News Reporting & Writing Off/On Record -- Writing Features

On & off the record “for attribution” Name can be used “not for attribution” No name, but possibly affiliation “on background” “off the record”

Identifying sources Always strive to quote sources by name If that fails, include as much identifying detail as needed for the reader to be able to judge the validity of the information provided by that source Must have detail that shows the reader why or how the source knows the information Direct vs. indirect knowledge

Anonymous sources Always ask why a source insists on anonymity Does he/she have an ulterior motive? If you have to use anonymous sources, you should get more than one.

Anonymous sources – 2 You must always know the real name of all sources you use, as well as other identifying detail, even if the source is “anonymous” in your story Be prepared to provide this information to your editor if necessary

Set interview ground rules Make sure you and your source agree ahead of the interview on attribution Agree on what is “on” and “off” the record And make sure you both have the same definition of “on” and “off” the record!

Finding human sources The hard way – look around, ask on the street, get lucky The easy way – talk to people who work/know the kinds of people you want to feature; have them introduce you Talk to NGOs, government agencies, public advocates for the issue you want to explore

The Ken Wells theory SOURCE: KEN WELLS, FORMER PAGE-ONE EDITOR FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL “THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINDS OF STORIES: THE ‘NO SHIT’ STORY AND THE ‘HOLY SHIT’ STORY”

The “no shit” feature Tells readers something they already know Spouts conventional wisdom Belabors the obvious “There’s violence and drug-related crime in the inner cities of the U.S.”

The “Holy shit” feature Surprises Teaches Might even vex or disturb But never bores “Gang members who’ve been shot get tricked- out wheelchairs with gold wheels and custom spokes.”

Feature ideas Is it timely? Is it relevant? Will it stand the test of time? Will it make a difference? Does it serve multiple purposes?

Feature ledes Hard-news lede News/feature hybrid “Customs inspectors spent hours crawling over a 165-meter Maltese- registered tanker in Amsterdam last year. They came away appalled.” Question lede “What imperils the world most?” Scene-setting lede “With his suitcase and checkbook in hand, Ted Teng ventured off to the far corners of Asia to do some serious shopping”

Reporting features Savor the atmosphere Infusing stories with a sense of people and place is important Be creative about settings for interviews Ask to shadow your source for an afternoon Interview everybody, not just the smart people

Writing features Throw out trite, trendy phrases for a simple word Don’t hype – understate Don’t give away everything at once Rewrite, refine & shorten constantly Omit needless words Show, don’t tell – give an example

General tips for features Success breeds success If you write good, hard-hitting stories on your beat, the people who hate the people you write about will contact you Indirect sourcing can pay off If you can’t get directly to the people with the info you need, find out who might know them

A good feature writer is always on the job Writers are people on whom nothing is lost Keep your “string” Read everything: history books, guide books, blogs, local Web sites You never know where your next story idea will come from Always practice your interviewing skills

Charting trends Readers and editors are trend happy Get ‘before’ and ‘after’ stats to chart rate of increase, rate of decrease, speed of change Beware of “One, two – Trend!” Still, the Rule of Threes (give three examples to support point) is a valid rule