Journalism

Writing an article LEADS Inverted pyramid Journalistic Style

LEADS Leads should grab one’s attention. It should be interesting and engaging. Hard leads Soft leads

Hard lead Also called a summary lead, summarizes in the first sentence what the story is about. It should be only one sentence or two at the most with first five W’s.

Hard Lead A 13-year-old girl shot and slightly wounded her stepfather with a BB gun after he hit her mother on the head with a frying pan Saturday afternoon, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. Larry Dougherty, St. Petersburg (Fla). Times.

Soft Lead Several paragraphs It allures readers by using stories or anecdotes The voice is crucial Nut graph by the third or fifth paragraph

Soft Lead Hailing role of media in human rights April 28, 2008 CRAIG KIELBURGER MARC KIELBURGER Their eyes are deep-set, glassy and haunting. Too weak from hunger, there is no fear or anger in them, only a quiet desperation. Despite thousands of people flocking to feeding stations that can handle only a handful, the scene is eerily silent. Brian Stewart and his team from the CBC were the first Western journalists allowed into Ethiopia. Famine would claim the lives of more than one million people during the mid-1980s, but Stewart's reports for The National, and carried across North America, would save millions more. This Saturday, May 3, is World Press Freedom Day – a day to recognize the important and often dangerous work of the media, and to remind us of the crucial role the free press plays in development and in promoting human rights. The wave of support that Stewart's stories from Ethiopia inspired is one of the great achievements in international journalism. But the heart-wrenching stories and images from a country ravaged by hunger are still vivid in Stewart's mind.

How do we decide? Choices depend on… -The significance of the news -The timing -Editor’s preference - If the subject is serious, then it’s good to use hard lead.

Inverted pyramid

Priorities Classify the information as high priority, medium high priority, medium priority, low priority, and no priority. High: The final shot was made with less than a minute remaining on the clock. Low: Conference final winners automatically qualify for the state championship brackets.

Journalistic style It’s meant to be short and concise. Journalistic writing is always objective.

Interview Make sure to talk to people when you are investigating: 1. Someone who is “for” the issue 2. Someone who is “against” the issue. 3. The person most crucial to the story.

How to interview Attitude Be friendly Be authoritative, not hesitant. However, he/she has the right to decline to answer the question. LISTEN Record (get info) Be responsive: nod your head, make eye contact, smile and BE POLITE

Interview While writing, Make sure to schedule a time with the person. Do not receive info in a rush Don’t care about grammar while you are writing. Time is everything.

How to write an article You've got a lead, now order a sequence in telling: organize. Write quickly and stay on track – you can go back and tweak. As you write, periodically ask yourself: Who cares? When you finish, go back and edit—cut words and sentences.

Bibliography http://base10blog.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/newspaper.png http://www.transformationaltools.com/files/1554537/uploaded/hand_writing.jpg http://www.tpub.com/content/photography/14130/img/14130_27_1.jpg