There are various types of ledes (which is what we call the start of a news story).
The most basic type of lede is called the summary lede.
It's a lede that answers at least one or two of the most important
questions among the five W's and one H of journalism (who, what, when,
where, why and how). Such ledes get straight to the main point of the
story. These are the easiest ledes to write, and a default you can
always rely upon with any type of story. And this will be the kind of
lede I want us to concentrate on as we start this semester.
In deciding what to put in your lede, you need to ask yourself several questions, including:
What is the most important information?
What's the story's central point?
What was said or done about this topic?
What happened, or what action was taken?
What are the most recent developments?
How did things conclude?
Where are things now?
Which facts are most likely to affect or interest readers?
Which facts are most unusual?
What are the facts that a reader absolutely needs to know about this story, if they read just the lede and nothing else?
The
structure of a lede should be a single sentence, if possible. So you
really do have to drill down to just the essential part of the story in
your lede. You can't overload it.
There are several points to consider in writing effective ledes, the first of which is: be concise.
Make it easy for the public to read and understand. Avoid being wordy,
repetitious, and choppy. Eliminate or delay the use of unnecessary or
less necessary background information until later paragraphs.
(The
proper length of a lede widely varies between news organization and
even between different stories. For the purposes of this class, a lede
should be no more than 32 words. That means before writing, you need to
make decisions on what information is most important for the lede, and
leave out other info until later in the story.)
Be specific. Use interesting details. Offer details that allow readers to visualize events. Avoid cliches.
Use strong, active verbs in the ways we discussed earlier.
Emphasize the magnitude of the story, e.g., note the number of people affected or possibly affected by something (e.g., More than 300 students were hospitalized this week after drinking rotten beer, police said), or the dollar cost or percentage increase or decrease of something (e.g., Tuition will increase 1,000 percent for incoming freshman this fall at Michigan State University),
or note any telling statistical measures of what happened (e.g., inches
of snowfall in a blizzard, how many feet high was a tsunami wave, the
number of cars involved in an accident, ect.).
Stress the unusual, such as deviations from the norm (e.g., A 2-year-old boy who can't yet speak piloted the space shuttle during its launch into space today).
Localize and update. Emphasize your community's role in happenings, whether regional or global (e.g., An MSU student was among three people who stole a hippo from Potter Park Zoo this morning). Emphasize the latest happening or development in a story (e.g., Five more students appeared in court today for their roles in last week's Cedar Fest riot).
Strive for simplicity. Don't overload a lede with too much info. Again,let's keep it to 32 words or less.
Begin with the news,
when possible. What I mean is, try to avoid beginning a lede with
attribution (the source of information). For example, it's better to
lede with, The dog died, police said as opposed to, Police said the dog died,
so we can put what happened (the dog died) ahead of who said it
(police). The news most often is what happened, not necessarily who said
it. But if the source is big enough, then that rule is relaxed (The president said he would okay an invasion of Canada is okay to lede with the source, since the source is making the news by flexing his or her power).
Emphasize the news.
Do not necessarily follow chronological order in telling a story.
Rarely are the first events in a sequence the most newsworthy. Decide
which facts are the most important, interesting, relevant or useful, and
write a lede emphasizing those facts, regardless of what occurred first.
(For
example, what's most important at a football game; how things started,
or how things finished? It's the latter, of course. That's why we lede
with who won or lost. Same thing with a city council meeting; the news
is what they ended up deciding. That's the material for your lede.
Likewise, what's more important: the item the city council first voted
on, or the item that most interests or affects residents? It's the
latter, so you should lede with the latter.)
Avoid agenda ledes, which
are ledes that place too much emphasis on the time and place at which a
story occurred. News generally is what happened, why and how moreso
than to whom and when.
(For example, in a football
story the most important news is who won or lost, and not that a
football game was played at a certain time and date. And with a city
council story, the most important information is what the council
decided, and not that a city council meeting was taking place at a
certain time or date.)
Avoid label ledes, which
are when you mention a topic but fail to reveal what was said or done.
Ledes should report the substance of what happened, and not just the
topic. (It's not news that the football team played a game or that the
city council had a meeting; it's who won or lost the football game and
what the city council ended up deciding to do at the meeting.)
Avoid exaggeration. If
a story is weak, it's weak. You're better off doing additional
reporting to see if you can find an angle that's more interesting within
your topic, than hyping something that just isn't worth the hype.
Avoid misleading readers. Never sensationalize, belittle or mislead. A lede should accurately set the tone for the rest of the story.
Remember your readers.
Ledes must be clear, useful, interesting and relevant to be of use to
your audience. That's who you're writing to inform. Again, journalism
isn't about personal artistic impression; it's about representing the
facts in a useful way for your audience to understand.
Rewrite ledes. Writing in and of itself can help focus writing ideas and insights. Don't be afraid to tinker repeatedly with ledes.
(Quite
often in my professional career, I would be stuck on writing a lede.
What I would often do is start writing the rest of the story, without a
lede or with a BS one I knew I'd change. The process of writing the
story and laying out facts would often help me crystallize in my mind
what the main point of the story was, and once I could articulate a main
point, that became my lede.)
