48th Marshall Univ John Marshall

2020 — Huntington, WV/US

• Invite
• Entries
• Judges
• Pairings
• Results

Broadcasting

Event Description:

The tournament follows West Virginia Speech and Debate Association (WVSDA) rules (see http://wvsda.org) for this event, except that all rounds are TV news. Contestants are judged not only on what is heard, but also how it is presented. Judge eye contact, facial expression, and body movement.

Round 1 (prepared TV news): No preparation time; contestants report to round. Contestants will prepare a news script using up-to-date material. An introduction, sign-off, and brief commercial (15 seconds suggested length) must be included in the broadcast. Contestants must give a copy of the script to the judge and present all copy as it appears in the script. Maximum time limit: 3 minutes with 30 second grace period both above and below the time limit.

Round 2 (verbatim TV news): 15 minutes prep time; contestants report to prep room. Contestants are given a news script and must deliver it verbatim with the following exceptions: An introduction and sign-off are required, and transitions may be used. There is no time limit.

Round 3, semi-finals, finals (cut TV news): 30 minutes prep time; contestants report to prep room. Contestants must edit the copy given to them and include an introduction, impromptu commercial, and sign-off within a five-minute time frame. During the round, contestants may use a stopwatch as judges will not give time signals. Maximum time limit: 5 minutes with no grace period.