I’m a big believer in providing a team a compass rather than a map. Point in the direction you want to go and leave it to the ingenuity of your colleagues to execute.
As I was working on a relaunch of the CBS Evening News, I thought it was important to boil down our philosophy into something easy to remember. I settled on “The Rule of Three: Additive, Distinctive and Elegant.” It might be helpful to you as you think about covering events.
Here’s how I described it to our broadcast team in New York and to our bureaus across the United States and around the world:
Additive
Any broadcast or story must be additive. It should bring something fresh to the national conversation. We do not simply narrate the pictures of the day. We report on the stories behind them. The elements in our reporting are new or proprietary. It’s our obligation to begin the news cycle with our work, not finish it. We are relentless in doing so.
Distinctive
Writing and on-air performances should be distinctive. The audience must be able to identify a correspondent’s voice, not by way of volume or a “robotic” tone, but through a unique, conversational and recognizable style that connects so strongly that it creates a relationship that our audience values. We endeavor to look and feel different than our competitors. Distinction not only leaves a deeper impression on the brain, it’s also vital for our survival as journalists. People will keep coming back if we deliver quality viewing every night.
Elegant
In an attention economy overwhelmed with impressions, slop and quick hits, our writing, photography and editing should offer a premium experience. Breathless writing, false urgency and distracting visual elements such as wipes, unneeded dissolves and excessive graphics detract from the elegance of what we do.
The team quickly adopted the approach and in the months ahead produced outstanding stories that were a cut above the competition.
Aspire to additive, distinctive and elegant. It can set you apart too.