JCM 303 II

-Broadcast News Writing Chapter: -Process of producing a newscast is complex. Involves several editors and producers who must plan every second of the broadcast and adapt to constant changes throughout day as news breaks. -Logging the Tape: -Photographer hands over videotape and is inserted in machine so the reporter can watch the video and choose sound bites. This process is called logging the tape. -Some TV stations require scripts just use first few and last few words of a sound bite, others must type the entire sound so it can be read on screen as closed captions for hearing-impaired viewers. The shorter the bite (less than 15 seconds), the better. -Planning a rundown: -Producers determine how much time each story can run. Everything is timed to the second in a TV newscast. -The rundown is a schedule for a televised newscast. Minutes and seconds are allocated by a producer/producers for every story. -Every story must be timed to the second. If a story goes over, time must then be subtracted from another report such as weather or sports. -30 minutes newscast only has roughly 14 minutes for news stories, whereas an hour-long newscast has 22 minutes. -Teasers: -Producers write promotional briefs, or teasers: news briefs of 20-25 seconds that air a few times a day to encourage viewers to tune into evening newscast. -Keep it short and don't give too much away. -Producers also write most of anchor's material and some of smaller stories, including rewrites of national stories. -Assigning the Stories: -Assignment editors. Review the 30-day file of story ideas, creates assignment sheet for discussion at morning planning meeting. Adds or changes to story list, depending on discussion and story suggestions of reporters. Reporters are expected to come to meeting with some story ideas based on their beats. -Also assigns photographers to reporters. The availability of capturing the pictures, which often comes first, determines when and if they have a story. -Gives Web editor insight if big story breaks for immediacy. Immediacy of online news can pose problems: wait for official confirmation. Standard rules of journalism do apply to Web. -In addition to planning news, AEs edit scripts along with other newsroom managers. Check for spelling, accuracy, completeness. Good writing counts for more than anything else. The fundamental remains for breaking news and reporting it well. (Write for clarity and brevity, use plain English, avoid repetition: especially between reporter's writing and sound bite, pick sound bites that have emotion: Reporters tell facts, don't let the sound bites simply state the facts too). -The Anchor: -Time for the newscast. News director heads to studio to anchor; reads from ____, a machine that contains the scripts, which scroll as he reads. -He introduces stories before reporters deliver them, and at end story he asks questions to reporter to provide additional information known as a ___. The reporters will often write these questions for the anchor to ask.

-Teleprompter -Tag

The three basic lead techniques: 2. Anecdotal leads.

-This type of lead starts with a story about a person or an event. In a sense, all soft leads are anecdotal because they are storytelling approaches. Many combine descriptive and anecdotal techniques. -Anecdote: Story behind a woman's case: -Example: Late one spring night, after drinks at a bar and a bit of protest, Elaine Hollis agreed to her boyfriend's desire to capture their passion on videotape. He promised to erase the tape. Seven years later, Hollis, who has a son with Bayliss, was in Delaware County Court accusing him of contriving to bring her into disrepute by exhibiting the tape. Bayliss, president of Philadelphia Suburban Electrical Service in Upper Darby, admitted showing the tape to one of his friends. Hollis contended he showed and distributed the tape in Delaware county and surrounding areas, as well as gave copies of it to two bar owners in Darby, who played it for the customers. Last week, after three years of litigation, a county judge upheld an Oct. 15 Common Pleas Court order that mandated Bayliss pay Hollis $125,000 to settle her lawsuit. -Example: This lead uses both anecdotal and descriptive techniques. This story starts with an anecdote about a woman's cat, to personalize the story about the city's drought problems. Dawn Clark's cat walked carefully across the lawn, then stopped suddenly, looking bewildered. The cat sniffed tentatively, then bolted off the grass and spent the next few minutes licking its paws - trying to clean the paint flecks from them. The lawn had recently been mowed and was green as a billiard table, because it had just been painted with a vegetable dye. Santa Barbara residents have devised innovative ways to keep their yards green since the city, faced with an expected water shortfall of nearly 50 percent of the year, declared a "drought emergency" in late February and banned lawn watering. Clark's cat had just experienced one: Several landscape companies now offer painting and local nurseries are stocking their shelves with green paint and pump sprayers.

Writing for broadcast (TV and radio): -Standards of journalism for broadcast stories are/are not different from print or online? -Writing techniques are different -For reasons of... 1) Writing for the ____ not the ____ 2) Someone else may have to ___ ___ ___ live and aloud. 3) ___ ____ much, much, much less. -Writing Techniques: 1) Lead: ____ to _____. NO: The council votes Monday to raise water rates... YES: Residents (or YOU) will pay 3% more for water. -Only writing where the second-person voice is necessary and at times good (Using the word 'You'). 2) Lead: focused on angle ____ ____. NO: Two people are shot Saturday night... YES: Two people are recovering today. Police are looking for... 3) Simple, ____ ____: Active voice not passive 4) No ___ ____ (unless sound bite or on graphic), only ____ (_____) -Attribution comes ____ in _____ (Mayor John said...) -This is because a viewer cannot see or hear when a quote begins and ends (does not know who is talking, cannot say an open quote and close quote mark) 5) Needs a strong ____ (whereas hard-news stories usually do not, just end on least relevant information). -Can be a wrap-up sentence (but not repetitive) -Or a focus on the next step/future action (Council expected to vote in 2 weeks on ....) -Story Shortness -BC stories are much shorter than print or online. -Typical 30 minute TV BC has 14 minutes of news -Lead story or package lasts 1-2 minutes -Typical TV story (not a lead story) lasts 30-40 seconds -30-40 seconds = roughly 90-120 words. A typical radio story is even shorter. -Sentences of ___ ___ or _____; 1 idea per sentence (A good general guideline when it comes to word limit)

-Are not. Accuracy, Balance, Completeness, Fairness, and Objectivity still apply. 1) Ear, eye 2) Read your script 3) Available time 1) Relevant to audience 2) Happening now 3) Conversational language 4) Direct quotes, indirect (paraphrase). First in paraphrase. 5) Ending -12 words or less

-Interactive nature of Web makes it ____; meaning users may access information in any order they choose. Conversely, print and broadcast stories are written in ___ order from beginning to end, as in a straight line, offering readers no choice except to stop reading. Many Web stories are too written this way, but Web readers have ___ choices of accessing related elements linked to the story or the site. (EX: A web package created in ____ order might be divided into smaller chunks spanning several pages, or it might contain links to timelines, related stories, polls, photo essays, searchable maps, and other interactive elements). -Should you include links within the text (____) or at the end (____)? Web designers in the past recommended links be placed on the side or end because a reader who clicked on an ____ link might not return to the article, but the current thinking is that online readers have become so sophisticated that they will return to articles they want to read even if they access a link on the other page. STORY PLANNING: -Should plan story before reporting process so you know what info to gather. Most news organizations use formatted programs for Web stories, so you do not have to worry about designing the Web page for your story. -If you plan to create a multimedia package or website, plan for photos, audio, video, and other graphic elements. Web designers plan sites by drawing a ____ which is similar to an organizational chart, show main parts and related pieces. A ____ can also be used to plan news stories, could too draft a simple outline to plan elements of a story. Step 1) Decide best way to tell story. Not all stories need to be written in linear format, story or some parts may be presented in alternative forms. Writing for the Web requires envisioning a story in ____. Will your story be one page of text, or will you write it in chunks? Use photos, audio, and/or video? Elements to consider including in your story: 1) ____: Does the story lend itself to background created as a? 2) ___ ___ ____: Would a question/answer format be a good way to present the story or accompany it? 3) ____: Will the story feature a discussion question, poll, quiz, searchable database, map, social media reporter may need to gather reader involvement? 4) ___/___ __ __ __: Will the story be accompanied by a complete list of contest winners, school test scores 5) ___: Will the story include audio or video? Do you need to tape an interview for sound bites? 6) ___ ___: Plan relevant _. 7) __ ___ _ ___: Not all news sties include these, but good idea to add in byline. 8) __ ___ ___: Will you include ___ __ ___ or related blogs?

