Weeks 3 & 4 News Writing.

Weeks 3 & 4 News Writing

Week 2’s Assignments http://www.newsu.org/courses/be- reporter-game
hill.com/sites/ /student_v iew0/chapter2/exercise_2-1_2.html hill.com/sites/ /student_v iew0/chapter2/exercise_2-1_3.html

Week 2‘s News Quiz Review
International: Ukraine’s political situation worsens after the president’s resignation and Russian troops move into Crimea. Beat: “12 Years a Slave” takes home the Oscar for Best Motion Picture at the 86th Academy Awards. China: Premier Li Keqiang, while reporting on the government’s work at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, harshly condemned “3.02,” the Kunming terrorist attack. Xi’an: Armed regiments of police are stationed to patrol the Xi’an Railway Station and Subway Stations after “3.02.” XISU: Students from the school of translation studies prepare for the CATTI, as more students elect to take/sit the exam after the fees fell sharply.

Rewriting Leads Review: basic news leads on p. 60 5 minutes
Check leads for missing 6 W’s and/or their order Who What Where When Maybe Why or How

Leads Exercises Who: Lawmakers
What: rejected a 10 billion euro bailout package for Cyprus Where: Europe When: Tuesday Why: not enough money How: sending the president back to the drawing board to devise a plan that might enable the country to receive a financial lifeline while avoiding a default that could reignite the euro crisis

Leads Exercises Lawmakers rejected a 10 billion euro bailout package for Cyprus on Tuesday, sending the president back to the drawing board to devise a plan that might enable the country to receive a financial lifeline while avoiding a default that could reignite the euro crisis. Source: The New York Times

Leads Exercises Who: U.S. federal authorities
What: examining Microsoft’s involvement with companies and individuals Where: U.S. When: Wednesday Why: that are accused of paying bribes to overseas government officials in exchange for business, according to a person briefed on the inquiry How: n/a

Leads Exercises Federal authorities in the U.S. are examining Microsoft’s involvement with companies and individuals that are accused of paying bribes to overseas government officials in exchange for business, according to a person briefed on the inquiry. Source: The New York Times

Leads Exercises Who: David Beckham
What: to begin his new role as a special ambassador for Chinese football Where: Beijing When: Wednesday Why: n/a How: It will involve attending league matches in China and visiting clubs to help promote the game to children.

Leads Exercises David Beckham is in Beijing to begin his new role as a special ambassador for Chinese football. It will involve attending league matches in China and visiting clubs to help promote the game to children. Source: BBC

Leads Exercises Who: U.S. Sen. Rand Paul
What: that the nation's illegal immigrants should be able to become citizens eventually Where: Washington, D.C. When: Tuesday Why: amid a furor from conservative activists on the explosive issue he quickly sought to make clear that, while they would not be sent home, they couldn't get in line in front of anyone else How: n/a

Leads Exercises WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tea party favorite Sen. Rand Paul said Tuesday that the nation's illegal immigrants should be able to become citizens eventually, but amid a furor from conservative activists on the explosive issue he quickly sought to make clear that, while they would not be sent home, they couldn't get in line in front of anyone else.

Leads Exercises Who: Xi Jinping
What: calls for strong ties with the U.S. Where: Beijing When: Wednesday Why: the first high-level meeting between the two sides since he was confirmed as China's president How: His comments came in talks with Jack Lew, who is in Beijing on his first overseas trip as US Treasury Secretary.

Leads Exercises Xi Jinping has called for strong ties with the US, in the first high-level meeting between the two sides since he was confirmed as China's president. His comments came in talks with Jack Lew, who is in Beijing on his first overseas trip as US Treasury Secretary. Source: BBC

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
Slide 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) McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Newswriting basics Story structure  Rewriting  Editing 
Slide Newswriting basics (continued) Story structure  Rewriting  Editing  Newswriting style  Making deadline  66 essential tips  McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Just the facts You must try to be objective. Truthful. Fair.
Slide 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). McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Test Yourself p.64, Exercise 2

The five W’s Facts usually fall into McGraw-Hill Slide
© 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

The five W’s The WHO The WHAT
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

