The Lead Story

The lead story is a vital portion of the newscast and some may argue the most important portion.  In my experience the lead story can set the tone for the newscast so it is important to choose wisely when picking the lead story.  As a producer, I believe the lead story should be the most important news of the day.  It should be something that many people are interested in finding out about and provide the most current information.

When I  am producing I like to pretend I am the viewer and think about what story I would want to see as the lead.  When I am watching a newscast I want the story to interest me otherwise I am not going to keep watching.  Most importantly, I like the lead story to be something I have not previously heard about it.  If it happens to be an update to an ongoing story I want the information to be relevant and new.

I believe that the lead story should be so important that it crosses age boundaries.  As a producer, I do not choose lead stories that will only appeal to USC students.  I choose a lead story that will appeal to the largest number of people.  

When I am considering how important a story is, I think to myself who will be interested in this story and why.  This helps me determine how relevant this story is for the newscast.