1. BercHICK’S OUT…WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
Journalism – 10/11/16
BercHICK’S OUT…WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

2. TODAY’S ACTIVITIES (do IN ORDER)
#1: READ THIS POWERPOINT AND TAKE NOTES.
#2: PREPARE THE “FINDING OUT WHO YOU ARE” SHEET (OR WRITE YOUR OWN Q’S) (SEE PPT)
#3: WHEN YOUR PARTNER IS READY, INTERVIEW USING THE SHEET (OR Q’S) (IF HE OR SHE IS NOT READY, DO STEP #4)
#4: FINISH THE CHAPTER PACKET FROM LAST WEEK
#5: CONTINUE DEVELOPING YOUR STORIES & QUESTIONS

3. How to Write Great Questions
Don’t skip this part…will be on the test!
How to Write Great Questions
News Gathering

4. who, what, when, where, why, how
5W’s and H
who, what, when, where, why, how
These are the building blocks of interview questions.
They also can help you find an angle or focus to a story, figure out who to interview, and decide what you need to research.

5. Story Angle
This is the specific approach or focus you will take to your topic.
“Football” is a topic. Possible angles could be a game report, a season trend, or a player profile.
“Fashion” is a topic. What to wear with boots in Florida is a story angle.

6. Story Angle Timeliness Proximity Conflict Consequence/ Impact
Every story should have an angle or focus.
Use news values to help you determine the best focus for your readers:
Timeliness
Proximity
Conflict
Consequence/ Impact
Celebrity/ Prominence
Human Interest
Novelty/Oddity
Currency

7. Story Angle: Rule of 8 News Values
1. Did something interesting just happen recently? (timeliness)
2. Did it happen nearby? (proximity)
3. Does it affect the readers or viewers, or have some consequence for their lives? (impact/consequence)
4. Is someone who is well known involved? (prominence/celebrity)
5. Is it odd, rare, weird, a “first” or otherwise outside the ordinary? (oddity/rarity/novelty)
6. Is there a conflict or disagreement? (conflict)
7. Does it tug at the heart strings? (human interest)
8. Is it related to something everyone is talking about in social media or other news media? (currency)
Reminder: each of these things can be an angle for the story. Always be on the lookout for these things.

8. Story Angle: It’s all in the questions you ask.
What happened?
What’s important or surprising about this?
What might happen because of this?
When has this ever happened before?
Why did this happen?
Who cares?
Why did this surprise me?
How did this happen?
How does this affect people?
Look at last week’s HANDOUT : The 5W’s and H questions

9. Questions: Closed-ended and open-ended
Closed-ended questions elicit yes or no responses or short one- or two-word answers.
Open-ended questions require more fully developed responses. Open-ended questions produce the best quotes and information.
What are some examples of each?

10. Two-part questions
Sometimes you need to ask close-ended questions to get facts or basic information.
Expand them with logical follow-up questions.
For example:
“What famous person would you love to meet?”
“What would you talk about?”

11. Other types of questions that produce great answers
Hypothetical: “What if …” Propose a scenario and ask your source to respond.
Statistical: Ask your source to respond to statistical information, especially if the statistics are surprising or out-of-whack.

12. Other types of questions that produce great answers
From outer space: Even when you know, act like you don’t. Your source will explain it to you and you’ll have a great quote.
Devil’s advocate: Take a position you know your source does not agree with, and ask your source to react.

13. Other types of questions that produce great answers
Personal experience: Ask your source for examples of his or her own personal experience with your topic. Or, tell your personal experience and ask your source to react.
Not a question, but a request: Tell me about a time when … Describe what happened when … Tell me more about that.

14. No-fail follow-up questions
Why?
Can you tell me more about that?
Would you explain …
How did you feel when that happened?
What did you (or do you) think about …
How did that happen?

15. Time for some activities!
Notes are finished!
Time for some activities!

16. Today’s Steps #2 & 3: You try …
After you complete the “finding out who you are” sheet…
Pair up with the student you have been assigned.
Interview each other. Use can use the “finding out who you are” sheet or write your own (if writing your own, write between 7-10 questions).
Reflect on the bottom of the aforementioned sheet.
(if you are waiting for your partner, keep working on the chapter packet from last week).
Teachers: An option for reluctant students is to provide the HANDOUT: Finding Out Who You Are, which provides the questions and makes them think about the difference in answers between open- and close-ended questions.

17. Today’s Step #4 - Chapter Packet
If you didn’t finish last week’s reading (and last page of questions!), do it now.

18. Today’s Step #5 - Assignment – Research and Write Questions
Go back to the story prep sheet from last week or get a new one.
After you do some basic research and find out key information about your source and topic.
Then develop a list of open-ended questions for a follow-up interview. Make sure you have covered all 5W’s and H.

19. Assignment – Research Tip
Think of the overall topic.
For example, if your source is a skateboarder, research local hotspots for skateboarders, skateboarding tricks and skateboarders in the news.
Try reading articles that others have written about skateboarders. What did they ask?

20. Tip: Other sources
You should always strive for a minimum of three sources in every story.
The main/key individual (that’s your partner)
An expert – to provide credibility and background. Usually an adult.
A back-up source to corroborate or confirm what your main source said.
- OR - A contradictory source for an alternate point of view.

21. Tip: Other sources
Find two more sources who can add to your story and write questions for them.
Possibilities:
Coach or teacher
Mom or Dad
Best friend or good friend or old friend
Team member
Brother, sister, cousin, other family member
Turn in notes from these interviews, too.

22. I will see you on Friday!
Finish steps #1-4 for HW if you did not finish
I strongly recommend step #5, as this is something we WILL go back to soon.