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Write news stories and prepare for broadcast on television

Level / 6
Credits / 30

PurposeThis unit standard is for people who are employed in news media outlets and who are required to write news stories for broadcast on television.

People credited with this unit standard are able to: identify news stories, produce a brief for each story and gather information, and write news stories and prepare for broadcast on television following the approved brief.

Subfield / Journalism
Domain / Applied Journalism
Status / Registered
Status date / 20 March 2009
Date version published / 20 March 2009
Planned review date / 31 December 2013
Entry information / Recommended: Unit 25361, Develop rounds, gather information, and plan stories for publication or broadcast, or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Accreditation / Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and industry.
Standard setting body (SSB) / Competenz
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference / 0002

This AMAP can be accessed at

Special notes

1Evidence presented for award of credit must be in accordance with the required standards for applied journalism, found in the current editions of: Statement of Principles (Wellington: New Zealand Press Council, 2006)available at – for print journalism;Pay Television Code of Broadcasting Practice (Wellington: New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Authority, January 2008) available at and theFree-to-Air Television Code of Broadcasting Practice (Wellington: New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Authority, August 2006) available at

2Industry texts may include but are not limited to:

Burrows, John, and Cheer, Ursula, Media Law in NZ (South Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 5th ed, 2005);

Price, Steven, Media Minefield: A journalists’ guide to media regulation in New Zealand (Wellington: New Zealand Journalists Training Organisation, 2007);

Tully, Jim (ed), Intro:A beginner's guide to professional news journalism (Wellington: New Zealand Journalists Training Organisation, 4th edition, revised 2008). This publication can be obtained from Competenz website

3This unit standard has been designed for learning and assessment in the workplace. For assessment against this unit standard candidates will submit a portfolio of news stories that they have prepared and written from information gathered using practical skills learned during their workplace training. The stories submitted will have been completed within times set by the news media outlet, and will have been broadcast on television.

4Evidence is required for three news stories representing a selection of the various news story options for broadcast on television.

5Definitions

the appropriate person refers to the person within the news media outlet who ensures that stories meet the industry standards. This person may be the senior producer, chief reporter, bulletin editor, or editor;

a brief describes the main purpose of the proposed story and contains the who, why, what, where and when elements of the story. Approval for the brief will be given by the appropriate person in accordance with industry standards;

industry standards refer to the required standards for applied journalism and the industry texts and sources cited in the special notes as well as documented policies and procedures set down by the workplace;

news stories are timely and succinct accounts of unfolding events of public interest, usually unfolding within any 24-hour timeframe. News stories may be referred to as scripts;

the workplace news diary lists assignments fortoday, records assignments that have taken place, and future assignments that are upcoming. It may be used in conjunction with electronic diaries and/or hard copy folders of past, present, and future events.

Elements and performance criteria

Element 1

Identify news stories for broadcast on television, produce a brief for each story, and gather information, in accordance with industry standards.

Rangenews stories may include but are not limited to – hard news, breaking news, news packages, features, news profiles, human interest, sports, business, special interest.

Performance criteria

1.1News stories are identified from events and items of interest breaking and developing within any 24-hour cycle, and a brief for the development of each story is produced and approved.

1.2Information for news stories is gathered and recorded, to meet the requirements of the approved brief.

Rangemay include but is not limited to – use of storyboarding, graphics and sound material, actuality grabs and audio cuts;

direct quotes, reported speech, paraphrases, summaries;

documented facts;

packages (graphics, breakouts, vox pops);

context/background information about people referred to in news stories – full name, age, gender, occupation, honorific, marital status;

voiceovers, audio cuts of interviews, wild sound editing for bulletin or package;

statistical and numerical information.

Element 2

Write news stories and prepare for broadcast on television following the approved brief.

Performance criteria

2.1News stories are drafted in accordance with industry standards.

Rangemay include but is not limited to – introduction; clarity; conciseness; formal presentation and speech conventions including standard grammar, punctuation and pronunciation; no jargon, slang or clichés; duration; in context; editorial legal and ethical guidelines; complex data; numbers expressed in plain language; in-house style guides.

2.2Opinion and controversial facts are clearly identified and attributed.

2.3Feedback on the draft new stories is sought from the appropriate person, before deadline for editing, and all information related to the production of the stories is stored in accordance with industry standards.

2.4The news stories are revised to incorporate changes from the feedback.

2.5Final draft of each news story meets the requirements of the approved brief, and is in accordance with industry standards.

2.6Recorded material required for the broadcast is confirmed as operational before the recording begins.

Rangemay include but is not limited to – sound, video, graphics.

2.7Interviews are prepared and undertaken in accordance with industry standards.

2.8Delivery of voiced items is integrated into stories.

2.9Communication is made with other team members to ensure the broadcast runs smoothly.

Rangemay include – producer, duty editor, bulletin editor, cameraperson, sound technician.

2.10Angles for follow-up stories are identified, and entries are made in the workplace news diary in accordance with industry standards.

Please note

Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.

Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.

Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.

Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The AMAP also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.

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 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018