Official Course Description:

This broadcast writing class provides instruction in the fundamentals of creating stories
and scripts for non-fiction broadcast television, news outlets, documentary films, and
new/social media. The class concentrates on writing scripts that are accurate, concise, and
conversational, and that connect with the target audience. The course will explore the
world of broadcast television, news, sports, press releases, and public relations as
students gather stories and distill them into the appropriate and recognized written forms
for broadcast and other media outlets. Students will learn essential real-world journalism
skills, and know how a broadcast program is prepared and produced, including the
staffing and equipment that is necessary.

Student Course Description:

This class gave me a well-rounded understanding of how stories are shaped for broadcast. We learned how to write press releases, news scripts, and social media content in ways that connect with diverse audiences. It was eye-opening to see how essential the writing process is in television and documentary production. It’s one thing to write for print or digital articles, but crafting stories that are short, conversational, and suitable for video or social media was a whole new challenge and this course prepared me for it. This class was incredibly hands-on. We didn’t just write scripts; we learned the ins and outs of broadcast production, from story gathering to the technical side of preparing for a shoot. It gave me practical skills I can use in real-world media environments.

Work Sample:

Work Sample Description:

For this assignment we were instructed to Write and film a Sports Character Profile – a mini documentary. It had to be a 90 seconds – 3 min video that included a strong lead, a hook or twist, voiceover narration, an interview, b-roll, and a strong close. For the assignment Professor Siegel really emphasized that we needed to focus on the Athletes “story behind the story” and not just about them playing the sport. I decided to do my roommate Alexa who plays field hockey. Her story behind the story is the fact that she is a transfer student and that she wasn’t able to play field hockey for the first three years of school college even though she always wanted to. I ended up getting a really great 30 minute interview with Alexa so that made the editing process that much harder. I went to a practice and a game and got some B-roll and I even went to her work to get some extra footage. I think this project was very useful and again there is always things you can change and make better but I am happy with how this video turned out.