1. Chapter 2

2.  Finding the Focus  Information is everywhere ▪ News stories are developed around one main point ▪ Readers want to know the point of the story quickly ▪ Headline ▪ Lead ▪ 1 st 2-3 paragraphs

3.  ?’s to help find the focus ▪ What’s the story about? ▪ How are the readers or viewers affected? ▪ How would you tell the story to a friend?  These questions will help identify the focus/angle

4.  Nut Graph  1-2 sentences used to identify the focus ▪ Not needed if focus is in the lead

5.  Basic questions  News stories answer the 5 W’s  Which are…..?  All day coverage in broadcast & online ▪ Have led editors to explore another question ▪ Anybody want to guess what it is…?

6.  SO WHAT???  What is the significance to readers?  How can you make readers care?  Write a vivid & compelling story ▪ Put the reader there ▪ Make them “see” the story

7.  Elements of the Basic News Story  Include ▪ The Headline  Plus Three general parts ▪ A beginning– The “Lead” ▪ A middle – The “Body” ▪ An ending Inverted Pyramid Writing

8.  The Headline Left-handers have shorter life span, research shows  The Lead Left-handed people don’t live as long as right-handers, according to research by a professor at California State University, San Bernardino.

9.  Body/Middle  Provides support for lead ▪ Facts ▪ Statistics ▪ Quotes ▪ Background ▪ Details ▪ Fairness & Accuracy ▪ (For controversial/two sided issues)

10.  Endings  Common types of endings ▪ Future Action ▪ Statement/Quote that summarizes previous info ▪ (Should not repeat it) ▪ More elaboration

11.  Visuals  Crucial to news presentations in print & online ▪ Photographs ▪ Charts ▪ Graphic illustrations ▪ Highlight/Fact box ▪ Pull quotes ▪ Link Link

15. Quotes and Attribution

16.  When to use direct quotes ▪ Interesting & informative ▪ Backs up the lead or a point made in story ▪ If it is memorable ▪ Advances the story ▪ Adds emotion, interest, new information

17.  When to avoid quotes ▪ If they are boring ▪ Indisputable/factual quotes ▪ Not clearly worded ▪ Accusatory quotes ▪ (ie, from politicians, crime witnesses, etc) ▪ Don’t relate to the focus

18.  Plagiarism ▪ Copying the words of other writers ▪ Even if you paraphrase ▪ Information from other publications  Unless you attribute it ▪ Say where it came from & it’s not plagiarism

20.  Rules  How to write quotes  When to use attribution  Wording of attribution  There are rules that apply at different times ▪ Review pgs 51-54 in the text book