Inside Reporting Tim Harrower lcome to the world of urnalism, where porters have been gging dirt, raking muck, king headlines and adlines for centuries w. It’s a history full of bloid trash, of slimy nsationalists, of runkards, deadbeats and mmers” (as a Harvard iversity president once scribed reporters). But it’s a history full of roes, too: men and men risking their lives tell stories of war and agedy, risking prisonment to defend ee speech. And as you n see here, reports have come beloved characters p culture, too, turning up movies, comics and TV ows as if guided by an cult hand. Every culture seeks effective ways to spread new information and gossip. In ancient times, news was written on clay tablets. In Caesar’s age, Romans read newsletters compiled by correspondents and handwritten by slaves. Wandering minstrels spread news (and the plague) in the Middle Ages. Them came ink on paper. Voices on airwaves. Newsreels, Web sites, And 24-hour cable news networks. Thus when scholars analyze the rich history of journalism, some view it in terms of technological progress—for example, the dramatic impact of bigger, faster printing presses. Others see journalism as a specialized form literary expression, one that’s constantly evolving, reflecting and shaping its culture. Others see it as an inspiring quest for free speech, an endless power struggle between Authority (trying to control information) and the People (trying to learn the truth). Which brings to mind the words of A.J. Liefling: “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to htose who own one.” In the pages ahead, we’ll take a quick tour of 600 years of journalism history, from hieroglyphics to hypertext: the media, the message and the politics. Technical advances and brilliant ideas forged a new style of journalism. It was a century of change, and newspapers changed dramatically. The typi newspaper of 1800 wa undisciplined mishma legislative proceeding long-winded essays a secondhand gossip. B 1900, a new breed of tor had emerged. Jour had become big busin Reporting was becom disciplined craft. And newspapers were bec more entertaining and essential than ever, w most of the features w expect today: Snappy headlines, Ads, Comic Sports pages. And an “inverted pyramid” sty writing that made stori tighter and newsier. Radio and television brought an end to newspapers’ media monopoly. Why? Well yourself: Which did yo Inside Reporting Tim Harrower 3 Newswriting basics McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Newswriting basics Just the facts The five W’s The inverted pyramid Beyond the basic news lead Leads that succeed After the lead…what next? (continued)

Newswriting basics Story structure  Rewriting  Editing  (continued) Story structure  Rewriting  Editing  Newswriting style  Making deadline  66 essential tips 

Just the facts You must try to be objective. Truthful. Fair. Good reporters respect integrity of facts. Facts tell the story. Readers draw their own conclusions. Where do opinions belong in a newspaper? Most newspaper stories can be placed on a continuum. Ranges from rigidly objective (breaking news) to rabidly opinionated (movie reviews).

The five W’s Facts usually fall into

The five W’s The WHO The WHAT Readers love stories that focus on people. WHO keeps it real. Who’s involved? Who’s affected? Who’s going to benefit? Who’s getting screwed? WHAT gives news its substance. Stories become dry and dull if they focus too much on WHAT. Need WHO.

The five W’s The WHEN The WHERE Timeliness essential to every story. When events happened or will happen. How long they lasted or will last. The closer the event, the more relevant it is for readers. Many stories require supplements. Map Diagram Photo

The five W’s The WHY The HOW Finding explanations difficult. The WHY is what makes news meaningful. Often requires detailed explanation. Sometimes omitted to save space. Readers love “how-to” stories.

The inverted pyramid Newswriting format summarizes most important facts at story’s start This is the lead, which summarizes the story’s most important facts This paragraph adds more details or background This paragraph adds even more details This adds more details More details

The inverted pyramid The typical news story uses the inverted pyramid Summarize first. Explain later. Resolve everything in the beginning. Allows editors to trim stories from bottom. So should you use this format for every story? Gets repetitive. Doesn’t always organize story material logically.

The inverted pyramid Why writing a good lead actually matters to readers If a story takes too long to make sense… Readers flee like rats from a sinking ship.

Writing basic news leads How to write an effective news lead Collect all your facts. Lead should summarize. The more you know, the easier it is to summarize. Sum it up. Boil it down. List who, what, when, where, why of story.

Writing basic news leads How to write an effective news lead Prioritize the five W’s. Lead contains the most important facts. Which of the key facts deserves to start the first sentence? Rethink. Revise. Rewrite. Is it clear? Is it active? Is it wordy? Is it compelling?

Writing basic news leads How to write an effective news lead Writing leads often a process of trial and error. Try different approaches. Create different leads using the… Who. What. When. Where. Why.

