Journalism 101

1. Journalism 101 Identifying the Central Point

2. What is the central point? • Central Point: • It is the most important piece of information the author wants to get across to the reader • It is the information with the most impact, or emotional punch • you can compare it to an English compositions thesis statement How do you find the Central Point? Ask yourself the 5 W’s: Who? Who is the story about? What? What happened or is going to happen? What event or occurrence is the story about? When? When did the event or occurrence take place, or when will it take place? Why? Why did the event or occurrence take place? What circumstances led up to it? Where? Where did the event or occurrence take place or where will it take place? How? How did it happen? What makes this story newsworthy?

3. What is the Summary Lead? • Summary Lead: is the first paragraph of a news story • it summarizes the story in a clear, factual beginning paragraph • It helps writers organize the story by establishing the angle or writing • It gives the reader immediately and in a way that can be easily understood • Writing the Summary Lead: • It is an acquired skill, takes practice • A good thing to do first is to write an outline

4. Section 6.2 Writing Inverted Pyramid Stories

5. Inverted Pyramid Most news stories are written in the inverted pyramid style. Meaning, all the important information is at the top of the lead paragraph. The rest of the paragraphs provide additional information in order of importance. Wire Service – news agencies that send out syndicated news items to media by means of telephone wires or satellite. Linotype (hot type)– a traditional way of setting newspaper type for printing. An operator sat at the keyboard at the Linotype machine and operated the machine to produce the copy (text). If the copy didn’t fit, they would just stop where it didn’t fit anymore. In the inverted pyramid style of writing, the important information was always at the top, so it was usually ok if the copy got cut at the bottom.

6. New technology has eliminated the need to use Linotype; now we use computers with word processors. Hence, copy doesn’t get cutoff at the bottom any longer. The inverted pyramid style of writing is still the best way to give readers the most information quickly. The Upside Down Approach: The summary lead answering the 5 W’s and H Details that support the lead and additional facts Inverted pyramid stories don’t require an ending (no conclusion)!! Least important information. The bottom of the story may get cut for space.

7. Applying Journalistic Style • Journalists use a common style to make their stories easy to read. • Journalistic style also helps the flow from one story to another. Journalistic Style for Print and Electronic News: Associated Press Style (AP Style) – most news organizations use this style for print or Internet. There is a AP Stylebook that many journalists keep handy and reference when needed. * keep sentences clutter-free * simplify your writing * avoid unnecessary words * write sentences with clear subjects and active verbs * write short sentences and paragraphs (don’t go off topic or get too wordy) * bullets help, especially when writing on the web

8. Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling and Word Usage • Begin sentences with a subject and a verb • Use active verbs • Use adverbs sparingly • Use adjectives, but use them sparingly • Use punctuation to control the flow • Word usage refers to using words in a way that conveys the correct means of the word.

9. Section 6.3 Writing the Body of Stories

10. Narrative, Hourglass and Focus Styles • Narrative Style: a storytelling style • Journalists use it to draw readers through the drama of an event, the personalities and characters of the subjects and the overall scene. • written in chronological order • use dialogue • have a beginning, middle and end

11. Hourglass Style: a combination of the narrative style and the inverted pyramid styles. • * invented in 1983 by Poynter Institute senior scholar Roy Peter Clark • three parts to this type of story • The top – beginning of the story, includes the summary lead and 3 or 4 paragraphs giving the important news • The turn – transition paragraph, it tells the reader that the narrative will begin. It often has a phrase attributed to someone in the story. For example; According to Mr. Smith, it happened when… • The narrative – bottom part of the story, told chronologically with a beginning, middle and end. Details, quotations and background information all go here.

12. Focus Style – has four parts (used a lot in the Wall Street Journal) • Lead – focuses on a person, place or situation. May be more than one paragraph. • Nut graph – a paragraph that states the central point of the story. May be bigger than the focused lead suggests. • Body – develops the central point in as many paragraphs as needed • Kicker – the conclusion. Finishes the story. Kickers are often good quotations or a short concluding sentence.

13. Writing Short • Writing Short: means writing short articles, stories, etc. Takes the same amount of research and good reporting. A journalist is just writing a shorter piece; more concise. A journalist has to know their material really well, therefore some say it is harder to write short. • Stay organized and focused • Just because you wrote facts down in your notes doesn’t mean you have to write them down in your article. • Tips for writing a short: • Your writer’s voice should be active, not passive. • Go after details and use them. • Use simple sentences. • Prune all the clutter out of your sentences. • Use quotations sparingly to move your story along, not to emphasize. • Vary the length of sentences in your short story so that you set the pace. Don’t make it sound choppy.

14. Checklist for Writing Short: • Do the research and reporting. • You need as much info for a short story as a long one. • Organize or outline. • Don’t just empty your notebook. • Simplify every sentence. • Use clear nouns, and strong active verbs. • Cut clutter. • Remove all extra words and phrases. • Use the best quotes. • They are the ones that move the story forward. • Be precise with words and details. • Say “now”, not “currently”; say “202” not “about 200”.