-Nonlinear -Linear -Nonlinear, nonlinear -Embedded, external -Storyboard -Layers -timelines, frequently asked questions, interactivity, lists/data for full coverage, multimedia, related links, email addresses of reporters, social media links

Leads to Avoid: 2. Good news/bad news leads

-The bad news is this type of lead. They're clichés, and they're used so often that they're boring. They're also judgmental. -Example: Some good news for city workers: The county administration says it might not have to give out any pink slips, at least for now. Some bad news for city taxpayers: The county administration has shown no signs of scaling back its proposal to raise taxes for the next several years.

-Broadcast Style: -Broadcast scripts meant to be read from a teleprompter, so style rules are designed to make scripts easy for a reporter or announcer to read out loud and for listener to understand. 1) Punctuation: -Avoid ___ ___. Sound bites take their place. If you want to quote someone write out the word '___': 'She said ... quote ... the situation is impossible' or 'and these are her exact words' Do not end a quote by saying ___. Reader's emphasis should make end of quote clear. -Limit punctuation to comma, period, question mark, dash. 2) Numbers: -Round off numbers if possible. -Write out __-___. -Numerals for numbers __ __. -Write out ___, ____, ___, ___, ___. -Write numbers to be read as follows: 13-hundred, two-thousand, 14-thousand, one-million, 17-million. -Complicated numbers: 320-thousand, 15-million-230-thousand. -Spell out fractions. -For decimals write out the word 'point'. -Write out the word 'dollars'. -Exceptions: Numerals for ____, ____ ____, ___ of ___, even if figures are lower than 10. '5 Westbrook Avenue' '10:30 this morning (avoid a.m. and p.m.)' '5-5-5-1-2-3-4' Limit the use of numbers. Use percentages to give comparisons when possible. If you must use numbers, round them off and reinforce them with a graphic. Use analogies when possible to visualize numbers. (World's largest oil tanker is 15-hundred feet, equivalent to five football fields.) 3) Names and titles: -Spell difficult pronunciations of names and locations phonetically. -Some anchors prefer only the phonetic spelling instead of real name followed by the phonetic pronunciation. John Blum would be written as it is pronounced, John Bloom. -Identify a person's title before their name. State Attorney General John Lawmaker not John Lawmaker, state attorney general,... 4) Use contractions with caution. Write them out. Let anchors contract them if they want to. Avoid 'can't', sounds too much like 'can'. 5) Omit needless words. 'That', 'which' 6) Timing of copy. Broadcast scripts use 1:30 for 1 minute and 30 seconds, 2:00 for 2 minutes, etc. -Story Structure: -Like newspaper story, broadcast story needs a clear focus, lead, body, and ending. Unlike newspaper writing, however, broadcast writing should be geared to audio and video. -Focus statement -> Commitment statement: Still a one-sentence summary of story, but centered more on visual impact. What you want the audience to take away from the report. Provide the commitment visually. -Beginning: Write to pictures first. Build lead around a visual that foreshadows the story to come. -Middle: Use, in most cases, no more than 3-5 points which you prove visually. -Use strong natural sound to let viewer experience what happened. -Use people engaged in compelling action that is visual. -Use surprises to keep viewers involved and lure uninterested viewers. -Use short sound bites. -Ending: Build to a strong ending throughout the story, make it visual.

-Quotation marks, quote, unquote -1-9 -over 10 -hundred, thousand, million, billion, trillion -addresses, telephone numbers, time of day

-Feature writing: Leads -Features take soft, not hard leads. -HARD LEADS: Straightforward, factual -SOFT LEADS: Longer, maybe several grafs, more creative, often focuses on people. The Three Most Common Kinds of Soft Leads: 1. ____: What's happening, what is the action 2. ____: What a person or scene looks like 3. ____: A telling or symbolic mini-story that captures or reflects the point you make to make in your story.

What is #1? What is #2? hard. soft. 1. Narrative 2. Descriptive 3. Anecdotal

-Ways to structure each part of a package, a story that contains video and sound bites. -1) Leads: -Anchor will introduce your story, but every story in a package needs its own lead. -Must fit the pictures the viewers see. -Once you decide which images to use at the beginning of your package, you can decide whether the story needs a hard or soft lead. Feature stories may take softer leads; breaking news story calls for a direct approach. In all cases, must get to the focus - the nut graph - very quickly generally by the second or third sentence. -Put a human face on the whenever possible. Try to find someone personally affected by the issue. May start with the specific, using a person first, then go to nut graph. Starting with a general statement and going to a specific person is less effective. -Use the '__' Voice. Not all stories directly affect viewers' lives. But when possible, try to stress the impact within the first few sentences. Use element that will make viewers care or understand why this story is important, unusual, or of human interest. Do not be afraid to use the pronoun you, especially if in consumer stories to heighten impact. -Use ___ ____: Lead with the effect on viewers. Uses the '___' voice. -If you took your car to Sears for repairs in the past two years, you may get a refund. -Advance the lead: Stress the next steps to gain immediacy when you can. -Two people remain in serious condition following a car accident this afternoon. -___ ___ __ ___: The ___-___-__-____ lead works well in broadcast as in print especially for a feature or news story that the anchor introduces with a hard-news lead-in. -Wall Street Journal, goes from specific to general. The person is one of many affected by the problem. -___-___ ___: Another effective soft-lead technique, as long as you don'y keep the viewer wondering what the story is about for too long. Must get to point within first few sentences. -2) Body of the Story: -Must identify focus first, as in all story structures. Then jot down the order of your supporting points - facts or quotes from sources in sound bites. -One point should follow another one naturally. -If you need transitions from present to past, start sentence with time element ('Yesterday' 'Earlier today') -Most of the basic news elements - who, what, when, where, how and so what - must be included in the story, but not all in the same paragraph. Placement of points of emphasis for these elements differs from print. 1) Where: Because most radio and television stations reach such a broad audience, location of story is even more important in broadcast. Can superimpose name of location on screen, but also need to say it in story. 2) When: Almost all broadcast stories have a 'today' element: avoid using 'a.m.' or 'p.m.'. If specific time element is important, say something like 'An earthquake struck Southern California at 7:15 this morning' or 'earlier today' is sufficient. Place time element after the verb, which is a more natural, conversational order. 'At least five people were arrested today. 3) Who: Avoid using unfamiliar names in a lead and too many names in a story. When you have video sound bites, may not even need the name in the story. Person can be identified by a superimposed title under his image in the taped segment. For delayed identification, follow same guidelines as for print: identify person by age, location, occupation or some other generic identifier. Then follow with the person's name. If you do have to identify a speaker, use his title before the name.

