The Bellville Herd

 

NEWSROOM

 

A Brahma Video Productions Student Newsroom

Write and Package

 

Writing and packaging is the stage where your completed reporting becomes a finished news story. You will use the facts, interviews, quotations, video, photographs, natural sound, and documents you gathered during reporting to create both a written news article and a video news package.

This process requires more than placing information into a document or dropping clips onto a timeline. You must decide what the reporting actually shows, organize the information clearly, write for both readers and viewers, select useful sound bites, match pictures with words, record understandable narration, and check every part of the story for accuracy.

Your written article and video package will tell the same central story, but they will not be identical. The article can provide additional facts, background, quotations, and explanation. The video package must communicate the story through spoken words, interviews, pictures, graphics, natural sound, and careful editing.

You may use Microsoft Clipchamp, CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, or another approved video editor. The exact buttons and tools may be different, but the basic news-package process remains the same. Your responsibility is to produce work that is accurate, clear, complete, technically usable, and ready for newsroom review.

This page will teach you how to:

  • Find the story in your reporting
  • Write the news article
  • Build the video package plan
  • Write the video package script
  • Record narration and assemble the rough cut
  • Polish the article and video package
  • Review, correct, export, and submit the finished story

Each section includes an explainer video and a detailed downloadable guide. Begin with Section 1 and follow the sections in order. The decisions you make in one section will be used in the sections that follow. Skipping ahead may cause you to write the wrong story, overlook important information, or begin editing without the material and plan you need.

The Write and Package stage is complete only when the article and video package have been reviewed, corrected, exported, checked, and submitted in the assigned location. Clicking Export or Upload does not automatically mean the work is finished. The submitted files must open correctly, contain the correct versions, and be ready for approval and use in the next stage of the newsroom cycle.

Section 1:  Find the Story in Your Reporting

Your reporting has given you facts, interviews, quotations, photographs, video, and natural sound. Before writing the article or editing the video package, your team must decide what those materials actually show and which story the evidence supports.

Begin by reviewing the approved assignment and completed reporting. Your original pitch provided direction, but the final story must follow the evidence—even when the reporting changes the angle you expected.

Ask:

  • What happened, changed, was decided, or was achieved?
  • What is the most important verified information?
  • Who is affected, and how?
  • Why does this matter to the Bellville audience now?
  • What do the strongest facts and sources prove?

A topic is not a story. “Robotics,” “football,” or “student council” only identifies the subject. Find the specific development inside that topic.

Topic: Robotics

Story: After rebuilding its robot between rounds, the Bellville robotics team recovered from an early mechanical failure and earned its first advancement of the season.

Create an inventory of your strongest material:

  • Verified facts and their sources
  • Important background information
  • Strong written quotations
  • Video sound bites with filenames and timecodes
  • Useful photographs, B-roll, and natural sound
  • Information that remains missing or uncertain

Next, write one final story focus statement explaining what happened, what the story will examine, and why it matters. This statement will guide which facts, quotations, sound bites, and visuals belong in the finished story.

Choose one central audience question that the article and package must answer. Every important part of the story should help answer that question or provide necessary context.

Select material because it supports the story—not because it was difficult to collect or because someone wants it included. Separate verified facts from observations and opinions. A recording proves that someone made a statement, but it does not automatically prove the statement is true.

Finally, create a simple beginning, middle, and ending. The beginning introduces the main development. The middle provides the strongest evidence, voices, and explanation. The ending explains what happens next or what the audience should remember.

Do not begin writing or editing until the team agrees on the story. If an important fact remains unverified or an essential perspective is missing, complete the necessary follow-up reporting and speak with Mr. G.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Find the Story in Your Reporting (PDF)

Section 1:  Find the Story in Your Reporting

Your reporting has given you facts, interviews, quotations, photographs, video, and natural sound. Before writing the article or editing the video package, your team must decide what those materials actually show and which story the evidence supports.

Begin by reviewing the approved assignment and completed reporting. Your original pitch provided direction, but the final story must follow the evidence—even when the reporting changes the angle you expected.

Ask:

  • What happened, changed, was decided, or was achieved?
  • What is the most important verified information?
  • Who is affected, and how?
  • Why does this matter to the Bellville audience now?
  • What do the strongest facts and sources prove?

A topic is not a story. “Robotics,” “football,” or “student council” only identifies the subject. Find the specific development inside that topic.

Topic: Robotics

Story: After rebuilding its robot between rounds, the Bellville robotics team recovered from an early mechanical failure and earned its first advancement of the season.

Create an inventory of your strongest material:

  • Verified facts and their sources
  • Important background information
  • Strong written quotations
  • Video sound bites with filenames and timecodes
  • Useful photographs, B-roll, and natural sound
  • Information that remains missing or uncertain

Next, write one final story focus statement explaining what happened, what the story will examine, and why it matters. This statement will guide which facts, quotations, sound bites, and visuals belong in the finished story.

