Fordham

1. Fordham April 23 and 30

2. Today April 23 • Discuss last assignment: op-ed and how to revise • Go over grade scale and upcoming deadlines • Return Papers. Discuss what is missing. • Watch NOLA video • Listen to some of your stories and look at slideshows. • Cindy Chang Lecture at 1pm

3. April 30th- Final Class • Class wrap-up and lecture: How to Pitch • Complete in-class critiques, evaluations and discuss final grades. • Submit final stories and revisions. Absolute deadline on these Monday May 7th. Email confirmation on submission is crucial. • Revisions can be on audio stories and slideshows. • Listen to Audio Stories • Final exam with Pr. Campbell

4. Audio Assignments: General Comment • Don’t need music throughout • Using ambi without explaining it. • If a source says something inaccurate you are still on the hook for it. • Competing ambi and music with acts. • Slideshows- not original, you must have photos of people, you should take them! • Not enough reporting- didn’t go as far as you could, needed to push for more.

5. Guest Speaker: Cindy Chang • Cindy Chang | Staff Write, The Los Angeles TimesCindy Chang covers immigration and ethnic communities for the Los Angeles Times. While at the New Orleans Times-Picayune, she was the lead writer for a series exposing the role of Louisiana's for-profit prisons in the state’s world-leading incarceration rate. “Louisiana Incarcerated” received the June 2012 Sidney Award and the 2013 John Jay College/H.F. Guggenheim Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting Award. • http://videos.nola.com/times-picayune/2012/05/louisiana_incarcerated_intro_v.html • http://www.nola.com/prisons/

6. Last assignment • Op-ed : 750 words • First person reported: Between 700 and 1000

7. Op-Ed Pieces

8. Writing an Op-ed • Op-ed, opposite the editorial page. Is an opinion piece, but it requires research and knowledge. • Find a news hook and be timely. Here is an example: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/a-tax-system-stacked-against-the-99-percent/

9. Many ways to write an op-ed. Great way to get a feel for them is to read op-eds, obviously. • But here is one formula for a simple, declarative op-ed.

10. Lede- Something around a news hook. State your argument or your thesis-- either explicit or implied. Like: Policy “X” is bad. Make Your Argument: Based on evidence (such as stats, news, reports from credible organizations, expert quotes, scholarship, history, first-hand experience) 1st Point : evidence, evidence, conclusion. Policy X is bad because…..2nd Point: evidence, evidence, conclusion. Same.3rd Point: evidence, evidence, conclusion. Same. • “To Be Sure” paragraph (in which you pre-empt your potential critics by acknowledging any flaws in your argument, and address any obvious counter-arguments.) • Conclusion (often circling back to your lede)

11. In a more complex commentary, the 3rd point may expand on the bigger picture—historical context, global/geographic picture, etc.—or may offer an explanation for a mystery that underpins the argument– eg., why a bad policy continues, in spite of its failures.

12. A good lede is always crucial. A lede is what sets the scene and grabs your reader’s attention – it is your introduction.  A news hook is what makes your piece timely, and often is part of the lede. 

13. Possible Ledes Use the NewsThis Wednesday evening Frances Newton, 40, will be put to death for the murders of her husband and two children 18 years ago…Tell a dramatic anecdoteTen years ago, I asked Bosnian civilians under siege in Sarjevo where they would go if they could escape… Reference popular culture  The marketing campaign shows real women, rather than anorexic teenagers, in white bras and panties posing next to the slogan “New Dove Firming. As tested on real curves”…  

14. Turn conventional wisdom on end   Sex and the City’s main characters are witty, glamorous, independent and sexually liberated – in short, who wouldn’t want to be them?  Me, for one. Use wit and irony to point out a contradictionSo now we know what “noble cause” Cindy Sheehan’s son died for in Iraq: Sharia. It’s a good thing W stands for women, or I’d be worried.  Use an anniversary Fifty years after the Supreme Court banned school segregation, the battle over the racial composition of America' s schools continues in courtrooms across the country.

