The Body of a News Story

Chapter 8Felder, Bender, Davenport

and Drager

Do it for your body

• Always, when time permits, read your story before submitting it. If you can’t cut out at least a couple of words, you’re not doing a sufficiently critical job of reading. One of the toughest things in the writing trade, and one of the best for a writer, is to cut your own copy. (Morton Sontheimer, journalist)

• Inverted-Pyramid stories arrange the information in descending order of importance or newsworthiness.

• The exact organization of the story will depend upon the story’s newsworthy points.

• Many writing coaches feel the use of the inverted-pyramid style is overdone.

• But, daily deadline pressuresencourage its use, becauselength requirements are stilla consideration for printmedia.

Inverted Feature Pyramid

• Many facts in feature stores are of equal importance, or build upon each other. Their organization more resembles the diagram at right.

That “SECOND” Paragraph

• The second paragraph is an extension of the lead.

• It may fill in facts left out by a short or alternative lead.

• You set the tone for your story’s transition with the second paragraph. Is it logical? Does it sustain the metaphor?

• Above all, the second paragraph must emphasize the news. It is not your nut graph, but it supports the newsworthiness of this story.

• It can be almost as difficult to write as the lead.

• There are also some dangersto be considered, especiallywhen you are referring to a person in the lead and start the second paragraphwith a name.

No Leapfrogging

• Leapfrogging happens when you refer to an individual in the lead and begin the second paragraph with a name, without telling your reader that this is “the same guy.”

• “Felipe M. Santos, 53,”• “the man suspected of the

attack, Felipe M. Santos, 53”

Continue with the NEWS

• Continue to expound upon the topic introduced in your lead.

• Don’t change topics at this point, you want to set up the flow of your story at this juncture.

• Try not to focus too much emphasis on identities.We know these are facts, butusually not most interesting.

Don’t have too much baggage

• Background is very useful, but remember this is about news, not that much about history.

• Detailed background in the second or third paragraphs is not good.

• Complexity of a story canforce a writer to summarizeother actions, not as important early in the story.

The Hourglass StyleInverted

At Top

The Turn

A

Chronological

Conclusion

InvertedAt Top

The Turn

A

Chronological

Conclusion

Police today accused a handyman who once worked in the home of Elizabeth Smart with burglary and theft. The charges, filed against Richard Ricci, are not relatedto the disappearance of 14-year-old Elizabeth. On June5, the teen was taken from her bedroom at gunpoint as her younger sister watched. Ricci is charged with one count of theft for allegedlystealing $3,500 worth of items - jewelry, a perfume bottle and a wine glass filled with sea shells - from the Smart’s home in June 2001. The articles were found during a search of Ricci’s home last month, said police.

Here is what happened. After Elizabeth disappeared last

summer, the …THIS IS THE TURN

The Focus Story Organization

Nut Graf

Focus Lead

Body of Story

Kicker

• 1. Indirect lead• 2. Nut graf• 3. Body toback up the leadand nut grafsupporting points, quotes, facts,anecdotes, developments, explanations, points of view• 4. Circle ending - the kicker: anecdote, quote, description, a return to the lead image

The Narrative Style

• To write in the narrative style, a reporter must find people who are crucial to the story and record their actions.

• This is a type of reporting beyondthe interview, where the writermust spend time with his characters.ETHNOGRAPHYSTYLE

Using Transitions

• If your story is a train, then the transitions are the couplings that hold the cars together.

• Fortunately, the natural progression of

thought, or sequence of factsand action, is adequate.• Often a writer will repeata noun or pronoun.

Transitional Words

• Sometimes a single word can lead readers from one idea to the next – earlier, later, before, after, promptly and tardy.

• Time• Addition• Causation• Comparison• Contrast

Transitional Sentences

• A good transitional sentence often serves the same purposes as a lead, sometimes summarizing and discussing the topic in more detail.

• Transitional QUESTIONS• How does this happen?• How is writing like dancing?• What happened to the rest?• Why question authority?

Explaining

• Explain the unfamiliar.• Use examples to make a story easier

to understand.• Use DESCRIPTION. Description turns

on a reader’s brain. Careful description can turn onmemories in a reader’sbrain, like certain smells and sights

The Use of Humor

• In news stories, humor can be a trickysituation. You do not want to trivialize a

serious topic, or downplay the impactof a serious incident.You can, however, use humorto break the routine of a story,like a commission meetingattended by a turkey seekinga governmental pardonat Thanksgiving.

The need to be Fair

• Regardless of how a story is organized, it must be balanced, fair and accurate.

• Words, like bullets, are selected to bemost effective tools. But, oncesent on their way, bullets andwords take their toll just bydoing what they are designed to do.

Edit your story

• Edit it ruthlessly.• If you don’t, then someone else will

bemore than happy to do it for you.• A wise man once said if we don’t set our priorities, thenothers will set them for us.• Editing your story should bea labor or love – tough love.

• Put the most important details in the lead.

• Emphasize details throughout the story.• Help readers visualize.• Stick to the topic – a clear purpose.• No leapfrogging.• Concise sentences.• Vary sentence structure.• Don’t overload sentences.• If you have subtopics, mentionthem in your lead, so your readerswon’t be surprised.

A CHECKLIST

• If you use a list, put it in parallel form.• Provide transition. This makes for a

smoothride for your readers.• Make your transitional sentences specific.• Use question transition wisely.• Avoid generalities.• Resist ending your story witha summary, or conclusion.• If you love your story, you willedit it critically, even ruthlessly.

The END