Journalism Aims and objectives of todays session Discuss
Journalism Aims and objectives of today’s session Discuss & Identify the main characteristics of Journalism Discuss and define the essential skills, craft and attributes of a journalist Discover and analyse the “ground rules” Demonstrate some of the skills, craft and attributes. Explore the Inverted Pyramid To demonstrate your knowledge of these skills by writing a news piece What is the difference between News writing and a Feature piece? To Write a feature article
WHAT MAKES A STORY? You tell me your thoughts:
WHAT MAKES A STORY? Conflict: actual conflict – wars politics – crime – natural disasters and accidents - pandemics Celebrities: elite people Human interest: relevance to me Human interest: ordinary people Quirks (off-beat peculiar stories that have little or no bearing on any reader’s life e. g. Squirrel saved by firefighters or firefighters saved by squirrel) Science/research and discovery e. g. environmental threats and tragedies etc.
Intro to Journalism: WHAT DO WE ALREADY KNOW!!!!! What is a journalist? What do they do? How do they do it? Why do they do it? Discussion
What is Journalism? Journalism is about telling people what they didn't know Journalists usually refer to what they write as stories This does not apply only to reporters but to everybody in the editorial chain, from desk editors, copy editors, specialist and sports writers to the editor him or herself. Words published in newspapers, on air or online are stories. The crucial thing about a story is that other people want to hear it, because it is interesting or entertaining journalists write stories for their readers to tell them what is going on, to inform them, engage them, entertain them, shock them, amuse them, disturb them, uplift them. Something has to happen!
Do you own analysis of todays stories. Have a look through some on line newspapers and magazines and see what stories seem popular nowadays. Is it different from my list? Is it roughly the same?
What is journalism? Journalism is basically a simple game. It is about finding things out and telling other people about them. Good journalists must ask the awkward questions and question the answers, must dig to unearth and then explain. Incomprehensible journalism is quite simply bad journalism, and therefore pointless. Clear, Clarity Concise!!! Ultimately there is only one purpose: to make the reader read the story. If they don't, what was the point of finding it out and telling it? The journalist must grab the attention at once.
JOURNALISM: TIPS AND TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Keep a journal or a diary. Most well-known journalists had diaries when they were younger to practice their writing skills. Enjoy writing. Write every day, read newspapers/magazines every day, watch the news to keep up with current affairs and be devoted to literature. Carry a camera with you. Carry a pen or pencil and pad at all times – or have a recording devise. You never know when a newsworthy story will come up. Be willing to meet new people. This is what journalism is all about
JOURNALISM: TIPS AND TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Remember to always refer back to the interviewee. Do not, under any circumstances tell lies, twist the story and make up your own side of the story. Expand your vocabulary. Read the daily newspaper. Purchase a nice dictionary and thesaurus. Strong verbs, lose the adverbs and too many adjectives: active not passive. https: //www. journalism. co. uk/news/10 -tipsfor-trainee-journalists-on-gettingahead/s 2/a 553354/
What makes a good journalist? Curiosity Persistence Toughness The ability to grasp the big truths – with the humility to let them go again when the facts don't fit an eye for a story, an ability to write, a sense of fairness
…think visually and “write” a picture ! you should pretend that you, the writer, see something in the world that's interesting, and that you're directing the attention of your reader to that thing. " "
Words… Writing "consists simply of choosing a handful of words from the half a million or so samples available, and arranging them in the best order. “ Keith Waterhouse, Newspaper style 1989 1. Never use weak verbs when strong ones will do. 2. Never use one passive voice when the active one will do. 3. 4. Never use big or awkward verbs when little ones will do. 5. Never use adverbs to shore up weak verbs. 6. Never carelessly switch verb tenses. 7. Never violate subject-verb agreement. Never use the past tense when the present tense will do. http: //www. columbia. edu/itc/journalism/isaacs/client_e dit/Verbs. html
What does a journalist write? Stories Words published in newspapers, on air or online are stories. True stories are about what happened. We tell stories in conversation, recounting experiences and events in which we took part or observed. The crucial thing about a story is that other people want to hear it, because it is interesting or entertaining. Otherwise the storyteller is a bore. When structuring a story imagine you are talking to a friend: what are the details you would tell them: who, when, what, where? How?