Don't be afraid to break some of these rules!
Use your imagination. Try to find something different, as long as it is
factual and contextually on par with the facts of your story. If it
works and best serves the readers in an accurate and contextual way,
then it's okay.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
RFTM Chapter 9: Alternative Ledes
What is an alternative lede? It's a lede that is more
creative, contextual and usually much more fun to write. It conveys an
interesting idea or the essence of a story in a unique way. It requires
intelligence, inventiveness and imagination instead of formula writing
(although our approaches still require a devotion to the facts, as
opposed to our feelings and opinions).
There are various types of alternative ledes, which we will look at with all examples being from stories related to the Cedar Fest riots that occasionally take place in East Lansing.Those types of ledes include:
Buried or delayed ledes. These begin with an interesting example or anecdote that sets a story's theme. Then it's followed by a nut graf, which in the case of alternate ledes summarizes the main point that the anecdote is illustrating, and provides a transition to the body of the story. (Nut grafs are a bit different with summary ledes; we'll get into that a bit later.)
Here's an example of a type of buried or delayed lede, which in this case is called a descriptive lede, which offers descriptive details that paint a picture before gradually moving into the action:
Joe Smith was enjoying a beautiful spring night with 4,000 of his classmates, drinking and partying and having a good ol' time.
The air was warm, the beer was cold, and most people were being cool about it all.Then, some people started go get a bit rowdy. A stop sign was torn from the ground. A pair of couches went up in flames.
And that's when the tear gas cannisters began to fly.
Nearly 2,000 students were arrested, and another 2,000 hospitalized after the annual Cedar Fest party degenerated into a riot that required National Guard intervention before being brought under control.
In this example, the lede actually is an anecdote that extends over the first three paragraphs, or grafs. The fourt graf is the nut graf (which, like with most alternative ledes, sounds very much like a summary lede).
The goal here is to emphasize context and humanize the story, before we get into the nitty-gritty.
Question ledes, appropriate when the question is brief, simple, specific and provocative, such as:
Got tear gas?
Nearly 4,000 MSU students were able to answer "yes" to that question after the annual Cedar Fest party degenerated into a riot. leading National Guard troops to fire tear gas cannisters to disperse the crowd.
The first graf is your lede, and the second is your nut graf. This is also an example of a suspenseful lede, where we create suspense or arouse reader curiosity or raise a question in their mind, offering an explanation in the nut graf.
Shockers are ledes with a twist; a startling lede that immediately captures the attention of readers, such as in this alternative lede/nut graf combo:
Drinking is a rite of passage at many colleges. At MSU, that rite comes with tear gas.
For the sixth straight year, the annual Cedar Fest party degenerated into a riot, with National Guard troops once again dispersing the crowd with tear gas cannisters.
Ironic ledes are similar to a shocker, but offer an ironic contrast, like in this lede/nut graf combo:
Joe Smith went to Cedar Fest for the beer. The tear gas was an extra.
The latter came courtesy of National Guard troops, who were dispatched to break up the party after it degenerated into a riot Saturday night.
Words used in usual ways can provide the basis for an alternative lede, like in this lede/nut graf combo:
When Joe Smith headed to Cedar Fest, he figured it would be a gas. It was.
But not in the way he imagined. Tear gas was used by National Guard troops to disperse party-goers after the annual celebration degenerated into a riot Saturday night.
These are just a few possibilities. But there are as many possible ways to do an alternative lede as you can imagine. As long as the method tells the story in the best ways to emphasize what makes a story interesting, relevant and/or useful, and as long as it's based and true to the context and facts of the situation, then it's okay.
Silly stories should be silly. Sad stories should be said. Be true to the facts.
There are various types of alternative ledes, which we will look at with all examples being from stories related to the Cedar Fest riots that occasionally take place in East Lansing.Those types of ledes include:
Buried or delayed ledes. These begin with an interesting example or anecdote that sets a story's theme. Then it's followed by a nut graf, which in the case of alternate ledes summarizes the main point that the anecdote is illustrating, and provides a transition to the body of the story. (Nut grafs are a bit different with summary ledes; we'll get into that a bit later.)
Here's an example of a type of buried or delayed lede, which in this case is called a descriptive lede, which offers descriptive details that paint a picture before gradually moving into the action:
Joe Smith was enjoying a beautiful spring night with 4,000 of his classmates, drinking and partying and having a good ol' time.
The air was warm, the beer was cold, and most people were being cool about it all.Then, some people started go get a bit rowdy. A stop sign was torn from the ground. A pair of couches went up in flames.
And that's when the tear gas cannisters began to fly.
Nearly 2,000 students were arrested, and another 2,000 hospitalized after the annual Cedar Fest party degenerated into a riot that required National Guard intervention before being brought under control.
In this example, the lede actually is an anecdote that extends over the first three paragraphs, or grafs. The fourt graf is the nut graf (which, like with most alternative ledes, sounds very much like a summary lede).
