Simple Guidelines for CBC Radio News / by Nathan Jones

Ad-libbing by on-the-scene reporters

See "On-the-scene reporting."

"At the top of the news" / "Our top story"

See "Breaking news."

Banter

No.

"Begs the question"

First: no. Second: do you know what this phrase means? Really? Hint: it's not "raises the question."

"Breaking news"

No.

"Controversial"

No.

"Correspondent"

See "Journalist."

Crime/accident/fire

Why?

Editorializing

See "Opinion."

Feel-good tidbits to end the news

See "Fun facts."

"For more information, check our website"

No.

Fun facts

No.

"Has prepared this report"

See "Named reporters."

"I"

No. No. No. Just no.

"Journalist"

Reporter.

Named reporters

No.

Number-verb agreement

Did you study journalism? See "They."

On-the-scene reporting

No.

Opinion

No. No. No.

"Police"

Careful. Is this a story about the police, or is it about the crime?

Prepositions and conjunctions

No emphasis, ever. See "Radiospeak." 

Radiospeak

WTF?! Speak like normal people, please.

Segues

No.

Sirens

See "Sound bites."

Sound bites

No.

Teasing the NEWS

No.

"The CBC has learned"

No.

"The Liberal Government"

The Government.

The RCMP

Singular. See "Number-verb agreement."

"The Trudeau Government"

See "The Liberal Government."

"They"

He, or she; or "he or she," as appropriate; unless you actually mean they, in which case, they.

RCMP officers

Plural. See "Number-verb agreement."

"Unprecedented"

No.

What, Who, When, Where, and Why

Yes. Nothing more, please.