1. Tyler Schumacher

2.  Our era is called the “information age”- it is more important than ever to be informed  Some people prefer to hear a quick, easy summary of information, but just as many prefer to know all of the facts.  A journalist’s job is to present information in a way that satisfies both types of people

3.  Details should usually be presented from the most important to the least important  The “reader questions”- who, what, where, when, why, and how- should be answered early in the story  It helps to write out all of the facts being reported before writing the story to put them in order  A focus statement says what a story is about and what the writer is trying to convey  The final fact presented in a news story has, however, gained added importance  See pg. 53 for example

4.  Pronouns  Write in the third person  It is only acceptable to use first and second person pronouns in a quote or in a question or direct address lead  Ex: “Moeller students are given laptops. This is intended supplement their learning.  Repetition of key words  To drive home important points, repeat important words from previous paragraphs.  From page 53: “In an attempt to boost its sagging treasury, the Student Council announced last week the sale of school mascot phone cards. About $2 of the $10 retail cost of the card will go directly to the Student Council. According to Carlos Raimerez, council treasurer, card sales will begin in mid-January”.

5.  Use synonyms to refer to key words  To vary word choice, use different titles for people or terms for words  Ex: “Mr. Braun warned students this morning to stay clear of the north entrance of the AC. The math teacher/film teacher/janitor/electrician/ playwright/scholar/statesman/etc. sent a school-wide email at 7 a.m. saying that there is snow blocking the door.”.  Elaborate on details in a logical sequence  This often means using the order of importance of details  See pg. 54 for an example

6.  Use transitional words  These make the story coherent and tie separate ideas together  Ex: here, there, opposite, adjacent to, in addition, otherwise, moreover, nevertheless, of course, instead, etc.  The Modified Inverted Pyramid  To take a short digression into the past to give a story context, use the paragraph immediately following the lead

7.  Never put your own opinion into the story- when expressing an opinion, always attribute it through a direct or indirect quote  Avoid inherently positive or negative adjectives  Do not say something like “beautiful decorations” in an objective story about Homecoming  Opinions can be attributed to a general source if the general source has a clear majority opinion  For example, it is acceptable to say, “Many students feel that the event was a success”.  Use the word “said” to attribute quotes  Do not incorporate the question asked in an interview into the article  Ex: “When asked about the Outdoor Education Program, Mr. Erdmann said that the spots are filling up fast”.

8.  Avoid sentences beginning with “It is”, “It was”, “There is”, “There was”, or “There were”  Ex: Say “A college fair will be held next Tuesday in the gym” as opposed to “There will be a college fair next Tuesday in the gym”.  Put away the thesaurus.  Use direct, conversational words  Even the world’s best journalists use a relatively small vocabulary in their writing.  Ex: Use words like “use” instead of “utilize”, “fire” instead of “conflagration”, “agree” instead of “concur”

9.  Practice “tight writing”.  You may have limited space, so be judicious in word choice and say as much as possible in few words.  Ex: say things like “agreed” instead of “reached an agreement” or “resigned” instead of “submitted her resignation”.  Avoid redundancy  Common phrases like “end result”, “new record”, and “close proximity” are redundant

10.  Use “exact verbs” that precisely communicate the point  It is important to find words that communicate exactly what you want to say while still being common enough to be understood by readers  Use the active voice  Ex: “Mr. Kremer reviewed The Crusader” as opposed to “The Crusader was reviewed by Mr. Kremer”  Use “concrete nouns” that are specific in nature  Ex: “German Shepherd” as opposed to “dog” or “broken hand” as opposed to “injury”  Avoid clichés and otherwise hackneyed expressions  Ex: “Mother Nature”, “breath of fresh air”, “bite the dust”