How to get start as an

February 28, 2013By: Karen Spring

HSCI 825 Advocacy and Communication

Simon Fraser University

INDEPENDENT

JOURNALIST

Presentation Outline

✜ Why be a journalist?✜ Who can you write for?✜ Six steps to writing a journalistic piece:

Step 1: Planning a story Step 2: ResearchStep 3: Making contact Step 4: The interview Step 5: Writing the storyStep 6: Don’t get sued

** Tips along the way **

Why would you start writing as a journalist?

✜ Advocacy strategy ✜ A way to get your work, experiences and viewpoints out there

✜ A way to translate your research to the public

✜ A great skill set

For Who?Independent Media – “pitching” details on websites

Journalism skills is useful for many things: BlogsPamphletsNewslettersAgency websitesGovernmentNon-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Step 1: Planning a story✜ Finding a story:

Is it timely?Impactful?Relevant?Angle (community, local, national, etc)

relevant to publisher?What’s the major tension?

✜ Mapping the story

Step 2: Research

✜ Internet

✜ Government & corporate websites

✜ Advocacy groups

✜ Health related organization - WHO, PHAC, CDC, etc.

*** Make sure they are verifiable ***

SOME PLACES TO GET STARTED:

Canadian Think Tanks: - Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Council of Canadians – well-reviewed studies

Government websites: Statistics Canada

Parliament of Canada: Info on MPs, sessions of the House of Commons, Hansard (Debates)

Step 3: Making Contact

✜ Finding a voice(s)Community or individual perspective: talk to those most affected

✜ Do a call out using your networks, your friends, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

✜ Allow for different points of view – diverging perspectives or the pros and cons

✜ Google the person’s name with first 3 digits of area code or location- Government – Database of experts

(http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/Expert-Expert_eng.asp)

✜ Don’t leave a message until you’ve called at least 3 timesBe persistent & firmMention if you have deadlines

✜ Just show up

✜ Try, if possible, & if needed to avoid the ‘media rep’ (especially for investigative pieces)

Step 4: The Interview(s)

✜ Do your background research

✜ Questions: Easy, open-ended and one at a time

✜ How to end the interview – 5 major ending questions:

- How do you spell your name?- Do you have a specific title?- Is there anything else you’d like to add?- Are quotes attributed to you or your

organization?- Is there anyone else I should talk to about

this topic?

Step 5: Writing the story

Start: ✜ The “Lede”, a sentence or two that introduces your

article. Opening paragraph: ‘Who’, ‘what’, ‘where’ & ‘when’

Middle:✜ The ‘Why’ and ‘How’✜ Context and quotes

End:✜ Don’t summarize

Step 6: Don’t get sued!

✜ Libel – Printed defamation✜ Truth✜ Fair comment✜ Responsible Journalism

Doubtful? Consult a lawyer. Period.

Questions?

Thank you!

References

Paley, Dawn and Ling, Justin. (October 2011). So you want to write for the Media Coop? Vancouver Media Coop. Available at: http://www.mediacoop.ca/sites/mediacoop.ca/files2/mc/writers_guide.pdf

The Dominion. (no date). Write for the Dominion. Available at: http://www.dominionpaper.ca/write