Writing basic news leads Not every story begins with a roundup of essential facts Basic news leads can be too dull and dry. All good reporters spend time searching for the perfect lead.

Beyond the basic news lead Story checklist Be accurate. Remember what day it is. Don’t name names. Use strong verbs. Ask “Why should I care?” Sell the story. Don’t get hung up. Move attributions to the end of the sentences.

Leads that succeed A roundup of commonly used options Basic news leads Anecdotal/ narrative leads Scene-setter leads Blind leads Roundup leads Direct address leads The startling statement Wordplay leads

Leads that succeed A roundup of commonly used options Basic news leads Summary lead Combines five W’s into one sentence. Delayed identification lead Withholds the name of the person in question until the second paragraph Immediate identification lead Uses a public figure or celebrity in the sentence.

Leads that succeed A roundup of commonly used options Anecdotal/ narrative leads Have a beginning, middle and end. Will be mini-story with symbolic resonance for bigger story. Scene-setter leads Lack urgency of hard-news leads. Borrowed from fiction. Blind leads Extreme delayed information lead. Deliberately teases reader.

Leads that succeed A roundup of commonly used options Roundup leads Rather than focus on one person, place or thing, impress reader with longer list. Direct address leads Use second-person voice. The startling statement Also called a “zinger” or a “Hey, Martha.” Wordplay leads Encompass wide range of amusing leads.

Leads that succeed …and three lazy leads you should usually reconsider Topic leads Convey no actual news. Question leads Are irritating stalls. Quote leads Don’t fairly summarize the story.

After the lead…what next? Add another paragraph Know how long the story should be. Briefs and brites: Brief – written using the inverted pyramid. Brite – written with more personality than a brief. Write the nut graf Paragraph that condenses the story idea into nutshell.

Story structure Giving an overall shape to writing No one-size-fits-all solution. Every story unfolds in a different way.

Story structure Organizing your story The inverted pyramid Use for: News briefs. Breaking news. Most important facts Additional facts More facts Etc., Etc. Etc.

Key facts in inverted- pyramid form Story structure Giving an overall shape to writing The martini glass Use for: Crimes. Disasters. Dramatic stories. The lead Key facts in inverted- pyramid form Chronology of events Kicker

Story structure Giving an overall shape to writing The kabob Also called Wall Street Journal formula or the Circle. Use for: Trends. Events where you want to show actual people. Anecdote Nut graf Meat

Story structure Keeping readers from getting bored Modern journalist’s job basically boils down to Teaching. Storytelling. Use narratives when you can. Think like a teacher.

Story structure Writing tips as you move from paragraph to paragraph Keep paragraphs short. Write one idea per paragraph. Add transitions. Alternatives to long, gray news stories Bullet items Sidebars Subheads Other storytelling alternatives

Story structure The big finish Good writers agonize over the kicker as much as the lead. Plan ahead. Don’t end with a summary. Avoid clichés. End with a bang.

Rewriting Good story. Now make it better. Writing is rewriting. Make things a little better. Few stories arrive fully formed and perfectly phrased. Most require rethinking, restructuring and rewording.

5 Rewriting Reasons to hit the delete key Passive verbs Redundancy Start sentences with their subjects. Replace to be with stronger verbs. Redundancy Avoid unnecessary modifiers. Wordy sentences Jargon & journalese Filter out jargon and officialese. Clichés Lower the IQ of your writing.

Rewriting The Fog Index – a readability gauge Find typical example. Average number of words per sentence. Number of “hard” words with 3 or more syllables (no proper names). Add average number of words to number of “hard” words. Multiply the sum by 0.4.

Rewriting The Fog Index – a readability gauge Most Americans read at or about 9th-grade level. Aim for Fog Index of 7 to 8. Bible, Mark Twain, TV Guide have Fog Index around 6.

Editing The role editors play in your stories Before you write Assigning story. Planning angle. Estimating scope. Anticipating packaging. While you write Adding details. Monitoring speed. Fine-tuning. Layout changes.

Editing The role editors play in your stories After you write Editing content. Copy editing. Cutting or padding. Assigning follow-up stories.

Newswriting style Who’s right? Every news outlet customizes guidelines. Copy desk’s job to standardize style. Know AP and your news outlet’s style.

AP Style Highlights Numbers Titles Capitalization Abbreviations Addresses The Internet Parentheses Possessives Prefixes And others…

Making deadline Live by the clock Deadlines are mandatory. Pass the deadline checklist. Accuracy. Fairness and balance. Writing style.

66 newswriting tips Writing leads The rest of the story Editing and style Rules of grammar Word choices Nonsexist, nonageist, nondiscriminatory Punctuation