-'You' -Impact leads -Focus-on-a-person lead -Mystery-Teaser lead

-Qualities of online news: -The basic concepts for breaking news on the Web are short, fast, and frequent. 1) ____: As soon as the news breaks, should be posted on the Web. News must be updated throughout the day. Can be delivered to cell phones, emails, tablets, websites via automatic updates (Really Simple Syndication or RSS), feeds or applications you choose to download. Twitter has become one of the main venues for breaking and updating news. 2) ____: Key element that makes online news distinctive from traditional print or broadcast media. Journalists are not the only providers of news anymore. Websites feature blogs and messages posted by subscribers to the site. ____ graphics and databases allow readers to click on a map or illustration to find the cheapest gas prices or check crime rates in their neighborhoods. And most websites offer links to share info via social media. 3) ____: Storytelling on the Web can take many forms. The inverted pyramid is still preferable for breaking news stories, but you can also tell stories in many other ways. 4) ___: In the past, ___ projects limited to major projects, but now ___ is standard on many print and broadcast websites. A ___ story uses a variety of text with photographs, video, audio, and graphics. -Many Web stories are versions of a print or broadcast story, but online users do not read the same way on the Web as they do in print publications. -___ ____ ____: Tested readers by using specially fit glasses to track eye movement. Showed that users looked first at headlines, blurbs, and photos or images. Tend to enter a screen through a dominant element usually a photograph. -Conclusions from earlier Poynter study comparing print and online reading habits: a) People will read a story online thoroughly if they are interested in it. This is a major change from past thinking that Web readers only scan stories. b) Both print and online readers rarely read stories to the end, but online readers read more of a story on the Web than print readers. c) Alternative story forms such as question/answer, timelines, lists and fact boxes help readers remember facts. -Jakob Nielsen, leading expert on Web usability, concluded for many years that Web readers were primarily scanners, not in-depth readers. Generally only took time to read 28% of words on a page, thus the first two words of headlines and links are critical. However, one of his 2013 stufdies concluded that sometimes users will switch from scanning to reading if they are interested in the content and if the page design is easy to navigate with good headings and subheads. -In general, online readers do not spend much time on a Web page after scanning headlines, key words and links. Readers will only take three seconds to decide whether to continue reading, according to a Yahoo! digital style guide.

1) Immediacy 2) Interactivity 3) Innovation 4) Multimedia

-Style differences between BC stories and online/print stories: 1) Write in ___ ____ whenever possible (focus on the '___' ____ makes this easier). 2) Sometimes do, sometimes don't follow AP style on number -Spell out ___-___ (but ignore AP's exceptions to its numeral rule) -Numerals OK from ____-____ -Use ____ for above ____ (e.g. 500-thousand, two-million NOT $2 million, $500,000) 3) ___ ___ numbers (using phrases such as more than or less than) (e.g. Not 7.2 million, but more than seven million) 4) Use '____' phonetic spelling for all but the simplest names (like Jones or Smith). -After correctly spelled name, ____ in parenthesis -A '____' is the phonetic spelling of a name - writing how it sounds off in parenthesis, writing its syllables. -Arenberg (AIR-en-berg) -LeBerte (LUH-ber-tee) Someone else is reading your script aloud. Make it easier for them. 5) No ____, no ______ (instead use words: e.g. dollars not $) 6) Put ____ between letters of intended acronyms (e.g. U-S-A, not USA or U.S.A.) 7) Don't ____ a word over ___ ___of ____. 8) For TV, write in ___-____ letters (easier for anchor to read) (only thing not are the pronouncer syllables not emphasized) 9) Use wide ____ ____ (also makes it easier for anchor to read) -If present tense does not work or feels awkward, you may not have a choice but to use past tense. -2 hallmarks of broadcast writing; narrow margins and all-caps. -Visuals and Audio -BC journalists will tell you the importance of ___ ____ -But you must work equally hard to get good video and audio. -This will make a difference in viewer/listener attention -This will make a difference in how much ____ the news director gives to your story and how ___ in the broadcast it will appear (Whether on A block for lead stories: 1.5 minutes for a story or typical B block for non-lead stories which are around 30 seconds)

1) Present tense, 'now' angle 2) zero-nine, 10-999, 999 3) Round off 4) Pronouncers 5) Symbols, abbreviations 6) Hyphens 7) Split a word over two lines of copy 8) all-CAPITAL 9) Side margins Good writing. Time, early.

-RUNNING A BEAT: -You can't write a good story unless you can find and report a good story. -___: covering, paying attention to -___: a geographic or topic area assigned to you to cover (you will find and write these stories your organization, this will be your job every day) -NOTE: With reduced newsrooms, many journalists have no beat but are ___ instead. That's a tough job. (Another option is to have multiple beats. Having no beats at all, ready and able to cover a wide variety of things on moments notice) -PR: Get to know and have a good relationship with the beat reporters (Your organization may be part of a journalist's beat and you might see him or her frequently) -TIPS FOR RUNNING A BEAT: 1) Show your ___ - a lot -Be there, show you care -Earn respect for your work ethic 2) Get to know everyone on the ____; talk to everyone. -(Do not limit your reporting to just) Not just ___ ___ and ____ ____ (senator, mayor, president, director of an organization, governor), but ___-___ ____ (e.g. secretaries) and __-__-__ (e.g. street cops) are vital too. -They can give you tips and story ideas, where to look for more information. 3) Report ____ your ____ ____. -Get to know citizens who are affected by news on your beat. EX: If your beat is on the Tuscaloosa City Hall, do not just stay in confines of people who work there. Think of the citizens, whose lives are affected by decisions from City Hall. EX: If you have a general topic beat, such as health; Have sources and contacts within hospitals, doctor's offices, and insurance companies, but get outside of these ____, talk to the patients (the regular folk). 4) Sometimes, talk ___ ___ ___, not because you're doing a story. -John Archibald: "You don't want the first time you talk to someone to be the first time you have to talk to that person." DEVELOP a good relationship, have trust there. -News with that person might occur, and you might get a greater or quicker access to that inside information because they trust you. You might get that info first. -Sometimes just ask: "Is there anything I should know about?" 5) Let beat sources know you ___ ___. -Give sources multiple ways to reach you, then be available. (You might have to work 24/7 because you might miss an opportunity to speak with someone and thus miss something important for your story.) -Signal: An encryption information service (contact sources privately) 6) Try to get all possible ___ ___ from your sources. -For ___ ____, respect your sources' personal lives -For ___ ___, bother them anytime, anywhere. -Not just office phone and email, but try to get their personal email or personal phone number. -News happens all the time, you shouldn't just stick to their office hours, you might consider them more if it is a more routine, less breaking story. -Bob Woodward: Source willing to talk at 11 p.m. at night, Woodward went right over to speak with him (a necessity to be ready 24/7). 7) Take interest in ___, as well as ____ sides of sources. -TRUST. Can be their hobbies, interests, family, even if it has no relation to a potential story. 8) Consider doing stories that sources ____ .... but not if they aren't legitimately ____ or the source expects a ___ ___. -A ___ ___ is a happy, positive story published because a source wants you to do it, it makes sources easier to talk to for future stories on your beat. Just remember, it is unethical to frame a story a certain way because a source requested it to (___). 9) Have ___ ___ in your head or notebook. -Laws, policies, procedures, history, budget, available records, etc. -You never know when a sudden news story will need some of it. -Pardons and Trump. If you did not have prior knowledge on how pardons work, you would miss that what Trump was doing was outside of the norm for issuing pardons. That is newsworthy (accountability of leaders). 10) Subscribe to all possible ___ ___. -Newsletters, email lists, speciality publications, etc. -Some business beat journalists share part of a stock in a business they cover. Why? To be put on the stockholder mailing list (which could provide them with new story ideas). 11) Constantly try to expand your ___ ___. -Good journalists have huge ___ ___. SUMMARY GET CLOSE TO YOUR SOURCES AND CONNECTED TO YOUR BEAT.... BUT.... Remain ____ and ____. -Your sources are not your friends. -Your job is not to make them look good. -You must be willing to look for and pursue negative news when warranted.

