Todd's Broadcast Style

I have logged 35 years in broadcast reporting and editing, and I've seen lots of recurring style mistakes. I'm @toddhallidy , anchor at WHAM1180/Rochester, NY.

[Todd Hallidy @ToddHallidy]

Common error: In most places on dry land, you lower flags to half STAFF. Ships, and naval bases, have masts.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Soundbites from interviewees you should never use on air:
1) "He was kind of a loner, kept to himself."
2) "This is our worst nightmare."
3) "It (the tornado) sounded like a freight train."

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Scientists call earthquakes TEMBLORS (not "tremblers"), but you should call them earthquakes.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Crude oil is priced by the BARREL, not the gallon. A barrel is 42 gallons.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Stop using "after" constructions in your lede, e.g. "Two people are dead after a house fire on Smith Street." You don't talk that way at home, why do it at work? Use present perfect instead. "Two people have been killed in a house fire on Smith St." Then advance the lede asap.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Don't say "unbury," say "dig out."

[CBS News @CBSNews]

California avalanche survivors tried to unbury their friends, official says. https://t.co/OMjw6OqwSA

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Cities and metros are not the same thing. Do not refer use the word "cities" in statistical reports about metropolitan areas. https://t.co/wMhbePx7iw

[Todd Hallidy @ToddHallidy]

Instead of calling a rapidly intensifying storm "a rapidly intensifying storm," meteorologists call it "a bomb cyclone" because it sounds really cool.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Bringing this around again ahead of tomorrow's morning shows.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Doing airport live shots about holiday weekend travel madness doesn't make sense in spoke cities where all the planes are gone by 7 a.m.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Correct style is half-STAFF. The White House is neither a ship nor a naval base.

[Jennifer Jacobs @JenniferJJacobs]

US flags being lowered to half mast at the White House and elsewhere in US in honor of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Challenge: Write your July 4th travel story without saying "Pack your patience."

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

If firefighters are at what they call a "STRUCTURE fire," and it clearly is a house that's burning, you are allowed to call it a HOUSE fire.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

SECURITY cameras keep watch when things are normal. SURVEILLANCE cameras keep watch when it's believed things are not normal.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Bringing this around again.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Describing something as INFAMOUS is not a compliment.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

If you are using the popular informal name for the upcoming holiday, it's "St. Paddy's" NOT "St. Patty's".

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Describing something as INFAMOUS is not a compliment.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

When giving a temperature below zero, say "it's X below zero" or "it's MINUS X". Do not say "it's NEGATIVE X".

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Find out from your local fire officials if they count vehicles as "structures." If so, it is clearer to report the loss as " x thousands of homes, buildings and vehicles."
https://t.co/jauFEuOLEM

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

When bureaucrats speak about housing units, you should call them apartments.

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

@MattCHouston Reputable dictionaries don't use "grow" as a noun. Even the ones that count "spend" as a noun don't do the same for "grow."

[Todd's Broadcast Style @sbroadcaststyle]

Cops love to call places where marijuana is grown, a "marijuana GROW operation." Please add the -ing, as in GROWING. End #copspeak