Speaking Truth Through Radio Speaking
Be the voice they can’t turn off.
Radio Speaking isn’t about performing...it’s about delivering. In just five minutes, you’ll transport your listener through the most important news of the day, painting the world with your voice alone. Your job? Sound like the real thing: confident, clear, and compelling.
In this event, you will create a five-minute broadcast including local, national, international, weather, and sports news...no commentary, no opinion, no characters. Just crisp, professional delivery. And when it’s go-time, you’ll turn your back to the judge and let your voice take the spotlight.
If you’ve ever wanted to sound like a real newscaster, this is your event.
Where To Find Your News Content
Remember: All news copy must be less than 24 hours old as of the first round of competition.
Places to Find Local News
Places to Find National News
Places to Find International News
Places to Find Sports News
Places to Find Weather
STEP-BY-STEP: Crafting Your Radio
Step #1: Gather Content
Use only articles published within the last 24 hours of the competition. Choose:
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1-2 Local Stories
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2-3 National and International Headlines
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A short sports segment
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A quick, accurate weather report
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Avoid editorial or opinion pieces. Stick to hard news.
Step #2: Edit for Voice and TIming
You are not just reading...you're broadcasting. Try to showcase some sort of personality and flow in the radio script.
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Tips and Tricks:
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Condense long articles to a few sentences and core facts
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Rewrite news stories in present tense when appropriate
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Avoid jargon or overly complex phrasing
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Use transitions like, "In national news..." or "Turning to sports..."
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Aim for a total script that runs just under five minutes aloud. When performing, you need to hit five minutes exactly.
Step #3: Format Your Script
The structure of your radio matters. The recommended order to your radio is as follows:
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Opening Line (Example: <INSERT SOME OF YOUR HEADLINES> This and more will be covered on today's broadcast. Thank you for joining me on KPOW News. I'm <INSERT NAME>.
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Local News
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National News
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International News
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Weather Update
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Sports
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Closing Line (Example: That's today's news. Join us next time where we will interview <INSERT CELEBRITY OR POLITICAL FIGURE>. Thanks for listening today. Once again, this is <INSERT NAME>, signing off.
Step #4: Practice for the Ear, Not the Eye
You will not see the judge, so your voice needs presence and needs to command the space.
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Big Vocal Things to Focus On:
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Phrasing: Pause naturally at commas and punch key words
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Enunciation: crisp articulation, especially names and places
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Vocal Variety: change pitch and rate to avoid sounding robotic
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No Script Noise: I would recommend using your computer. However, if you use a printed script, then practice silently turning pages.
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Time yourself! There is no grace period. 5:00 minutes means 5:00 minutes!