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The dreaded, horrible, unspeakable ‘topic lede ’

The dreaded, horrible, unspeakable ‘topic lede ’. Topic ledes. “Michael Gartner gave a speech today to journalism students about tips for good writing.”. Topic lede. The news is not that Gartner gave a speech, or even the overall subject of his speech. Topic lede.

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The dreaded, horrible, unspeakable ‘topic lede ’

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  1. The dreaded, horrible, unspeakable ‘topic lede’

  2. Topic ledes • “Michael Gartner gave a speech today to journalism students about tips for good writing.”

  3. Topic lede • The news is not that Gartner gave a speech, or even the overall subject of his speech

  4. Topic lede • The news is not that Gartner gave a speech, or even the overall subject of his speech • What is it about the speech that will compel the reader to read your story?

  5. Topic lede • The news is not that Gartner gave a speech, or even the overall subject of his speech • What is it about the speech that will compel the reader to read your story? • I Can Never Prepare Pancakes In England

  6. Topic lede • The news is not that Gartner gave a speech, or even the overall subject of his speech • What is it about the speech that will compel the reader to read your story? • I Can Never Prepare Pancakes In England • Besides being boring, topic ledes are lazy, weak and tepid

  7. Covering speeches: A recipe for success • Set up your story with a compelling lede

  8. Covering speeches: A recipe for success • Set up your story with a compelling lede • What is the most newsworthy thing the speaker said... or occasionally what big happened at the speech

  9. Covering speeches: A recipe for success • Set up your story with a compelling lede • What is the most newsworthy thing the speaker said... or occasionally what big happened at the speech • Second graf is a powerful quote to reinforce the point in your lede

  10. Covering speeches: A recipe for success • Set up your story with a compelling lede • What is the most newsworthy thing the speaker said... or occasionally what big happened at the speech • Second graf is a powerful quote to reinforce the point in your lede • Third graf includes the Ws necessary for reader to know what’s going on

  11. Covering speeches: A recipe for success • Set up your story with a compelling lede • What is the most newsworthy thing the speaker said... or occasionally what big happened at the speech • Second graf is a powerful quote to reinforce the point in your lede • Third graf includes the Ws necessary for reader to know what’s going on • Put speaker’s name in lede only if it’s known to most of your readers: did you know Gartner before reading his speech?

  12. Covering speeches • Include enough bio details to establish credentials

  13. Covering speeches • Include enough bio details to establish credentials • Convey tone of speech: what was mood of crowd, applause, boos, catcalls, laughter, tears, etc.

  14. So, let’s try another speech! • You are a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, assigned to cover Steve Jobs’ commencement speech to the Stanford University graduating class of 2012

  15. So, let’s try another speech! • You are a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, assigned to cover Steve Jobs’ commencement speech to the Stanford University graduating class of 2012 • Listen to this speech and write the first three grafs of a hard-news, next-day (Wednesday) story for the morning paper

  16. So, let’s try another speech! • You are a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, assigned to cover Steve Jobs’ commencement speech to the Stanford University graduating class of 2012 • Listen to this speech and write the first three grafs of a hard-news, next-day (Wednesday) story for the morning paper • Remember: your lede is the most newsworthy thing, reinforcing quote in second graf, rest of Ws in third graf

  17. Assignment for 1/31 • Re-read pages 44-45 of Inside Reporting

  18. Assignment for 1/31 • Re-read pages 44-45 of Inside Reporting • Re-read pages 108-109 of Inside Reporting

  19. Assignment for 1/31 • Re-read pages 44-45 of Inside Reporting • Re-read pages 108-109 of Inside Reporting • This weekend, you are a sports reporter for the AP. You are to travel to any college basketball game or to a tennis match at the Australian Open. You are to write a game-day story that will move internationally (tennis) or nationally (basketball). Your story will be at least 400 words! Use statistics, quotes, color, etc.

  20. Assignment for 1/31 • Re-read pages 44-45

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