The document provides guidance on writing effective leads for audio stories. It emphasizes that a lead should capture the essence of the story in an engaging way and pique the audience's interest. The lead functions like a headline and is the most important element. It should address what's in it for the listener and make a direct connection with them. When writing a lead, it's important to know who the audience is and what the essence of the story is about. The lead should preview but not summarize the entire story.

1. WRITING LEADS FOR
AN AUDIENCE

2. The Lead Captures the
Essence of the Story
Doesn’t sound “written”, but
rather conversational
Narrative Storytelling Format-
you’re telling a story, not just
delivering “facts”

3. What is a Story “Lead”?
• The First Sentence
• Most Important Element
• Functions Much like a Headline
Does for a Newspaper
• “Point of Purchase” = will they
“buy” it/keep listening/watching?

4. “What’s In It For Me?” – When
Possible Address This for the
Audience In Lead
• Will they get valuable info?
• Will they get an important question
answered?
• Will they get a nice surprise?
• Will they be shocked?

5. Lead = Sales Pitch
YOU MUST KNOW THE ESSENCE
OF THE STORY YOURSELF
Capture the Essence and Make A
Connection to the Audience
WHO are you writing for? If you
don’t know that, how can you speak
to them?

6. Video/Audio Offers the
Opportunity to Make a Direct
Connection with Audience
Ask a Question: HOW MUCH
TIME DID YOU SPEND IN
TRAFFIC THIS MORNING?
Using “YOU” Directly Addresses
Audience and Engages Them

7. Challenge Their Expectations
YOU MIGHT THINK IT’S NOT
EASY TO GET AWAY WITH
MURDER…BUT THAT’S NOT
THE CASE IN BLAMVILLE.
DETECTIVES THERE HAVE
SOLVED FEWER THAN HALF
OF LAST YEAR’S KILLINGS.

8. Relate to their Experiences*
IF YOU’VE EVER DRIVEN ON
THE INTERSTATE AND FOUND
YOURSELF SANDWICHED
BETWEEN TWO SEMIS…YOU
KNOW HOW FRIGHTENING BIG
RIGS CAN BE.
*Be sure it’s a common experience, though

9. How Many Facts Should Your
Lead (first sentence) Contain?
Maybe no specific facts at all

10. SAMPLE LEAD:
A TRANSPUDDLE AIRLINES
SEVEN-THIRTY-SEVEN WITH FIFTY-
SEVEN PASSENGERS ON BOARD
DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM
BUENOS AIRES THIS
MORNING…SPARKING A MAJOR
SEARCH BY THE ARGENTINE AIR
FORCE.

11. SAMPLE LEAD:
 WAY TOO MANY FACTS
 WE DON’T NEED TO KNOW
EVERYTHING IN THE FIRST
BREATH/SENTENCE
 KEEP IT SIMPLE!

12. SAMPLE LEAD:
 WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS
OUT OF ARGENTINA THIS
AFTERNOON…A MASSIVE
SEARCH IS UNDERWAY
FOR A MISSING JETLINER

13.  A STORY ROADMAP HAS THREE
MAIN ELEMENTS:
 PREVIEW (BEGINNING)
 VIEW (MIDDLE)
 REVIEW (END)

14.  PREVIEW (BEGINNING)
 YOUR LEAD SIGNALS THE
TYPE OF STORY
 VIEW (MIDDLE w/SOUND
BITES/MATERIAL)
 THE PERTINENT FACTS
 REVIEW (END)
 SUMMARIZES CURRENT
STATUS AND/OR LOOKS
AHEAD

15.  PREVIEW/BEGINNING:
 WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS OUT OF ARGENTINA
THIS AFTERNOON…A MASSIVE SEARCH IS
UNDERWAY FOR A MISSING JETLINER.
 VIEW/MIDDLE:
 PERTINENT FACTS
 REVIEW/END:
 AUTHORITIES SAY THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING
PLANE WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT.
 IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER ANY OF THE MISSING
PASSENGERS IS AMERICAN.
 THE AIRLINE IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF
CONTACTING RELATIVES OF MISSING PASSENGERS.

16.  PREVIEW (BEGINNING)
 YOUR LEAD SIGNALS THE
TYPE OF STORY
 VIEW (MIDDLE)
 THE PERTINENT FACTS
 REVIEW (END)
 SUMMARIZES CURRENT
STATUS AND/OR LOOKS
AHEAD

17. To know how to tell a story, you
must first know what the story is!
Always ask yourself, “What is this
story about?”
If you can’t answer that in one
short declarative sentence you
need to stop and narrow your
focus

18. EXAMPLE SCENARIO:
You're working in the White Plains, NY
market and are writing about a local
political scandal for a story you will be
airing on your 6 o’clock radio news
broadcast later today.

19.  The scenario: The mayor of Valhalla, NY, Gregory White, has
just announced he’s leaving office tomorrow due to “personal
reasons”. His released statement reveals no more details about
his departure. However, he will be holding a press conference at
9 am tomorrow morning. His decision comes after weeks of
public allegations that he’s been having numerous extramarital
affairs. Three of these women have come forward to claim White
has not only been cheating on his wife, he’s been cheating the
citizens of Valhalla by taking the women on expensive trips and
buying them extravagant gifts – all paid for by taxpayers. His
credit card receipts and expense reports are a matter of public
record and seem to support the women’s charges. It is very
likely White will face criminal charges if the allegations are
proved true. In the meantime, White’s chief of staff, Leslie Dixon,
has resigned effectively immediately but she refuses to
comment.