Choose one central audience question that the article and package must answer. Every important part of the story should help answer that question or provide necessary context.

Select material because it supports the story—not because it was difficult to collect or because someone wants it included. Separate verified facts from observations and opinions. A recording proves that someone made a statement, but it does not automatically prove the statement is true.

Finally, create a simple beginning, middle, and ending. The beginning introduces the main development. The middle provides the strongest evidence, voices, and explanation. The ending explains what happens next or what the audience should remember.

Do not begin writing or editing until the team agrees on the story. If an important fact remains unverified or an essential perspective is missing, complete the necessary follow-up reporting and speak with Mr. G.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Find the Story in Your Reporting (PDF)

Section 2:  Write the News Article

You have found the story in your reporting. Now you must turn that focus into a clear and accurate news article. The reader should quickly understand what happened, why it matters, who is affected, and what your reporting proves.

Before writing, place these items at the top of your working document:

  • Final story focus
  • Central audience question
  • Strongest verified facts
  • Best exact quotations
  • Necessary background information
  • Anything that still needs verification

A news article is not a transcript, advertisement, personal essay, or list of everything your team did. It is a carefully organized account of verified information.

Most articles should follow this basic structure:

  • Lead: State the most important new information.
  • Context: Explain why the development matters.
  • Evidence and voices: Add verified facts, explanations, and quotations.
  • Additional details: Answer the reader’s likely questions.
  • Ending: Explain what happens next or what the audience should remember.

Write a direct lead that identifies the real news. Do not begin with a broad topic, unnecessary date, quotation, or question.

Weak: The robotics team went to a competition Saturday.

Stronger direction: Identify the result, obstacle, achievement, or effect on the team’s season.

Keep paragraphs short and focused. Each paragraph should provide new information, necessary context, supporting evidence, a useful perspective, or an important next step. Remove repetition, general praise, and details that do not support the story.

Identify sources clearly. On first reference, use the person’s full name and a title or description explaining that person’s connection to the story. Use neutral attribution such as said for quotations and according to for information from documents or records.

Use direct quotations only when you can confirm the source’s exact words. Never combine separate answers, improve what a source said, or place quotation marks around wording created from rough notes. When the exact wording cannot be verified, use an accurate paraphrase with attribution.

Artificial intelligence may help you:

  • Organize verified information
  • Suggest outlines or possible leads
  • Produce a working draft from your reporting
  • Identify repetition or confusing wording
  • Check grammar, punctuation, and consistency
  • Compare the article with your reporting packet

AI must not invent facts, quotations, names, dates, numbers, reactions, or background information. Give it only verified reporting and tell it to mark missing information instead of guessing. You remain responsible for every sentence, even when AI helped write it.

Before submitting the article, verify every name, title, date, number, score, quotation, and factual claim against the original reporting. Make sure the headline is accurate, the article represents necessary perspectives fairly, and no uncertain or unsupported information remains.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Write the News Article (PDF)

Section 2:  Write The News Article

You have found the story in your reporting. Now you must turn that focus into a clear and accurate news article. The reader should quickly understand what happened, why it matters, who is affected, and what your reporting proves.

Before writing, place these items at the top of your working document:

  • Final story focus
  • Central audience question
  • Strongest verified facts
  • Best exact quotations
  • Necessary background information
  • Anything that still needs verification

A news article is not a transcript, advertisement, personal essay, or list of everything your team did. It is a carefully organized account of verified information.

Most articles should follow this basic structure:

  • Lead: State the most important new information.
  • Context: Explain why the development matters.
  • Evidence and voices: Add verified facts, explanations, and quotations.
  • Additional details: Answer the reader’s likely questions.
  • Ending: Explain what happens next or what the audience should remember.

Write a direct lead that identifies the real news. Do not begin with a broad topic, unnecessary date, quotation, or question.

Weak: The robotics team went to a competition Saturday.

Stronger direction: Identify the result, obstacle, achievement, or effect on the team’s season.

Keep paragraphs short and focused. Each paragraph should provide new information, necessary context, supporting evidence, a useful perspective, or an important next step. Remove repetition, general praise, and details that do not support the story.

Identify sources clearly. On first reference, use the person’s full name and a title or description explaining that person’s connection to the story. Use neutral attribution such as said for quotations and according to for information from documents or records.

Use direct quotations only when you can confirm the source’s exact words. Never combine separate answers, improve what a source said, or place quotation marks around wording created from rough notes. When the exact wording cannot be verified, use an accurate paraphrase with attribution.

Artificial intelligence may help you:

  • Organize verified information
  • Suggest outlines or possible leads
  • Produce a working draft from your reporting
  • Identify repetition or confusing wording
  • Check grammar, punctuation, and consistency
  • Compare the article with your reporting packet

AI must not invent facts, quotations, names, dates, numbers, reactions, or background information. Give it only verified reporting and tell it to mark missing information instead of guessing. You remain responsible for every sentence, even when AI helped write it.