Strong verbs and no adverbs Lose very. Writers unaware of the power of verbs tend to use adverbs where none are needed. In most cases, a strong verb is strong enough on its own; the adverb is redundant. A few redundancies from recently published stories include: wander away - wander totally destroy - destroy seriously consider - consider wink slyly - wink be absolutely sure - be sure be definitely interested - be interested
The intro: The hook or the lead. Front loading your story This is the start of the story, the opening paragraph to engage the reader instantly and to summarise what the story is all about It declares why the story is being published, what is the newest, most interesting, most important, most significant, most attention-grabbing aspect of the story
More Intro It is not a summary A maximum of two or three facts, maybe only one. (In a popular tabloid it will consist of one sentence, probably no more than 25 words). The intro has two related purposes: to engage the reader instantly and to summarise what the story is all about. READ: https: //www. theguardian. com/books/2008/sep/25/writing. jour nalism. news (accessed 08 -20)
intro… continued The worst intro will be uncertain of what the story is all about and will contain several ideas. The best intro will demand that you read on. The worst will make it likely that you will move on. No more than three facts in one sentence that is approximately 25 words.
The rest After the intro you are amplifying the story, adding new, if subordinate, information, providing detail, explanation and quotes. See inverted pyramid.
five W’s = Information Journalism students are taught about the five W’s: who, what, when, where and why. They are a useful tool to check you have covered all the bases, though not all will always apply. Where did it happen and Who was there? What happened, and How? Or what day, what time, and why were people there? ? Always lots of questions to ask.
Information and detail News stories are about providing information, don’t leave the reader hanging. Be precise and give detail. Not colourful, green, red and yellow; not tall, six-foot. You cannot always start from the beginning [of a story] for the benefit of the reader recently arrived from Mars, but you can include sufficient to ensure it is not meaningless.
Active not passive Always prefer the active tense in news writing, and particularly in intros. The active tense is faster and more immediate; it also uses fewer words. "Arsenal were beaten by Manchester United last night. . . " is slower than "Manchester United beat Arsenal. . . ", and if it is a London newspaper "Arsenal lost to Manchester United. . . " is still preferable.
Active Vs Passive Active Voice: When the verb is being performed by its subject. Passive Voice: The action the sentence expresses is being performed upon by its subject. The active voice will help to give your scripts some vitality and life. It can also make a weak sentence more emphatic and give it greater impact. Compare these examples. The first is in the passive; the second active: There were riots in several towns in Northern England last night, in which police clashed with stone-throwing youths. Youths throwing stones clashed with police during riots in several towns in Northern England last night. The 'there is', 'there are' construction is overused. Why waste time stating that something exists when you could get on and describe the action? The imagery in the second version is so much more vivid and powerful and helps the listener to imagine what went on.
Positive even if it is negative Not: "The government has decided not to introduce the planned tax increase on petrol and diesel this autumn. " But: "The government has abandoned plans to raise fuel taxes this autumn. " News is more engaging if it describes something that is happening, rather than something that is not. Sometimes, though, the passive is better: Active: A rhinoceros trampled on Prince Charming at a safari park today. Passive: Prince Charming was trampled on by a rhinoceros at a safari park today.
"what was it like? ", "how did you feel? ", "what are you going to do next? ", Quotes: Quotes are very important to newswriting and feature writing Long quotes bring a story grinding to a halt, particularly if they are from politicians, particularly local politicians, bureaucrats or bores. Short, incisive, direct quotes change the pace of a story, add colour and character, illustrate bald facts, and introduce personal experience. Journalists paraphrase speeches and reports to focus on the main points, and to make them shorter and more comprehensible. It is a vital skill, as is using indirect quotation.
Adjectives "Adjectives should not be allowed in newspapers unless they have something to say”. An adjective should not raise questions in the reader's mind, it should answer them. Angry informs. Tall invites the question, how tall? The well-worn phrase: his expensive tastes ran to fast cars simply whets the appetite for examples of the expensive tastes and the makes and engine capacity of the fast cars”. See Keith Waterhouse: “ground rules”
Try not to use… Jargon, abbreviations, acronyms and know-all foreign phrases Puns and clichés: within the text; worst of all is the extended metaphor
"ground rules" for writers Use specific words (red and blue) not general ones (brightly coloured). Use concrete words (rain, fog) rather than abstract ones (bad weather). Use plain words (began, said, end) not commenced, stated, termination. Use positive words (he was poor) not negative ones (he was not rich--the reader at once wants to know, how not rich was he? ). Don't overstate: fell is starker than plunged.