The five W’s The WHEN The WHERE Timeliness essential to every story.
Slide 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 McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

The five W’s The WHY The HOW Finding explanations difficult.
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 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 McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

The inverted pyramid The typical news story uses the inverted pyramid
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

The inverted pyramid Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Writing basic news leads
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 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? McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Week 3: Group News Quiz Please write your group’s English names and student numbers on a word document. When you have finished your news quiz, delegate one group member to send me the news quiz (QQ mail). Make sure you have copied and pasted the quiz into the body of the , not sending it as an attachment. Only write a basic news lead (the most important of the 6 W’s). Must be from the past week (March 6-13). 1. International 2. Beat 3. China 4. Xi’an 5. XISU

Beyond the basic news lead
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leads that succeed A roundup of commonly used options Basic news leads
Slide 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 McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leads that succeed A roundup of commonly used options Basic news leads
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leads that succeed A roundup of commonly used options
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leads that succeed A roundup of commonly used options Roundup leads
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leads that succeed …and three lazy leads you should usually reconsider
Slide …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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

After the lead…what next?
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Test Yourself p.65-6, Exercise 5, 6, 8

Story structure Giving an overall shape to writing
Slide Giving an overall shape to writing No one-size-fits-all solution. Every story unfolds in a different way. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Story structure Organizing your story The inverted pyramid Use for:
Slide Most important facts Additional facts More facts Etc., Etc. Etc. Organizing your story The inverted pyramid Use for: News briefs. Breaking news. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Key facts in inverted- pyramid form
Story structure Slide 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 McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Story structure Giving an overall shape to writing The kabob
Slide 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 McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Story structure Keeping readers from getting bored
Slide Keeping readers from getting bored Modern journalist’s job basically boils down to Teaching. Storytelling. Use narratives when you can. Think like a teacher. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Story structure Writing tips as you move from paragraph to paragraph
Slide 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 McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Story structure The big finish
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rewriting Good story. Now make it better. Writing is rewriting.
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

5 Rewriting Reasons to hit the delete key Passive verbs
Slide 5 Reasons to hit the delete key Passive verbs 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 Lowers the IQ of your writing. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rewriting The Fog Index – a readability gauge Find typical example.
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rewriting The Fog Index – a readability gauge
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Editing The role editors play in your stories Before you write
Slide 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. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Editing The role editors play in your stories After you write
Slide The role editors play in your stories After you write Editing content. Copy editing. Cutting or padding. Assigning follow-up stories. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Newswriting style Who’s right?
Slide Who’s right? Every news outlet customizes guidelines. Copy desk’s job to standardize style. Know AP and your news outlet’s style. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

AP Style Highlights - p.56-7
Slide AP Style Highlights - p.56-7 Numbers Titles Capitalization Abbreviations Addresses The Internet Parentheses Possessives Prefixes And others… McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Making deadline Live by the clock Deadlines are mandatory.
Slide Live by the clock Deadlines are mandatory. Pass the deadline checklist. Accuracy. Fairness and balance. Writing style. McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

66 newswriting tips - p.60-1 Writing leads Word choices
Slide 66 newswriting tips - p.60-1 Writing leads The rest of the story Editing and style Rules of grammar Word choices Nonsexist, nonageist, nondiscriminatory Punctuation McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Week 3 Assignments Finish up Chapter 3 if you have not already done so. Read the two sample articles for analysis and discussion. Hint: News Quiz Preview all remaining “Test Yourself” exercises from Chapter 3

Business Please send all future assignments to marissakluger@yahoo.com
When you send mail, please tell me your English name and class (1 or 2) This includes when you submit eWorkbook exercises.

Week 4 Assignments Hint, hint, clue, clue: News Quiz
Submit Beat Story #1 ideas via class blog Read Chapter 4 - pages 68-77 eWorkbook Ch.3 exercises 3-1 (select 5 out of the 10 questions) 3-2.3; 2.7 3-3.2 3-4.1, 4.2, 4.3 (select 5 out of the 10 or 11 questions) 3-4.4, 4.5 (select 4 out of the 8 questions)

Weeks 3 & 4 News Writing.

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