Why reporters need to be great tease writers too.

When talking about tease challenges recently on FB, a newsie mentioned it is hard to tease a story “not knowing what the reporter is ACTUALLY working on.” This is a common scenario in most newsrooms. I said the producer should ask for a tease line when the reporter calls in with elements. Now let’s talk about why the reporter should want to call in a tease line, or better yet, offer to write a tease. Reporters need to be great tease writers too, because it not only helps them curry favor with management, it also helps them write better stories.

A big key to great story telling and great tease writing is truly understanding what impact the story will have on the audience. This is the WIFM and sell combined. So by challenging yourself to become a great tease writer, you are kicking your story telling skills up a notch.

Great tease writers are also experts at using sound and video to capture the viewer’s attention, key elements in great storytelling. Think about it, most teases that really knock your socks off, leave an image or sound in your mind. Most people are visual or auditory learners. It is important to play on that fact.

Tight, powerful writing is also key to great tease writing and great storytelling. You can’t boil it down if you don’t understand the story. Powerful writing makes for many memorable moments as well.

So reporters, challenge yourself. Offer to call in a tease line with your elements each day. Look for the sound and video that really sells your story and offer it up. You will not only become the producer’s favorite, your own stories will improve.

Taking Teasing Challenges Head On.

Whenever I publish an article on teases, journalists talk it up on Facebook and Twitter. Teases, as I have said before, are not natural to us newsies. So we have plenty to discuss because teases are a completely different writing style. I asked on FB and Twitter: What are the biggest challenges you face when writing teases? Here’s the list and some fixes.

Tease writing challenges

Making the time to write them
Not giving away too much of the story
Picking what to tease
What order to put teases in

The number one secret of killer tease writers is this: Make time to really work on your teases. These are not the elements you save for last and just throw something in to get them done. Teases make or break your newscast. You are judged on them harshly and often. They have to be a priority. They need a special amount of time set aside. Give yourself a chance to write and read over the teases to challenge yourself: Are these really the best I can do?

That said many of you mentioned writing the teases right after you write the story you are teasing. That can be an effective technique, as long as you go back and look at them again. Why? Often you end up giving away too much of the story. Sometimes you need a little separation from writing the story, to see what your short term memory actually retains. What is it about that story that made you want to tease it in the first place?

Picking what to tease is very challenging, especially when you look at your rundown and think, the stories all sound run of the mill, with no good sound, average video and the same old facts. This is key. There should be a reason every story is in your newscast. It may be that a little tidbit is interesting, the fact the fire happened in a key demo of the market you are tapping into, or because you need video on a day when you have few resources and too many copy stories. Realistically not all of the reasons are super compelling, but they are reasons that have WIFM (“What’s In It For Me”). So draw on the reason why the story is in the newscast and try to build on that for a tease. Viewers do not expect every story to be a gut wrenching, heart stopping, amazing moment. Remember at their core, viewers want tangible relatable information. Information is teasable. Just don’t oversell. (see “Reel ‘Em In Without Exaggerating”).

Finally, order. How many producers have wasted way too much time on this? For the most part, the way to “stack” teases is this deep, deeper, next. You can play around with the deep, deeper part, but not the next (unless you are in the second to last block of course). If viewers see a pattern (and they can and will recognize it) of you teasing next right off, they will not stick around for the whole newscast.

So now you can take those teasing challenges head on! Go knock ’em dead.

Alliteration: Like, Loathe or Lose?

A producer recently tweeted asking if we could put some mandates on the use of alliteration, and share how we feel about the use of alliteration at all. Simply put: Alliteration is overused in news copy. Yes, it is catchy and can re-engage the ear. But it also trivializes stories if not done just right.

So here are mandates for the use of alliteration:

Avoid it in cold opens and headlines
Do not use it in crawls
Write descriptions of video first
Use it sparingly in kickers and teases

We often hear alliteration used in teases. There are two types of “teases” where you should not use alliteration: Headlines at the top of a show and cold open type copy. (For those of you new to the biz, when I say cold open, I am talking about the fancy copy used before the anchors say hello at the top of a newscast. It often has video and/or sound or very powerful phrases to try and suck the viewer into the lead story.) The reason why is simple. These are serious stories. They define the type of news you are providing to the viewer in the newscast and you cannot afford to risk trivializing that content.

