News basicsNews basics

What is news?What is news?

What is news?What is news?

ImpactConflictProximityTimelinessUnusualnessFamiliarity

ImpactConflictProximityTimelinessUnusualnessFamiliarity

ImpactImpact

News has impactGreat or small

War, disasterQuality of life, economyWeather, trafficTime, date and place of eventsWhat’s on at the movies?

News has impactGreat or small

War, disasterQuality of life, economyWeather, trafficTime, date and place of eventsWhat’s on at the movies?

ConflictConflict

Often but not always integral to impactDifferential impact -- winners and losers

PoliticsSportsCelebrity divorces

Often but not always integral to impactDifferential impact -- winners and losers

PoliticsSportsCelebrity divorces

ProximityProximity

The local angleIntegral to impact -- what is nearby

One of the strongest news angles

The local angleIntegral to impact -- what is nearby

One of the strongest news angles

TimelinessTimeliness

The “new” in “news”News decays over timeReporters need to be alert and quick

The “new” in “news”News decays over timeReporters need to be alert and quick

Unusualness, familiarity

Unusualness, familiarity

Important but often overdoneSome unusualness matters, some doesn’tHottest decade on recordSquash that looks like Bill Clinton

Some familiarity has impact, some doesn’tMike Rao, George W. Bush, the mayorParis Hilton, Brangelina

Important but often overdoneSome unusualness matters, some doesn’tHottest decade on recordSquash that looks like Bill Clinton

Some familiarity has impact, some doesn’tMike Rao, George W. Bush, the mayorParis Hilton, Brangelina

Supermarket TabloidsSupermarket Tabloids

CelebrityUnusualnessConflictTimeliness, proximity, impact

CelebrityUnusualnessConflictTimeliness, proximity, impact

Questions?Questions?

News writing basicsNews writing basics

Lead (non-feature)Should tell the most important or interesting thing that happened

Or the most important point that was made by a speaker.

Lead (non-feature)Should tell the most important or interesting thing that happened

Or the most important point that was made by a speaker.

Avoid ‘topic leads’Avoid ‘topic leads’

Tell the reader what the news is, not the topic of the story.

Don’t use words and phrases like DiscussedTold howConsideredTalked about

Tell the reader what the news is, not the topic of the story.

Don’t use words and phrases like DiscussedTold howConsideredTalked about

Lead examplesLead examples

Don’t: Tracy Burton talked about the excitement and difficulty of police reporting in a speech to students Monday.

Do: Police reporters should expect to work at all hours of the night and see death first hand, Lansing State Journal reporter Tracy Burton told journalism students Monday.

Don’t: Tracy Burton talked about the excitement and difficulty of police reporting in a speech to students Monday.

Do: Police reporters should expect to work at all hours of the night and see death first hand, Lansing State Journal reporter Tracy Burton told journalism students Monday.

Inverted pyramid structure

Inverted pyramid structure

The leadExpansion and development of the lead

Additional material in descending order of importance.

The end

The leadExpansion and development of the lead

Additional material in descending order of importance.

The end

LeadsLeads

First paragraph of a story.

One sentence, 25 words or less

Substance first, then attribution (unless the source is famous).

First paragraph of a story.

One sentence, 25 words or less

Substance first, then attribution (unless the source is famous).

Immediate vs delayed ID

Immediate vs delayed ID

Immediate ID with someone well known:CMU President Michael Rao said today the university should try to reduce enrollment rather than increase it.

Delayed ID if not well known:CMU should try to reduce enrollment rather than increase it, a Student Government Association candidate said today.

Immediate ID with someone well known:CMU President Michael Rao said today the university should try to reduce enrollment rather than increase it.

Delayed ID if not well known:CMU should try to reduce enrollment rather than increase it, a Student Government Association candidate said today.

Expansion, developmentExpansion,

developmentThe next however-many paragraphs after the lead should give additional details about the lead angle.Speaking to the Academic Senate, Rao said CMU is bursting at the seams and no longer recovers the cost of educating each student through tuition and state aid. “The more students we have, the further behind we get,” he said.

The next however-many paragraphs after the lead should give additional details about the lead angle.Speaking to the Academic Senate, Rao said CMU is bursting at the seams and no longer recovers the cost of educating each student through tuition and state aid. “The more students we have, the further behind we get,” he said.

Additional materialAdditional material

Arrange in descending order of importance. May include:BackgroundReactionOther actions, topics etc.

Arrange in descending order of importance. May include:BackgroundReactionOther actions, topics etc.

Chronological coverage

Chronological coverage

Avoid it.However, chronology sometimes has a legitimate place.

When it’s important, lead with and develop the most important angle -- then tell the story from beginning to end within the body of the article.

Avoid it.However, chronology sometimes has a legitimate place.

When it’s important, lead with and develop the most important angle -- then tell the story from beginning to end within the body of the article.

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood

An elderly woman was eaten by a wolf Thursday but her granddaughter was rescued by an alert woodsman in a rural area near Mount Pleasant.

Expansion and developmentThe ordeal began when . . . .

An elderly woman was eaten by a wolf Thursday but her granddaughter was rescued by an alert woodsman in a rural area near Mount Pleasant.

Expansion and developmentThe ordeal began when . . . .

ContextContext

Give readers enough context to help them understand the story as they read.

Provide context in subordinate clauses rather than in free-standing blocs:The decision, which reversed a long-standing policy, means the university will no longer seek to attract as many students as possible.

Give readers enough context to help them understand the story as they read.

Provide context in subordinate clauses rather than in free-standing blocs:The decision, which reversed a long-standing policy, means the university will no longer seek to attract as many students as possible.

Ending a storyEnding a story

When you’ve reached the least important part of the story, simply stop.

When you’ve reached the least important part of the story, simply stop.