Tips For Starting News In Assembly
1. Start with Positive News
Many people try to start with a bang, including reading out the most negative news story of the day or week.
While this might seem like a good idea, you are not easing the audience into the process. This might cause some of them to be taken aback and shut you out for the rest of the process.
As a result, you need to work on reasonably walking into the process. This means starting with a positive news story that is easy for people to get behind. Once you do this, you will start to see their engagement rise in what you have to say.
2. Focus on the Headlines
You have to take the time to focus on the headlines when you are reading out the news.
Most students will not want all of the nitty-gritty details associated with the news item. Sometimes, the headline is more than enough to get their attention and hold onto it.
This is why your goal should be to keep it brief and focus on the headlines. Once you do this, you will realize how easy it is to read the news and make sure it is delivered in a way that works as you want.
3. Don’t Rush
You do not want to go into the process by rushing.
This will cause most students to ignore what you have to say, and they will zone out. The goal is to avoid rushing and understand the beauty of pacing.
If you ever take a look at professionals, you will notice how they master the art of pacing. They are not in a rush as it is not a race.
They have a plan in mind and go through it step by step. You have to do the same when it is time to read the news at a school assembly.
4. Don’t Read the News
A mistake that many people make has to do with reading the news.
Yes, you are going to be going through the main headlines of the day or week, but that doesn’t mean you are going to “read” it.
Instead, it will come across like you are having a natural conversation, and it is memorized. This will go a long way as you don’t want it to seem like you are reading a book or a newspaper straight to the audience.
This is when they will zone out and will not want to pay attention to what is being said because it’s dull.
5. Think About The Students’ Interests
You always want to think about what the audience wants to listen to when it comes to the news.
Are there specific news items that will work well for the students? Perhaps there is something their age group will like the most?
This is a good place to focus on because you will grab their attention with these headlines. Take the time to sprinkle in a few of these near the beginning of the process. This is how you will hook them, and then they will also pay attention to the rest of what you have to say.
6. Don’t Be Monotone
It is important to avoid being Monotone as things become boring.
You have to have a natural up and down to your vocal delivery. This means enunciating your words and practicing saying the headlines without being flat.
This requires a bit of practice, but it can be done.
7. Welcome Feedback
You will always want to welcome feedback during the process.
This includes listening to what others have to say as you practice beforehand. You also want to look at what students have to say so you can improve for next time.
Take it as a challenge and continue to work on your craft.
8. Start With Local News
Captivating the audience is half the battle because the rest will work out on its own.
This is why starting with local news is a good way to begin because it relates to everyone in the room. They are already going to be living in the area and be well-versed in what is going on around them.
It is not a foreign concept to them, which goes a long way in getting the news to work. Start there and then build your way up to other news items.
9. Take Pauses
You will always want to take pauses, as that is how you will get the pacing right.
It might seem like an impossible task because you will want to get through it as soon as possible. However, if you try to rush and avoid pauses, it will come across as unnatural.
When it is unnatural, it will become obvious to the audience too. They will not want to pay attention to a single sentence that you are saying.
Your goal should be to practice pausing and then set a pace you can work with.
10. Have a Clear Start and Stop
This is a mistake that is made from time to time.
You will see people randomly start blurting out the news without recognizing the audience and their mindset.
If you don’t have a clear start, they will not be paying attention. You have to grab their attention by focusing on a clear start and stop. This is a must.
Once you have nailed down the start, you also have to think about having a clear stop. This is when people will know the news has been read and move on with their day.
11. Watch Examples
The beauty of the Internet and Youtube is looking at what others do in similar situations. You are not going to be going into the process without a clue as to how it will have to unfold.
Instead, you can easily look at other examples to make sure you are on the right path.
You will want to pay attention to tone, pacing, and how it all comes together. This is pertinent information that will make your life easier when you start reading out the news in a school assembly.
Final Thoughts
If you take the time to focus on these tips, you will find the process to be a breeze.
Don’t think it will be challenging, or you will not find it to be easy. There will come a time where it is all planned out, and you can focus on getting the job done.
These tips will make all the difference in the world for you during the assembly. When you go in with a plan, you will find it to be much easier as time goes on.
