There was another clash in Britain tonight between police and gangs of youths.The latest incident was in the northern London district of Tottenham，where hundreds of youths overturned cars，threw gasoline bombs and set fires.Several policemen were reported injured.The incident followed the unexplained death of a West Indian woman during a police search of her home.
Let's see where that lead went wrong.The story had plenty of action that could have been reported with vigorous verbs.Instead，the writer began with the flabby there was.And then further weakened the sentence with another.When another is so high up，it often makes a story less newsy.
One way to pep up the first sentence of that ：“Hundreds of young people in London went on a rampage tonight.They set fires，overturned cars and threw gasoline bombs.”Which approach sounds stronger？
7)Don't start a story with the name of an unknown or unfamiliar person.Names make news，but only if they'er recognised.An unknown name is a distraction.It cannot be the reason you're telling the story；you're telling it because that person figures in something unusual.If the name means nothing to listeners，they're not likely to pay close attention and thus will miss the point of your story.The best way to introduce an unknown is with a title，or a label or a deion.
7a.)Don't start a story with a personal pronoun.This started with a personal pronoun，he，and kept he-heing：
He walked out of a New York prison today looking a little slimmer and slightly grayer.But one thing has not changed.He's still followed everywhere he goes.
Who he？I want to know from the get-go who or what a story is about.So when I hear a start with he，I wonder whether I missed the first sentence，the one that identified the subject.
8)Don't write a first sentence that uses yesterday or continues.
Both words are bad news.Listeners tune in expecting to hear the latest news，the later the better.
8a.)Don't start a story with a sentence that has a no or not.At lead，try not to.
Rewrite your negative lead to make it positive.Instead of saying，“The President is not going to take his planned trip to Tahiti，”you will have a stronger opening by saying，“The President has canceled his trip to Tahiti.”The basic rule of writing or speaking is：Put your sentences in a positive form.
8b.)Don't start a story with another，more or once again.With few exceptions，those words are turn-offs.If we start a story with another，it sounds as if whatever the story turns out to be，it's bound to be similar to a story told previously，one that's not much different.Perhaps just more of the same.
9)Don't cram too much information into a story.Too many facts，too many names，too many numbers，too many words are just too much for too many listeners.They cannot process such a steady flow of facts.