Before submitting the article, verify every name, title, date, number, score, quotation, and factual claim against the original reporting. Make sure the headline is accurate, the article represents necessary perspectives fairly, and no uncertain or unsupported information remains.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Write the News Article (PDF)

Watch a Real News Package

Before you begin planning your own video package, watch this professional example from KPRC 2. The report covers opposition to a proposed data center in Austin County, making it a useful example of how a local issue can be developed into a complete television news story.

Do not watch only for the information being reported. Study how the package is constructed. Notice what the audience sees, what the audience hears, and how the reporter moves the story forward.

The report begins with the news anchors introducing the subject and explaining why viewers should pay attention. This is the anchor introduction, sometimes called the lead-in. It establishes the main issue and then turns the story over to the reporter.

Once the package begins, the reporter combines several storytelling elements:

  • Reporter narration: The reporter explains facts, supplies context, connects different parts of the story, and moves the audience from one point to the next.
  • Interview sound bites: Residents and company representatives speak for themselves. Their voices provide emotion, experience, explanation, and different perspectives.
  • B-roll: Video of the protest, vehicles, residents, property, and other relevant scenes gives viewers something meaningful to see while the reporter narrates.
  • Natural sound: Sound recorded at the scene helps viewers feel present and gives the package energy and authenticity.
  • Graphics and identification: Names, locations, company information, and other details may appear on screen to help viewers understand who and what they are seeing.
  • Reporter sign-off: The package ends with the reporter identifying herself, the station, and the location or news organization.

Pay close attention to the relationship between the words and pictures. When the reporter discusses the protest, viewers see the protest. When residents describe their concerns, viewers see the people and places affected. When the company explains the proposed facility, the package uses relevant footage or graphics instead of unrelated video.

Also notice that the reporter does not simply read a written article over random pictures. The information is divided between narration, interviews, natural sound, and visuals. Each element contributes something different to the story.

As you watch, answer these questions:

  • What is the main focus of the package?
  • How does the opening capture the viewer’s attention?
  • Which information is delivered through reporter narration?
  • Which information comes directly from interview subjects?
  • Does the package include more than one perspective?
  • How does the video support what is being said?
  • Where does the story shift from one idea or source to another?
  • How does the reporter bring the package to a close?

This is a professional television report created by an experienced news team using professional equipment. Your package will probably be shorter and produced with simpler tools, but it should follow the same fundamental approach. It should have a clear focus, organized narration, useful sound bites, relevant visuals, and a beginning, middle, and ending.

After watching the example, continue to Section 3. You will begin deciding what viewers should see, what they should hear, which sound bites should be included, and how the pieces of your own story will fit together.

Watch a Real News Package

Before you begin planning your own video package, watch this professional example from KPRC 2. The report covers opposition to a proposed data center in Austin County, making it a useful example of how a local issue can be developed into a complete television news story.

Do not watch only for the information being reported. Study how the package is constructed. Notice what the audience sees, what the audience hears, and how the reporter moves the story forward.

The report begins with the news anchors introducing the subject and explaining why viewers should pay attention. This is the anchor introduction, sometimes called the lead-in. It establishes the main issue and then turns the story over to the reporter.

Once the package begins, the reporter combines several storytelling elements:

  • Reporter narration: The reporter explains facts, supplies context, connects different parts of the story, and moves the audience from one point to the next.
  • Interview sound bites: Residents and company representatives speak for themselves. Their voices provide emotion, experience, explanation, and different perspectives.
  • B-roll: Video of the protest, vehicles, residents, property, and other relevant scenes gives viewers something meaningful to see while the reporter narrates.
  • Natural sound: Sound recorded at the scene helps viewers feel present and gives the package energy and authenticity.
  • Graphics and identification: Names, locations, company information, and other details may appear on screen to help viewers understand who and what they are seeing.
  • Reporter sign-off: The package ends with the reporter identifying herself, the station, and the location or news organization.

Pay close attention to the relationship between the words and pictures. When the reporter discusses the protest, viewers see the protest. When residents describe their concerns, viewers see the people and places affected. When the company explains the proposed facility, the package uses relevant footage or graphics instead of unrelated video.

Also notice that the reporter does not simply read a written article over random pictures. The information is divided between narration, interviews, natural sound, and visuals. Each element contributes something different to the story.

As you watch, answer these questions:

  • What is the main focus of the package?
  • How does the opening capture the viewer’s attention?
  • Which information is delivered through reporter narration?
  • Which information comes directly from interview subjects?
  • Does the package include more than one perspective?
  • How does the video support what is being said?
  • Where does the story shift from one idea or source to another?
  • How does the reporter bring the package to a close?

This is a professional television report created by an experienced news team using professional equipment. Your package will probably be shorter and produced with simpler tools, but it should follow the same fundamental approach. It should have a clear focus, organized narration, useful sound bites, relevant visuals, and a beginning, middle, and ending.

