It's Like Writing for TV

Before this class began, I didn’t really know how to write for the web. I thought, since newspapers did this, that you could write the story similarly to how you would do it for a print medium. Therefore, I was surprised to learn writing for the web is a lot more like writing for TV.

1. Both emphasize being short and simple.

When writing for TV, you only have one chance to get information to your audience, so you have to make it as clear as possible. It's the same thing for web writing. According to Annenberg’s “Online Journalism Review,” readers don’t want to you to waste their time. Therefore, they probably won't want to go back and have to reread something. Plus, many skim the articles to get basic gist. Therefore, if you aren't short and simple, no one's going to read the story.

2. Both are interactive.

TV uses video, graphics, and sound bites to draw viewers in. A story where you see the anchor reading the story the entire time is boring. Many people probably flip the channel when this happens. I know I do, so it is important you keep the audience attention.

You have to do the same with the web. To be interactive, you should use:

• Subheds
• Graphics
• Video
• Pictures
• Bolded words
• Pronouns

Why do I care?

Online stories that are formatted like TV stories are much more digestable. Readers can quickly scan the page and get the basic gist of the article. It makes reading the news so much more fun when I can get it done quickly and without much effort.

It’s also easier on the eyes and the psyche if online stories are formatted differently than print media. When I see a large block of text, I’m less inclined to read it carefully and to finish it. If that same content were broken up into sections with bullets and pictures, I would probably remember it better and actually read the entire story.

References:
"Writing for the Web" - Poynter


"How to Write for the Web " - Online Journalism Review
("General Tips" section)