15. Cite a major new studyAccording to a new nation-wide poll, 60% of women have cheated on their husbands at least once.  Get PersonalCollege admissions officers around the country will be reading my applications this month, essays in which I describe personal aspirations, academic goals -- even, in one case, a budding passion for the sitar. What they won't know is that I actually graduated from college more than a year ago, and that the names attached to these essays are those of my duplicitous clients.

16. Stuff to think about 1. Why should we readers trust you? Are you authoritative on your topic? Are you accountable to what you say you know? Can you provide evidence of your expertise? You don’t need to have a famous name, a big title, or a fancy degree – but you do need to be well positioned to speak on your topic, and able to convey it.2. Can you back up what you say? Is your argument based on evidence – solid material and logical building blocks that will be acknowledged as credible even by those who may disagree with your interpretation? 

17. 3. What’s new? Is your argument different, particularly original in the way it is delivered, or is it backed up by substantially new information or reporting? What is compelling about its contribution to the conversation?4. What’s the difference between being “right” and being “effective”? Does your language tend to write off the people who would disagree with you, or do you employ empathy and respect in the pursuit of changing minds?5. How will your ideas and arguments contribute to the conversation, and be helpful to your audience? Do you see your knowledge and experience in terms of its potential value to others?

18. 1. Own your expertiseKnow what you are an expert in and why - but don’t limit yourself. 2.Use plain languageJargon serves a purpose, but it is rarely useful in public debate, and can obfuscate – sorry, I mean cloud – your argument. Speak to your reader in straight talk. 3.Respect your readerNever underestimate your reader’s intelligence, or overestimate her level of information. Recognize that your average reader is not an expert in your topic, and that the onus is on you to capture her attention – and make the argument compel.

19. How to Revise

20. Revise, then revise again. • “Books aren’t written- they’re rewritten.  It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.”  Michael Crichton • “What I had to face, the very bitter lesson that everyone who wants to write has got to learn, was that a thing may in itself be the finest piece of writing one has ever done, and yet have absolutely no place in the manuscript one hopes to publish.”  Thomas Wolfe • “There are two kinds of editors, those who correct your copy and those who say it’s wonderful.” Theodore H. White  • “I have rewritten–often several times–every word I have ever written. My pencils outlast their erasers.” Vladimir Nabokov   • “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”  Ernest Hemingway • “There is a difference between a book of two hundred pages from the very beginning, and a book of two hundred pages which is the result of an original eight hundred pages. The six hundred are there. Only you don’t see them.” ElieWiesel • Rewriting is the essence of writing well—where the game is won or lost.—William Zinsser

21. Revising is not proofreading • The best thing you can learn is to be your own best editor. • Revising is NOT just fixing commas and spelling. That’s proofreading (something you should all do.) • When you are finished revising, you should proofread.

22. Revising is the process of rethinking the piece. Sometimes that means trashing entire sections, even the whole piece. This can be painful. • It is a waste of your time to continue working on a piece that has no potential. • Your best revision strategy is sometimes to start over.

23. How to revise • Let your work breath! • Think big, don’t tinker. At this stage you should be concerned with large issues, not punctuation • Is your focus too narrow or too big? Do you stay with your arc throughout? • What is your purpose and did you fulfill it? Could you give an elevator pitch for this piece?

24. Examine the balance. Do you spend too much time on a trivial point and leave your readers hanging on others? • Are the tone and formality appropriate for your audience? And by the way, who IS your audience? • Does your piece make organizational sense? Do your transitions move readers along? Do you move the story forward? • Are your facts accurate? Have you satisfied the readers curiosity? • Does your piece finish strong?

25. Whoooaa, I thought I could revise in a few minutes. But, I don’t want to rewrite my whole piece. - Revising doesn’t always mean totally rewriting. Sometimes it means changing the order, coming up with more vivid descriptions, etc.

26. But I worked so hard on what I wrote, I can’t afford to throw it away! • Uhhhh….you can’t afford NOT to throw stuff away. • Writers produce lots of material that needs to be deleted. • The idea or metaphor that I think is the most wonderful might be the very thing that interrupts the flow. • Kill your babies (a terrible saying!). Sacrifice your favorite bits for the piece overall. • Don’t just revise as you go. You’ll never get the sense of the big picture.