The goal here is to emphasize context and humanize the story, before we get into the nitty-gritty.
Question ledes, appropriate when the question is brief, simple, specific and provocative, such as:
Got tear gas?
Nearly 4,000 MSU students were able to answer "yes" to that question after the annual Cedar Fest party degenerated into a riot. leading National Guard troops to fire tear gas cannisters to disperse the crowd.
The first graf is your lede, and the second is your nut graf. This is also an example of a suspenseful lede, where we create suspense or arouse reader curiosity or raise a question in their mind, offering an explanation in the nut graf.
Shockers are ledes with a twist; a startling lede that immediately captures the attention of readers, such as in this alternative lede/nut graf combo:
Drinking is a rite of passage at many colleges. At MSU, that rite comes with tear gas.
For the sixth straight year, the annual Cedar Fest party degenerated into a riot, with National Guard troops once again dispersing the crowd with tear gas cannisters.
Ironic ledes are similar to a shocker, but offer an ironic contrast, like in this lede/nut graf combo:
Joe Smith went to Cedar Fest for the beer. The tear gas was an extra.
The latter came courtesy of National Guard troops, who were dispatched to break up the party after it degenerated into a riot Saturday night.
Words used in usual ways can provide the basis for an alternative lede, like in this lede/nut graf combo:
When Joe Smith headed to Cedar Fest, he figured it would be a gas. It was.
But not in the way he imagined. Tear gas was used by National Guard troops to disperse party-goers after the annual celebration degenerated into a riot Saturday night.
These are just a few possibilities. But there are as many possible ways to do an alternative lede as you can imagine. As long as the method tells the story in the best ways to emphasize what makes a story interesting, relevant and/or useful, and as long as it's based and true to the context and facts of the situation, then it's okay.
Silly stories should be silly. Sad stories should be said. Be true to the facts.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
RFTM Chapter 5: Selecting And Reporting The News
There are several characteristics of news to consider. Those include timeliness; that it is current information, fresh angles and new details. (You can't spell "news" without "new.")
Impact: stories that affect, involve or interest large groups of audience members. (For example, a tuition hike at MSU is a big deal to The State News,because so many of the newspaper's readers are MSU students. A tuition hike at the U. of M. means much less to The State News, because the U. of M. isn't its audience.) Reporters must evaluate the impact and/or importance of news, in deciding what to report and highlight.
Prominence: the happenings of people or institutions of great power, importance or influence. (For example, if I get into a car accident it's not a big deal, since I'm nobody special. If the President gets into a car accident, it's a big deal.)
Proximity: events close to home (a murder in East Lansing is bigger news to The State News than a murder in Detroit, because The State News's primary audience is in and around East Lansing) and even events happening to people or in places similar to those of your audience (for example, a college campus shooting in California WOULD be a bigger deal to The State News, since the news involves the same demographic as its primary audience; that being college students).
Singularity: or deviations from the usual, such as unexpected or unusual events, drama or charge, odd twists in otherwise-mundane stories (for example, a car accident caused by a cat driving a car is much more newsworthy than a typical car accident, because cats usually don't drive cars). Journalists must always be on the lookout for this, if singularity is what makes this story different than others.
Conflict or controversy: between entities or people (e.g., a school planning a tuition hike unpopular with students), or between people and societal issues (e.g., college grads dealing with a lousy job market).
There are also various types of news, including hard news, defined as stories on serious, timely and important topics (e.g., tuition hikes, public safety).
Soft news: features or human-interest stories (summer travel options, a look at the life of an interesting person).
Breaking news: news that's happening at the moment (car crashes, house fires).
Is there such a thing as "good news" and "bad news?" Journalistically, no. This usually refers to a source's view of a story, based on whether he or she received positive or negative attention.
(That has no bearing on the work we do. Our duty is to our audience, regardless of whether it makes a source look good or bad or indifferent and regardless of your opinions or even your audience's opinions. Rely on facts -- and fairness to the facts, and your audience's accurate understanding of teh facts -- to guide the tone of your report.)
The importance of accuracy is all-encompassing. Journalism isn't about writing; it's about getting it right. That includes an accuracy in facts. Reporters must understand a topic before writing about it. If reporters don't understand something, how can they explain it to readers? Make sure you do thorough reporting and ask any and all questions -- even so-called "stupid" ones -- so that you get what you;re writing about.
Accurate writing requires specifics instead of generalities. Be sure to double-check and even triple-check all information. Ask for spellings (especially of names; the first time you assume somone spells their name as Jill, you'll later learn it was Jyl or something else) and specifics. Most fact errors are caused by carelessness or laziness.
There are many obstacles to accuracy, primarily that speed (in meeting deadlines) and accuracy (in ensuring our work is correct) don't naturally go together. But that's the challenge of journalism; to make those two get along as well as possible.
Also, there's always the risk of misinformation, by a source either providing incorrect information or lying outright. That's why it's important to talk to MULTIPLE sources, and to seek evidence for statements given to you.
