Repetition is the most common mistake Repetition is the most common mistake made in leads and teases. As you may have experienced when recognizing the identity of the first six words of the subhead with those at the beginning of this paragraph, repetition of words or ideas is tedious.
Listeners understandably come to believe that there is far less news than meets the ear.
The second sentence of the lead provides information that is immediately given again by the first sentence of the tape. This is not, however, the only problem with this lead. Keep it fresh Tenses of the past should be avoided in leads and teases. The preterite, or simple past tense, must almost never be used. The stative quality of the perfect tense can make it seem like the present.