News Writing: Tease Tips
BiB Contributor | Haley Cihock
As an addition to my last post… I thought I’d share my favorite list of tease tips. My executive producer gave it to me early in my career and I still use it as a quick go-to when I’m stuck on a particular tease. (I wish I could attribute it properly, but I’m not sure of its origin. And I’ve edited my top 10 favorites here.)
Don’t tease. Make a promise. Every promo should make a specific promise – not just “the latest” or “the story.” Get specific about the reward the viewer will reap if he sticks around to watch.
Reduce “newspeak.” How would you tell your Mom about the story? Capture that same tone and don’t use words you wouldn’t hear in a barbershop.
Less words, more pictures… and great sound. When writing promos, start at the video monitor. Find the best pictures and sound, and then start writing.
Take the “micro” approach on water cooler stories. When promoting water cooler stories, focus on the one unexpected angle and sell that. Instead of “The details on a three car accident on first street…” try something like, “A small dog caused all this destruction on first street.”
Don’t promise “tips.” How many time have you been told to “check your smoke detector,” or “slow down in traffic when it rains.” After thousands of stories that promise “tips,” viewers assume that all tips will be “lame tips.” Make sure the viewer understands that you have interesting, relevant information, not tired advice that any human already knows.
Don’t overwrite. Too much copy takes all of the heart and feeling out of a tease or promo. It creates clutter and dilutes the message.
Don’t be afraid to use incomplete sentences. The best promos use multiple sentence fragments that excite and compel, pushing the promo forward with great sound and video. Conversational writing allows us to bend the strict rules of grammar. Instead of “Tonight, police are searching for two men accused of murdering a young couple,” use “A young couple murdered. Police scramble to find the killers.”
Don’t promise a “conversation” or an “interview.” Instead, pick the best part of the interview and promise that aspect. It’s not “the interview” people are interested in… it’s the incredibly revealing or personal facts in that interview.
Avoid conditional words. Get rid of could, probably, possibly and might. Use of thes words tells the viewer that there “may” be nothing in our story. For example, “this new product might possibly work” could be replaced by “this new product has been used by thousands of people.” It’s honest, and it eliminates those troublesome words.
Avoid using questions in promos and teases. By their very nature, questions are vague. It’s OK to use a question as a creative element or to set a tone: “Tired of slow traffic?”; but, avoid using questions as a reason to watch. You can usually turn a question into a promise statement — often just by rearranging a few words: “How can you improve your memory?” becomes “How you can improve your memory.”
Happy teasing!
Tags: breaking, broadcasting, News Writing, teases