After watching the example, continue to Section 3. You will begin deciding what viewers should see, what they should hear, which sound bites should be included, and how the pieces of your own story will fit together.

Section 3:  Build the Video Package Plan

A video news package is a short, edited report that uses pictures, interviews, narration, natural sound, and simple graphics to tell a complete story. It is not the written article read aloud over random video.

In the professional news package you just watched, the finished report appeared smooth and continuous—but it had to be planned before it was assembled. The reporter and editor had to decide what viewers would see, what they would hear, where interview sound bites would appear, and how the story would move from its opening to its ending. You will now make those same basic decisions for your own package.

This section is about planning—not operating editing software. You may use Microsoft Clipchamp, CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, or another approved editor. The programs have different buttons, but every package must answer two questions from beginning to end:

  • What will the audience see?
  • What will the audience hear?

Before planning, confirm the required running time, horizontal or vertical format, deadline, required sources, and submission instructions. Then restate the package’s focus in one clear sentence. Every sound bite, narration line, visual, graphic, and natural-sound moment should support that focus.

Review the actual media files your team collected. Do not plan around footage or sound that you think someone recorded. Confirm that each file exists, opens correctly, and has usable picture or sound.

Create an inventory of:

  • Interviews and possible sound bites
  • B-roll and complete visual sequences
  • Natural sound
  • Photographs and documents
  • Graphics or information that must appear on screen
  • Missing footage, sound, facts, or interviews

Choose short sound bites that add experience, explanation, expertise, emotion, or perspective. A useful sound bite should make sense without hearing the reporter’s question. Record the exact filename and beginning and ending timecode so the editor can find it.

Match pictures to the meaning of the story. If the narration explains students operating new equipment, show students using the equipment—not an unrelated exterior shot of the school. Whenever possible, build visual sequences using wide, medium, close-up, detail, and reaction shots.

Think back to how the professional package moved from its opening, through narration and interviews, and toward its conclusion. Divide your own package into similar story blocks:

  • Opening: Establish the news with strong action, natural sound, or a clear opening line.
  • Main development: Explain what happened or changed.
  • Evidence and explanation: Show how it happened and why it matters.
  • Human effect: Let an affected or knowledgeable source speak.
  • What comes next: Explain the next action, date, decision, or result.
  • Ending: Finish with a meaningful picture, sound, or verified idea.

Estimate the time for each block before writing the complete script. If sound bites take most of the assigned running time, shorten them or use fewer bites. If the narration must be rushed, remove lower-priority information.

Create a two-column plan. On the left, write what the viewer will see. On the right, write what the viewer will hear. Include filenames, timecodes, graphics, and estimated lengths wherever possible.

Do not begin assembling the timeline until the team knows the package focus, opening, ending, sound bites, visuals, natural sound, story order, and realistic time budget. The professional package you watched did not come together by accident. Yours must be deliberately planned before editing begins.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Build the Video Package Plan (PDF)

Section 3:  Build the Video Package Plan

A video news package is a short, edited report that uses pictures, interviews, narration, natural sound, and simple graphics to tell a complete story. It is not the written article read aloud over random video.

In the professional news package you just watched, the finished report appeared smooth and continuous—but it had to be planned before it was assembled. The reporter and editor had to decide what viewers would see, what they would hear, where interview sound bites would appear, and how the story would move from its opening to its ending. You will now make those same basic decisions for your own package.

This section is about planning—not operating editing software. You may use Microsoft Clipchamp, CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, or another approved editor. The programs have different buttons, but every package must answer two questions from beginning to end:

  • What will the audience see?
  • What will the audience hear?

Before planning, confirm the required running time, horizontal or vertical format, deadline, required sources, and submission instructions. Then restate the package’s focus in one clear sentence. Every sound bite, narration line, visual, graphic, and natural-sound moment should support that focus.

Review the actual media files your team collected. Do not plan around footage or sound that you think someone recorded. Confirm that each file exists, opens correctly, and has usable picture or sound.

Create an inventory of:

  • Interviews and possible sound bites
  • B-roll and complete visual sequences
  • Natural sound
  • Photographs and documents
  • Graphics or information that must appear on screen
  • Missing footage, sound, facts, or interviews

Choose short sound bites that add experience, explanation, expertise, emotion, or perspective. A useful sound bite should make sense without hearing the reporter’s question. Record the exact filename and beginning and ending timecode so the editor can find it.

Match pictures to the meaning of the story. If the narration explains students operating new equipment, show students using the equipment—not an unrelated exterior shot of the school. Whenever possible, build visual sequences using wide, medium, close-up, detail, and reaction shots.

Think back to how the professional package moved from its opening, through narration and interviews, and toward its conclusion. Divide your own package into similar story blocks:

  • Opening: Establish the news with strong action, natural sound, or a clear opening line.
  • Main development: Explain what happened or changed.
  • Evidence and explanation: Show how it happened and why it matters.
  • Human effect: Let an affected or knowledgeable source speak.
  • What comes next: Explain the next action, date, decision, or result.
  • Ending: Finish with a meaningful picture, sound, or verified idea.

