What’s the secret to writing a good news tease?
In case you hadn’t noticed, I just wrote a tease. Consider it a successful one if you’re still reading.
Too many producers struggle with news teases. They overlook their value and the role they fill. Nowadays, you can’t take for granted that viewers religiously watch entire newscasts. Too many distractions and options to go elsewhere. People switch channels on a whim.
Teases are meant to prevent that behavior. They keep the audience glued to your newscast. Make them hesitant to leave for fear of missing something.
How do you do it? What’s the secret?
The Anatomy of a Tease
Every story has one “takeaway” – one sentence that summarizes what the story is about. Use that as the nucleus of your tease.
Now, use the six basic questions of journalism – who, what, where, when, why and how – to determine the best framing of the tease. Which of these questions captures the “takeaway” in the most intriguing fashion?
The same subject matter can be framed by more than one journalistic question. Use the one that best fits the story content.
Now the tricky part. Write the tease in a way that whets the viewer’s appetite for more information. Leave a little mystery.
Don’t tell the final resolution. Viewers have little incentive to hang around if they know the final outcome.
Teases That Fail
Avoid writing teases like this:
“Former football star Hy Noone is facing charges of passing phony money. We’ll give you the details next.”
You’ve told the audience everything it needs to know. Promising details doesn’t add any suspense.
Now, let’s rework an actual tease using the ideas above.
Actual tease:
“For years customers at a local bank may have had a savings account. Now they could be sitting on a gold mine. Home Savings and Loan goes public. Details next.”
The tease gives the story away. Little curiosity is aroused.
Rewriting the News Tease
Let’s use three different approaches. The decision to use any of the above frameworks is contingent on how the story was reported. You’ll notice the flexibility that any single topic provides for creating the most appropriate tease.
Let’s write the tease from a “what” framework – framing the tease around the decision to go public:
“Customers at Home Savings and Loan are finding a new way to make their money grow. Learn about the plan next….”
Let’s write the tease from a “how” perspective – framing the tease around the mechanics of the decision:
“Could Home Savings and Loan become a gold mine for customers? Find out how next….”
Let’s write the tease from a “why” perspective – framing the tease around the potential benefits of the decision:
“Find out why savings accounts might seem like small change at Home Savings and Loan. That’s good news for customers. Next…”
The preceding teases all project some bit of mystery. Enough details are provided to pique interest without giving away the final resolution.
Good tease writing takes practice. It also requires an appreciation of what these devices do.
They’re the hooks that keep your audience attentive. Keep them sharp.
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