ABSTRACT
Writing the intro often requires a discipline similar to that for writing short bulletin items, with the essence of the story captured in the first sentence; but not always. There are many different kinds of programme requiring different styles of writing. In case any reader is not sure what is meant here by the intro the word does not mean quite the same as it does in the world of newspapers, where it simply means the first paragraph. (In the US they call it the lead.) In broadcasting, the intro is read by a presenter, and introduces a voiced report from a correspondent, or perhaps a live interview. In some broadcast newsrooms it’s called the cue. Sometimes on a programme running order, it’s a link. Most people call it the ‘intro’. These intros appear in news programmes rather than news bulletins, and tend to have a more personal touch than the short bulletin story, which is relatively anonymous.