(There's an old saying in journalism that, "If your mother says she loves you, check it out." What does that mean? That if your mom says she loves you, don't just take her word for it; try to verify it using facts and statements. For example, you can cite historical documents that indicate a fondness for you, like birthday cards from your mom and notes she wrote you saying how much she loves you. You can interview subjects who know your mom, like coworkers who say she always brags about how great you are. You can cite historical events, like that she never missed any of your activities as a kid. Then, you share all that with your audience. THAT'S journalism. Again, it's not about writing; it's about getting it right.)
Impact: stories that affect, involve or interest large groups of audience members. (For example, a tuition hike at MSU is a big deal to The State News,because so many of the newspaper's readers are MSU students. A tuition hike at the U. of M. means much less to The State News, because the U. of M. isn't its audience.) Reporters must evaluate the impact and/or importance of news, in deciding what to report and highlight.
Prominence: the happenings of people or institutions of great power, importance or influence. (For example, if I get into a car accident it's not a big deal, since I'm nobody special. If the President gets into a car accident, it's a big deal.)
Proximity: events close to home (a murder in East Lansing is bigger news to The State News than a murder in Detroit, because The State News's primary audience is in and around East Lansing) and even events happening to people or in places similar to those of your audience (for example, a college campus shooting in California WOULD be a bigger deal to The State News, since the news involves the same demographic as its primary audience; that being college students).
Singularity: or deviations from the usual, such as unexpected or unusual events, drama or charge, odd twists in otherwise-mundane stories (for example, a car accident caused by a cat driving a car is much more newsworthy than a typical car accident, because cats usually don't drive cars). Journalists must always be on the lookout for this, if singularity is what makes this story different than others.
Conflict or controversy: between entities or people (e.g., a school planning a tuition hike unpopular with students), or between people and societal issues (e.g., college grads dealing with a lousy job market).
There are also various types of news, including hard news, defined as stories on serious, timely and important topics (e.g., tuition hikes, public safety).
Soft news: features or human-interest stories (summer travel options, a look at the life of an interesting person).
Breaking news: news that's happening at the moment (car crashes, house fires).
Is there such a thing as "good news" and "bad news?" Journalistically, no. This usually refers to a source's view of a story, based on whether he or she received positive or negative attention.
(That has no bearing on the work we do. Our duty is to our audience, regardless of whether it makes a source look good or bad or indifferent and regardless of your opinions or even your audience's opinions. Rely on facts -- and fairness to the facts, and your audience's accurate understanding of teh facts -- to guide the tone of your report.)
The importance of accuracy is all-encompassing. Journalism isn't about writing; it's about getting it right. That includes an accuracy in facts. Reporters must understand a topic before writing about it. If reporters don't understand something, how can they explain it to readers? Make sure you do thorough reporting and ask any and all questions -- even so-called "stupid" ones -- so that you get what you;re writing about.
Accurate writing requires specifics instead of generalities. Be sure to double-check and even triple-check all information. Ask for spellings (especially of names; the first time you assume somone spells their name as Jill, you'll later learn it was Jyl or something else) and specifics. Most fact errors are caused by carelessness or laziness.
There are many obstacles to accuracy, primarily that speed (in meeting deadlines) and accuracy (in ensuring our work is correct) don't naturally go together. But that's the challenge of journalism; to make those two get along as well as possible.
Also, there's always the risk of misinformation, by a source either providing incorrect information or lying outright. That's why it's important to talk to MULTIPLE sources, and to seek evidence for statements given to you.
(There's an old saying in journalism that, "If your mother says she loves you, check it out." What does that mean? That if your mom says she loves you, don't just take her word for it; try to verify it using facts and statements. For example, you can cite historical documents that indicate a fondness for you, like birthday cards from your mom and notes she wrote you saying how much she loves you. You can interview subjects who know your mom, like coworkers who say she always brags about how great you are. You can cite historical events, like that she never missed any of your activities as a kid. Then, you share all that with your audience. THAT'S journalism. Again, it's not about writing; it's about getting it right.)
JRN 200: Accuracy Checklist
Accuracy in journalism is systemic, in that we try to follow standard
procedures to make sure we haven't introduced any errors, either by
accident or omission. What I have for you here is a good basic accuracy
checklist you should use each and every time you write a story. Here we
go:
Instructions
After completing your story, use the down arrow on your keyboard to highlight and then complete each of these checks.
I. Facts
Check these first three items while your story is on the screen:
1. Run spell-check, review suggestions and correct any actual errors.
2. Click hyperlinks.
3. Call phone numbers.
Use a printout of the story for the remaining checks:
4. Put a ruler under each line as you read the text. Underline every fact, and then double-check each one, including:
a) Names and titles of people, places and companies - Also, does each second reference (Jones) have a first reference (Mary Jones)?
b) Numbers and calculations - Do the numbers add up? Is it millions or billions? Are the percentages correct?
c) Dates and ages - Watch references to “next month/last month” when the month is changing.
d) Quotes - Are quotes accurate and properly attributed? Have you fully captured what each person meant?
e) Superlatives - What’s your source that something is the biggest, oldest, etc.?