The risk of trivializing the content, is the reason you should not use alliteration in lower thirds or crawls either. Frankly, alliteration can also look a little goofy when reading it. It is not as effective as hearing the words.

When you are tempted to use alliteration in a story or tease, first look at the video and write down a few phrases that describe the pictures you will show. Often this will spark an idea for an interesting element to tease that doesn’t need alliteration. (For more on how to look at and better write to video read Can you picture it and Reel em in without exaggerating.)

If you just can’t resist, use alliteration in teases and kickers sparingly. By sparingly I mean one or two teases per newscast maximum, and two kickers per week. I am giving numbers to encourage you to really work around this crutch. That way when you do use alliteration, your viewer will love how it sounds, not loathe hearing it again, so you don’t have to lose the technique altogether.

The ultimate tease challenge: the daily update on a recurring story.

If you ever wondered why you see producers sitting at their desks mumbling to themselves, then pacing in a hallway, this is it. Teasing the story that seems like it just won’t end. The rising flood waters waiting to crest, the trial that drags on forever, the storm damage cleanup that is so important to cover, but looks the same each day.

These are stories that, after a while, management and producers must debate on whether to tease at all, or does the viewer just expect the coverage to be there and watch for something else. While that debate rages, producers are often faced with a looming deadline and overnights that say they get a spike when coverage of that topic airs.

So what do you do when there’s no obvious unique element? Look beyond the obvious. Sometimes you need to come up with an interesting sidebar tag that would have viewer benefit. This is the time to search Twitter and tweet your sources for interesting tidbits that you can fact check and possibly add to your coverage in some way. You can also call a buddy who’s not in the business and ask where the coverage seems to be lacking for the story. They might have an idea you never thought off that would make a great vo/sot or even an outboard package. Also, have reporters keep an extra eye out for interesting character development that you can turn into an interesting tease.

Anchors are a great resource in this difficult time. They often are approached by people with interesting questions you could answer as an added element to your coverage. It’s a great tease option because it enhances your anchor’s credibility, with a viewer benefit. You asked and we got the answer for you! It engages viewers who often feel we talk at them instead of to them.

If there really is nothing interesting to tease about the ongoing story, talk with management about whether you can move the tease out of its traditional place, like the end of a block. This is a great time to do stealth teases (see article “You’re Hooked“) in the middle of the a-block for example. You can put the anchors on a two shot and have them say something like, “Hey, in 5 minutes we’re going to get an update on the trial. I hear (reporter) has (a quick line with the gist of the pkg).” Then go on with the newscast.

The one thing you want to avoid at all costs is the tease that goes something like these “Up next the latest on the Casey Anthony case.” or “We have the latest on cleanup of the tornado damage in Joplin.” These are the ultimate throw away lines and will cost you credibility with the viewer. Keep in a mind that viewers expect you to have the latest on a big story. That’s the reason they are tuning in. They believe in your ability to cover the ongoing stories. Don’t let them down by trivializing it with only a “coming up, the latest.” It makes your station seem callous and sloppy. Viewers are taking this story seriously. You need to as well. You don’t have to have a wow factor each day. A simple headline in a tease is okay. It helps viewers know when they will get the daily update. Taking a quick hit with a live reporter also can work, but coordinate with the reporter ahead of time to make sure he/she doesn’t give away too much. Viewers think it is cool if you check in live on something, it shows immediacy. Have the anchor say something like, “We’re hearing court is about to wrap up right now, (Reporter) interesting day?” Reporter says: “Yes, in fact we had something just happen that we will tell you about in two minutes.” You aren’t exaggerating, you are not giving the story away, you are showcasing a live ongoing event with immediacy. Again, viewers love feeling like they are in the moment. Another way to consider this along similar lines: Teasing these kinds of stories is like teasing weather. Some days the information is huge and you need to blow it out. Some days there’s not much to it, but you want the viewer to know you always have their best interest in mind, even on a sunny cloudless day. You want to shoot straight and build credibility for the times the teases are easy to write, because what you have to share is fascinating. Do these things and the amount of time you spend mumbling to yourself in the hallway, will begin to shrink!