Fall semester: greatest hits

1. Fall semester: greatest hits

2. Journalism • the profession of gathering, editing, and publishing news reports and related articles for newspapers, magazines, television, radio or on-line • the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience • what we’re going to study for the next 34 weeks!

3. Possible career paths for journalists • Straight ahead journalism... papers, mags, websites, TV stations, radio • Journalism for profits and non-profits such as colleges, governments, big companies. AKA: Internal Communications • PR • Government relations • Legal field • Politics • General business

4. First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

5. Luke 1:1-4 (NIV) “1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

6. Seven elements of news • I can never prepare pancakes in England • Impact • Conflict • Novelty • Prominence • Proximity • Immediacy • Emotions

7. Accuracy • Most important characteristic of any story • Check every name, number, quote... every detail • John Hopkins University = F/E • You’ll never have all the facts, but the ones you have must be accurate

8. Which brings us to objectivity • Most mainstream journalists contend they strive for objectivity... even at pubs such as Time, Newsweek, NY Times, Washington Post et. al • Objective = provable • “Properly understood, objectivity provides the method most likely to yield the best obtainable version of the truth.”

9. Taking great notes • Without great notes, you can’t write a great story • It all starts with a notebook • Then your own system of note taking: shorthand, organization, pen, fact organization, etc. • Learn to write while looking at subject; talk about one thing and write about another; give yourself time to catch up

10. Interviewing • It’s a skill you’ve got to develop to be a great reporter • Interviewing is a social skill: friendly but aggressive; polite but probing; sympathetic but skeptical • In person interview • Phoner • Email • Scrum (lots of people on one interviewee)

11. On, off the record, on background • Different sets of ground rules for interviews • The vast majority of interviews are “on the record”: everything is for publication • “Off the record”: information can’t be printed or used in any form • “On background”: can use stuff, but no attributi0n • Make sure you and source agree on rules!

12. If you’re a reporter, somebody’s gotta say it • Unless it’s a well known fact – the earth is round – you usually need an attribution • You have to indicate the source of most fact, all opinions and quotes • Must keep your own opinions out of story: i.e., you can’t say Mrs. B is a dynamo. Tom Pellegrino can say that and you can quote him

13. So what is the IP? The lead, which summarizes the story’s most important facts Second graph adds more details or background This graphs adds more facts More facts

14. Five Ws (and an H) • Who

15. Five Ws (and an H) • Who: ran for the TD, robbed the bank, insulted the commissioner... who made this news happen?

16. Five Ws (and an H) • What:

17. Five Ws (and an H) • What: what happened, what’s going on, what is the point of this story?

18. Five Ws (and an H) • When: When did this all take place?

19. Five Ws (and an H) • Where: Where’s this news happening: on the basketball court, in the Supreme Court, in the classroom at LAF?

20. Five Ws (and an H) • Why:

21. Five Ws (and an H) • Why: Why did the tax bill fail? Why did the heiress leave $15 million to her dog? Why did the public high-school ban prayer at the football game?

22. Five Ws (and an H) • How: How does the reader find the hot-new restaurant? How does the mayor get away with not living in her own city? How can the reader avoid listeria in his salad?

23. Five Ws (and an H) • Who • What • Where • When • Why • How

25. Writing great ledes • Remember your five Ws and an H • Remember what makes news • Ledes are short: almost always less than 30 words. Count ‘em! • Generally a single sentence; can be two if you’ve got great materials. But let’s aim for one-sentence ledes

26. Writing great ledes • “If you can master the process of writing ledes – identifying key facts and expressing them concisely – you’ll have a solid command of the craft of journalism.”

27. Writing great ledes • Collect all your facts • Sum it up, boil it down • Prioritize the five Ws (and an H) • Rethink, revise, rewrite • Is it clear? • Is it active? • Is it wordy? • Is it compelling? • Is it news??????

28. Other lede variations • Delayed identification lede • Lede that withholds a person’s name (or other key W) until the second graph • Don’t name names in lede unless person is well known (Prominence)

29. Other lede variations • Immediate identification lede • Use only when somebody really important says or does something

30. Other lede variations • Anecdotal/narrative ledes • A mini story to illustrate your bigger story • Save for longer stories, feature news, softer news

31. Other lede variations • Scene-setter: “It was a dark and story might...” • Direct address: “Your tax bill is about to go up after Sarasota City Commissioners...” • Startling statement: “One in three LAF students will drop their iPhones in a smoothie this year...”

32. Ledes are so important because they force you to organize and prioritize your material But most of the time, the lede is just the beginning Important to have some idea of how long your story will be: depends on your editor or teacher Creation of universe covered in Genesis chapter 1... just seven graphs! Is Genesis 1:1 the best lede ever? “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

33. Brites A featurette: generally odd or amusing nuggets Comic relief from the hard news of the day Ledes are fun, designed to draw you in... not inverted pyramid

34. The nut graph (or graf) Keep in mind: basically two broad types of stories: hard news with inverted pyramid lede that gets right to the point... and stories that don’t get there until the second graph or even later So when you have a soft lede or an anecdote lede, you need a nut graph to explain what the story’s all about: the first sentence doesn’t do that

36. Narration • Simply telling a story, using characters, scenes, anecdotes and dialogue... mixed in with chronology • Seen in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and online • Analogous to a movie or a novel: you usually don’t get everything in the first two graphs • There are specific techniques we can deploy

37. Vivid scenes • Capture the color of the situation and the characters • “We should all try to make readers see, smell, taste and hear” • Develop your senses for the details that make the story

38. Dialogue • People talking with one another • Ideal when two or more people are talking, especially in conflict • Where would the Bible be without dialogue?

39. Service journalism • News You Can Use • What does the reader need to know to act on this information • Use of boxes, bullets, subheads • Addresses, websites, instructions, directions, maps, phone numbers

40. So what do readers want? • They’re in a big hurry • They have short attention spans • They want stories that personally connect... craft stories that focus on the reader rather than on the newsmakers: what does it mean to ME? • But they also want stories: real narrative dramas starring real people • “Innovate or die.” Richard Curtis, ex- USA Today

41. The hierarchy: Sarasota Herald-Tribune • Owner: New York Times Company, a New York Stock Exchange listed public company. Bought the Sarasota paper in 1982 • Publisher: Diane McFarlin, el quesogrande • Executive editor: Mike Connelly, chief news executive • Assistant Managing Editor: Matt Sauer • City Editor: Bart Pfankuch, assigns and edits most of the local hard news

42. The hierarchy: Sarasota Herald-Tribune • Also has sports editor, national/foreign editor, community news editor, state/regional editor, real estate editor, editorial page editor • In addition to news side, also has executives running circulation, advertising, and production

43. Terms, terms, terms • By-line: Reporter’s name and title • Headline: Big type, almost always written by copy editors • Dateline • Pull quote/lift-out quote: a juicy quote from story that’s given special graphic emphasis • Cutline: the copy underneath a photo that explains what’s going on

44. Lessons from Pfankuch

45. How will I be graded? • Your writing: quality, deadlines, applying lessons • Your participation • Scheduled exams... perhaps a MOAT • DPQs

46. Assignment for January 3 • Come back refreshed and ready to rock and roll!