Estimate the time for each block before writing the complete script. If sound bites take most of the assigned running time, shorten them or use fewer bites. If the narration must be rushed, remove lower-priority information.

Create a two-column plan. On the left, write what the viewer will see. On the right, write what the viewer will hear. Include filenames, timecodes, graphics, and estimated lengths wherever possible.

Do not begin assembling the timeline until the team knows the package focus, opening, ending, sound bites, visuals, natural sound, story order, and realistic time budget. The professional package you watched did not come together by accident. Yours must be deliberately planned before editing begins.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Build the Video Package Plan (PDF)

Section 4:  Write the Video Package Script

You now have a completed article and a video package plan. The next step is to turn that plan into an exact script showing what the audience will see, what the audience will hear, which files the editor will use, and approximately how long each section will last.

A video script is not the written article copied into another document. It must be written for the ear and the screen. Viewers hear each sentence once while the pictures continue moving, so narration must be short, clear, conversational, and connected to the visuals.

Use a two-column script:

  • Video column: The exact B-roll, interview video, photograph, graphic, lower third, stand-up, filename, or timecode the viewer will see.
  • Audio column: The exact narration, sound bite, natural sound, or approved music the viewer will hear.

Begin by copying the story blocks from your Section 3 plan. Place the selected sound bites into the script before writing most of the narration. Include the source’s name, filename, exact timecodes, length, and exact spoken words.

A useful sound bite should:

  • Make sense without hearing the reporter’s question
  • Add experience, explanation, expertise, or reaction
  • Be short enough to hold attention
  • Preserve the source’s complete meaning
  • Add something the narration does not already say

Write narration into and out of each sound bite. The line before the bite should provide enough information for viewers to understand why the source is speaking. Do not use empty setups such as “She had this to say.” The narration after the bite should move the story forward instead of repeating the source.

Let the pictures carry part of the story. If viewers can see a student welding, the narration does not need to say, “The student is welding.” Explain what skill is being practiced, why it matters, or what the action helps prove.

Write narration using:

  • Short sentences with one main idea
  • Familiar words and active verbs
  • Clear attribution for claims, opinions, and plans
  • Verified names, dates, numbers, and titles
  • Pronunciation notes for difficult words or names

Mark natural-sound moments, lower thirds, graphics, and other production directions directly in the script. Video directions should identify real files and specific actions—not simply say “show B-roll.”

Read the complete script aloud and time it at a natural pace. Include the actual length of every sound bite, pause, and natural-sound moment. If the script is too long, remove lower-priority information instead of speaking faster. If it is too short, add useful reporting or visual breathing room—not filler.

Before recording, confirm that every spoken word is accurate, every sound bite is exact, every visual exists, and the opening and ending are complete.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Write the Video Package Script (PDF)

Section 4:  Write the Video Package Script

You now have a completed article and a video package plan. The next step is to turn that plan into an exact script showing what the audience will see, what the audience will hear, which files the editor will use, and approximately how long each section will last.

A video script is not the written article copied into another document. It must be written for the ear and the screen. Viewers hear each sentence once while the pictures continue moving, so narration must be short, clear, conversational, and connected to the visuals.

Use a two-column script:

  • Video column: The exact B-roll, interview video, photograph, graphic, lower third, stand-up, filename, or timecode the viewer will see.
  • Audio column: The exact narration, sound bite, natural sound, or approved music the viewer will hear.

Begin by copying the story blocks from your Section 3 plan. Place the selected sound bites into the script before writing most of the narration. Include the source’s name, filename, exact timecodes, length, and exact spoken words.

A useful sound bite should:

  • Make sense without hearing the reporter’s question
  • Add experience, explanation, expertise, or reaction
  • Be short enough to hold attention
  • Preserve the source’s complete meaning
  • Add something the narration does not already say

Write narration into and out of each sound bite. The line before the bite should provide enough information for viewers to understand why the source is speaking. Do not use empty setups such as “She had this to say.” The narration after the bite should move the story forward instead of repeating the source.

Let the pictures carry part of the story. If viewers can see a student welding, the narration does not need to say, “The student is welding.” Explain what skill is being practiced, why it matters, or what the action helps prove.

Write narration using:

  • Short sentences with one main idea
  • Familiar words and active verbs
  • Clear attribution for claims, opinions, and plans
  • Verified names, dates, numbers, and titles
  • Pronunciation notes for difficult words or names

Mark natural-sound moments, lower thirds, graphics, and other production directions directly in the script. Video directions should identify real files and specific actions—not simply say “show B-roll.”

Read the complete script aloud and time it at a natural pace. Include the actual length of every sound bite, pause, and natural-sound moment. If the script is too long, remove lower-priority information instead of speaking faster. If it is too short, add useful reporting or visual breathing room—not filler.