II. Grammar
5. Check each sentence for correct use of:
a) Subject-verb agreement - Also, are you consistent in your use of either the present or the past tense to tell the story?
b) Pronoun-noun agreement.
c) Plurals and possessives.
d) Punctuation.
III. Spelling
6. Read the story backwards, checking the spelling of each word. Use a dictionary.
IV. Fairness and context
7. Terms - Define or eliminate unfamiliar terms, such as acronyms and jargon.
8. Fairness - Have all stakeholders been contacted and given a chance to talk?
9. Missing - Does the story leave any important question unanswered?
10. Context - Does the reader have the context to understand the story?
V. Your own common errors (for example, if you have a habit of getting dates wrong, misspelling names, ect.)
11. ____________________________________________
12.____________________________________________
VI. Final checks
13. Read the story aloud.
14. Have someone else read it.
15. Accompanying elements - Run the previous checks on the story's headlines, captions, sidebars, photos, graphics, videos, interactive media and podcasts. Check for inconsistencies.
ACCURACY CHECKLIST
FOR JOURNALISTS
Created by the
Reynolds School for Business Journalism
Distributed by the
Poynter Institute for Journalism
Instructions
After completing your story, use the down arrow on your keyboard to highlight and then complete each of these checks.
I. Facts
Check these first three items while your story is on the screen:
1. Run spell-check, review suggestions and correct any actual errors.
2. Click hyperlinks.
3. Call phone numbers.
Use a printout of the story for the remaining checks:
4. Put a ruler under each line as you read the text. Underline every fact, and then double-check each one, including:
a) Names and titles of people, places and companies - Also, does each second reference (Jones) have a first reference (Mary Jones)?
b) Numbers and calculations - Do the numbers add up? Is it millions or billions? Are the percentages correct?
c) Dates and ages - Watch references to “next month/last month” when the month is changing.
d) Quotes - Are quotes accurate and properly attributed? Have you fully captured what each person meant?
e) Superlatives - What’s your source that something is the biggest, oldest, etc.?
II. Grammar
5. Check each sentence for correct use of:
a) Subject-verb agreement - Also, are you consistent in your use of either the present or the past tense to tell the story?
b) Pronoun-noun agreement.
c) Plurals and possessives.
d) Punctuation.
III. Spelling
6. Read the story backwards, checking the spelling of each word. Use a dictionary.
IV. Fairness and context
7. Terms - Define or eliminate unfamiliar terms, such as acronyms and jargon.
8. Fairness - Have all stakeholders been contacted and given a chance to talk?
9. Missing - Does the story leave any important question unanswered?
10. Context - Does the reader have the context to understand the story?
V. Your own common errors (for example, if you have a habit of getting dates wrong, misspelling names, ect.)
11. ____________________________________________
12.____________________________________________
VI. Final checks
13. Read the story aloud.
14. Have someone else read it.
15. Accompanying elements - Run the previous checks on the story's headlines, captions, sidebars, photos, graphics, videos, interactive media and podcasts. Check for inconsistencies.
JRN 200: Ways To Avoid Inaccuracy
Reporting isn't just about habits; it's also about a mindset that
nothing is assumed and everything needs to be cross-checked for
accuracy. This is a modified version of an editor's checklist on how to
help
reporters avoid inaccuracy problems by having the right skeptical
mindset. I think there are some tips worth
following. Let's take a look:
Problem: Not detail-oriented. Plan to ask at least five extra questions not covered in your assignment that go into greater detail; keep asking clarifying questions.
Problem: Making assumptions. Reports should back up statements in story with evidence; reporters should take their time and not rush during interviews; reporters should self-edit religiously and ask themselves if they can back up what they are writing; reporters should ask sources follow-up questions; reporters should ask the obvious questions to make sure they're not assuming; reporters should ask, "How do you know that? and "how do I know that?" of themselves and sources.
Problem: Interviewing confusion. Reporters shouldn't be shy about asking sources to slow down or repeat something; reporters ask "can you elaborate?" or say, "I don't understand"; reporters can repeat the information back to the source in their own words and give the source the opportunity to correct them; reporters can go back over direct quotes with the source; reporters can make a recording of events or interviews that can be checked.
Problem: Relying on out-of-date information. Never type something before you've checked it; always ask sources for an updated title; do research ahead of time; check Web sites for the last time they were updated and if it's been more than one year, then the information might be old; check the date on press releases.
Problem: Time constraints. Plan ahead for a long day -- start doing research the night before or get up early to get all your reporting done on time; overestimate the time everything will take; start writing what you know while waiting for that last callback, it might also help you find out earlier what you don't know; don't multitask during the editing process; keep fact-checking.
Problem: Exaggerating/using more powerful words than your reporting shows. Use precise language; use self-discipline and resist the urge to overwrite or overstate the facts; always attribute it. If you can't attribute some part of your story, then perhaps your words are wrong; reporters should use balanced reporting and make sure that it's reflected in the writing of the story; reporters should put the facts in the proper context.
Problem: Relying on unreliable sources. Reporters can ask sources for another source or documents to back up what they tell you; reporters should vet sources' credibility during interviews. Does what they're saying make sense? Always ask, "How do you know that?"
