Chapter 5:Writing Specialty Stories

1. Chapter 5:Writing Specialty Stories By Charlie Smallwood

2. Health Writing • Health related issues must be communicated with the utmost care • Much of the public’s health knowledge comes from what it reads • Read books or medical pamphlets about the medical topic your covering • Don’t use a lot of secondhand material • Do not avoid asking dumb questions

3. Academic Writing • News in this field should be pertained to the school or something changing within the school • Its critical to write in this field because it helps fellow students • Ex: changes in standardized testing or graduation requirements, education issues and updates on student body

4. Death Coverage • News of death should be free of expressions or opinions • Accuracy of facts is important • Guidelines should be set up about this situation on weather or not to do it • If one is written, write some interesting facts or things about the person who passed

5. Advance Stories • Giving readers an advance notice on something within the school • Can be a news story or a feature • Can use the inverted pyramid or feature lead • Most of these stories include the most pertinent or important facts to the audience • Avoid wordy, dull beginnings

6. Follow Up Story • Reports an event after it has taken place • The key is giving readers something the don’t already know • The lead should be followed by a tie-in or a paragraph summarizing what has gone on before • Avoid beginning with time or place

7. Speech Stories • Should be written when someone knowledgeable speaks to a group about an issue • Reporter should gather background information about the person speaking • Once the speech ends, have follow up questions for audience or speaker • A summary of the speakers conclusion for a beginning story is a good lead

8. Civic or Public Journalism • Its not enough to report a problem, but also stir public conversation and problem solving • When covering conflict, work to frame issues in ways to promote understanding and compromise • If writing in this area, don’t limit yourself to just the opinion pages

9. Poll Stories • Is important to get an overall consensus of the student body • Make sure to poll the entire student body, not just a few students • Pretest a survey to avoid confusion of the question when actually putting out there • Poll story should offer some insight • Focus results on the majority margin, not the lowest majority margin