Before recording, confirm that every spoken word is accurate, every sound bite is exact, every visual exists, and the opening and ending are complete.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Write the Video Package Script (PDF)

Section 5: Record Narration and Assemble the Rough Cut

You now have a verified article, video package plan, and complete two-column script. The next step is to record the narration and assemble the first complete version of the package.

A rough cut is not supposed to be perfect. It is the first watchable version of the complete story. It should include the correct narration, sound bites, B-roll, natural sound, photographs, basic graphics, and source identifications in the planned order.

You may edit your video on a computer, Chromebook, or cellphone using Microsoft Clipchamp (Open Editor | Tutorials), CapCut (Open Editor | Beginner Tutorial), Adobe Premiere Pro, or another video editor you are comfortable using.  Follow the assigned BellvilleAV.com tutorials for exact instructions.

Before beginning the edit, set the project to horizontal 16:9 format. The finished news package must be exported in 1080p HD, even if it is edited on a cellphone. Do not create a vertical video unless the assignment specifically requires one.

Regardless of the program, use the same basic production order:

  • Save and name the project
  • Organize and import the media
  • Record the narration
  • Build the audio story
  • Add the planned video and graphics
  • Watch and revise the complete rough cut

Before recording, read the script aloud one more time. Confirm all names, titles, dates, numbers, pronunciations, sound-bite timecodes, and production directions. If you change the wording, correct the written script before recording.

Choose a quiet recording location. Place the cellphone, Chromebook, or microphone on a stable surface and silence all calls, alarms, and notifications. Avoid fans, air conditioners, hallway noise, and hard rooms with heavy echo. Record a short test, listen to it with headphones, and correct any problems before recording the complete narration.

Record narration in short sections instead of one long take. Speak clearly in a natural voice. If you make a mistake, pause and begin the complete sentence again. Save selected takes with clear filenames so the editor knows which recording to use.

Build the package in this order:

  1. Place the narration, sound bites, natural sound, and pauses on the timeline.
  2. Listen to the complete audio without watching the screen.
  3. Add the opening visual, interview video, B-roll, photographs, graphics, and closing shot.
  4. Add basic lower thirds with each source’s verified name and title.
  5. Adjust the audio so every important voice can be understood.
  6. Use simple cuts unless a transition communicates a real change.

B-roll should show action, evidence, place, process, reaction, or consequence. Do not use random footage merely to keep the screen from going black. Match the pictures to the meaning of the words.

Watch the complete rough cut from beginning to end without stopping. Ask whether the story is understandable, the pictures support the words, the sound bites preserve each source’s meaning, and the ending feels complete. Record problems with timecodes and fix major story or accuracy issues before worrying about small visual details.

Save the project regularly, keep the original media, use clear version names, and confirm that another team member can find the current project.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Record Narration and Assemble the Rough Cut (PDF)

Section 5: Record Narration and Assemble the Rough Cut

You now have a verified article, video package plan, and complete two-column script. The next step is to record the narration and assemble the first complete version of the package.

A rough cut is not supposed to be perfect. It is the first watchable version of the complete story. It should include the correct narration, sound bites, B-roll, natural sound, photographs, basic graphics, and source identifications in the planned order.

You may edit your video on a computer, Chromebook, or cellphone using Microsoft Clipchamp (Open Editor | Tutorials), CapCut (Open Editor | Beginner Tutorial), Adobe Premiere Pro, or another video editor you are comfortable using.  Follow the assigned BellvilleAV.com tutorials for exact instructions.

Before beginning the edit, set the project to horizontal 16:9 format. The finished news package must be exported in 1080p HD, even if it is edited on a cellphone. Do not create a vertical video unless the assignment specifically requires one.

Regardless of the program, use the same basic production order:

  • Save and name the project
  • Organize and import the media
  • Record the narration
  • Build the audio story
  • Add the planned video and graphics
  • Watch and revise the complete rough cut

Before recording, read the script aloud one more time. Confirm all names, titles, dates, numbers, pronunciations, sound-bite timecodes, and production directions. If you change the wording, correct the written script before recording.

Choose a quiet recording location. Place the cellphone, Chromebook, or microphone on a stable surface and silence all calls, alarms, and notifications. Avoid fans, air conditioners, hallway noise, and hard rooms with heavy echo. Record a short test, listen to it with headphones, and correct any problems before recording the complete narration.

Record narration in short sections instead of one long take. Speak clearly in a natural voice. If you make a mistake, pause and begin the complete sentence again. Save selected takes with clear filenames so the editor knows which recording to use.

Build the package in this order:

  1. Place the narration, sound bites, natural sound, and pauses on the timeline.
  2. Listen to the complete audio without watching the screen.
  3. Add the opening visual, interview video, B-roll, photographs, graphics, and closing shot.
  4. Add basic lower thirds with each source’s verified name and title.
  5. Adjust the audio so every important voice can be understood.
  6. Use simple cuts unless a transition communicates a real change.

B-roll should show action, evidence, place, process, reaction, or consequence. Do not use random footage merely to keep the screen from going black. Match the pictures to the meaning of the words.

