1. Principles of Journalistic Writing Professor Joe Dennis
The Killer Bs
Principles of Journalistic Writing
Professor Joe Dennis

2. The Killer “Be’s” Be Right Be Tight Be Clear Be Active Be Smooth
Be Quick

3. Be Right Accuracy is the pinnacle of journalism
Mistakes destroy trust, careers

4. Be Tight Wring out every unnecessary word
Give your readers everything they need to know in the first few paragraphs
The 6 “C’s” of tight writing
Completeness: answer the 5 w’s
Clearness: words everyone understands
Concreteness: avoid generalities, be specific
Correctness: use correct grammar
Conciseness: eliminate unnecessary words
Courtesy: consider the reader’s reaction
Fox News host upset Wonder Woman isn’t American enough

5. Respiratory Syncytial Virus threatens babies
Be Clear
Avoid jargon that may confuse readers
Be sure to understand information
Clarity = Credibility
Respiratory Syncytial Virus threatens babies

6. Target targets Chicago
Be Active
Use active voice: subject-verb-object
Replace boring verbs with vigorous verbs
Target targets Chicago

7. Syrian refugees did not flee for tents
Be Smooth
Maintain a steady pace to your writing
No more than two ideas (one ideally) per sentence
Make sure the story logically flows from one idea to the next
Syrian refugees did not flee for tents

8. Trump looks to privatize air traffic control
Be quick
Get to the point
Use quickness to get reader engaged
Trump looks to privatize air traffic control

9. The Killer “Be’s” Be Right Be Tight Be Clear Be Active Be Smooth
Be Quick
Focus on the Killer “Bs” in your editing process.
Eventually, it will sink into your writing.

10. The Inverted Pyramid Most important information Least important

11. The Inverted Pyramid Most important information Least important

12. An alternative approach
The “award-winning” Joe Dennis approach
Sexy lead
Focus on the essence of the story, “who did what to whom”
(A lot more on this coming Friday)
Lead quote
The best quote from your primary source
Reinforces lead
Nut graf
The rest of the who, what, when, why, where, how
Advance the story with a transition
Quote*
Explanation/transition*
*follow quote/transition format until …
Closing quote or call to action

13. Or ”lede” if you’re a traditionalist Professor Joe Dennis
It’s all about the lead
Or ”lede” if you’re a traditionalist
Professor Joe Dennis

14. It’s all in the lead …
The lead sets the precedent for the rest of your story.
Focus on the “who,” “what” and “how.” Not the “when.”
Consider SEO.
Be sexy 
Spend as much time as you need with the lead before writing anything else
Read the lead out loud. Does it flow? Are you stumbling over words? Are you out of breath?

15. It’s all in the lead …
UGA named #8 party school. Same story, four different leads.
Associated Press
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Athens Banner-Herald
Red & Black

16. It’s all in the lead …
Grammy recap. Same story, four different leads ...
NPR
Fox News
Associated Press
USA Today

17. It’s all in the lead … Types of leads Summary lead Contrast lead
Delayed lead
Anecdotal lead
AVOID question, quote, imagine, you leads