More “ground rules” Don't lard the story with emotive or "dramatic" words (astonishing, staggering, sensational, shock). Avoid non-working words that cluster together like derelicts (but for the fact that, the question as to whether, there is no doubt that) Don't use words thoughtlessly. (Waiting ambulances don't rush victims to hospital. Waiting ambulances wait. Meteors fall, so there can be no meteoric rise. ) Don't use unknown quantities (very, really, truly, quite. How much is very? ).
Even more ground rules… Never qualify absolutes. A thing cannot be quite impossible, glaringly obvious or most essential, any more than it can be absolutely absolute Don't use jargon, clichés, puns, elegant or inelegant variations, or inexact synonyms (BRAVE WIFE DIED SAVING HER SON is wrong; wife is not a synonym for mother). Words are facts. Check them (spelling and meaning) as you would any other.
Inverted Pyramid video https: //youtu. be/n. VWNn. EWJf. EI Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? https: //www. youtube. com/watc h? v=30 P 9 mt. EWFJQ
inverted pyramid "The concept behind the inverted pyramid format is relatively simple. The writer prioritizes the factual information to be conveyed in the news story by importance. The most essential pieces of information are offered in the first line, which is called the lead (or summary lead). This usually addresses the so-called "five W's" (who, what, when, why, and where). Thus, the reader is able to ascertain the key elements of the story immediately. The writer then provides the rest of the information and supporting contextual details in descending order of importance, leaving the least essential material for the very end. This gives the completed story the form of an inverted pyramid, with the most important elements, or the 'base' of the story, on top. " (Robert A. Rabe, "Inverted Pyramid. " Encyclopedia of American Journalism, ed. by Stephen L. Vaughn. Routledge, 2008)
Tabloid Vs Broadsheet Tabloid: A smaller than standard newspaper which focuses on less "serious" content, especially celebrities, sports, and sensationalist crime stories. Broadsheet: A standard or full sized newspaper that takes a serious look at major news stories. Tabloid Mix fact and emotion Broadsheet More fact than emotion Shorter sentences Use biased and emotional language Stories are mixed together Less complex vocabulary Focus on famous people, private lives and scandal Longer sentences Unbiased and clear language Divided into clear sections Complicated Vocabulary Focus on major national and international events
Try this exercise https: //thenewsmanual. net/Exercises/Writing%20 the%20 n ews%20 story%20 exercise. htm Opening With the Climax "If the essence of the story is its climax, then a proper inverted pyramid places the story's climax in the lead or opening sentence. The most important elements of a wellwritten news article thus appear in the lead, the very first sentence of the story. " https: //www. thoughtco. com/inverted-pyramid-composition 1691082
Exercise: plain English Rewrite the following two paragraphs in plain English suitable for publication in a newspaper or magazine. Remove unnecessary words, passive verbs, repetition, cliché, jargon and pompous or pretentious expression. Jot down some questions the story fails to answer .
Exercise: plain English "Joseph Foster and his sibling Kate were advancing cheerfully along Wesley Street when they were in minor collision with an HGV which unexpectedly mounted the pavement. It transpired later, when the multi-coloured Volvo truck driver who was transporting a container containing motor parts to Oxford was being interviewed by a local radio reporter, that the lorry veered to avoid a police car speeding towards him on the wrong side of the road. The spokesman at police headquarters told a different story.
Exercise: plain English "But it was the children's lucky day as they escaped shocked but unscathed. A hospital spokesman at nearby Eddington hospital, run by the Barton NHS Foundation Trust, said the two children were lucky not to have been seriously injured. 'As it was, ' declared Andrew Brown, 'they were examined in A and E and allowed to go home. Unfortunately Kate's buggy was beyond repair.
