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I am not sure how to best handle this, do we skip over a part of the dialogue? When a person is cut, he can resume, but it's not the same thing for a TV.

Anyway, here's an example:

The TV blurted out a news report: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer offering a joint statement saying Trump's call for the additional border wall funding will be dead on --"

John who was in a bad mood talked over the news report: "Always, the same damn thing."

The TV continued: "regarding his national security declaration, and telling them to, quote, get tough. OK. So, Greg, a budget takes months to prepare."

Here's the full excerpt of the TV transcript:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer offering a joint statement saying Trump's call for the additional border wall funding will be dead on arrival. The president tweeting today, the Republican have a, quote, very easy vote this week, regarding his national security declaration, and telling them to, quote, get tough. OK. So, Greg, a budget takes months to prepare --

So, what's a better way to handle this?

It's a different question, because I am asking about a non-person "speaking" at the same time.

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  • @Cyn I agree that it is likely a duplicate, however this question is much better asked and there is no great answers on the other one. Perhaps it would be better to make the other a duplicate of this?
    – linksassin ♦
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 5:50
  • @linksassin There are no great answers on this version either. I don't know what the mods do but I believe there is a way to combine questions.
    – Cyn
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 5:52
  • @Cyn Agree, no great answers on either but this is the better worded question so I would vote it should remain open and the other closed.
    – linksassin ♦
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 5:54

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Depending on whether your writing with a third person omniscient narrator, third person limited narrator or POV narrator this can be handled in different ways.

The example you've provided in your question would suit the third person limited narrator or POV narrator perfectly fine as to hear what John had to say the narrator would have lost focus on the TV.

A third person omniscient narrator though does not have to lose any of the transcript.

The news report began, "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer offering a joint statement saying Trump's call for the additional border wall funding will be dead on--"
"Always, the same damn thing." John interrupted moodily.
"--arrival. The president tweeting today, the Republican have a, quote, very easy vote this week, regarding his national security declaration, and telling them to, quote, get tough. OK. So, Greg, a budget takes months to prepare"

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