Italicize Dialogue from a Radio?

stardustx

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So in my short story, in one scene, a character is listening to a sports talk show on the radio. Do I need to italicize the dialogue in order to show the reader that it's being played on the radio? Or is it simply enough to note that it's "a man's voice on the radio"? I thought that any dialogue being played on a radio or TV needs to be italicized in order to show the reader this, but I've never actually tried it myself. Are there any particular rules to formatting this type of dialogue?

Thank you. :)
 

Bufty

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If the reader knows - before the dialogue is given - the character is listening to the radio sports channel, italics would work fine, provided the dialogue content is of sufficient importance to warrant its inclusion.
 
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Maryn

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The house style for the last publisher I worked with said that all synthesized speech--TV, radio, answering machines, etc.--should be italicized within regular quotation marks. They were pretty rigid about following the Chicago Manual of Style, so without looking it up (geez, the book's all the way upstairs!), I'd guess that's the source of the house style.

So I'd write it:

"Say what you will about this infield, they earn their RBIs." Was that Martin Bell? He'd done color commentary when I was a child, hauled to games I didn't care about by Dad and Uncle Larry.

"That's true, Marty, but it's offset by the number of errors. It's early in the season, but so far--" Bell must be in his eighties. Good for him, to be in the booth at that age.

"--the shortstop and second base starters hold the numbers one and two positions for most errors in the league."

"But when it comes to putting runners in scoring position, does that really matter?"
Of course it mattered! It put the other team's runners in scoring position. Idiot.

"I'd say it matters very much, since errors allow the other teams baserunners to advance to scoring position. That's telling him, Marty.

"David! Dinner!" Mom's voice wafted up three stories to my old attic bedroom.

"Coming!" I turned off the radio.
 

stardustx

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Thank you! And thank you, Maryn, for even providing an example. That really helps. It's funny that you should use baseball; that is actually the exact sport that I am writing on. :)
 

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They were pretty rigid about following the Chicago Manual of Style, so without looking it up (geez, the book's all the way upstairs!), I'd guess that's the source of the house style.

Where your last publisher's guidelines originated is of essentially zero importance to anyone, but my Chicago Manual is sitting right here in my web browser, so I looked it up. Chicago is not the origin of this particular style rule. (Chicago style is largely concerned with academic writing, where you wouldn't italicize broadcast speech; that's more of a literary style.)
 

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Where your last publisher's guidelines originated is of essentially zero importance to anyone, but my Chicago Manual is sitting right here in my web browser, so I looked it up. Chicago is not the origin of this particular style rule. (Chicago style is largely concerned with academic writing, where you wouldn't italicize broadcast speech; that's more of a literary style.)

That's the last snotty remark I'm willing to tolerate from you, in any of your accounts.

ETA: Also, Maryn is quite correct, moreover, that is exactly the way I'd handle this specific situation as a writer, as a typesetter and as an editor.

It's also the way it's been handled by books from Daniel Okrent and Ken Burns.

I'd be really happy about seeing more helpful and kind posts, of the sort most members post (see Maryn, Abi and Chase for just a few example of many kind and helpful posts from many stellar members, too many to name you all), and fewer that attempt to use grammar as an instrument of torture.
 
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Cindyt

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The house style for the last publisher I worked with said that all synthesized speech--TV, radio, answering machines, etc.--should be italicized within regular quotation marks. They were pretty rigid about following the Chicago Manual of Style, so without looking it up (geez, the book's all the way upstairs!), I'd guess that's the source of the house style.

So I'd write it:

"Say what you will about this infield, they earn their RBIs." Was that Martin Bell? He'd done color commentary when I was a child, hauled to games I didn't care about by Dad and Uncle Larry.

"That's true, Marty, but it's offset by the number of errors. It's early in the season, but so far--" Bell must be in his eighties. Good for him, to be in the booth at that age.

"--the shortstop and second base starters hold the numbers one and two positions for most errors in the league."

"But when it comes to putting runners in scoring position, does that really matter?"
Of course it mattered! It put the other team's runners in scoring position. Idiot.

"I'd say it matters very much, since errors allow the other teams baserunners to advance to scoring position. That's telling him, Marty.

"David! Dinner!" Mom's voice wafted up three stories to my old attic bedroom.

"Coming!" I turned off the radio.

This example is more powerful than a passive reply. Thank you!