Watch the complete rough cut from beginning to end without stopping. Ask whether the story is understandable, the pictures support the words, the sound bites preserve each source’s meaning, and the ending feels complete. Record problems with timecodes and fix major story or accuracy issues before worrying about small visual details.

Save the project regularly, keep the original media, use clear version names, and confirm that another team member can find the current project.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Record Narration and Assemble the Rough Cut (PDF)

Section 6:  Polish the Article and Video Package

You now have a complete news article and a rough cut of your video package. Before either one can be submitted, both must be carefully reviewed and improved. Polishing is not about adding flashy effects. It means correcting anything that is inaccurate, confusing, unnecessary, distracting, difficult to hear, or difficult to read.

Begin by saving a new working copy of your article and video project. Keep your original reporting, interview recordings, B-roll, photographs, narration, and rough cut. Do not name a file “Final” until it has been reviewed and approved.

Compare the article and video package. They do not need to use exactly the same words or include every identical detail, but they must agree on the important facts. If they conflict, return to your original reporting to determine what is correct. Never rely on memory or choose the version that simply sounds better.

Check every important detail:

  • Names, spellings, titles, dates, deadlines, and locations
  • Numbers, scores, costs, statistics, and percentages
  • Written quotations against the original recording or notes
  • Sound bites, including the words before and after each selected clip
  • Claims about causes, motives, reactions, decisions, or future plans
  • Lower thirds, captions, graphics, headlines, and photograph captions

Polish the article by checking its focus and organization. The lead should clearly state the main news, each paragraph should serve a purpose, quotations should be properly attributed, and the ending should provide a useful final idea or explain what happens next. Correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, links, and the byline—but review every automatic correction before accepting it.

Watch the video package several different ways. First, watch it from beginning to end as an audience member. Next, watch it with the sound muted to check the pictures, graphics, and captions. Finally, listen with headphones and ordinary Chromebook or phone speakers.

During the video review, confirm that:

  • The story is understandable after one viewing.
  • B-roll matches what the audience hears.
  • Narration and interviews are clear and properly balanced.
  • Cuts and transitions are clean and purposeful.
  • Lower thirds identify the correct people.
  • Graphics are accurate, readable, and visible long enough.
  • Automatic captions have been corrected by hand.

Check permission, credit, and privacy requirements for every photograph, video clip, document, logo, music track, or other item your team did not create.

AI may help identify unclear sentences, repeated information, grammar problems, or possible inconsistencies. However, AI cannot verify your reporting, invent information, rewrite quotations, or decide whether a claim is true. Check every suggestion against your original sources.

Export an approval copy and watch the exported file completely. Do not publish, post, send, or release either version until Mr G or the assigned newsroom editor gives approval.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Polish the Article and Video Package (PDF)

Section 6:  Polish the Article and Video Package

You now have a complete news article and a rough cut of your video package. Before either one can be submitted, both must be carefully reviewed and improved. Polishing is not about adding flashy effects. It means correcting anything that is inaccurate, confusing, unnecessary, distracting, difficult to hear, or difficult to read.

Begin by saving a new working copy of your article and video project. Keep your original reporting, interview recordings, B-roll, photographs, narration, and rough cut. Do not name a file “Final” until it has been reviewed and approved.

Compare the article and video package. They do not need to use exactly the same words or include every identical detail, but they must agree on the important facts. If they conflict, return to your original reporting to determine what is correct. Never rely on memory or choose the version that simply sounds better.

Check every important detail:

  • Names, spellings, titles, dates, deadlines, and locations
  • Numbers, scores, costs, statistics, and percentages
  • Written quotations against the original recording or notes
  • Sound bites, including the words before and after each selected clip
  • Claims about causes, motives, reactions, decisions, or future plans
  • Lower thirds, captions, graphics, headlines, and photograph captions

Polish the article by checking its focus and organization. The lead should clearly state the main news, each paragraph should serve a purpose, quotations should be properly attributed, and the ending should provide a useful final idea or explain what happens next. Correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, links, and the byline—but review every automatic correction before accepting it.

Watch the video package several different ways. First, watch it from beginning to end as an audience member. Next, watch it with the sound muted to check the pictures, graphics, and captions. Finally, listen with headphones and ordinary Chromebook or phone speakers.

During the video review, confirm that:

  • The story is understandable after one viewing.
  • B-roll matches what the audience hears.
  • Narration and interviews are clear and properly balanced.
  • Cuts and transitions are clean and purposeful.
  • Lower thirds identify the correct people.
  • Graphics are accurate, readable, and visible long enough.
  • Automatic captions have been corrected by hand.

Check permission, credit, and privacy requirements for every photograph, video clip, document, logo, music track, or other item your team did not create.

AI may help identify unclear sentences, repeated information, grammar problems, or possible inconsistencies. However, AI cannot verify your reporting, invent information, rewrite quotations, or decide whether a claim is true. Check every suggestion against your original sources.

