Comments on: How To Report The News

By: The Secret Formula for Success Is… « Live Intentionally

The Secret Formula for Success Is… « Live Intentionally — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:53:55 +0000

[...] Secret Formula for Success Is… Earlier this week Brad Ruggles posted this funny video, How to Report the News, to his blog. In it, Charlie Brooker describes and takes [...]

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:49:38 +0000

I worked in radio for over 20 years and there are techniques for everything. For example, never tell listeners when they call that you don’t play their requests and that the program director really doesn’t care what the callers think. Just tell everyone you’ll try to get it on as quickly as you can and how much you appreciate them listening so they keep following you.

It’s why I really don’t trust the media much these days unless I personally know the reporters. It was OK where I used to live since I knew most of them but here in Nashville I only know one guy very vaguely because I follow his Twitter.

By: Brad Ruggles

Brad Ruggles — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:58:28 +0000

Ha ha, well said old chap!

By: Joseph

Joseph — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:40:05 +0000

Bloody brilliant!

I have always wanted a real reason to say that and not sound like a dote.

By: Paul Steinbrueck

Paul Steinbrueck — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:38:32 +0000

Brad, yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Do I have to thumb wrestle you for the topic?

By: bondChristian

bondChristian — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:45:26 +0000

Yep, definitely. How long do formulas work? Should we ever use them? When if at all?

There are a billion questions in that one. :>)

-Marshall Jones Jr.

By: Brad Ruggles

Brad Ruggles — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:38:00 +0000

Oh man, you just opened up a whole different can of worms we could discuss. How often do we try so hard to follow the “formulas” to be the best parent, pastor, church planter, ____ [fill in the blank] that we become nothing more than cheap knock-offs or boring cliches?

Hmm…methinks there’s another post in there…

By: Paul Steinbrueck

Paul Steinbrueck — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:23:36 +0000

That’s funny. This may sound odd, but the vid reminded me of Don Miller’s latest book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, which reveals the formula for a good story.

I guess in every field people analyze what works and what doesn’t work and there’s a tendancy to turn what works into a forumula. How to write a blog article, how to woo a woman, how to design a website, how to plant a church…

Guildlines are good, but sticking to a formula quickly becomes cliche and boring, and eventually it stops working.

By: Brad Ruggles

Brad Ruggles — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:04:59 +0000

Wow, that video spit-test was fascinating! I never realized that the “Billy Mays” style was actually a proven marketing tool.

By: bondChristian

bondChristian — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:35:15 +0000

It’s true. We’ve grown comfortable with that formula too. It would be interesting to see a break down of why they actually follow this formula. For me, it works so well I don’t even notice it, which I’m sure is what they want.

One thing I’d add: when the reporter is walking toward the camera (the part with the “choice word”), he’s usually talking louder supposedly to cut through the noise of the street… but I bet it’s the yelling effect they’re after, similar to Billy Mays’s technique.

-Marshall Jones Jr.