The Ears Have It

A few things I've learned about writing radio news

Jul 08, 2025

If you're reading this while doing something else — scrolling, eating, half-listening to music — congratulations. You’re already in the mindset of a radio news listener.

That’s the first thing you have to understand if you want to write radio news that actually gets heard. Most of your audience isn’t sitting still with a notepad. They’re driving, folding laundry, cleaning the cat box, daydreaming, or drifting off to sleep. And they will miss half of what you say unless you write with that in mind.

So here it is: a quick list of things I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, about writing news that cuts through the noise. This isn’t some academic style guide. These are just a few street-level truths from inside the booth.

1. Write for the ear, not the eye

Radio isn’t print. You’re not writing a term paper. You’re writing something meant to be heard once, maybe half-heard, by someone stuck in traffic.

That means:

Short sentences.
Simple structure.
Conversational tone.

If you write it like you're talking to someone — not reading at them — you're on the right track.

2. Avoid bureaucratic language like the plague

Words like officials, ongoing, incident, blaze, suspect... kill them with fire.

Nobody in the real world talks like that. We say:

"Police say"
"Still happening"
"Fire"
"The person police are looking for"

If you wouldn’t say it at the dinner table, don’t say it on the air.

And please stop using the word “blaze.” My boss banned it years ago. Yours should too.

3. The story is what’s happening — not “an investigation”

I see this way too often: “An investigation is underway into what caused the fire...”

That’s not the story. The fire is the story. Lead with that. If there’s an investigation, great — but it’s not the headline.

4. Don’t throw numbers at people’s ears

“Stocks rose 2.6 percent to 34,882, while the Nasdaq gained 1.9 percent to 14,321.”

What did I just say? Even I zoned out halfway through typing that.

Instead, give the shape of the story. Try:

“Stocks rallied after signs the Fed may hold off on another rate hike. The Dow rose more than 300 points.”

Make it mean something, or skip it.

5. Write out the money

In print, we say "$2.5 billion." On radio, that turns into a speed bump.

Say: "more than 2 billion dollars."
Say: "a 700 hundred-dollar dinner."

It flows better. It sounds like English. And it won’t make your anchor trip over their tongue.

6. No one cares what day it is

Unless it’s today or tomorrow, leave it out.

“On Thursday, the city council voted...”
Why are you telling me what day it was? Just say: “The city council voted to...”

Time references should be relevant. Otherwise, skip them. They clutter the top.

7. Name the source — every time

If LAPD says it, say so. If it's TMZ, say so.

No “officials said.” No “reports indicate.” That’s how misinformation hides. Say who’s saying it — even if it’s uncomfortable.

It builds trust. And it keeps the lawyers happy.

8. Adverbs and adjectives? Use with caution.

“Devastating fire.”
“Brutal attack.”
“Massive storm.”

Radio isn’t a trailer for a disaster movie. Let the facts do the work. If something is actually brutal, your audience will know it without you needing to say so.

9. Clarity beats cleverness

This one hurts, because I love words. But clever turns of phrase rarely land on first listen. And a confusing sentence is dead air.

Cut anything that makes someone go, “Wait, what?”

10. The biggest lesson: Respect the listener’s time

They gave you 15 seconds of attention — maybe 20. Don’t waste it with fluff, filler, or throat-clearing.

Get to the point. Get it right. Make it matter.

Then get out.

I've spent years learning these lessons by trial, error, and embarrassment — and through the helpful, patient mentoring of some excellent news directors, who took the time to show me how to trim the fat, sharpen the point, and always remember who I’m writing for.

So if you’re writing for radio, do yourself and your listeners a favor:

Picture someone driving, half-distracted, slightly annoyed, hoping you’ll get to the point. Now write for them.

Because that’s who’s really listening.