27. Some tips that work… • Work from a hardcopy. • Read out loud. Or….read it backwards. • Don’t try to get everything in one go through. Read through once to check for tense, then for details etc. • Produce more so you can cut more. Write long on your first draft. Don’t worry about word count too much.

28. Don’t fall in love with the sound of your own voice. Act like you’re just dating. • It is highly unlikely that any writer can express the perfect idea in the perfect words in the perfect order on the first go. • Hemingway rewrote the last page to A Farewell to Arms 39 times! • If you’re still not convinced, reread some of your old papers. How do they sound now?

29. What happens if I find I no longer like my piece? • That stinks. • You have 2 choices: ignore the loose ends and hope your reader doesn’t notice. Or start over.

30. Revision # 1: Cut unnecessary words • Cutting unnecessary words, or 5 words we just don’t need. • Just, really, quite, perhaps, that

31. Revision # 2: Overwriting • Writers are passionate about words.  • Trouble with being passionate about words is we sometimes don't know when to rein in our passion. • We also seem to think flowery is better, fancier is more intelligent. This is simply not true. • Am I in voice?

32. Ultimately, If in doubt, leave it out.

33. #3: Tense shifting Stay in the appropriate verb tense.

34. How to Pitch

35. What is Pitching? • Pitching is how journalists (both on staff and freelance) get their pieces published. • There are two kinds of pitches: Full submissions Semi-reported idea pitches (New journalists sometimes pitch “on-spec.”)

36. Figure out who to pitch • This can sometimes be tricky. • Check out the masthead • Managing editor usually works. • Steer clear of assistant editors who probably actually want to be writers. • Try not to pitch people with a ton of bylines in the magazine • Never pitch reporters, ever.

37. Consider “Lead Time” • The time between pitch and publication. • Most newspapers have very short lead times • Most magazines have three or more months lead time. • Regular columns usually have longer lead time and may fill up faster, even at newspapers.

38. So, how to pitch…. • Research your target title: Read at least 6 back issues carefully. • Tailor your pitch: No generic letters, write in the style and voice of the publication, no more than 2 ideas per email. Pitch a specific section of a specific magazine. “This idea seems like a good fit for Glamour’s ‘It Happened to Me’ section.” • Proofread: This seems obvious, but it is amazing how many pitches arrive with blatant grammatical errors.

39. 4. Be persistent: Follow up (but not too much) on your pitch, Also follow up with the editor so they keep you in mind. 5. Connections connect you: If you have them, use them. Check out linked in or facebook to see if you have a connection. 6. Know what the editor is up to: Check their twitter feed, their bio, etc. Flattery, if it isn’t too blatant, can work wonders.

40. 7. Be willing to do the most ridiculous assignments, at least at first. Never say no. 8. Provide contact information! 9. Here’s something you probably don’t want to hear…..you need to pre-report your story before you pitch it. And probably only 1 in 10 of your ideas is actually going to survive the pre-reporting phase.

41. 10. You should pitch in MAX 5 paragraphs, more on this formula in a moment. 11. Pitch FOB before your long narrative feature. 12. If you get an assignment, be the most prompt, easiest to work with journalist in the world with clean copy, accurate sources and contact info for the fact checkers. 13. Try to get a contract that details your fee and if possible, includes a “kill fee.”

42. Pitch formula (NO more than a page) • First graph should show you can write in a compelling way. It should also summarize or excerpt your story. • Nut graf: why we should care about this story. Why this story affects people in the real world • 3rd: your specific plan for reporting this story, use specific names and places • 4th: The kicker- remind the editor the question you’ll answer and why the answer is important to the mag’s audience • 5th: Your qualifications or why you should write this story. Plus your contact info and when you’ll follow up. (When you follow up: include your original pitch and clips but write a specific, short follow up email.)

43. Pitching a completed piece • Almost never do this. • Unless it is a first person piece and then editors want the whole thing.

44. If your pitch gets rejected, keep trying. • Repitch elsewhere. • Keep pitching the same editor if they seem amenable to you. • Be confident