Other ways to achieve better journalism Get rid of qualifiers Qualifiers weaken any sentence they inhabit. Phrases like “in a sense”, “a bit”, “sort of” have no place in a thesis. Worse – they imply that you are apologetic or unsure of your ideas. President Nixon probably resigned as a result of the Watergate cover-up. President Nixon resigned as a result of the Watergate cover-up
Other ways to achieve better journalism Strive for nuance Inger argues that the words you use to describe the work of others is important Inger asserts that the words you use to describe the work of others is important Inger states that the words you use to describe the work of others is important Inger outlines that the words you use to describe the work of others is important There’s quite a difference between ‘argues’ and ‘asserts’. The first implies that Inger is making a case, the second implies that Inger is defending a position without necessarily providing any evidence for it. ‘Asserts’ adds a whiff of arrogance, but without over playing it. Likewise ‘stating’ something is different from ‘outlining’ it – the latter implies that some explanation is supplied which will help the reader understand what is being discussed. Paying attention to the words you use to describe the work/words/quotes of others saves you the trouble of adding another sentence to explain to the reader what you think of the work. It’s hard work to remember all that nuance, Keep a handy list of verbs on your wall.
Other ways to achieve better journalism Get comfortable with pruning the excess It’s hard to write well on a subject if you don’t understand it clearly. Sometimes the only way to get to the idea is to write it out. It’s likely that you will generate far more text than you can, or should, use. It can be tempting to ‘dress up’ your writing to appear more intelligent. Resist the urge. The ideas and findings in a thesis are important; style is secondary. A simple and precise style is like painting your walls white – a backdrop against which your ideas can pop. It can be hard to do the necessary pruning, but remember that examiners are likely to view a thinner thesis as a sign that you are confident and in charge of your material.
What to avoid and be more specific Phrase Alternative can be cut completely or made specific. Consider: everyday life is very different for a everyday life college student and, say, a stock broker or homeless person! in today's today, currently society pros and advantages and disadvantages, costs and cons benefits people which ones? Be specific. who is "society"? Too many alternates exist to list. Instead, be specific about which group of society people is being considered this day & today, presently age
News Story Vs. Feature Story When you write a story, your objective is to get the right message to your target audience. If you understand what type of story you’re writing, it will improve your writing and help you reach the readers you want to connect with. There are many kinds of stories. The most common ones are a news story and a feature story. Even experienced writers often confuse the two. While both types of stories are equally important, they’re used in different circumstances.
Here are three critical differences between a feature story and a news story. Timing. The major difference between a news story and a feature story is that a news story is time-sensitive. Media outlets want to publish news stories as quickly as possible after an event occurs. Feature stories, however, are not as time-dependent and contain no urgent content. You can write one anytime after an event occurs. Style. The writing styles of a news story and a feature are different. In a news story, the emphasis is on content rather than form. News stories go straight to the point, using simple and effective words to deliver the facts quickly. They usually average between 300 -500 words. Feature stories are often more wordy and they have a creative structure. Feature stories can be more than 2000 words.
Differences between a feature story and a news story. Beginning and ending. A news story and a feature story have different types of beginnings and endings. News stories tell what the news is upfront and then give the most important details in the first paragraph or two. The beginning – or lead – of a feature story, on the other hand, doesn’t give the news straightaway. Instead, it hooks readers and keeps them reading until the end. A news story can end anywhere after you’ve described the most important facts, whereas a feature story ends with readers feeling satisfied that they gained some value from reading the story.
Examples: Before journalists start to write, they ask themselves a series of questions known as the 5 Ws & H. Who? - Who are the person or persons involved in the story? What? - What happened? When? - When did it happen? Where? - Where did it happen? Why? - Why did it happen? How? - How did it happen?
Good Leads The House of Commons voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve a bill legalizing same sex marriage in Britain, indicating that the bill is assure of passage as it moves through further legislative stages. ” New York Times February 8 th, 2013 “Two more Marines face criminal charges over a 2011 You. Tube video showing members of a scout sniper platoon urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. ” Daily Hampshire Gazette http: //www. gazettenet. com/home/4332108 -95/marines-video-charges-combat “A heavy police presence sectioned off a block of homes in a quiet Southern California suburb Sunday, as residents adjusted to life at the centre of a sprawling manhunt for a fugitive whose police and military background and vitriolic online manifesto has put the region on high-alert. ” Daily Hampshire Gazette http: //www. gazettenet. com/home/437920195/police-dorner-lapd-officers
Bad leads Alleged arsonist and murderer Anthony Baye got some good news today, but in the end it could turn out to be the worst news of his life. ” Northampton Media http: //northamptonmedia. com/blog/07/16/2012/da-relaunches-baye-arsoninvestigation/ This is an example of a bad lead because it offers very little information as to what the article is going to be about. While the lead starts strong with a clear subject it looses clarity toward the end leaving the reader confused. “A high school hobby has become a full-time job for Noah Rockland. ” The Daily Collegian February 6 th, 2013 While this lead had a clear subject the reader is left with very little information as to what the article is about. We only know the “who” with no mention of “when” or “what”.
