Types of News Stories It is important to distinguish the various types of news stories because the term “news” is very broad. In categorizing news, we have to consider the importance or value of the news.

What is a news story? Attempts to answer all the basic questions about any particular event in the first two or three paragraphs Who? What? When? Where? and Why? and occasionally How? ("5 W's"). Lead and body Ends when the writer runs out of material Can be written like a news article or produced in a newscast

Hard News Hard News includes two concepts: Seriousness: politics, economics, crime, war, disasters, discoveries, law, science, technology, medicine, education, breaking news on a local, state, national or world level Current- Stories that cover current events that affects the audience and is important to all watching

Hard News Examples- Gas prices go up again Outbreak of a virus Crime spree in a two-mile radius School Bus driver plows through a Starbucks Cure to a deadly disease found Discovery of alien life in space 4-mile car pileup on I-75 caused by a truck carrying hungry lions

Soft News “Feature News” Soft news is sometimes referred to as “infotainment”. They are entertaining most times. These stories appeal to the emotional side and doesn’t directly affect the audience. Some viewers may care and others won’t. Might include an interesting, odd or heartwarming story that appeals to the curiosity of the viewer.

Soft News “Feature News” Not timely: There is no event triggering the story, other than a reporter's curiosity. It doesn’t have to be a current event. These stories happen in less serious subjects—sports, celebrity misadventures, movie releases, art exhibits, shopping, book reviews, cooking segments, social media, interviews, exposes, how-to’s, reviews.

Hard or Soft? Gardening tips and hobby "news" Warnings about natural disasters that could end destroy half of the USA Domestic security threats A day in the life of an Iraqi soldier A town’s haunted history A medical story about a new treatment for cancer Sports statistics and game results Gun control laws

Hard or Soft? Gardening tips and hobby "news“ Soft Warnings about natural disasters that could end destroy half of the USA Hard Domestic security threats Hard A day in the life of an Iraqi soldier Soft A town’s haunted history Soft A medical story about a new treatment for cancer Soft Sports statistics and game results Soft Gun control laws Hard

Hard or Soft? Investigative reporting (Taco Cabana using grass for lettuce in their tacos) Local dog show canceled due to rabies outbreak A librarian getting an award A child that saves four puppies from drowning New immigration laws affecting more than just the USA Elementary students donate their time to feed the homeless around Thanksgiving Nutella does away with their original recipe

Hard or Soft? Investigative reporting (Taco Cabana using grass for lettuce in their tacos) Soft Local dog show canceled due to rabies outbreak Soft A librarian getting an award Soft A child that saves four puppies from drowning Soft New immigration laws affecting more than just the USA Hard Elementary students donate their time to feed the homeless around Thanksgiving Soft Nutella does away with their original recipe Soft

Here is a typical news story lead in a Hard News Story: “Local Allen man was injured Tuesday when the car he was driving skidded on a wet, slick road and hit a truck carrying Twinkies, three miles east of Allen.” Now search out those 5Ws: W h o ? Local Allen man What? was injured W h e n ? T u e s d a y W h e r e ? three miles east of Allen W h y ? his car skidded on a wet, slick road H o w ? hit a truck carrying Twinkies