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Writing and Reporting review
Journalistic writing in a nutshell 1. Use the right words (It s, Its) (too, to) nice of a day to be inside 2. Use as few of them as possible (Be concise) 3. Source all facts 4. Spell words correctly and use proper grammar
Two important points 1. Use AP style (Example: dates, last names, order of attribution) 2. Check the spelling of someone s name
5 W s and a H 1. Who - Who are the people involved in the story 2. What - What s going on 3. Where - Where are things happening 4. When - When did the event happen 5. Why - Why is this event worth covering 6. How - How did the events unfold The first 4 are straight facts, the last two require explanation
WASHINGTON Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized Thursday after becoming ill in her office at the court following treatment for an iron deficiency. The 76-year-old justice, who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in February, was taken to Washington Hospital Center at 7:45 p.m. EDT as a precaution, a statement from the court said. Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said late Thursday it had not yet been determined whether the justice would remain in the hospital overnight. Earlier in the day, Ginsburg had received an iron sucrose infusion to treat an iron deficiency anemia that had been discovered in July. Lead (sometimes spelled lede ) The first paragraph(s) of a story An extremely important part of a story Needs to grab readers attention News leads provide vital information *All leads from AP wire
Hard and Soft leads Hard = 5W s and an H Soft = More descriptive, some of the 5W s and an H As a general rule, only use hard leads with news stories - soft leads can be used on all other types of stories Delayed leads The most common soft lead
Inverted pyramid writing style for news stories Most important information (lead) Second most important information Third most important information Fourth most important information Fifth most important information
Remember this: Every story needs a sentence/paragraph that summarizes what the story is about Nut graph
News stories vs. Feature stories News Features Timeliness of story most important Quality of story most important Reporting skills a must Based on event coverage Writing skills a must Based on topic/personality Feature writing the best part of the job for most reporters
Focus on one person Focus style (People-based stories) Nut graph Focus on big picture problem Finish with story of person you started with
Narrative style Show me, don t tell me Reporters don t just write the facts, they describe what they experience Combining Focus and Narrative style Brodie Story
General rules of journalism writing 1. Paragraphs have 2-3 sentences maximum 2. Each sentence should have 15-20 words maximum 3. Avoid redundant phrases Fatally killed Free of charge Extremely rare Totally destroyed 4. Use words familiar to most people lack of instead of dearth
What s a beat? By covering the same topic every day, the reporter becomes an expert in that field Sources get to know the reporter and trust him/her more Effective way of covering parts of the community that constantly generate news (i.e. Government) Beats also exclude some voices from gaining access to media
Journalistic practices Most important - Sourcing Sourcing = the heart of journalism If you have a fact in your story, it has to be attributed to a source
1. Public meetings 2. Public documents
Ethics, Law and Career
Watergate Scandal (1972-1974) While most people didn t think anything of the break-in, Woodward and Bernstein refused to let the story die. They used tips from an anonymous source, code named Deep Throat, to prove the White House tried to cover up its connection to the break-in Woodward and Bernstein of the Washington Post Due to the Post s coverage, and other factors, Nixon resigned in 1974. Many people consider this event to be the pinnacle of American journalism
Investigative journalism today Journalists under attack for covering stories that make those with power look bad - but that s the point of American journalism, questions those with power.
Jayson Blair (2003) from the New York Times: Wrote stories that stated he was reporting from Maryland, Texas and other states, when he was actually often at home in New York. Fabricated comments from sources. Lifted material from other newspapers and wire services (plagiarism). Janet Cooke (1980) of the Washington Post Wrote a story about an 8-year-old heroin addict (Jimmy). Won the Pulitzer Prize for Writing. Two days after the prize was awarded, Cooke admitted she made up the character Jimmy; he never existed.
The L Word - Libel Basic definition of libel: Publication of false statements that harms the reputation of someone(s). Remember: When police arrest someone, they ALLEGEDLY committed the crime
Copyright law Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of original works of authorship Copyright law gives the authors exclusive right to do what they want with their work, published or unpublished Anything created, including photographs, graphics and art, are subject to copyright laws Fair Use = Exception to copyright laws Source: United States Copyright office
Wilson v. Layne (1999) Police allowed the media to ride along during the arrest of Charles Wilson s son; Charles sued U.S. Supreme court sided with Wilson - media could be in trouble for Intrusion A man s home is his castle : Avoid accessing private property to cover a story without permission
Two branches of ethics Journalistic practices Journalistic choices Is it OK for a source to buy me a meal? Is it OK to interview the victim of a crime? I found the info I need somewhere else, do I have to cite them as a sources? Should I run a photo that shows a bloody crime scene?
Race, sex and age Don t refer to someone s race, sex and/or age unless it s vital to the story Don t do this The female firefighter helped battle the blaze just as skillfully as if she were a man. Kathy Peterson, the department s first female firefighter, received the department s highest award. This is OK
Conflict of interest Ethical journalism practices 1.) Could you fairly cover a club on campus that you are a member of? 2.) Is it professional to cover an event and then participate in that event?
What s a cliché Any phrase that s used too commonly in general conversation is cliché Using clichés is lazy writing Playing off a cliché is OK New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets basketball game It s the city that never sleeps verses the city that never scores.
Sourcing with social media Go to a website/tweet/etc. from a legitimate sources Fake News?
Things you need Let s talk about each of these 1. Resume 2. Portfolio of work (clips) 3. Cover letter