Problem: Not detail-oriented. Plan to ask at least five extra questions not covered in your assignment that go into greater detail; keep asking clarifying questions.
Problem: Making assumptions. Reports should back up statements in story with evidence; reporters should take their time and not rush during interviews; reporters should self-edit religiously and ask themselves if they can back up what they are writing; reporters should ask sources follow-up questions; reporters should ask the obvious questions to make sure they're not assuming; reporters should ask, "How do you know that? and "how do I know that?" of themselves and sources.
Problem: Interviewing confusion. Reporters shouldn't be shy about asking sources to slow down or repeat something; reporters ask "can you elaborate?" or say, "I don't understand"; reporters can repeat the information back to the source in their own words and give the source the opportunity to correct them; reporters can go back over direct quotes with the source; reporters can make a recording of events or interviews that can be checked.
Problem: Relying on out-of-date information. Never type something before you've checked it; always ask sources for an updated title; do research ahead of time; check Web sites for the last time they were updated and if it's been more than one year, then the information might be old; check the date on press releases.
Problem: Time constraints. Plan ahead for a long day -- start doing research the night before or get up early to get all your reporting done on time; overestimate the time everything will take; start writing what you know while waiting for that last callback, it might also help you find out earlier what you don't know; don't multitask during the editing process; keep fact-checking.
Problem: Exaggerating/using more powerful words than your reporting shows. Use precise language; use self-discipline and resist the urge to overwrite or overstate the facts; always attribute it. If you can't attribute some part of your story, then perhaps your words are wrong; reporters should use balanced reporting and make sure that it's reflected in the writing of the story; reporters should put the facts in the proper context.
Problem: Relying on unreliable sources. Reporters can ask sources for another source or documents to back up what they tell you; reporters should vet sources' credibility during interviews. Does what they're saying make sense? Always ask, "How do you know that?"
Thursday, September 12, 2013
RFTM Chapter 3: News Writing Style
What do newswriters do? Provide information in a clear and
concise manner using simple language. Simple language is important
because you are trying to reach an audience with widely varied
capabilities and interests. To communicate effectively to a mass
audience, you must present information in a way that will allow almost
everyone to read and understand it.
(This is the exact opposite of what you've learned in English composition all these years, where teachers encourage you to use big and fancy words. For practical writing, this is an awful habit, as is much we're going to un-learn you from English comp this term. Use simple words and simple terms, please.)
Also, present factual information succinctly and in an impartial and objective manner. You must provide enough information so that the audience understands what happened, and keep your opinion out of stories.
(Again, a big diff between English comp and journalism is that in English comp, we write to express ourselves. In journalism, we write to share facts we've verified. Writing isn't about our self-expression; it's about informing an audience first and foremost.)
The pre-writing process. Ask yourself these questions: what is the story about? Why is it newsworthy? How is its central point unique? Failure to identify a central point risks a story that is incoherent and incomplete. Try to develop one central point thoroughly. A story with several apparent central points may be worth more than one story.
How do you find a central point? Report! What we write and how we write it isn't based on personal expression and opinion; it's based on what we discover in the reporting process, and what we determine is most interesting, relevant and useful to our audience.
The story outline. We start with the lede paragraph. That's the first paragraph of a story, which may contain the central point or a telling anecdote that sets up the central point. Often, the lede goes to end result and ultimate outcome; e.g., how the story ended and what is the latest information.
(Again, this is another big way journalism differs from English comp. In English comp, the ending is the ending. But in journalism, the ending is the lede: who won the football game, what the city council ended up doing, how many people died in the tornado outbreak, ect.)
Use simplifying words, sentences and paragraphs. Avoid long, unfamiliar words (e.g., instead of "homicide," say "murder. Instead of "vehicle," say "car" or "van" or "bus" or whatever. Instead of "inebriated vehicle operator," say "drunk driver.")
Use short sentences and paragraphs. The longer a sentence is, the more difficult it is to understand. You can shorten sentences by using the "normal word order" of subject, then verb, then direct object (e.g., instead of saying "The homework was eaten by the dog," say "The dog ate the homework.")
Write for the ear. Use sentences that do not sound awkward or inappropriate when spoken. (If you're not sure if a sentence flows well, read it out loud. Does it sound choppy or stilted or a hot mess? Then it probably reads the same way. Rewrite it as necessary until it's easy to say and hear out loud.)
Eliminate unnecessary words. Writers who use two words when one would suffice simply waste space. (Again, in English comp you are encouraged to be wordy; in journalism, we want to be efficient with our word use.) Eliminate multiple words that convey the same idea (e.g., "past history." History is the past. Eliminate one of those words.)
Remain objective. Reporters are neutral observers, not advocates or participants. Reporters provide facts and details, not opinion. (Again, journalism isn't about you expressing yourself; it's about informing the audience on what you discovered during the reporting process.)