-"Running" -Beat -Generalists -Face -Beat, decision makers, official spokesmen, mid-level staff and rank-and-file -Outside, beat institutions -Just to talk -Accept tips -Contact info, typical stories, major stories -Personal, professional -Want, newsworthy, certain slant, slant -Beat Sweetener -Background knowledge -Relevant communications -Source list -Objective, neutral

-Writing tools for narrative writing. 1. Theme: a concept that gives the story meaning. 2. Descriptive techniques: a. Avoid ____ b. Use ____ c. Limit ___ ____ d. Avoid ___/____ ____ e. Show ____ in _____ f. Use ___ ____ g. ___ the ____ 3. Narrative writing techniques

-Once you have gathered all those details, what do you do with them? The better you are as a reporter, the more you will struggle as a writer deciding what information to use. The three basic tools of storytelling are theme, descriptive writing techniques and narrative writing techniques. 1) Theme: Before you begin writing a feature story, develop a theme - a concept that gives the story meaning. -Maraniss: The theme is why readers wants to read your story, not the nut graph required by many editors. To write something universal ... death, life, fear, joy ... that every person can connect to in some way is what I look for in every story. __________________________________________________________________________ 2) Descriptive techniques: Too much description will clutter a story, too little will leave the reader blank. How much is enough? First decide whether the story lends itself to description of the scene or person. Then take the advance of DeSilva: Description like every element in either fiction or nonfiction should advance the meaning of your story. It would be a good idea to describe the brown house in more detail only if those details are important. It never should be there because you are showing off. And when you do describe, you should never use more words than you need to trigger that mental image readers already have in their minds. Techniques for good descriptive writing include the following: a. Avoid adjectives: Write specific detail with vivid nouns and verbs, but avoid modifiers. When you use adjectives, you run the risk of inserting your own opinions into the story. Mailer: The adjective is the author's opinion of what is going on, no more. If I write "A strong man came into the room,", that only means he is strong in relation to me. Unless I've established myself for the reader, I might be the only fellow in the bar who is impressed by the guy who just came in. It is better to say: "A man entered. He was holding a walking stick, and for some reason, he now broke it in two like a twig." Of course, this takes more time to narrate, so adjectives bring on quick tell-you-how-to-live writing. Put 20 adjectives in front of a noun and no one will know if you are describing a turd: "A super-efficient, silent, sensuous, five-speed shift." Advertising thrives on this. b. Use analogies: A good analogy compares a vague concept to something familiar to readers. For example, what is a "fat" man? Finkel leaves no doubt in his story about a circus performer: How do you visualize the "World's Biggest Man" at 891 pounds? Finkel uses familiar items to help the reader see: Now: 891 and climbing. That's more than twice as much as Sears' best refrigerator-freezer - a 26-cubic footer with automatic ice and water dispensers on side-by-side doors. That's almost as much as a Steinway grand piano. c. Limit physical descriptions: Use physical descriptions only when they are relevant to the content. They work well in profiles; in stories about crime, courts and disasters; and whenever they fit with the context. They don't work when they are tacked onto impersonal quotes. -Avoid stage directions - descriptions of people's gestures, facial expressions and physical characteristics inserted artificially as though you were directing a play. You do not need to describe what city commissioners are wearing at a meeting or how they gesture unless their clothing and movements enhance what they are saying and doing. -King: No 'sharply intelligent blue eyes' or 'outthrust determined chin' -BUT there are times when such description enhances a story. -The 50-year-old airline pilot - who prosecutors say killed his wife by unknown means, cut up her body with a chain saw, and disposed of it with a wood chip - per - testified with a voice and manner that was claim it bordered at times on nonchalance. d. Avoid sexist/racist descriptions: When you decide to include descriptions of people, beware of sexism, racism or other biased writing. Writers often describe men with action verbs, showing what they are doing, and women with adjectives showing what they are wearing or how they look. One way to avoid bias is to ask yourself if you would use a similar description for both men and women or equal treatment for all racial and ethnic groups. -Ineffective: Even Chandra Smith, busy being adorable in her perky non-runner's running outfit, actually looked at the track. A minute later, she was jumping around and yelling, along with most of the other 41,600 people on the old wooden benches at Franklin Field. -The men described in this story had on gray trousers or red caps. Not 'adorable' or 'perky' or even 'macho'. e. Show people in action: One of the most effective ways to describe people or places is to show action. For example, French doesn't write only about murder. Florida high school series: show-in-action technique extensively as passage about a history teacher's first day on the job. Samsel, giving his homeroom students some forms to fill out. -The future leaders of America sit silently, some of them slumped forward, starting into space through half-closed eyes. Over to the side sits a boy. He is wearing a crucifix, blue jeans and a T-shirt. On the front of the shirt is a big smiley face. In the center of the face's forehead is a bullet hole, dripping blood . . . Around the room, students begin writing. "Isn't this great?" said Samsel. "Just like real life - forms and everything." Smiley Face looks at one of the sheets in front of him. He reads aloud as he fills it out. "Please list medical problems." He stops. "Brain dead," he says. f. Use lively verbs: News is action, says Jack Hart. But writers often "squeeze the life out of an action-filled world," he says. "We write that thousands of bullet holes were in the hotel, instead of noting that the holes pocked the hotel. We report that a jumper died Monday when his parachute failed, instead of turning to action verbs such as plummeted or plunged or streamed." g. Set the scene: You need to set the scene by establishing where and when. Although it is common to establish the time and weather, often in a lead, beware of using that technique unless time and weather factors are relevant to the story. "It was 2 a.m. and the wind was blowing," is akin to the cliché "It was a dark and stormy night." In this story from a CSU newspaper, time and weather conditions are relevant to the story: -Shivering in the mud after a 2-foot-high chaparral, Jose carefully lifts his head into the cold night mist to monitor the movements of the U.S. Border Patrol. On a ridge above a small ravine, patrol trucks scurry back and forth while a helicopter above provides the only light, turning spots of the nighttime terrain into the day. In the distance, guard dogs prowl, bark and yelp. At one point a patrol truck speeds toward Jose and his group of six Mexican farm laborers. Squatting in the brush, they quickly slide flat into the mud like reptiles seeking shelter. Within seconds the helicopter hovers above them as its searchlight passes nearby, then at once directly over them. All their faces are turned downward to avoid detection by the brightness of the light that illuminates every detail of the soil, roots and insects that lie inches under them. Soon, the truck and helicopter make a slow retreat. Jose and his group, safe for the moment, will remain motionless in that same muddy spot for the next three hours as the mist turns to rain and the rain turns back to mist. To those who have never passed this way before, the sights and sounds are of another world. But to the expert scouts called "coyotes,", this alien land between Mexico and the U.S. is home. Every weekday evening, approximately 2,000 people attempt to illegally cross the border from Mexico to the U.S. On weekends the numbers can climb between 5,000 and 10,000, said Victor Clark, director of the Binational Center for Human Rights in Tijuana, Mexico. -In the next example, the story is about a reading program. Although the lead about the weather is backed up by a quote, the weather has nothing to do with the focus or rest of the story. -It was a beautiful spring-like Sunday, and the heat on the first floor of the Kansas City Public Library Downtown was on full-blast. But that didn't stop about 400 people from crowding inside to read and hear their favorite selections from African-American authors. The crowd, people of all ages and races, was there to take part in the national Read-In sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Teachers of English. "That is true commitment," said Mamie Isler, program director for Genesis School, which helped coordinate the event in Kansas City. The second annual Kansas City Read-In opened with a performance by 30 students from the Genesis School choir.

-Brief overview of creation of digital media and digital journalism: -Digital first media: Digital journalism, which is synonymous with online journalism, is the new norm. More newspapers and other printed or broadcast media are now publishing first on the Web, in some cases eliminating print products altogether. A movement for this trend is called "Digital First", generally defined as publishing first online in any form of digital media such as websites, blogs, social media, or on mobile media devices. -Digital has become the buzzword for almost everything in media and products these days, but what does it mean? -A digit is a number from zero to nine, but computer information just involves two digits ones and zeroes, arranged in billions of combinations to create words, images, and sounds of ones and zeroes, called a binary system. -Data on the Web, however, is not coded in all those one and zeroes. Tim Berners Lee, invented the Web as a global info sharing system and created the HTML (HyperText Markup Language) as a form of formatting documents to be viewed on the Internet, a system of networks connecting computers. -You don't have to write codes to do great digital journalism, many free programs such as WordPress and blog software automatically create websites for you, but you need to understand qualities of online journalism and how to write well for the Web.

