script: “russian fighter jet damages u.s. drone”

As an intern for NBC Bay Area, I had the opportunity to write several scripts for the 11:00 AM midday broadcast. The following script was written for the 11:00 AM broadcast on July 25, 2023.

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First Draft:

A RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET DAMAGED A U.S. DRONE OPERATING OVER SYRIA ON SUNDAY. 

VIDEO OF THE INTERCEPTION WAS RELEASED THIS MORNING. 

YOU CAN SEE THE RUSSIAN JET FOLLOWING THE U.S. AIRCRAFT AND COMING WITHIN A FEW METERS OF THE DRONE. 

THE FIGHTER JET THEN POSITIONS ITSELF IN FRONT OF THE MQ-9 DRONE AND RELEASES FLARES THAT DAMAGE ITS PROPELLER. 

FORTUNATELY, THE MQ-9 CREW WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE DRONE AND FLY IT BACK TO ITS HOME BASE.

Aired Script:

[[=ANCHOR/CU=]]

NEW VIDEO SHOWS A RUSSIAN FIGHTER JET INTERCEPTING AND DAMAGING A U-S DRONE

[[==VO==]] 

THIS HAPPENED IN SYRIAN AIR SPACE ON SUNDAY.

FOOTAGE RELEASED THIS MORNING SHOWS THE RUSSIAN JET FOLLOWING THE DRONE -- THEN GETTING IN FRONT OF IT AND RELEASING FLARES -- WHICH DAMAGED  THE DRONE.

FORTUNATELY, THE CREW WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE DRONE AND FLY IT BACK TO ITS HOME BASE