Avoid stereotypical isms. Like, racism. (Only mention race when clearly relevant to a story, like a detailed suspect description.) Or, sexism. (Avoid occupational terms that exclude one sex or the other, like "fireman." Use "firefighter" instead.) Or ageism and word usage with the disabled, veterans and religious groups, and the poor. ("Old fogey, Bible-beater, hobo," ect.)
(This is the exact opposite of what you've learned in English composition all these years, where teachers encourage you to use big and fancy words. For practical writing, this is an awful habit, as is much we're going to un-learn you from English comp this term. Use simple words and simple terms, please.)
Also, present factual information succinctly and in an impartial and objective manner. You must provide enough information so that the audience understands what happened, and keep your opinion out of stories.
(Again, a big diff between English comp and journalism is that in English comp, we write to express ourselves. In journalism, we write to share facts we've verified. Writing isn't about our self-expression; it's about informing an audience first and foremost.)
The pre-writing process. Ask yourself these questions: what is the story about? Why is it newsworthy? How is its central point unique? Failure to identify a central point risks a story that is incoherent and incomplete. Try to develop one central point thoroughly. A story with several apparent central points may be worth more than one story.
How do you find a central point? Report! What we write and how we write it isn't based on personal expression and opinion; it's based on what we discover in the reporting process, and what we determine is most interesting, relevant and useful to our audience.
The story outline. We start with the lede paragraph. That's the first paragraph of a story, which may contain the central point or a telling anecdote that sets up the central point. Often, the lede goes to end result and ultimate outcome; e.g., how the story ended and what is the latest information.
(Again, this is another big way journalism differs from English comp. In English comp, the ending is the ending. But in journalism, the ending is the lede: who won the football game, what the city council ended up doing, how many people died in the tornado outbreak, ect.)
Use simplifying words, sentences and paragraphs. Avoid long, unfamiliar words (e.g., instead of "homicide," say "murder. Instead of "vehicle," say "car" or "van" or "bus" or whatever. Instead of "inebriated vehicle operator," say "drunk driver.")
Use short sentences and paragraphs. The longer a sentence is, the more difficult it is to understand. You can shorten sentences by using the "normal word order" of subject, then verb, then direct object (e.g., instead of saying "The homework was eaten by the dog," say "The dog ate the homework.")
Write for the ear. Use sentences that do not sound awkward or inappropriate when spoken. (If you're not sure if a sentence flows well, read it out loud. Does it sound choppy or stilted or a hot mess? Then it probably reads the same way. Rewrite it as necessary until it's easy to say and hear out loud.)
Eliminate unnecessary words. Writers who use two words when one would suffice simply waste space. (Again, in English comp you are encouraged to be wordy; in journalism, we want to be efficient with our word use.) Eliminate multiple words that convey the same idea (e.g., "past history." History is the past. Eliminate one of those words.)
Remain objective. Reporters are neutral observers, not advocates or participants. Reporters provide facts and details, not opinion. (Again, journalism isn't about you expressing yourself; it's about informing the audience on what you discovered during the reporting process.)
Avoid stereotypical isms. Like, racism. (Only mention race when clearly relevant to a story, like a detailed suspect description.) Or, sexism. (Avoid occupational terms that exclude one sex or the other, like "fireman." Use "firefighter" instead.) Or ageism and word usage with the disabled, veterans and religious groups, and the poor. ("Old fogey, Bible-beater, hobo," ect.)
RFTM Chapter 4: The Language Of News
Be precise. Understand the words you use, and use words that
are clear, concise and accurate. Journalists who do not use words
correctly can confuse or irritate their readers. That undermines
credibility and questions accuracy. (After all, if you can't get the
small things right -- like proper word use -- how can you get the big
things right, and why should a reader trust you?) .
Journalists who do not use words correctly can convey a meaning that was not intended. (Here's a real example from my professional career that ended up on the Jay Leno show: I wrote a short story about a man who was arrested, and when he was strip-searched in jail they found he was hiding crack cocaine between his butt cheeks. And here was the headline an editor wrote: MAN HID CRACK IN BUTTOCKS. Hardy har har.)
Use strong verbs. What is a strong verb? A verb that describes the action taking place, in an active tense. (For example, on 9/11 it would be underwhelming to say planes "hit" the Twin Towers. It would be more accurate and contextual to say the planed "slammed" into the buildings.)
(Let me be clear: the verb still has to be accurate, and not an exaggeration. Don't hype up a story without reason; our reason comes from facts. Like in the 9/11 example; the planes didn't just pop into the Twin Towers. They were tons of steel and human life racing at almost 500 mph. striking with such power that the buildings buckled, and eventually fell. The facts cry out for context and to the severity of what happened. It has nothing to do with how I want to write it.)
Avoid adjectives and adverbs. Most are unnecessary, and simply restate the obvious. And it may inject opinion into the story. There's no need to say something horrible is "grim" or "tragic;" the presentation of facts will make that clear.
Avoid cliches, which are words and phrases that have been used over and over again, like someone being "as blind as a bat" or "old as dirt." It's just lazy writing; come up with something descriptive and original instead.