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-Ways of Organizing Broadcast Stories -1) __/___: Most common structure starts with statement of problem, provides support in sound bites and facts, offers background and discusses solutions if any exist. Often ends with next step in the action. -2) Time Sequence: Story may lend itself to order by time. Because broadcast stories need immediacy, time sequence is usually a reverse chronology that starts with the present action, goes to the past (background), and ends with a future element. ___ ____. -3) ___: Structure is a type of time sequence. Start with hard-news summary lead and then rebuild the story chronologically. -4) __: Main point in lead, all supporting points should relate to the focus in the lead. Unlike the inverted pyramid, where points are placed in descending order of importance, in a circular construction, each part of the story is equally important. Ending can refer back to point in lead. -Endings: -In broadcast writing, endings are called '___' or '__-__'. -Newspaper stories often end with a quote from a source, but in broadcast writing, reporter has last word in a package, followed by his name and station identification. Often the only time the viewer sees the reporter is at the end of the story. However, many news directors now prefer using reporter ___-___ within the story rather than at the end. 1) ___: A fact that reinforces the main idea without repeating previous points. 2) ____: Next step in some action. 3) ___: Background statement or just another fact. 4) ___: Helpful items, such as where to call or go for additional information. If this information is important to the viewer, avoid giving it only one time. Warn the viewer that you will be repeating telephone numbers or locations later in the program. Plan to have phone numbers posted on the screen. Can also refer to station's website for additional information. -Revising Stories: -Read story aloud. Rewrite any strained sounding sentences. -Check all sources' names and titles for spelling, accuracy, and pronunciation. -Eliminate any bureaucratic language and replace it with simple, clear terms. -Delete adjectives. Let the video show the viewers the scene. -Make sure your transitions don't repeat the sound bites. -Look at the video without the sound; then listen to your story without the video.

-1) Problem/solution -2) Time sequence, reverse chronology -3) Hourglass -4) Circle -Tags, wrap-ups -Stand-ups 1) Summary 2) Future 3) Factual 4) Consumer

-Feature Writing: The Ending: -Features, unlike hard news stories, need ___ ____ ___. 3 Common Endings are... 1. '___' ____: Go back to the lead 2. Another ___ ___ 3. A ___ ___ or ____ But not a ___ ____; leave readers with a memorable end. (Gotta be something new.) Examples of each on back of slide.

-A strong ending 1. 'Circle' ending 2. Zinger quote 3. Telling moment or observation 1. Describes the neon signs in the lead, goes back to them at the end.

What kind of soft lead are they? 1. 2. 3.

-All 3 leads are similar in that they all have details! -Why details are so important in captivating the reader!!! 1. Descriptive. Describes the scene 2. Anecdotal. Tells a mini-story, an anecdote about how he broke his leg, but it is related to the point you want to make in the story. 3. Narrative. Describes. the action/what's happening.

-Narrative writing. A dramatic account of a fiction or nonfiction story. Writing in this style requires thorough reporting and descriptive detail -The 5 W's... -Reading to write.

-A dramatic account of a fiction or nonfiction story. Writing in this style requires thorough reporting and descriptive detail. Dialogue also enhances the storytelling. Narrative writing for news often reconstructs events to put the reader on the scene. The sources are like characters who relive the events as they happened. But the story must include the basic factual elements of news. -Klickenberg: The 5 W's are this way: 1) Who: Character 2) What: Plot 3) When: Chronology 4) Where: Place 5) Why: Motive -French uses all of these elements in his stories by weaving facts with description and dramatic tension. -Example: French using descriptive detail to reveal how the bodies of the women were found. -Another example: French uses dialogue to reconstruct the scene when Hal Rogers, the husband and father of the dead women, tells the boyfriend of his daughter Michelle that his wife and daughters won't be coming home. _________________________________________________________________________ -Good writers are good readers, and French said he was inspired to do narrative writing after he read a book by Márquez, The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor, a riveting story about a man who survived 10 days at sea without food and water. -French also influenced by the literary journalists, a group of writers who in the 60s and 70s, used the storytelling techniques of fiction for nonfiction newspaper and magazine stories. -The literary journalists immersed themselves in a subject and wrote their stories with characters, scene, dialogue and plot. These were factual stories written like fiction. -Journalists often think storytelling techniques are limited to feature stories, but as you will see, you can apply this kind of writing to news about crime and courts and many other news stories.

The three basic lead techniques: 1) Descriptive leads.

1) The type of lead describes a person, place or event. It is like the descriptive focus-on-a-person lead, but it doesn't have to focus on a person who is one of many. It can be used for news or feature stories. -Example: Story focuses on the man who is causing the problem: 'Skippack farmer John W. Hasson stood ankle-deep in mud, pumping milk into a wooden trough as his pigs, squealing and grunting, snouts quivering, climbed over each other to get to their feed. ... Hasson inhaled deeply. "Does that smell sour to you? That's what they call noxious fumes," he said with a sniff toward his new neighbors, Ironbridge Estates, a subdivision of two-story colonial houses costing $200,000 plus. Ironbridge's developers say Hasson's farm smells. And his 250 pigs squeal too much. So they have filed suit in Montgomery County to force him to clean up his act.

-Why it's smart for PR majors to be in this class: 1) Successful PR messages demand ____, solid writing. 2) If you write like a _____, ____ will publish your message. 3) PR firms are chasing people with ____ ___ (hire those who used to be journalists who got laid off for example) -Why PR practitioners have influence with media: 1) Newsrooms are smaller, but ____ ____ ____ require journalists to be constantly generating new posts ; a well-written newsworthy press release can save the day! 2) PR practitioners control access to ___ ___ / ____ journalists need. -You must, however, use this influence effectively. Example: Elite Pressure Washing and Painting cleans windows of the Woodlands, TX with their Residential and Commercial Window Cleaning Services. -> This is not effective. For one, it is not newsworthy. Secondly, it is unclear (unneeded capitalization, wrong form of grammatical terms such as it's/its) -What is an effective news release? -Journalists may depend more than ever on news/press releases, but you still need to ____ the ____. Most journalists are flooded with releases every day. -Write it like ____!: 1) Legitimate/distinctive ___/___ ___, be selective! 2) ___ ____; ___ ____; ____ ___ (for body) 3) ___ and ____ -> No typographical errors, misspellings, proper grammar -> CLEAN COPY 4) Sufficient ____ and ____, but not ____. 5) No ___ ___ ('revolutionary'), use ____, not ____. -Other things to do! 3) Be aware of good/bad ____ (What are journalists prioritizing, when are they prioritizing what?) a) ___ ___ to hit. (Not a lot going on) b) ___ ___ to stay away from. c) ___ ____ -> When is a good time to serve that release? (1-2 weeks ahead of game ; Example: Gym membership promotional program - might send in December/January before everyone makes their New Year's resolutions to be skinny) d) Angles related to ___ ____ (What is going on the world? Could it shed light or give insight? -> Example: Professor I work for is an expert in mail-in voting, strike quickly because it is a current angle prominent in the news). 4) Send by mail 5) Send photos/videos or at least identify opportunities for them (No one tells a story anymore with just text.) 6) No ____ (Sending out some information that is for public, but you tell them you cannot publish that information until a certain date; someone in media will break that rule)

