making important news interesting
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
MAKING IMPORTANT NEWS INTERESTING:GOING BACK TO THE BASICSAndrew Chavez, Texas Center for Community Journalism
![Page 2: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
TWO TYPES OF STORIES
Important• City council• School
board• Numbers
and studies
Interesting• Crime
stories• Profiles• Lifestyle
features
![Page 3: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
TWO TYPES OF STORYTELLING
Important• Just the
facts• In order of
importance
Interesting• Color• Detail• Narrative
style
![Page 4: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
BACK TO THE BASICS
![Page 5: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
IMPROVING THE PYRAMID STARTS AT THE TOP
![Page 6: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
HOW? FIND THE NEWS
What would you tell your friends?
Think about the headline
![Page 7: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
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
![Page 8: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
A METHOD
Outline your 5WsRank themFit what you can in the lede
Finish in the nut graf
![Page 9: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU
![Page 10: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
NO. 1
Could you have written this story last week? Or before the event? If so, rethink.
![Page 11: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
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?
![Page 12: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
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
![Page 13: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
NO. 3
Where is the conflict? Who are the winners and losers? Your story should include both
![Page 14: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
NO. 4
Who stands to gain from this? Follow the money. Do the math.
![Page 15: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
NO. 5
What’s going on in the background? Don’t forget the affected
![Page 16: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
BEING YOUR OWN EDITOR
![Page 17: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
DO THE FINGER TEST
Analyzing your story … does my lede reflect it, etc.? Finger test?
![Page 18: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
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?
![Page 19: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
COUNT ‘EM UP
What’s the story really about? Look at your finished copy
Should this be two stories?
![Page 20: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
WRITE YOUR HEADLINE & CHECK YOUR LEDE
Make sure it matches what your story is about.
![Page 21: Making important news interesting](https://reader038.vdocuments.us/reader038/viewer/2022103013/5455046caf7959755d8b463f/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Q&A TIME