lecture 2: hard news writing

Hard news storiesProfessor Jennifer Cox

http://cmat240summer.wordpress.com

objectives

• More AP style work

• Introduce you to hard news writing

• Introduce you to inverted pyramid

• Prepare you for your first writing assignment tomorrow

Ap style regularities

• Numbers• Zero-nine• 10 and up• Look up larger numbers: 1 million; 34 billion

• Ages• Always numerical• He is a 4-year-old boy.• The boy is 4 years old.

• Times• Always numerical• 1 p.m.; 7 a.m.

Ap style regularities

• Money• Always numerical for less than $1 million• $4; $6,000; $100,000

• Cities, States• States are spelled out when they stand alone• They use AP style abbreviations when connected to a city: Salisbury,

Md.; Birmingham, Ala.; Miami, Fla.• Don’t use the state when it is the one you are in (Maryland); just use

the city• See your Datelines entry for cities that do not require states:

Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, etc.

• Dates• Month is only abbreviated when attached to a day: Jan. 3• Do not use –st, -nd, etc.

Ap style regularities

Addresses

• Only abbreviated ones: Ave., Blvd. & St.

• Only abbreviated when there is a numerical address• College Avenue• 445 College Ave.

• Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth; Numerals for 10th and up• Fifth Avenue• 13th Avenue

• Directions are abbreviated only when there is a numerical address• West College Avenue• 445 W. College Avenue• 445 13th St. NW

Inverted pyramid

Summarize key facts

Organize logically

End when

you run out of facts

Inverted pyramid

ledes

• Hard news lede/summary lede

• Contains the most important information in the story

• Must grab the reader’s attention

• No more than one sentence; 30-35 words MAXIMUM

Elements of a story

Lede:

• Hard news/summary lede/nut graf• Introduces the main point of the story• How does event impact the reader?• Summary of main facts

• Who, what, when, why, where, how?• Not all are necessarily needed in lede

Elements – lede

A collision in Lake City critically injured a woman and seriously injured a police officer Tuesday, according to the Florida

Highway Patrol.

A woman was critically injured and a police officer seriously injured after a collision in Lake City Tuesday…

WHO:

WHAT:A collision in Lake City critically injured a woman and seriously injured a police officer Tuesday…

WHEN:Tuesday, a collision in Lake City critically injured a woman and seriously injured a police officer…

Elements – lede

A collision in Lake City critically injured a woman and seriously injured a police officer Tuesday, according to the Florida

Highway Patrol.

A Lake City collision critically injured a woman and seriously injured a police officer Tuesday…

WHERE:

WHY/HOW:

A woman who did not see an approaching police car was seriously injured after crashing into the officer in Lake City Tuesday.

Delayed identification

• Start with vague details, words• “Jacksonville man”• Local apartment complex

• List specifics beyond that

A Delmar man was arrested Friday morning after police say they caught him attempting to break in to a local nightclub using a sledgehammer and saw.

Jason Smith, 27, was charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools.

Owners of the University Bar, at 123 N. College Ave., reported hearing strange noises outside the business at about 1 a.m.

Instant identification

• Well-known public figures

• Celebrities

• Profiles

tips

Be concise!

• Short sentences• Try to keep to less than 30 words per sentence

• Short paragraphs (grafs)• No more than 1-2 sentences

• Short ledes• No more than one sentence (to begin with)

• KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid

tips

• Don’t use two pages when one will do

• Break long sentences up into shorter sentences• When you think comma, think period instead!

Tom is an 8-year-old boy who goes to school in Philadelphia.

Tom is an 8-year-old boy. He goes to school in Philadelphia.

tips

• Strive for balance• Be truthful• Give equal voice to all involved• Don’t assume officials are right/truthful

• Keep yourself out of the story!• Don’t include your opinion/bias• Don’t bore readers with the process

The faculty protested the unhealthy food served in the cafeteria.

Journalism is great, said Professor Cox, who is highly qualified to teach.

The bill should be approved by Congress, said Obama in an interview.

attribution• According to & said

• People speak• Documents don’t

• Only attribute information that is subjective• Don’t attribute charges, descriptions

The man was charged with burglary, police officers said.

The man was charged with burglary, Sgt. Rick Nelson said.

The man admitted to burglarizing the store, according to a police report.

The woman was banging loudly and threatening her husband, said Rick Jones, a neighbor in her apartment building.

Other points

• Use past tense!

• Days vs. dates• No “tomorrow” or “yesterday”; “today” OK

The carnival will take place Monday.

The carnival will take place Sept. 19.

The carnival will take place today.

announcements

• AP Style quiz tomorrow before 9 p.m.

• Read Chapters 9 (Story Forms) & Chapter 20 (Crime & Punishment)

• Tomorrow: crime writing