The most important part of any news article is the lead or 'topic' sentence. Here are the types of leads used. Although these are used primarily for print they can apply to video or podcasts as well. 

How to Write a News Lead

Almost every journalist uses AP style when writing. You will find that The Associated Press Style Guide is essential when you need clarification on any aspect of your article (ie. When should a number be spelled out or when should you use figures.) The more educated you become in AP style the better your articles will look.

An overview can be found at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/2664713/Associated-Press-AP-Style-Guide-the-basics

The complete book can be found online at: http://alumni.imsa.edu/org/hadron/ap.pdf

The 'How To' section on the website of the Poynter Institute has daily articles that are quite helpful. Even the latest "How to publish credible information online while news is breaking," will be valuable during our conference.http://www.poynter.org/

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The Associated Press:http://www.ap.org

C-Span:http://www.c-span.org/