Advice for TV news reporters on how to sound dramatic and urgent

"This story is rapidly changing."

July 3, 2013 BoingBoing.net post

The biggest leak of all this week: a document from a television news consultancy that lists words and phrases reporters should use to add a sense of (OMG!) urgency to TV news reports.

July 2, 2013 - JimRomenesko.com

Consulting firm SmithGeiger has given its TV clients a three-page list of phrases intended “to help reflect and promote urgency and a ‘happening now’ feeling in a newscast.”

Here are the words and phrases that SmithGeiger suggests be used:

• we do have some breaking news right away
• rapid developments
• this story is rapidly changing
• you saw it here first just minutes ago
• we are going to be covering this live for you
• breaking overnight
• you are looking live
• but first we begin with
• all new
• new right now
• new developments are unfolding
• we are watching with you these first pictures live from the scene
• this is a rapidly developing situation
• breaking as we go on air
• you’ll hear in just seconds
• take a live look behind me
• but after we told you…we kept asking
• we’ve been talking about this in the last hour
• we want to give you the very latest
• we are going to stay on this story every step of the way
• we have new information for you as soon as anything happens
• we are following this closely and are making sure you don’t miss anything
• we are going to stay on this story night and day
• we are not stopping with our coverage until this story is done

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