A package needs a bow

When you give someone a gift, you generally put it in a box, wrap it with colorful paper, and put a bow on the top.

A television package should be thought of in the same manner. That's why "package" is such a good name for the stories we do.

Lately I'm seeing a lot of packages without a bow.

It bad enough that so many packages are starting off badly, with either a standup (the worst way to start a package) or a sound bite. But the endings are even worse.

Because they're often missing.

There's a reason childrens stories end with, "And they lived happily ever after," before, "The End." If you just said, "So Prince Charming put the slipper on Cinderella's foot and it fit, the end," it would feel like something was missing.

When many young reporters get to what they think is the end of a package, they can't think of anything else to say, so they slap the equivalent of "the end" by simply adding a sig-out. When it follows a sound bite, it's just awkward.

When you get to the end of a package, you need at least one sentence, preferably two, to wrap things up, to tie the ribbon around the package before putting your name on it. It will flow smoother and make more sense to the viewer.

So take a few minutes when writing your stories and end them properly.