Free write exercise Re-write feature story for Sight-Sound-Story!

COM 210College of Communication & Media Sciences

Eleventh Week, First Day

Quote of the day“People are hungry for stories. It’s part of our very being. Story telling is a form of history, of immortality too. It goes from one generation to another.”

-- Studs Terkel

Free write

• Write for 10 minutes about the following:

My favorite place is…

Free write

• Write the whole time.

• Use a pen or pencil, not the keyboard.

• Do not make corrections as you write.

• Do not judge or censor what you are writing.

• Just keep writing based on the prompt.

• Focus on description.

• Appeal to as many senses as possible: Sight, sound, taste, touch and smell.

Today Re-write feature story for oral history project. Prepare photograph using Photoshop. Write photo caption, with credit.

Five things readers want (Something) New (Main) Point Meaning (impact) Context (what went before) Quote (what sources have to say)

Good lede

Iranian protesters screaming “Death to England!” stormed the vast British embassy compound and a diplomatic residence in Tehran on Tuesday, tore down the British flag, smashed windows and ransacked offices.

—Alan Cowell and Rick Gladstone,

International Herald Tribune (30/11/2011)

Subject(s)

• This is oral history

• It is people based

• This project is ALL about your interviews

Writing

No first person—no we, us, our, I, me Identify all speakers in your story AS

SOON AS POSSIBLE Spell out all names on first reference What did Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al

Nahyan do before independence? What his title before Dec. 2, 1971?

Don’t assume any fact: Double check everything

Sheikh, not Shaikh

Date

• 2 December 1971

• Second of December

Quotes

• Don’t bury your quotes

• Stick to one name throughout

Quote form

“Most people in Abu Dhabi did not have the power to take high positions,” Abdullah said. “They used to work as drivers, carriers, workers and guards.”

Context

• Yes, you need some of the historical context to explain things your readers might not know

• But your story is based on your interviews, not the context

Feature story

• The key is how you START your story

• Soft lead for your written story

• Must be focused

• Must connect to your photograph and audio

• Have at least four quotes in your story

• Make sure National Day celebration is the focusing event (news peg)

• You must make reference to last Thursday or Friday’s events

AP style issues• Use British style for dates (2 December 1971)• United Arab Emirates (noun)• UAE (adjective); e.g., UAE Army• National Day• holiday• Spell all names correctly; have at least a first name

and family name• Please include age, where they live and profession

of all people you mention in your article• Spell out Sheikh Zayed’s entire name on first

reference

Photoshop

• Crop

• Make sure the lighting is correct

• Resolution should be 72

• Size should be small

Caption

• One sentence.

• Must have factual information.

• Names must be spelled correctly.

• Write in the third person.

• Present tense.

• Give credit to the photographer.

Wednesday

• Edit audio

• Jack Frizzell will be back to help us post