10)Don't use newspaper constructions.Here's an example of a common newspaper construction：“The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said today North Korea should stop threatening Washington.Senator John Walton said….”
In broadcasting，this is better：
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee，John Walton，said today….
OR：Chairman John Walton told….
Or else：The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said that….
11)Don't lose or fail to reach a listener.The best way to keep a listener is by talking to the listener，not at the listener.
12)Don't make a factual error.That is the deadlest sin of all.It causes you to lose your credibility.And eventually your audience.Perhaps even your job.
其次，对“软新闻”的策划要领。
有了以上列出的这12点绝对要谨记的书写和展示“软新闻”的总结，就使得“软新闻”主播的“讲述新闻故事”的基点有了最基本的保证。但是，还需要进一步了解对“软新闻”的策划之道。在此，笔者推荐这样一篇颇具启发意义的探讨文章。尽管此文主要探讨平面媒体的“软新闻”策划，但是，运用以“软新闻”形式承载的媒体传播产品已经得到我国业界的认可。
“软新闻”的策划之道何璇王元晖（《军事记者》2009年第01期）《新民晚报》早期提出新闻要“广些广些再广些，短些短些再短些，软些软些再软些。”这与当前强调的新闻三贴近要求，即贴近实际、贴近生活、贴近群众，似有异曲同工之妙。从新闻题材来看，报纸不仅要有“硬新闻”，即题材较为严肃，着重于思想性、指导性和知识性的政治、经济、科技新闻，还要有“软新闻”，即人情味较浓的社会新闻(民生新闻、娱乐新闻、体育新闻、服务性新闻等)。
当前的“软新闻”不仅是“硬新闻”的补充，还是很多都市类报纸的核心新闻产品。很多报纸都用较大篇幅报道关系民生的社会新闻，甚至做专题报道和策划报道。
新闻策划是近年来新闻界流行的概念之一，关于这一概念众说纷纭。赵振宇在其所著的《新闻策划》中指出：新闻策划是新闻报道的主体遵循新闻规律，围绕一定的目标对已占有的信息进行去粗取精、去伪存真、由此及彼、由表及里的分析和研究，发掘已知，预测未来，着眼现实，制定和实施相应的政策和策略，以求最佳创造性的策划活动。新闻策划过去往往用于重大事件或严肃题材，而随着都市报的崛起，关系民生的软新闻也经常采用一些策划。
软新闻经过策划之后会更具可读性、直观性、全局性，但软新闻在策划过程中也需要注意以下几个方面。
注重公正客观，切忌将“软新闻”变为“公关软文”
软新闻一般包括消费性、生活指导性新闻，这些新闻内容经常会涉及与人们生活息息相关的衣、食、住、行等方面。关于某行业的消费报道已成为软新闻策划中的重要组成部分。例如，《深圳特区报》推出《钱周刊》，介绍财经、餐饮、娱乐内容的专题消费报道。《厦门日报》推出《商周刊》，介绍当地市民消费热点等。这些消费类软新闻的策划内容包括：该地区餐饮业发展的专题，或该城市教育培训行业的概况等。这些行业性的消费新闻不仅能帮助读者了解该地区的消费信息，还起到引导消费的作用，受到受众青睐。但这类软新闻的策划要强调报纸的公信力，报道要不偏不倚、客观公正，不可将软新闻写成为某个品牌或某个商家宣传的“公关软文”。
注重开拓创新，切忌跟风炒作
都市类报纸由于发行量及广告收益等诱因，在社会新闻的报道上，为吸引读者眼球较容易陷入“千报一题”的窘境。例如2006年10月上海东方卫视播出的一档“真人秀”节目《舞林大会》受到观众欢迎，平面媒体就争相报道、跟风炒作，南方一些晚报、晨报等都市类报纸在该节目播出期间，连篇累牍的发表了关于《舞林大会》报道和评论。这种为吸引受众眼球而进行的新闻策划没有自身特色，缺乏创新性，陷入同题材重复报道的囹圄。由此可见，在进行软新闻策划时也要强调独家报道，在选题上要有与众不同的角度，在内容上要有新颖独到的见解。
注重实事求是，切忌主观臆断
新闻策划是一种基于事实的选择行为，“软新闻”的策划也要以事实为基础，切不可主观臆断、凭空策划。《新民晚报》在2007年1月25日用了6个版面进行了一次特别策划，策划专题为“长三角，城市地产宣言”。针对大众对于房价问题的关注，这一策划从政府、开发商、专家几个角度解读了长三角地区(宁波、温州、杭州、绍兴、徐州、泰州、南通、嘉兴)八个城市房地产开发情况及发展趋势。报道中，记者本着实事求是的工作态度走访了八个城市的政府相关部门及当地知名开发商，做到以事实为基础多角度报道，而没有仅仅根据某个地区的情况，或仅仅根据开发商讲述的情况来以偏概全、主观臆断。
新闻策划的核心是“创意”，即在报道选题、报道内容、报道形式、报道时机的设计与谋划上必须具有创造性。“软新闻”的策划也需在真实性、及时性、可读（听、视）性的基础上加强创新，让“软新闻”通过借助新闻策划，更加贴近读者、贴近生活，并为更多的读者所喜闻乐见。
具有对“软新闻”搜集和撰写的能力，辅以对其明了的策划理念后，就要思考应该以怎样的方式对“软新闻”进行恰当的呈现。这就是我们通常所说的“主持艺术了”。
最后，建立对外英语广播“软新闻”主播掌控节目风格的要点。
若以比较概括、直接的方式来解说“对外英语广播‘软新闻’主播掌控能力”的话，笔者在参考了大量海内外不同的“软新闻”节目风格后，认为可以分为以下几个层面来思考和发展自己的风格。