studio-intro-writer

Studio Intro Writer

What This Skill Does

Writes a presenter-delivered studio introduction that sets up a field report or pre-recorded package, giving viewers the context and stakes they need before the package begins.

When To Use This Skill

• A reporter's package is ready to air and you need a studio introduction for the presenter or anchor to read before the package rolls
• The programme editor has asked for an intro that goes beyond restating the headline — one that frames why the story matters right now
• You are running a multi-story bulletin and need intros that vary in register (hard news, human interest, investigative) to avoid every introduction sounding identical
• You have a late-breaking development that changes the framing of an existing package and need the intro rewritten quickly

What You Need To Provide

Required:

• A summary of the package contents: what the report covers, who appears in it, and its main finding or revelation
• The news peg — why this story is being broadcast today, not last week
• Target duration for the intro (typically 20–35 seconds for a standard package intro)

Optional:

• The tone of the package (hard news, human interest, investigative, explainer)
• The name and title of the presenter, if the script should be personalised to a specific voice
• Any facts, statistics, or named individuals the presenter must introduce before the package begins
• Whether the intro will be read to camera or over a graphic or still image

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Identifies the single most important piece of context a viewer needs before watching the package — not a summary of the package, but what the viewer must understand for the package to land with full force
2. Constructs a short, clear opening sentence that carries the news value, followed by one or two sentences of essential context, ending with a clean hand-off line that cues the package without stating the obvious
3. Checks that the intro does not duplicate the first ten seconds of the package — the presenter's words and the reporter's opening should not repeat the same information

Output Format

• Plain prose, one paragraph
• Sentences are short and declarative; spoken register throughout — contractions where natural
• Ends with a hand-off line that names the reporter and signals the package is beginning (e.g. "Correspondent Name has this report." or "[Reporter] reports.")
• No rhetorical questions, no speculation, no "only time will tell"
• Word count stated at the end in brackets, e.g. [62 words / approx. 25 sec]

Quality Criteria

• The opening sentence carries a clear, specific news value — not a vague scene-setter
• The intro provides context the package does not provide — it does not duplicate the reporter's opening narration
• The hand-off line is clean and unambiguous — a viewer knows the package is about to begin
• Spoken register throughout — no phrase that would be awkward to say aloud
• Duration matches the requested target (within two seconds at 2.5 words per second)

Example

Input

Package summary: A six-month investigation into water contamination at a large industrial estate. The reporter interviews three residents with unexplained health problems and a former factory worker who describes unsafe chemical disposal practices. The main finding is that local authorities received complaints eighteen months ago but took no action.

News peg: Authorities announced this morning they are opening a formal inquiry.

Target duration: 30 seconds.

Tone: Hard news, investigative.

Output

Authorities have opened a formal inquiry into contamination at the Harwick Industrial Estate — eighteen months after residents first filed complaints. Local families say they have been living with unexplained health problems, while a former factory worker has told our investigation that chemicals were routinely disposed of in breach of safety regulations. Our correspondent Maria Fontes reports.

[57 words / approx. 23 sec]

Known Limitations

• This skill writes the presenter's words only — it cannot verify that the facts in the intro match the final cut of the package; a producer must check them against the edited version before broadcast
• If the package opens with the reporter delivering a strong, fact-laden stand-up, the intro may feel redundant at first draft; share the package's opening narration as optional input to help the assistant avoid duplication
• For very short news summaries (under 20 seconds), the intro may feel compressed; a brief (10–15 second) reader format may serve better — ask for a "reader" version if needed

Related Skills

• standup-script-writer
• teleprompter-script-writer