-Clear -Journalist, media -Journalistic skills -24/7 digital platforms -Key officials/sources -Win the competition -Journalism! -News/feature angle -Impactful lead ; summary lead ; inverted pyramid -Clear and clean -Background and definitions, not jargon -No promotional language, use facts not adjectives. -Timing -Slow periods -Busy periods -Seasonal topics -Current news -Embargoes

-Some Basic BC Terms to Know: 1) _____: TV script read by anchor while on camera 2) ____ (____): TV script read by reporter or anchor while video is shown (reporter is not shown on camera, but video is instead as they read) [Begins as a reader.] 3) __-_-__ (___ AKA ___ ____): Recorded audio (and video if TV) from a scene or interview -Radio journalists call this an '___' 4) _____: A story with VOs, SOTs, and a live or recorded reporter standup -Radio journalists call this a '___'. -Do not repeat info in VOs or SOTs avoid 100% duplication - script should complement what viewers see and hear in video and audio. 5) ____: Brief sentence read by anchor promoting an upcoming story either in the same broadcast or for a later time in the day -'Tune in at 5 p.m. tonight.' 6) ___-___: Brief sentence read by anchor introducing a story 'The council approval will be at 5 p.m. Here's Joe Smith reporting from City Hall.' (Usually 10 seconds or less.) -One more thing about BC... -You have to be not only a good script writer, but also error-free in front of the camera.

1) Reader 2) Voiceover (VO) 3) Sound-on-tape / SOT / Sound bite, actuality 4) Package, wrap 5) Tease 6) Lead-in

-Glossary of Terms: -Actuality: Radio term for SOTs. -Backtiming: exact time each segment will air in a newscast (12:15, story will air 12 minutes and 15 seconds into a newscast). -Brief: Abbreviated news story, 10 to 20 seconds long. -IN: First few words of source's quotes to start a sound bite and time on the tape. OUT: Last few words, ending the sound bite. -News director: Oversees all news operations in station. -One-man-band: A reporter who shoots, tapes, and writes the story. -Package: Reporter's story that includes narration, visual images, sound bites from sources. -Producer: Plans newscast and often writes teasers and some copy for anchors. -Reader: Story anchor or radio announcer reads without visuals or soundbites. -Rip-and-read: Copy from wire services that is read exactly as it was written instead of being rewritten. -Seg time: Length of time for a news segment (0:10, 1:45) -SOC (Standard out cue): Reporter's sign-off comments. -SOT: Similar to sound bite indicated in copy along with amount of time taped comment will take. SOT 0:15. -Sound bite: Video segment showing source speaking. -Stand-up: Part of story in which reporter talks on camera at scene; sometimes at end of story. -Super: Letters, numbers or words produced by character generator and superimposed over visual images; often to identify person appearing on tape. At some stations, letters CG for character generator used to indicate super. -Tag: Closing sentence for TV or radio story or package. -Teaser: Introduction to story on next newscast, tease viewers to tune in. -Teleprompter: Video terminal that displays script for anchor to read. Term previously trademark, but AP style now considers it generic. -VO (Voice over): Anchor's voice over video iamges. Words and images should conincide. -VOB (Voice over bite): Anchor's voice over video images with a sound bite from the source. -VO-SOT (Voice over sound on tape): Anchor's voice over video and sound bite; same as VOB but more commonly used.

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-Soft Leads: -Try writing many different leads instead of struggling to find the perfect one. -Make sure that your lead is related to your focus and can be backed up in your story. -Do not strain to 'create' a lead from your head. Pull from the story, not from your head, for inspiration. -Soft leads can be fun to write and fun to read. They can also be painful. If you don't get to the point quickly, they can also be tedious. They can be as effective in ____ ____ as in ____. -If you use a descriptive or anecdotal lead, make sure that the nut graph is high in the story! -Although soft leads are also called '___ ___', the lead is still first. Only the ___ ___ is delayed. It is preferable to place the ___ ___ high in the story, by the ___ to ____ paragraph. -There are many types of soft leads. They can be used on both ___ and ___ stories. Most of them follow a simple concept: ___ to ____. Use a ___ example at the beginning to illustrate the main point of the story. -People like to read about other people! As a result, many soft leads start with something about a person who is one of many people. The idea behind these soft leads - called '___ ___' - is that readers can relate better to one person's problem than to a general statement of a problem. -Other common types of soft leads are ____ and ___. ___ ____ describe a person or a scene. ___ ____ are storytelling leads that recount the event in a dramatic way to put the reader on the scene as the action occurs. -And then there are leads that are just ____ or _____. -It's not what you call soft leads that matter; it's how you write them! The important point is to tell a good story. When writers struggle with soft leads, it is often because they think they must create something clever. All too often, the result is a ___. It is best to look at your notes and build a lead based on something interesting in the story. -Basic lead techniques are ____, ____ and ____.

-Broadcast writing, print -Delayed leads, nut graph, nut graph, third to fifth paragraph. -News and feature stories. Specific to general. -Anecdotal leads -Descriptive and narrative. Descriptive leads. Narrative leads. -Clever or catchy. -Cliché -Descriptive, anecdotal, and narrative.

-Dealing with ____ ____: -Usually, journalist-PR relations are mutually beneficial, however when there's negative news about your client the two roles often work at cross-purposes and may even become adversarial. In this case, it would be rightfully adversarial. -Journalists seek truth, PR must manage the client's image. -How to deal with journalists in ____ situations. 1) ___ is bad ; advocate to your client to say something. 2) ___ ___ are good. Weigh the pros and cons of granting interviews (Is your client able to handle tough questions?) 3) Only defend what you can ___ ___ ; stay silent on everything else. In other words... DO NOT _____ (This is the worst thing any PR practitioner can do. You will be caught sooner or later.) Example: Deepwater Horizon explosion, BP (LIED). -Concept of ____ ___: Not gonna lie, will always tell the truth, just might not tell the whole truth or remain silent on certain aspects of the truth (representing your client). Don't speak about other points that are not in your favor, but do speak on points that are in your favor. -If a client or employer TELLS YOU to lie... What do you do? -Do your job as the client expects you to? Or consider the ethics? -But you are not helpless ; be the ___ ___ for what is right (Make it clear to your clients what you should or should not do, otherwise it might blow up in your face). -This is an everyday mission - ____ there's a crisis (so there is never a crisis) -BECAUSE THERE IS NO AMOUNT OF ___ ___ THAT CAN OFFSET SOMETHING THAT ___ ___ ____ ___ (The secret is to never let it happen to begin with.)

-Crisis communication -Crisis situations -Silence -Written statements -Rightfully defend -Lie -Selective truth -Internal advocate -Before -Good PR, never should have happened.

Feature Writing and Reporting: -____ and '__ ___' mean almost the same thing... -Both are generally defined by: 1) Lack of ____ (not ____ ___) 2) ___ ___ ____ (more creative leads, structure and language -> Not serious, straight-forward or 'just the facts') -However, the topic of a '____' ____ generally aims to entertain. -A ____ topic could entertain or could cover a serious matter. ____ often contain hard-style ____ and soft-style ____ Example: You could write a story on a mom struggling to raise her kids with an opioid addiction. You could give a profile of the family by staying with them and providing your direct observations of their behaviors (Feature-style approach to a very serious subject. I could then do hard-news reporting: How she obtains her pills in violation of the law?) -The best stories often blend hard and soft-news style. -There are many kinds of features including... a. ____/___-____ ____ (about people) b. ____ ____ c. ___ ____ d. ___ ____ (not breaking news, but pegged to recent news -> brings an added dimension to coverage Example: Hearing in Senate over Supreme Court nomination of ACB. What if we peg to the conference hearing by doing a profile on ACB! Relates the feature aspect of current news. Another example: How vaccines are created/the creation process -> Feature dimension to the pandemic and what is being done to stop it.) e. ___/____ ____

