Big 8 Forensics Conference Tournament

2021 — Online, WI/US

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Radio Announcing

Event Description:

Purpose of the Category

To develop the skills of selecting, editing, and organizing news items from supplied material in a limited period of time, to deliver a succinct oral newscast.

Definition of the Category

The challenge to the speaker is to present a well-organized, clearly communicated newscast. Source material provided by the tournament director of approximately 15-20 minutes in length is to be cut and edited with special efforts made to end right at 5 minutes.

Rules

1. One-half hour before the contest, the speaker will receive source material. Identical material will be provided for each contestant at six-minute intervals. The tournament should provide the judge with a copy of the packet of material given to each speaker.

2. The speaker may delete or edit any parts of items from the provided material. However, no new articles or items may be added except transition sentences, introductions and conclusions. Different material of 15 to 20 minutes in length will be provided for each round of competition. The speaker must supply his/her own stopwatch and equipment for cutting, editing, and reading the newscast.

3. The newscast will include one or more commercials advertising some product or service. Commercials will be supplied with the material, which the student may use as written or make changes to further enhance the product or service. Original commercials may not be used. The commercial(s) may be inserted at any point but must be included within the time limits.

4. Use of visual aids is not permitted. The speaker is to be seated in profile position to the adjudicator.

5. The time limit shall be five minutes and the speaker is expected to finish "on the nose;” however, if a speaker concludes the presentation within ten seconds on either side, the speaker will not be penalized. Beyond those limits, the evaluation should reflect a deduction for further deviation. If all speakers in the round finish more than 10 seconds over or under the limit, no first shall be given in that round.

6. Speaker must present the radio broadcast in one professional/newsreader voice. Multiple voices are not permitted apart from the commercial.

Criteria for Evaluation

1. The extent to which the student provided clear and logical organization of the news script, balancing the levels and types of news including international, national and state news, weather and sports.

2. The extent to which the presentation reflected effective language skills, including use of smooth transitions with clear, vivid, and appropriate word choices. Individual judges may lower the rank due to use of profanity or vulgarity.

3. The extent to which the delivery was in a clear, pleasant, and confident voice, reflecting good articulation, pronunciation, volume, pitch and voice quality. Physical presence of the contestant is not to be a consideration.

4. The extent to which the commercial(s) was incorporated as an important item in the newscast without dominating the news.

5. The extent to which the student delivered the newscast within the time limits without unnatural speeding up or slowing down.