Chapter 8

When writing a news story, you need a plan Conceive Collect Construct Correct

Conceive the idea▪ What struck you as most interesting or important ▪ What is most newsworthy▪ What is the main point of the story▪ What do readers/viewers need or want to know

Collect the information Get the basics…the 5 W’s Take good notes▪ Jot down details from observations▪ Get quotes, facts, comments from sources

Tape interviews for sound bites▪ Don’t rely solely on recording

Note down additional info you will need▪ Background, more details, etc

Highlight important points in notes Gather anecdotes▪ Brief stories from sources

Consider the your focus as you report

Think ahead▪ What do you need to do next

Collect documents Verify facts, names & spelling

▪ Some of the worst errors to make

Construct the story Find the focus

▪ Write a focus sentence on top of your story before you begin

Plan an order▪ Topics▪ Main points/highlights you want to cover

▪ Highlights▪ If creating a highlights box…what would they be?

▪ Time sequence▪ Are there distinct time elements or chronological

events?

▪ Block Sources▪ Cover all comments from one source

Before moving to the next source

▪ Q & A▪ If one paragraph raises questions▪ Answer them in the next

▪ Free-writing▪ If you can’t find an order, write what you remember

w/out notes Then look for logical arrangement

▪ Ending▪ Create a lasting impression▪ Strong quote, future action

Correct the story▪ Read your story aloud▪ One of the best self editing techniques for print

publication

▪ Basics▪ Are the 5 W’s there

▪ Context▪ Background or details to help readers understand story

▪ Check Accuracy▪ Double check names, titles and facts

▪ Avoid opinion based adjectives▪ Let details and sources describe actions and feelings

▪ Purge and parroting▪ If quotes/sound bites repeat your transitions or story

content▪ Rewrite or cut them

▪ Cut useless or excess words▪ Edit the pace▪ Check grammar ▪ (subject verb agreement)

▪ Cut jargon▪ Read aloud again

Tips for tightening stories▪ Squeeze a fact on every line ▪ (one idea per sentence)

▪ Focus tightly▪ Think about the REAL story and share what’s

important

▪ Use impact leads▪ Avoid rehashing known info, apply Spin/Angle on lead

▪ Make the story move▪ Make your point early & use info that supports it

▪ Keep it tight

▪ Use specific details over adjectives▪ “ancient windmill” vs “100-year-old windmill

▪ Don’t over attribute▪ No need for he/she said after every sentence▪ But make sure source of info is clear

▪ Use strong, lively verbs▪ Hundred of people in the streets vs

“lined, jammed, crowded, etc

▪ Avoid weak transitions▪ With well organized articles, transitions will be minimal

▪ Use quotes that advance story

Leads Tips to finding a good lead▪ What will hook reader’s attention▪ What does reader need to know first/most▪ In order to understand the story?

▪ What is the story about Remember the 5 W’s Write a few leads then choose the best

one later

Vary the pace▪ Follow long sentences with short ones▪ This helps readers to follow the story

Parallelism▪ Wording sentences in the same grammatical

order▪ Even repeating some words

BBI- Boring but important info▪ Break it up throughout the story, not in one long

block

Simple sentence for complex info▪ Use simple sentences for difficult info

Lists▪ Help the flow through middle of story▪ Itemize group of statistics or cumbersome info▪ Highlight key points in a story

▪ Use Active Voice when possible▪ She will always remember her first story▪ VS. Her first story will always be remembered

by her

▪ Write short, simple sentences▪ Keep the subject and verb close together

▪ Write the way you speak▪ To improve reading flow through story

▪ Quote kickers▪ Quote that sums up the main idea of story

▪ Circle kicker▪ Tying together your lead and ending

▪ Future-Action▪ Giving the next step in the development of an issue

▪ Factual▪ Short simple sentence that states a fact▪ Could possibly work as a lead

Cliffhangers▪ Also a suspense ending▪ Used if story will continue on another day

Out of gas endings▪ Used when there is nothing more to say▪ Appropriate for hard news stories

Due next Monday (9/17) A news article written by you

▪ 400-600 words (Include word count on paper)

▪ Headline▪ Lead▪ Body/middle▪ Ending▪ 2 or more primary sources

Meaning people you talked to/interviewed

Story should relate to school, community or students