I teach Broadcast Copywriting for the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama- Birmingham. Although it deals mainly with how to write broadcast advertisements that have more efficacy, part of the course teaches techniques for writing news and sports for radio and TV.
Our textbook “Writing for TV, Radio, and New Media” by Robert Hilliard published a script provided by WCVB-TV in Boston. The script was written for anchors Brian Leary and Susan Wornick, who delivered information about a hurricane.
Hilliard points out that a story’s lead (its first sentence) may be a tease (also called a soft lead), which is to hold the audience’s attention into the specific information of the hard lead. Another lead may follow, adding more depth, usually through significant visuals or interviews with participants or observers.
The hard lead contains the most important of the five W’s, succinctly telling the crux of the story. The hard lead can be up to three sentences.
1. One of the five W’s in news is not:
A. who
B. what
C. where
D. warn
E. why
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2. crux (KRUHKS)
A. tone
B. direction
C. truth
D. pivotal point
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.3. If something is succinct, it’s
A. not biased.
B. not superficial.
C. briefly and clearly expressed.
D. chock full of information.
E. polemical.
No. 1 and No. 2 are D. No. 3 is C. The hard news lead contains the most important of the five W’s, succinctly telling the crux of the story. Dictionary.com defines crux as “a vital, basic, decisive, or pivotal point; something that torments by its puzzling nature; a perplexing difficulty.”
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4. efficacy (EF-uh-cuh-see)
A. the capacity for producing a desired result or effect
B. jejuneness
C. rapidity in speech
D. None of the above
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5. Which infinitive relates the most to holding an audience’s attention?
A. inform
B. captivate
C. educate
D. obfuscate
E. dominate
No. 4 is A.
Lastly, which one of the verbs relates the most to holding an audience member’s attention in a new story? Captivate. If attention isn't captivated by the time the lead is given, the listener will probably lose interest.
Editor's Note: Dr. Don Rodney Vaughan is the pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church near Eupora and is on the faculty of East Mississippi Community College, Golden Triangle Campus. Contact him at dvaughan@eastms.edu.
