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Breaking news
Regional → local funnel with numbers up front
WEEKS OF FREEZING TEMPS AND HEAVY SNOW HAVE RIPPED APART ROADS
ACROSS THE TRI-STATE -- LEAVING DRIVERS DODGING CRATERS
ON THEIR DAILY COMMUTE.
BUT IN ONE WARREN COUNTY TOWN -- THE DAMAGE GOES FAR DEEPER.
THREE SINKHOLES -- SEVEN HOMES DEEMED UNSAFE --
AND A DUMP TRUCK SWALLOWED WHOLE.
THIS MORNING -- GOVERNOR SHERRILL IS HEADING TO PHILLIPSBURG
TO ANNOUNCE STATE FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS.
The move: Set the regional pain first, funnel to the extreme local case with hard numbers, then escalate to the news peg. Wide → narrow → action.
Breaking / crime
Shelter in place — tight breaking lede
BREAKING NEWS OUT OF FAIRFIELD -- POLICE HAVE ISSUED A SHELTER IN PLACE --
[TAKE VO]
AND SEVERAL SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED AS OFFICERS INVESTIGATE
AN ARMED ROBBERY ON CANDLEWOOD ROAD.
NEWS 12 CONNECTICUT'S MARK SUDOL IS ON THE SCENE NEAR
BLACKROCK TURNPIKE WITH THE LATEST.
The move: "Out of" reads more naturally than "in" for breaking. "Officers investigate" avoids doubling "police." "On the scene near" beats "right off."
Weather
Weather lede with intentional mystery
ANOTHER CLOUDY AND CHILLY DAY ACROSS THE REGION --
BUT THE REAL STORY IS WHAT'S COMING.
SOAKING RAIN MOVES IN AFTER FIVE TOMORROW MORNING --
LASTING THROUGH MIDDAY -- WITH UP TO A HALF INCH OF RAINFALL.
AND THIS WEEKEND -- THERE IS A STORM ON THE HORIZON.
WE ARE WATCHING IT CLOSELY. STAY WITH NEWS 12 FOR UPDATES.
The move: Uncertainty IS the hook. Never overpromise the weekend forecast — create urgency and let the teaser do the work.
Weather
Reframing logistics as a threat
WINTER IS NOT DONE WITH US YET.
SNOW MOVES INTO THE TRISTATE OVERNIGHT -- AND IF YOU ARE
COMMUTING EARLY TUESDAY MORNING -- YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS.
TOTAL SNOWFALL STAYS UNDER AN INCH -- BUT ROADS WILL BE SLICK.
GIVE YOURSELF EXTRA TIME.
The move: "Winter is not done with us yet" gives winter intent. Viewers lean in before the details arrive.
International
War lede — stacked urgency, local bridge
MORE EXPLOSIONS -- MORE DEVASTATION --
AS THE WAR WITH IRAN ENTERS ITS FIFTH DAY.
[TAKE VO]
ISRAEL LAUNCHING "BROAD SCALE STRIKES" ON TEHRAN --
WHILE IRAN FIRES BACK WITH MISSILES OVER JERUSALEM.
AND TONIGHT -- THE CONFLICT IS HITTING CLOSE TO HOME
FOR SOME NEW JERSEY FAMILIES...
The move: "More explosions -- more devastation" creates rhythm before facts. Always bridge back to the region — turn the global story local.
Craft — transition
Thematic weave — sports to lifestyle
ENOUGH ABOUT CRUSHING IT ON THE COURT --
ARE YOU CRUSHING YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS?
WE'RE 16 DAYS INTO 2026 -- AND YOU'VE STILL GOT 349 DAYS TO GO.
The move: "Crushing it on the court" mirrors "crushing your resolutions." The wordplay does the transition — no hard pivot needed.
Craft — toss
Viewer-direct streaming toss
YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THIS -- AS YOU ARE ALREADY ONLINE.
MILLIONS ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE PART IN CYBER MONDAY TODAY --
THE FINAL DAY OF THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY SALES RUSH.
NEWS 12'S SHAKTI DENIS IS AT THE AMAZON WAREHOUSE IN BROOKLYN --
WHERE YOUR GIFTS COULD SOON BE HEADING OUT THE DOOR.
The move: "As you are already online" winks at the streaming audience. "Where YOUR gifts" puts the viewer inside the story.
Non-negotiables
No questions as script devices
Statements are stronger. Make a declaration, not an inquiry. "What does this mean?" is not a lede.
Facts over adjectives
Three sinkholes beats "massive damage." A dump truck swallowed whole beats "severe conditions."
No wire-copy language
Write like a person talking. If it sounds like a press release, rewrite it.
Tight ledes, no throat-clearing
Sentence one earns attention or the viewer is gone. "A lot is happening" is not a lede.
Weave, don't stack
Find the thematic thread. A hard pivot sounds like a hard pivot. A weave sounds like a conversation.
Write for the drop-in viewer
This is a streaming wheel. Someone just tuned in. They need the story in 10 seconds.
Trust the soundbite
Don't say what the SOT is about to say. Tee it up, let it land.
Spell out on air
DC → Washington. Numbers under ten spelled out. Your viewer hears, not reads.
Lede diagnostic
1
Does sentence one contain a hard fact or a hard number?2
Would a viewer who just tuned in understand the story in 10 seconds?3
Is there an adjective doing work a fact should do?4
Does it sound like a person talking — or a press release?No to 1 or 2, or yes to 3 or 4 → rewrite before you submit.
Common fixes at a glance
| Instead of this | Write this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "On Tuesday" | "Tuesday" | Drop the preposition. Save the syllable. |
| "Multiple schools" | "Three schools" | Multiple is lazy. Use the number. |
| "Police investigate" | "Officers investigate" | Avoids doubling "police" in two sentences. |
| "In DC" | "In Washington" | Cleaner. Sounds natural on air. |
| "Testimonies" | "Testimony" | Already plural in meaning. |
| "Right off [street]" | "Near [street]" | More precise and professional. |
| "Massive" (adjective) | The actual number | Massive tells us nothing. A number tells us everything. |
| "Outright dangerous" | "Dangerous" | Filler intensifiers weaken what they strengthen. |
| "What does this mean for..." | Just say what it means | No questions as script devices. Ever. |
| "Several" (vague) | The actual number | Specificity is authority. |