-Features, 'soft stories' -Immediacy (not breaking news) -Soft writing style -Soft story -Feature -Reporting, writing -Profile/Human-Interest story (both common names to describe the same type of story) -Place features -Event features -News features -Trend/issue features

-Broadcast Writing Style: -Attribution: Always ___ in broadcast. First or last in print and Web. -Active voice: Preferable for print but even more necessary for broadcast. -Present tense: Use when possible for broadcast; past tense is more common in print and Web. -Update leads: Use latest info. Technique recommended for all media, but especially for broadcast and Web. NO: Eighteen eagles were flown to the bird rescue center Saturday. YES: Eighteen eagles are recovering at the bird rescue center, where they were flown Saturday. -Broadcast Script Format: -Scripts written in ___ ____, with directions for technical crew on ___ and story text on ___. -Most newsrooms use a computer program that automatically formats scripts. -Reporter's text usually in capital letters, and sound bites in uppercase and lowercase. Sources for sound bites are identified by machine called a '___ ___' that produces titles that are superimposed under the video to identify the speaker. -Some stations identify the sound bites as __, meaning __ __ __. At KTUU, sound bite is on different tape so bites are identified as 'A roll' on one tape and 'B roll' on another tape. -Many terms previously used in scripts are changing. Script should contain a __ (one- or two-word title) which is usually assigned by producers. -Reporter's copy is usually written in capital letters and sound bites are typed in upper and lowercase letters. -You should not split or hyphenate words at the end of a sentence. Script will be read on a teleprompter, and the anchor or reporter needs to see whole word. Reporter's story includes the video, reporter's narration, and sound bites making it a __. -Web versions of broadcast stories have the option of being text or video. -Teasers and Lead-Ins: -1) ___, ___: Short blurb to entice viewers to tune in or stay tuned to a newscast. Broadcast during day before newscast or during newscast before commercial break. Do not tease regular segments in general terms like weather and sports; tease something interesting or unique in your program that will affect the viewers. Write a tease as though you were telling a friend ('Guess what?' or 'You won't want to miss this!') -Can include audio and video. -'Coming up on the 5 o'clock report ... Two foster care teens sued the state saying it did not keep them safe. Now both sides agree to a settlement.' -2) ___: Anchor reads a lead into a package by a reporter. Should give the essence of the story and sometimes the context for how it occurred. Should not repeat reporter's lead. -3) ___ ___, ___, ___ __ ___: Equivalents of quotes in print and Web stories. Best ones are usually short - less than 10 seconds - and reflect emotion or info that is better coming from the source than from the reporter. Make it memorable. Avoid quotes that repeat what the reporter explained called "___" ___. -Four qualities of good sound bites 1) Personal account (people telling what they saw, heard, felt, smelled, tasted) 2) Witness acount 3) Personal opinion 4) Expert opinion -4) ___ ___: Background sound is intended to play while reporter or anchor is speaking, called ___ or ___ ___. Enhance story by giving viewer a sense of being on the scene without distracting from the words the anchor or reporter is speaking. -5) __, ___ and ___: A ___, ___ story that the anchor reads over pictures but without any audio sound bites. A ___, then, is a voice-over the anchor reads plus a sound bite. Both formats are brief - from 0:20 to 0:45 - and often compromise a majority of the stories on broadcast. Because TV depends on images, both VOs and VOSOTs feature images while anchor is reading story. However, not always possible to time the visuals exactly to the text the anchor is reading, so best not to say "as on your screen" or to use other direct reference to a video. -VO and VO-SOT differ from a package, which is a story that includes an introduction by the anchor to the story that a reporter narrates with sound bites and pictures and sometimes a '___-__' which features the reporter on camera. Usually ends in '__ __ __' which the the reporter sign-off ('This is ___ ___ for KTUU.') -Some VOs begin with the image, whereas others insert images after the anchor starts to read.

-First -2 columns -Left, right -Character generator -SOT, sound on tape -Slug -Package -Teaser, tease -Lead-ins -Sound bites, SOTs, sound on tape -'Echo' quotes -Natural or ambient sound -VOs, VOSOTs. -VOs, voiceover -VOSOTs -Stand-up -Standard out cue

-Reporting tools for narrative writing. -Gathering details and observation -Ladder

-Good storytelling requires observation and gathering details. -Ruehlmann, author of Stalking the Feature Story, says writers must concentrate when they observe and then analyze what they observe. He gives the example of flies taking off backward. So in order to swat one, you must strike slightly behind them. An interesting detail and certainly one a writer would be able to pick up on. Other people see flies; a writer sees how they move. -During the reporting process, you don't always know the details you will need when you write your story. Ask what were the people thinking, saying, hearing, smelling, wearing and feeling. Be precise. Take notes when you hear dialogue that could enhance your story. -To help you gather specific details envision a ladder with rungs leading from general to specific. Start with the broadest noun, and take it to the most specific level. Then use those details to write. LADDER: (from bottom to top) BOTTOM RUNG: DOG LHASA APSO TAN AND WHITE LHASA APSO LHASA APSO NAMED JOE LHASA APSO NAMED FOR JOE DIMAGGIO. -Example: A tan and white Lhasa Apso named Joe ran onto the baseball field and interrupted the game when he stole the ball. It was only natural. After all, his namesake was Joe DiMaggio.

Leads to Avoid: 4. Nightmare leads

-These are also dream leads, usually relating to a past experience. The nightmare analogy is overused. "The past three days were like a nightmare for John Jones." For the reader too: Every bad experience someone has does not have to be compared to a nightmare. -Example: The nightmare became reality for local police yesterday when a drug dealer was arrested at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Hidden in his baggage were $50,000 worth of heroin, some PCP and 500 grams of crack cocaine, with an estimated street value of at least $15,000.

-Writing tools for narrative writing. 3. Narrative techniques continued. -Create tone.

-Hard-news stories often have an objective, factual tone, mostly an absence of mood. But in storytelling, you should create a tone, or mood, such as happiness, sadness, mystery, excitement or some other emotion. -You don't need to tell the reader that the mood of the place was festive or mournful. You can show it by images, quotes and style that you select for your story. For example, this writer tries to recreate the somber tone of the story by using a narrative lead. -A 9-year-old boy watches in horror as his grandparents contemplate suicide. He cannot cry out to them or he will make certain of their death as well as his own. At such a tender age, he learns that he must keep quiet and keep everything inside in order to live to see another day. That was the lesson that Zev Kedem learned as a young Jewish boy in Nazi Germany during World War II. Kedem, a survivor of the Holocaust because of Oskar Schinlder's list, gave a talk to nearly 800 students at the University of Kansas ballroom... (see rest of image) -Conversely, in the other example, the writer creates a lighthearted tone by mirroring subject matter - a profile of a hypnotist.

Other Soft Leads: 6. List leads

-If you have a few brief examples to lead into your focus, you may list them in parallel sentences - making sure that your sentences have the same construction, such as subject-verb-object order. A list of three times or sentences provides good rhythm. -Example: David Hodges isn't in prison. He's not in jail. He didn't sit through a trial, and he didn't plead his case before a judge or jury. Six years ago, police charged the then-Coralville resident with viewing child pornography on a University of Iowa computer. His trial was set, then reset, then set again. A judge denied a motion to throw out the case. In January 2007, Hodges, who had been convicted of the same crime in 2003, failed to appear for his pretrial conference. Law enforcement officials haven't seen him since - and that's not unusual. State data and interviews with law-enforcement officials reveal a system lacking the budget and manpower to adequately deal with fugitives.

Other Soft Leads: 5. Build-on-a-Quote leads.

