After producing television newscasts for almost thirteen years, I can't figure out the latest news trend. I understand that leads need to be "short, concise, and descriptive", but anchors today seem to have lost their verbs. As a quick refresher:
verb (vûrb)
Abbr. V or vb.
The part of speech that expresses existence, action, or occurrence
Think about the lead stories you hear on the 6pm news. Where's the action?
“Dispair tonight in Haiti”
“Four people hurt in pileup on I-4”.
“Questions tonight about Tiger Woods' behavior”.
And it’s not just the bad news… Here’s another one:
“Orlando couple rich after lottery drawing!”.
Did they misplace their verbs? Are they lost under a desk in the newsroom? We speak with verbs, so why not write with verbs.
Verbs create pictures in our mind. They add action to the story. I believe in using the most descriptive, active verbs possible, which often means leaving out the “to be” verbs. I learned that from Al Tompkins at The Poynter Institute, who recommends writers go on a “to be diet”.
Instead of saying: I am hungry. How about: I crave pizza.
Instead of saying: She is pretty. How about: Her beauty radiates.
Instead of saying: He was emotional. How about: His emotions consumed him.
The next time you’re writing your blog, sending an email, even posting a tweet. Consider the verbs. Make them active, and make them descriptive. Maybe we can find all the great verbs that local news anchors seem to have lost.
Your comments were very stimulating and thought provoking! They make me want to go out and search for those lost verbs! Paul
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul! I appreciate your support... hope to see you and Barbara soon.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, Carrie! I plan to pass it on to the preachers you mentioned two blogs ago. They can use some help in story-telling and rediscovering the power of words.
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