Posted inStory Structure
Writing Anchor Copy for the Ear to Stop Looking Like You Are Reading
The reason you sound like a robot on camera is that you are writing for the eye instead of the ear. When we read a book, our eyes process complex…
Posted inStory Structure
The 90-Second News Story Formula for Solo Creators
You can fit a world-changing event into 90 seconds if you stop writing for the eye and start writing for the ear. Most creators fail at short-form news because they…
Posted inStory Structure
Mastering the Invisible Teleprompter: Techniques for One-Person Newsrooms
You look like a robot because your text is too wide and your camera is too close. When I first started filming news segments alone, my eyes darted back and…
Posted inStory Structure
The Cold Open Formula That News Channels Use to Stop the Scroll
Most independent news creators lose 40% to 50% of their audience before the 30-second mark. You look at your YouTube Studio retention graph, and the line drops like a stone.…
Posted inStory Structure
Solo B-Roll Strategy for One-Person Newsrooms
The biggest mistake you can make as a solo video journalist is trying to film your B-roll and conduct your interview at the same time. You simply can't split your…
Posted inStory Structure
VO-SOT-PKG for the Solo YouTube Journalist
The VO-SOT-PKG format is the three-part engine that turns a rambling vlog into a professional news report. In my time building news-style content for digital platforms, I’ve learned that viewers…
Posted inStory Structure
Building a Professional News Rundown for Your 10-Minute Solo Show
A news rundown is a spreadsheet that acts as the heartbeat of your entire broadcast. It tells you exactly what happens every second of your video so you do not…
Posted inStory Structure
Building an Editorial Calendar for a Solo News YouTube Channel
Most content calendar guides are built for lifestyle vloggers or marketing agencies. They fail completely when applied to a solo news operation. News moves entirely too fast. A planned script…