making important news interesting

MAKING IMPORTANT NEWS INTERESTING:GOING BACK TO THE BASICSAndrew Chavez, Texas Center for Community Journalism

TWO TYPES OF STORIES

Important• City council• School

board• Numbers

and studies

Interesting• Crime

stories• Profiles• Lifestyle

features

TWO TYPES OF STORYTELLING

Important• Just the

facts• In order of

importance

Interesting• Color• Detail• Narrative

style

BACK TO THE BASICS

IMPROVING THE PYRAMID STARTS AT THE TOP

HOW? FIND THE NEWS

What would you tell your friends?

Think about the headline

FOCUS ON THE NEWS – AN EXAMPLE

The City Council met Friday and unanimously approved six new ordinances.…One of the ordinances bans smoking within 15 feet of public buildings.

The City Council voted unanimously Friday to ban smoking near public buildings.…The smoking ordinance was one of six approved during the meeting. Others included:

Boring Interesting

A METHOD

Outline your 5WsRank themFit what you can in the lede

Finish in the nut graf

SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU

NO. 1

Could you have written this story last week? Or before the event? If so, rethink.

NO. 2

Is this a story or information? If it is, then make it a story. Find the narrative.

Is this one story or two?

NO. 2

The Baytown Dogs defeated the Bayside Cats 35-5 on Saturday night.

Scruff McGruff put up 30 points Saturday night leading the Baytown Dogs to a 35-5 win over the Bayside Cats.

Information Story

NO. 3

Where is the conflict? Who are the winners and losers? Your story should include both

NO. 4

Who stands to gain from this? Follow the money. Do the math.

NO. 5

What’s going on in the background? Don’t forget the affected

BEING YOUR OWN EDITOR

DO THE FINGER TEST

Analyzing your story … does my lede reflect it, etc.? Finger test?

DO THE FINGER TEST

Does your nut graf tell people why they should care?

Is it a fair summary of the story? Does it introduce the main ideas early?

COUNT ‘EM UP

What’s the story really about? Look at your finished copy

Should this be two stories?

WRITE YOUR HEADLINE & CHECK YOUR LEDE

Make sure it matches what your story is about.

Q&A TIME