Sports When writing any sport the lead may need to incorporate other information – the kind of info that the readers are not privy to – because normally they know the score.
“After mass street protests in Poland, legislators with the country’s ruling party have abruptly reversed their positions and voted against a proposal to completely ban abortion. ” (By NPR’s Camila Domonoske) “The European Parliament voted Tuesday to ratify the landmark Paris climate accord, paving the way for the international plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions to become binding as soon as the end of this week. ” (By NPR’s Rebecca Hersher) “The United States announced it is suspending efforts to revive a cease-fire in Syria, blaming Russia’s support for a new round of airstrikes in the city of Aleppo. ” (By NPR’s Richard Gonzales)
Find a news story… Find a story in the newspapers on line and see if you can recognise the Ws’ Who? - Who are the person or persons involved in the story? What? - What happened? When? - When did it happen? Where? - Where did it happen? Why? - Why did it happen? How? - How did it happen?
Exercises Referencing three different sources, you must describe a news story relevant to the past seven days. There are no limitations on what the topic of the news story may be about, but it must have occurred within the seven days prior to the blog post being written, and must include the following: An outline of the story, detailing three most important facts of the story, and why these are important. A brief summary of how different news outlets are reporting the story – are there any noticeable biases or different facts being focused on? Your own suggestion for how you would report this story: Who would you interview? What facts would you prioritise? Who does the story matter to most?
Broadsheet Vs Tabloid Research and make a list of the defining characteristics/ differences between tabloid and broadsheet. Use one story – if you haven’t already – to show the differences in language/use of literary tools such as alliteration puns/metaphor possibly colloquial terms. Also look at structure. Also look at the sentence structure differences.
Write a short news story – 300 words Choose from: An accident you have witnessed or heard about: who where, when, what, why and how? A gig, or sports event you have attended. who where, when, what, why and how? A recent political/social/cultural story or event that has impacted on you and/or your community. A local issue that has impacted on member of the community An amusing incident that you have seen and/or heard of that is newsworthy. A local celebrity, VIP who has been vocal or in the news in the recent past. See if you can get at least one interview/first hand account/opinion on the story. Use the Inverted Pyramid to inform your structure. Research other articles that inform you of the language and rules needed to write such a piece.
4 questions to find a focus for your story From Elements of journalism Ask these questions during the editorial process: when planning a story, when doing the reporting and photography, when writing and editing, when deciding how to present it, and in determining if follow-up is warranted. 1. What is the central point? What’s the story really about? What question or questions must the story answer to be worthwhile? Why do people need or will want to know about it? If it’s a “big” topic, how can it be broken down so it’s easier to explain? If it’s a “small” topic, is there a story behind the story? Does it reflect a larger trend or theme? 2. What is the central evidence? What kinds of evidence can be presented to verify or explain the central point of the story? What kinds of evidence can be presented to prove that the story is relevant or newsworthy? How good is the evidence? Will the reader be able to distinguish verified information from assumptions or assertions the story may also include?
3. What is the central place? Where is the central place of the story? Will the reporting and photography include covering the central place? What information will come from somewhere other than the central place or places? What will not be covered in the story? 4. Who are the central characters? Where or from whom can the facts be learned? Who can put the facts in perspective? What is the relationship between the central characters and the central places of the story? https: //www. americanpressinstitute. org/jour nalism-essentials/what-isjournalism/elements-journalism/
Rolling news exercise. Summer school rolling news. docx
Exercise Have a go now at writing a feature on any theme/issue/ person that you wish to explore. You still need to research and find out facts to make sure that what you are writing is ethically and morally tight.
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