Export an approval copy and watch the exported file completely. Do not publish, post, send, or release either version until Mr G or the assigned newsroom editor gives approval.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Polish the Article and Video Package (PDF)

Section 7: Review, Correct, Export, and Submit

Your article and video package have been reported, written, edited, and polished. The final step is to deliver everything so the newsroom editor can easily find the correct files, review the story, request corrections, and send the approved package to the Build the Broadcast team.

Submitting is not the same as publishing. Mr G or the assigned newsroom editor must approve the story before it is posted, placed in a broadcast, sent to an audience, or released anywhere else.

Begin with the exact article and video package that passed Section 6. Give the story a short, consistent slug and use it to clearly name the article, video, folder, and handoff information. Include the deliverable, stage, and version number in each filename. Do not label anything “Approved” until approval has actually been given.

Before submitting, confirm that:

  • The article includes the correct headline, byline, complete text, links, and captions.
  • Drafting notes, AI prompts, comments, highlights, and placeholders have been removed.
  • The video uses the assigned format, orientation, resolution, and filename.
  • The running time meets the assignment.
  • Narration, interviews, natural sound, graphics, lower thirds, and captions work correctly.
  • Credits, permissions, restrictions, and privacy requirements are documented.
  • The editable project, original media, interviews, notes, and reporting evidence remain saved.

Upload the article, exported video, and required handoff information to the exact location assigned for the production cycle. Wait for every upload to finish, then reopen the article and play the submitted video. A video reaching 100 percent during export or upload does not prove that the finished file works.

Your handoff message should identify the story, reporter or team, article filename, video filename, running time, submission location, version numbers, and any known issue. Do not simply write “done” or “ready.”

If the editor requests corrections:

  1. Read every note before changing anything.
  2. Verify factual corrections using the original reporting.
  3. Make changes in the editable article or video project.
  4. Check that the correction does not create another problem.
  5. Increase the version number.
  6. Inspect and resubmit the corrected files.
  7. Explain exactly what changed.

Approval must identify the exact article and package versions. A classmate saying the story “looks good” is helpful feedback, but it is not final approval.

After approval, provide the Build the Broadcast team with the approved video, exact running time, story slug, brief summary, pronunciation help, time-sensitive information, and any necessary instructions. Preserve the approved files, editable project, original media, reporting records, permissions, and correction notes.

Write and Package is complete only when the correct files have been submitted, corrections have been resolved, approval has been recorded, and the Build the Broadcast team can access everything it needs.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Review, Correct, Export, and Submit (PDF)

Section 7: Review, Correct, Export, and Submit

Your article and video package have been reported, written, edited, and polished. The final step is to deliver everything so the newsroom editor can easily find the correct files, review the story, request corrections, and send the approved package to the Build the Broadcast team.

Submitting is not the same as publishing. Mr G or the assigned newsroom editor must approve the story before it is posted, placed in a broadcast, sent to an audience, or released anywhere else.

Begin with the exact article and video package that passed Section 6. Give the story a short, consistent slug and use it to clearly name the article, video, folder, and handoff information. Include the deliverable, stage, and version number in each filename. Do not label anything “Approved” until approval has actually been given.

Before submitting, confirm that:

  • The article includes the correct headline, byline, complete text, links, and captions.
  • Drafting notes, AI prompts, comments, highlights, and placeholders have been removed.
  • The video uses the assigned format, orientation, resolution, and filename.
  • The running time meets the assignment.
  • Narration, interviews, natural sound, graphics, lower thirds, and captions work correctly.
  • Credits, permissions, restrictions, and privacy requirements are documented.
  • The editable project, original media, interviews, notes, and reporting evidence remain saved.

Upload the article, exported video, and required handoff information to the exact location assigned for the production cycle. Wait for every upload to finish, then reopen the article and play the submitted video. A video reaching 100 percent during export or upload does not prove that the finished file works.

Your handoff message should identify the story, reporter or team, article filename, video filename, running time, submission location, version numbers, and any known issue. Do not simply write “done” or “ready.”

If the editor requests corrections:

  1. Read every note before changing anything.
  2. Verify factual corrections using the original reporting.
  3. Make changes in the editable article or video project.
  4. Check that the correction does not create another problem.
  5. Increase the version number.
  6. Inspect and resubmit the corrected files.
  7. Explain exactly what changed.

Approval must identify the exact article and package versions. A classmate saying the story “looks good” is helpful feedback, but it is not final approval.

After approval, provide the Build the Broadcast team with the approved video, exact running time, story slug, brief summary, pronunciation help, time-sensitive information, and any necessary instructions. Preserve the approved files, editable project, original media, reporting records, permissions, and correction notes.

Write and Package is complete only when the correct files have been submitted, corrections have been resolved, approval has been recorded, and the Build the Broadcast team can access everything it needs.

Need the complete instructions? Download the full guide: Review, Correct, Export, and Submit (PDF)