Avoid slang. It can become dated; it can convey alternative meanings; it can confuse readers of certain ages of ethic groups. (For example, if you told your grandma "Whatevs, obvi," would she know what the hell you were talking about? And that's a great test; if your grandma wouldn't understand your word use, then use simpler and clearer language.)
Avoid or translate technical language and jargon. Journalists should translate jargon into plain English. (e.g., instead of "cardiac arrest," say "heart attack.") If you don't know what a layman's term may be for a given word or phrase, ask your source for a translation in plain English or check resources online that could do the same.
Avoid using vague expressions known as euphemisms in place of harsher but more direct terms. (For example, "expecting" is a euphemism for "pregnant." "Downsizing" is a euphemism for "laid off" or "fired." "Passed away" is a euphemism for "dying." Don't use such euphemisms.) Euphemisms detract from clarity and precision in writing.
Don't use first-person references outside of quotes, like I, me, my, our, ect. Those betray a reporter's neutral bystander role.
Avoid the negative. I don't mean bad news; I mean negative sentence construction, like "the dog did not stay awake," instead of the better "the dog slept." Sentences with multiple negatives can become tough to understand (e.g., "the dog did not stay awake while his owner was not home" can be simplified to, "The dog slept while his owner was away.")
Avoid an echo. An echo is a redundant word. (For example, "frozen tundra" includes an echo, because the definition of "tundra" is frozen ground. So, when you say "frozen tundra," you're saying "frozen frozen ground.")
Avoid gush. This is writing with exaggerated enthusiasm. ("The 5th Annual Spelling Bee was an awesome mega-event that will never be forgotten!") Use facts to substantiate your descriptions. If the spelling bee included the largest fireworks show in history and multiple people are quoted as saying that this was the peak of their lives, then the aforementioned lede may be okay. If your facts don't support it, then it's not. Find words and phrases that accurately set the scene.)
Journalists who do not use words correctly can convey a meaning that was not intended. (Here's a real example from my professional career that ended up on the Jay Leno show: I wrote a short story about a man who was arrested, and when he was strip-searched in jail they found he was hiding crack cocaine between his butt cheeks. And here was the headline an editor wrote: MAN HID CRACK IN BUTTOCKS. Hardy har har.)
Use strong verbs. What is a strong verb? A verb that describes the action taking place, in an active tense. (For example, on 9/11 it would be underwhelming to say planes "hit" the Twin Towers. It would be more accurate and contextual to say the planed "slammed" into the buildings.)
(Let me be clear: the verb still has to be accurate, and not an exaggeration. Don't hype up a story without reason; our reason comes from facts. Like in the 9/11 example; the planes didn't just pop into the Twin Towers. They were tons of steel and human life racing at almost 500 mph. striking with such power that the buildings buckled, and eventually fell. The facts cry out for context and to the severity of what happened. It has nothing to do with how I want to write it.)
Avoid adjectives and adverbs. Most are unnecessary, and simply restate the obvious. And it may inject opinion into the story. There's no need to say something horrible is "grim" or "tragic;" the presentation of facts will make that clear.
Avoid cliches, which are words and phrases that have been used over and over again, like someone being "as blind as a bat" or "old as dirt." It's just lazy writing; come up with something descriptive and original instead.
Avoid slang. It can become dated; it can convey alternative meanings; it can confuse readers of certain ages of ethic groups. (For example, if you told your grandma "Whatevs, obvi," would she know what the hell you were talking about? And that's a great test; if your grandma wouldn't understand your word use, then use simpler and clearer language.)
Avoid or translate technical language and jargon. Journalists should translate jargon into plain English. (e.g., instead of "cardiac arrest," say "heart attack.") If you don't know what a layman's term may be for a given word or phrase, ask your source for a translation in plain English or check resources online that could do the same.
Avoid using vague expressions known as euphemisms in place of harsher but more direct terms. (For example, "expecting" is a euphemism for "pregnant." "Downsizing" is a euphemism for "laid off" or "fired." "Passed away" is a euphemism for "dying." Don't use such euphemisms.) Euphemisms detract from clarity and precision in writing.
Don't use first-person references outside of quotes, like I, me, my, our, ect. Those betray a reporter's neutral bystander role.
Avoid the negative. I don't mean bad news; I mean negative sentence construction, like "the dog did not stay awake," instead of the better "the dog slept." Sentences with multiple negatives can become tough to understand (e.g., "the dog did not stay awake while his owner was not home" can be simplified to, "The dog slept while his owner was away.")
Avoid an echo. An echo is a redundant word. (For example, "frozen tundra" includes an echo, because the definition of "tundra" is frozen ground. So, when you say "frozen tundra," you're saying "frozen frozen ground.")
Avoid gush. This is writing with exaggerated enthusiasm. ("The 5th Annual Spelling Bee was an awesome mega-event that will never be forgotten!") Use facts to substantiate your descriptions. If the spelling bee included the largest fireworks show in history and multiple people are quoted as saying that this was the peak of their lives, then the aforementioned lede may be okay. If your facts don't support it, then it's not. Find words and phrases that accurately set the scene.)
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