2 CBBJ3203: Topic 6 – Leads.

2 CBBJ3203: Topic 6 – Leads.

INTRODUCTION

Leads are important in newscast whether in the printed media or electronic

media. It can be considered as the bait to catch the reader's attention. Without

interesting and accurate leads, news broadcast will not be able to attract the

audience's attention to continue listening to the next news report.

This topic will discuss the effectiveness of leads in broadcast news, types of leads

that are regularly used by broadcast journalists, and other relevant examples.

Some approaches, leads and tips are elaborated as a basic guideline to you who

want to be a journalist.

6.1 WRITING LEADS

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

1. Explain the concept of leads in broadcast news;

2. Identify the types of leads used in broadcast news; and

3. Elaborate suitable leads for the news approach which is to be

reported.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

SELF-CHECK 6.1

If you were in an interview session, what opening topic do you

anticipate will be asked by the interviewer to you?

8 8 􀁘 TOPIC 6 LEADS

Leads in broadcast news and printed media news are different. Leads in the

electronic broadcast news have to deliver the information that gives an

immediate impact with few words. Unlike leads in the printed media news that

only have one sentence, leads in broadcast news can comprise one, two or four

sentences but must explain the contents of the whole story in the news report. If a

journalist can identify the element in the story that can satisfy the audience, there

is a possibility that the writing of leads can achieve the intended aim.

Writing a lead usually will take a long time compared to the time of preparing

the whole news coverage. Therefore, journalists are encouraged to write the leads

as soon as they have gathered the data and information for their stories or once

they are done with reporting.

Leads are able to determine the direction of the news. The aims of leads in

broadcast news are:

(a) To give a summary of the news.

(b) To catch the attention and interest of the viewers quickly.

(c) To make comprehension easy for Radio and TV audience.

ACTIVITY 6.1

What do you understand by leads in broadcast news and why are

leads important in broadcast news writing?

6.1.1 Elements in Leads

In a news report, there are six elements of story to be satisfied. See Figure 6.1.

Figure 6.1: Story elements

(a) What Happened?

As a journalist, you have to avoid summarising the leads as seen in most of

the news in the newspapers. DO NOT include all elements of the story, that

is 5W 1H.

You have to choose one or two elements, which you think are important

and suitable. Write leads, which you think is critical in a story. If you think

that two aspects from a story are equally important, write both in only one

sentence.

(b) Who Did It?

In this aspect, as a journalist, it is your responsibility to find one suitable

aspect in your news. Based on the who lead, you are allowed to add a few

supporting factors to strengthen your news.

If the story you intend to write is about a personality, you can write leads

that focus on the questions of who in the story. Famous names can help

attract the viewersÊ attention.

(c) When Did It Happen?

When you want to emphasise on when an incident happened, you have to

take into consideration the question of when did it happen and how it

happened.

SELF-CHECK 6.2

What are the factors that caused the news report that you listened to

last night become the talk of your colleagues for one whole day?

6.2 TYPES OF LEADS

There are seven types of leads, as shown in Figure 6.2:

Figure 6.2: Types of leads

As a broadcast journalist, you have to write leads that produce the most

important facts in a story or report to show off one aspect that has news value. A

journalist probably writes leads like:

The lead in the given example needs more than one breathe to read it until the

end. THERE IS NO newsreaders who can read the whole lead above with one

breath. This factor will make it difficult for the newsreaders to read the news

smoothly. Thus, the next lead might be suitable to use.

(a) Hard Leads and Soft Leads

Hard leads give the gist of the news directly to the audience. Writing this

type of lead will make the journalist choose the most important transition

and later draft the first sentence.

In the meantime, soft leads on the other hand seem to Âbring' the audience to

listen to the next news. Soft leads can also be a preparation, a Âwarm upÊ to the

story, which is going to be presented in the news report.

ACTIVITY 6.2

Between hard leads and soft leads, which do you think is more

effective?

(b) Suspense Leads

Sometimes, a news report of a serious issue becomes most effective when

journalists are smart at playing their leads by leaving the most important

element to the end of the sentence. This is to arouse a suspense effect.

Although the 'suspense' lead is able to leave the desired effect on audiences,

journalists must be careful not to prepare a long and winding lead.

Journalists have to realise that the audience of broadcast news is used to

news that is fast in nature and goes directly to the point.

(c) Negative Leads

When using this type of lead, journalists are reminded to avoid sentences

that use the word 'NOT' in the first sentence.

It is better to write like this:

(d) Tease Leads

Good "tease" leads can lead the listeners to be prepared to listen to the next

most important part in the news. Journalists have to use certain tips when

using tease leads.

(i) Write "tease leads" that contain only the important thing.

(ii) Avoid writing long leads. Audiences can be bored with the news

reported.

The lead given in the above example is said to be too long. It is better

written like this:

(e) Umbrella Leads/Shot Gun

Good news usually prioritises the humanitarian aspect. Sometimes

journalists have more than one story from the same subject, or more than

one story from the same source. In that situation, journalists might have

difficulties identifying which element should be turned into a lead. If all

stories have to be included in the lead, that type of lead is called the

umbrella leads.

This lead is also known as the shot gun lead. Sometimes it could help

journalists to get the tone of story to be reported. Through the source or the

experience of the subject gained, journalists could write the story in detail

starting with the writing of leads as breaking the news separately.

In the news report, journalists reported stories that encompassed three

landslide incidents before telling of what actually happened in detail. When

writing the lead is done, journalists can next report news that involves the

humanitarian aspect, before elaborating on other aspects.

(f) Sound Leads

Sometimes, journalists can utilise the newsreader's voice to make the

viewers concentrate on the news being presented.

Thus, journalists also have to use the newsreader's voice to attract the

audience's attention. In this kind of lead, the ability of the newsreader in

stressing the intonation effectively is the most important success factor.

(g) Question Leads

The use of this type of lead requires co-operation from the newsreader.

When the news reported uses question leads, it needs several tips:

(i) Question leads have to be short and be answered as fast as possible.

(ii) Read the leads with high and loud tone.

(iii) Make sure that they attract audiences' attention. Or else, you have to

write the leads again until you are satisfied.

If news reported involves rumours about mayor's retirement, the news

leads maybe like this:

If a state is facing inflation and the Trade Department is giving statistics in

regards of the matter, you could write your leads as follows:

Sometimes you can use leads in the form of indirect questions. The leads

probably sound like this:

ACTIVITY 6.3

If you were a journalist, how would you choose a suitable lead that

would go with the news you are reporting?

To test your understanding, answer the following questions.

EXERCISE 6.1

1. Refer to one of the TV stations. Choose one report and study

the form as well as the leads used in the news report. Attach

the full script of your chosen news.

2. Briefly explain the types of broadcast news leads.

􀁸 This topic has exposed the importance as well as elements of leads that need

to be investigated by journalists before going out to produce a broadcast

news report because good journalists are smart in applying suitable leads

with the news to be reported.

􀁸 The types of leads that can be used and suitable with the broadcast news

approach have also been discussed.

􀁸 The next topic will elaborate the process of news gathering and visual

narration.