Programmers often refer to an old saying that there should be one thought per break. Ignore that advice. The goal is to ensure the audience is not confused and able to follow along easily.
Ordering “one thought” is an easy rule but it’s not the most effective coaching method. There are ways to manage two topics in one segment. Or even more than two.
The key:
- Separate the topics or thoughts so it’s clear.
- Give greater “weight” to one topic so it stands out.
I use the Jab-Jab-Punch technique. It works great for newscasts and entertainment reports containing multiple stories. After all, each story is a topic, right? And no programmer would suggest a newscast contain just one story.
Essentially, the segment is built with two short headlines followed by a feature story that gets more attention with discussion.
Jab-Jab-Punch also works with talk breaks. Great communicators have no problem navigating from one topic to another. Removing this tool with an outdated “one thought per break” rule is a mistake.
But it’s also important to make sure the communication is clear. Like this. Here’s a great example from the morning show on KLOVE, Skip & Amy.