News Writing: Time, Time, Time…

BiB Contributor | Haley Cihock

I get to talk with a class of middle-school students about my job tomorrow, and one of the advance questions they asked me to discuss is: How long should a story be?

Whoa. That’s a loaded question for a producer. Short answer? As long or short as it deserves.

In other words, I like to think there are no hard and fast rules on this topic. Obviously, we’re all bound by the constraints of things like commercial breaks, weather, sports, etc. But it really irks me when teachers tell students (or producers tell reporters) a story has to come in at 1:15 before they even hear the pitch. There are days when I’ve spent an entire 15 minute segment on one huge, developing story. And tonight, I wrote a story that lasted 12 seconds.

What’s great about learning time management in your stories is that it forces you to prioritize, to seek out the gems and scrub the rest. Learn the magic of word economy. Are you repeating any ideas? Are you using six words when three will do? Are you writing in active voice? – That’s a biggie.

In most cases, flipping a passive voice phrase around to become active voice shortens it significantly, and amplifies your verb impact in the process. Don’t know what I mean? It’s worth your time to look it up.

Usually, the more you can shorten, tighten, pick up the pace, the more engaging your story becomes. And the more your producer will love you… or at least thank you.

But there are times when longer is better – emotional moments, for example. If you’re watching a moment that makes you choke up and really sympathize with the person in the moment, don’t deny your viewers that same experience. Let it breathe. Give it the time it needs to resonate emotionally with your viewer. We had a story tonight involving the reunion of a father and daughter who hadn’t seen each other in years. The moment when they first saw each other and hugged (for about seven seconds), was silent, but very compelling.

And sometimes, allowing a pause of silence after a statement gives it just the right exclamation point. The good news is – the less often you use these little time tricks, the more likely you are to surprise the viewers and catch their attention.

Along with great sound, your available video should also help dictate the length of your story. If you have few interesting shots and no real opportunties for graphics to help, get out of there quick – before somebody starts to yawn. On the flip side, if you’ve got amazing pictures for days – show them, show them and show them again. You get the idea.

If you start feeling overwhelmed with information (I get this way often with stories that have a lengthy background or legal issues), try working with your producer or manager to focus your particular story, and break out other information to be presented in your story set-up or tag. Those with experience will recognize when a story is going in too many directions. Trust their judgement if you’re struggling.

And remember, there are infinite ways to tell a story. Being a slave to time simply isn’t necessary. Happy writing!