, split it. Aim for sentences you can say in one breath, roughly 20 words or fewer.
• Attribution first. Say who is speaking before what they said: “Police say two people were hurt,” not “Two people were hurt, police say.” Listeners need to know how much weight to give a claim before they hear it.
• Round your numbers. “Almost 40 percent” instead of “39.7%”; “about two million” instead of “2,043,118”. Use one or two numbers per story, not five.
• Write out pronunciations. Put a phonetic guide after any name the presenter might stumble on, for example “Aoife (EE-fa)”, and spell out symbols as words: “percent”, “dollars”, “pounds”.
• Avoid abbreviations and acronyms the audience may not know. Say the full name the first time, and only use the short form if it is how people actually talk.
• Put the subject and verb close together. Long clauses between them (“The mayor, who was elected last spring after a close race, said…”) make the listener hold too much in their head.
• Cut what you would not say to a friend. Words like “whilst”, “amid” and “slated” look fine in print and sound odd aloud.

Always read the script aloud before it goes to air or to the recording booth. Mark anything you trip over and rewrite it. Your mouth catches problems your eyes will not.

Timing a news script: words per minute

Many broadcast presenters read at around 150–160 words per minute when speaking clearly. That gives a useful rule of thumb: 60 seconds is roughly 150 words, and 30 seconds is roughly 75. Your own pace may be faster or slower, so time yourself on a few scripts and adjust.

• 0:15 reader: about 40 words.
• 0:30 reader or VO: about 75 words.
• 0:45 VO/SOT: about 80–90 words of read copy plus a 10-second soundbite.
• 1:00 online video: about 140–150 words.
• 2:00 package: about 200–220 words of reporter track, with soundbites and natural sound filling the rest.

Soundbites count towards the runtime but not towards your word count, so add their durations separately. Many newsroom systems estimate read time from the word or line count; check that estimate against how fast your presenter actually reads.

If a script runs long, cut a whole sentence or a whole fact. Speeding up the read or squeezing out small words makes a script sound rushed and harder to follow. For a beat-by-beat breakdown of short vertical scripts, see the 60-second news script template.

News script format for television: two-column examples

In a two-column TV script, each row pairs what the viewer sees with what they hear. The video column uses short production notes: who is on camera, which footage plays, and which name captions (supers or lower thirds) appear. The audio column holds the words to be read, with soundbite cues in full. Many US newsrooms type the anchor’s copy in capital letters so it is easier to read from a prompter; the examples below use sentence case for readability.

The story, place and people in both examples are fictional. Here the rows run from top to bottom: each “Video” line describes the picture for the “Audio” line directly below it, and the timings show where each part starts.

Notice the order: the lead tells you the whole story in two sentences, the VO adds three facts, the soundbite adds a human reason rather than repeating the facts, and the tag looks forward. Nothing in the anchor copy repeats what the soundbite says.

News package script example

A package script uses the same two columns, but most of the audio is the reporter’s track. The anchor’s lead-in sits above it and should not repeat the reporter’s first line. This outline shows the shape of a two-minute package; the content is fictional.

News script for radio and online video: worked examples

Radio: a single-column reader

Radio scripts are one column of copy, typed in a large, clear font with wide line spacing so the presenter can read them under pressure. Without pictures, you have to say where things are happening, repeat the key point, and keep the number of names low. Add a pronouncer for any name that is not obvious, and put the runtime and outcue at the bottom.

The last line repeats the key fact on purpose. On radio, people tune in mid-story, and a short recap is a courtesy rather than padding. The councillor’s point is paraphrased with attribution rather than played as a clip, which keeps this a reader.

Online video: a 45–60 second script

For YouTube Shorts, TikTok or Reels, the script usually has two layers: the voiceover and the on-screen text. The first line has to say what changed within about three seconds, and captions carry the story for viewers watching muted. The company below is fictional.

The same rules apply as in broadcast: one fact per sentence, attribution for anything you have not seen yourself, and a clear split between what is live now and what is coming later. If you publish without showing your face, the faceless YouTube news channel guide covers voiceover and sourcing, and how to start an AI news YouTube channel covers a daily routine built around scripts like this.

If you write scripts like this every day, FeedlyScript picks trending stories from the sources you choose and drafts one in this shape — hook, voiceover, why it matters and closing, with its sources listed — in 10 languages, in a casual, professional, friendly or bold tone and at roughly one-, two- or three-minute lengths, delivered to Slack, email or Discord. See how the news-to-script workflow works. You still check the facts and edit the draft into your own voice.

A printable news script template

Copy whichever version fits your format and fill in the brackets. Print it, or keep it as a document you duplicate for each story. Delete any row you do not need: a reader has no video rows, and a radio script has no supers.

Keeping a sources line in every script takes seconds and saves you when a fact is questioned later. It also makes it easier to reuse the story elsewhere; see how to turn one news story into four formats. If you need a reading list to find stories in the first place, the free sources page lists hundreds of AI and tech feeds, and an AI script generator can produce a first draft you then rewrite in the template above.

Common mistakes and a final checklist

Mistakes that make a script hard to follow

• Starting with background. “Back in 2019, the council first discussed…” loses the listener before the news arrives. Lead with the change.
• Repeating the soundbite. If the anchor says “The librarian says students need somewhere to go,” and the clip then says the same thing, you have wasted ten seconds. Set up the clip; don’t summarise it.
• Too many numbers and names. Two numbers and two names per short story is plenty. Move the rest to the website or the description.
• Quote-first attribution. “‘We’re devastated,’ said the owner” works in print. On air, say who is speaking first.
• Writing pictures out of sync. In TV, describing something the viewer cannot see, or ignoring something they can, makes words and pictures fight. Write to the video you actually have.
• Burying “not yet”. If something is announced but not live, say so clearly and early. Mixing up “available now” and “coming soon” is one of the easiest ways to mislead by accident.
• Never reading it aloud. Every script sounds different spoken. A single read-through catches tongue-twisters, missing pronouncers and sentences that run out of breath.

Checklist before you record or go to air

• The slug, script type, presenter and total runtime are at the top.
• The lead states what changed and makes sense on its own.
• Every sentence carries one idea and can be said in one breath.
• Attribution comes before each claim or quote.
• Numbers are rounded, and there are no more than two or three in the script.
• Every unfamiliar name has a pronouncer, and every abbreviation is spelled out or explained.
• Soundbite in-cues, out-cues and durations are written down and checked against the recording.
• The word count matches the target length (about 150 words per minute), and you have timed a read-aloud.
• The tag looks forward or tells people where to find more.
• Every name, number and date has been checked against the original source.