MORE OF THE REVISION NOTES ON NEWS REPORTING BA 2 FIRST SEMESTER 2013/14 Functions of the Lead Sentence in braodcasting • Grab the listener’s interest. The lead is the hook, the bait used to lure the listener into the story • Prepare the listener for the information to follow • Set tone for the story to follow • Broadcast leads are best when they are short and have only enough information to suggest the guts of the story. Leads of 12 words or fewer are often best. • Don’t try to answer all of the questions-- who, what, when, where, why and how—in the lead, only the one or two most important questions, often “what” and “where” • Don’t use unfamiliar names in leads. Instead characterize the person by what has made him or her newsworthy. o Example: A Mount Pleasant woman is going to be on the popular game show Jeopardy. (use name later in story) o Example: A Summerville man died in a fire today. (use name later in story) Strive for Leads that are… • Catchy—but not flippant or insensitive • Clever—use the language, be creative • Concise—don’t cram too much information into the lead, usually just what and where. Don’t use unfamiliar names in leads. • Current—avoid “yesterday” and “last night” in leads. Strive for fresh “today” angles to stories, try to update, give the latest developments • Conversational—write it the way you would tell someone. Speak it out before writing it. Write in the active voice with the subject committing the act placed first in the sentence. This writing style is smoother, punchier and easier to follow. • Clear—make sure your writing is understandable; read copy aloud while it to ensure clarity
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 10:17:01 +0000
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