news topicals

For years, on-air promos were the only way stations had to recruit news viewers with the news of the day, unless they bought time on other media, like radio, print or cable. Then came Facebook. Facebook provides stations with another — and much more mobile — screen to reach potential news viewers. From a marketing perspective, it’s fishing where the fish are. This is the final installment of a five-part series, Building Viewership with News Topicals. Read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here and Part 4 here.

News topicals can take many forms. What works best? That depends on your station, your production capabilities, what materials news can provide, your cellular setup and editing capabilities. But all agree the secret to capturing viewers’ attention is to avoid getting in a rut and becoming formulaic.This is Part 4 of a five-part series, Building Viewership with News Topicals. Read Part 1 here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here.

Creative services directors are finding it harder and harder to find good news topical writer/producers. Some grow their own, plucking them right out of college, perhaps as interns, and train them. Others look internally, finding someone already at the station who wants to be creative. This is Part 3 of a five-part series, Building Viewership with News Topicals. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

Being a news topical writer/producer is one of the toughest jobs in local TV news marketing. And to do that job well, the experts say, you need to have a passion for journalism, a thorough knowledge of what news is covering in the newscast, the ability to recognize what stories will resonate with viewers, and the confidence to promote those stories even if they’re not the news department’s top stories. This is Part 2 of a five-part series, Building Viewership with News Topicals. Read Part 1 here.

News topicals, those ubiquitous promos embedded in programming enticing viewers to watch the next newscast, have been a staple of local TV news since forever. Effective topical news promotion can lead to sampling, and during sweeps, possibly into ratings. This week, in a five-part series, Market Share focuses on TV stations’ news topicals. You’ll hear from veteran creative services directors and writer/producers from across the country.