20.  WHO are the participants in this story?
• MAYOR GREGORY WHITE (JUST ANNOUNCED HE’S
LEAVING OFFICE TOMORROW)
• THE THREE WOMEN WHO CLAIM AFFAIRS WITH
WHITE
• THE MAYOR’S WIFE
• CITIZENS OF VALHALLA/TAXPAYERS
• LESLIE DIXON, WHITE’S CHIEF OF STAFF (JUST
RESIGNED EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY)
• INVESTIGATORS
• THE PRESS
• THE LISTENERS THEMSELVES

21.  WHAT are all the participants doing right now/at the time your story will air?
• MAYOR GREGORY WHITE – PREPARING TO LEAVE OFFICE
• THE THREE WOMEN WHO CLAIM AFFAIRS WITH WHITE – FEELING
VINDICATED
• THE MAYOR’S WIFE – CONTEMPLATING THE FUTURE OF HER
MARRIAGE
• CITIZENS OF VALHALLA/TAXPAYERS – ANGRY ABOUT THE MISUSE
OF PUBLIC FUNDS
• LESLIE DIXON, WHITE’S CHIEF OF STAFF (JUST RESIGNED
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY) – OUT OF A JOB – REFUSING TO
COMMENT
• INVESTIGATORS – CONTINUING THEIR WORK
• THE PRESS – GETTING READY FOR TOMORROW’S PRESS
CONFERENCE
• THE LISTENERS THEMSELVES – WONDERING WHAT WILL HAPPEN
NEXT – FEELING DISGUSTED AND UPSET – GLAD ITS OVER

22.  WHAT will each of these participants be doing later tonight, tomorrow, or next
week?
• MAYOR GREGORY WHITE – LEAVING OFFICE TOMORROW –
HOLDING PRESS CONFERENCE AT NINE A-M
• THE THREE WOMEN WHO CLAIM AFFAIRS WITH WHITE – FEELING
VINDICATED
• THE MAYOR’S WIFE – WILL SEE BE THERE WITH HER HUSBAND?
• CITIZENS OF VALHALLA/TAXPAYERS – WATCHING THE PRESS
CONFERENCE – “WHERE’S OUR MONEY?”
• LESLIE DIXON, WHITE’S CHIEF OF STAFF (JUST RESIGNED
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY)– WILL SHE COMMENT AFTER THE
PRESS CONFERENCE?
• INVESTIGATORS – CONTINUING THEIR WORK
• THE PRESS – FACING THE MAYOR AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE
• THE LISTENERS THEMSELVES – WATCHING THE PRESS
CONFERENCE

23. PRESENT:
• THE MAYOR OF VALHALLA IS IN
POLITICAL – AND PERSONAL --
TURMOIL TONIGHT.
• AFTER WEEKS OF DRAMA, THE
CITIZENS OF VALHALLA ARE ON THE
BRINK OF A RESOLUTION
TONIGHT…THE MAYOR IS RESIGNING.
• TONIGHT’S THE LAST NIGHT GREGORY
WHITE WILL LIKELY BE CALLED
“MAYOR WHITE”.
• HE’S IN TONIGHT BUT OUT
TOMORROW.

24. FUTURE:
• STARTING TOMORROW, THE TOWN OF
VALHALLA WILL BE IN THE MARKET FOR A
NEW MAYOR
• THE MAYOR OF VALHALLA MAY BE IN A
PRISON CELL SOON.
• THE CITIZENS OF VALHALLA HOPE TO
RECEIVE ANSWERS FROM THEIR MAYOR
TOMORROW REGARDING ALLEGATIONS OF
EMBEZZLEMENT. ....
• FROM POLITICS TO PRISON, MAYOR
GREGORY WHITE OF VALHALLA NEW YORK,
MAY SOON BE FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES.

25. DEFINE THE “SOMETHING”
What happened?
DEFINE THE “SOMEONE”
Who did it happen to?
If you know the story you’re telling,
you’ll be much more likely to tell it to
your audience in an engaging and
effective narrative way that helps
them feel they’ve lived it
themselves…

26. To know how to tell a story, you
must first know what the story is!
Always ask yourself, “What is this
story about?”
If you can’t answer that in one
short declarative sentence you
need to stop and narrow your
focus

27. Write How People Listen, NOT How
They Read
Using the “Mom Rule”, Visualize Sitting
Down with a Mom (yours or someone
else’s) and Telling Them the Story
Keep Your Sentences Short
Be Friendly and Informal

28. KEEP IT SIMPLE – DON’T
OVERLOAD THE LEAD
SAVE THE DETAILS FOR THE
BODY OF THE STORY
REMEMBER: A LEAD IS LIKE A
HEADLINE!
PREVIEW THE STORY – DON’T
SUMMARIZE IT

29. 5 AUDIO PROJECT LEADS
ASSIGNMENT ON BLACKBOARD