-If you have a great quote, build your lead around the quote that will back up your first sentence. But be careful not to repeat too much of the quote in your lead; that's boring and repetitious. Building on a quote is an easy and effective way to find a lead, provided the quote is related to the focus of the story. This technique works equally well for hard-news leads. For broadcast news, however, you would not read a quote. Instead, you start with a video of a person speaking, called a 'sound on tape' (SOT). -Example: Melinda Easterbrook knows exactly how long it took for a tornado to blast apart her comfortable home while she and her husband huddled in the basement. "It lasted five Hail Marys and two Our Fathers, but you have to say them quickly," she said yesterday. While she was praying, the concrete basement rumbled and shook. When she and her husband, Bryan, came upstairs, they were hardly prepared for the scope of the destruction that had swept through this small town about five miles east of Wichita. -Next example is the kind of b-o-a-q lead to avoid. The backup quote says the same thing as the lead, and it's right after the lead, so it's boring. In broadcast writing, this is called parroting, when the reporter introduces a sound bite that repeats what the source says on tape. It should be avoided as well. A commitment to high-tech learning and small classes taught by professors has made Fort Hays State University the fastest-growing university in the state Board of Regents system, FHSU's president said today. FHSU had the largest spring semester enrollment increase among the six regents' universities - 2.4 percent compared with the previous spring. "We've had the fastest-growing of the regents' institutions over the last five years," FHSU President Edward Hammond said.

Other Soft Leads: 8. Cliché leads

-In general, avoid clichés. But occasionally, a play on words will work as a clever lead. -Example: Nick Agid's workshop is just a stone's throw from the Torrance post office. Good thing, too. When Agid drops a post card into the mail, it lands with a five-pound thud. Agid is a sculptor who carves messages on leftover chunks of marble and granite. They become postcards when he adds scratched-on addresses and slaps stamps on the slabs.

Leads to Avoid: -The leads described in this section are strained, obtuse, rambling or just plain awful. They do not work for a variety of reasons. 1. Cluttered Leads

-Keep your leads simple, especially for broadcast. Don't try to cram all the major facts of the story in one sentence. This lead is too complex and contains the cliché "killed two birds with one stone." -Example: Rolling up their sleeves, 20 students from Voznesenka School, near the head of Kachemak Bay, killed two birds with one stone Saturday: they washed away the grit and grime and put a shine on more than 25 local vehicles, and they raised more than $300 to help pay for next spring's graduation expenses.

An example of a descriptive lead: Describes the scene (the lights, signs, etc.) -Where is the nut graf?

-Lead style/best material, best material/lead -Grafs 3 and 4. Remember the nut graf can be made of several sentences or grafs.

Determining Your Lead: ____ ___ is determined by your ___ ___, not vice versa (your ___ ___ is determined by your ___.) -Unlike hard news, you're not looking for the ___ ___ ___. -For a soft lead, look for whatever will ____ a ____ or ___ a ____ (e.g. caring, amazement, surprise, laughter, anger, curiosity, etc.) -Many options exist, it's up to your creativity!!! a. Detail a ___ or ___ ___, ___ or ___ b. Focus on a ____ c. Describe a "___ and ___" scenario; make the reader want to know ___ it happened. d. ___ the story outcome; make the reader want to know the ____ -If you're stuck just ask: What in my notes stand out most to __? -Because soft-leads do not get to the point right away, feature stories (unlike hard-news stories), also need a ___ ___. A ___ ___ tells what the story is about and should make a compelling case for why the story should be read. -The ___ ___ should appear immediately or soon after the lead. -Can be multiple sentences or even multiple grafs. -A good technique is to support the ___ ___ by adding a ___ ___. The graf immediately after the ___ ___ often is the ___ ___, a quote that perfectly tells and summarizes your story.

-Lead style/best material, best material/lead -Captivate a reader, elicit a response a. Past or present scene, moment or anecdote b. Person c. Then and now, how d. Tease, end -Me? -Nut graf -Zinger quote

The three basic lead techniques: 3. Narrative leads.

-Like an anecdotal lead, a narrative lead tells a story with enough dramatic action for readers to feel as though they are witnessing the event. Narrative writing uses all the techniques of fiction, including dialogue, scene setting and foreshadowing, giving the reader clues to what will happen. It takes longer to set up the nut graph for this kind of lead, but if the story is dramatic enough, the narrative approach may work. -Example: The case has all the elements of a 1950s film noir mystery. The characters: the scheming husband, the trusting wife, the other woman. The story: The husband, Ray Valois, buys a lottery ticket, scratches it and finds three "Spin, Spin, Spin" symbols. That makes him elligible to win up to $2 million in the California "Big Spin" lottery, but he does not want to tell his wife, Monica, according to his statement in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court records. So he gives the ticket to another woman, waitress Stephanie Martin. She agrees to cash in the ticket, according to court records, and secretly give him half. The inevitable plot twist: Valois and Martin turn on each other. He claims that he owns the ticket. She claims that she owns the ticket. The conclusion: Martin spins and wins $100,000. But the wife founds out and sues both of the m for fraud. Now neither Martin nor Valois has the $100,000. His wife's attorney, Gary Dunlap, obtained a temporary restraining order, restricting lottery officials from awarding the winnings until a court hearing today.

Other Soft Leads: 4. Mystery Leads

-Like teasers, mystery leads promise the reader a surprise or a treat for reading on. They set up the story like a mystery novel. They're fun to write and fun to read, but they won't work unless the subject matter lends itself to this approach. They are effective for print and broadcast writing. -One technique for writing mystery leads is to start with a vague pronoun, it or they, and to delay naming the noun to which the pronoun refers: "It began at midnight." Later you specify what "it" was. -Example: They know who you are, what you eat, how you procreate - and where to find you. Been turned down for a MasterCard or Visa? List Brokerage and Management, a New York list marketer, may have your name. It rents a list of 1.6 million people rejected for bank cards - obtained, the company says, from the very banks that turned you down ... Computer companies are hooking up with credit bureaus and massive data banks to allow people with only a desktop computer to single you out by income, age, neighborhood, car model or waist size.

HEADLINES, SUMMARY BLURBS, BRIEFS -All three known as _____, smaller elements of a story. But they are the biggest factor in determining whether someone will click into the story. Clarity is crucial. Headline and summary blurb of one or two sentences should accurately summarize the story. -Most Web experts advise against writing ____, ___ headlines because they could be misleading. May work if it is accompanied by a clear summary blurb. But Web pages with many headlines may not contain SBs, so headline must tell story by itself. -One of the best ways of focusing your story may be to write a headline and SB before you write the full story. Writing a brief first or a tweet is another good way to identify essential info for a fuller story. HEADLINE TIPS: 1) Write brief headlines: fewer than 6-10 words create better links than headlines that span 2-3 lines 2) Use strong verbs: Some headlines may be written without verbs 3) Put most important words first 4) Avoid articles: do not use a, the, or an at the start of a headline 5) Use question headlines if the subject is interesting enough to entice readers 6) Make headlines clear by themselves (for search engines) WRITING SUBHEADS AND BLURBS -Many news sties just repeat the story lead for subhead or blurb under headline, but with small screens redundancy is a waste of space. If lead does not give the main point of the story, write a clear summary or use the nut graph as the blurb. -Avoid writing summaries that repeat the headline. -Address the reader when appropriate (use of the 'you' voice) SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS: -Another tool that serves as a quick summary for Web readers who are scanners is highlights box on top or alongside story

-Microcontent -Catchy, teaser headlines

-Points of Emphasis for Online Writing -Impactful '____': 1) _____ 2) ___ ___ (subhead below full headline, not to be confused with the subhead within the body of a story previously mentioned) "The fallout continues from an explosive whistleblower complaint about President Trump's July phone call with the leader of Ukraine." 3) ____ ____ (story's key points at a glance, usually with bullets) 4) ___ ___ (captivating story quote or excerpt highlighted in large type: not taken out of the story, still in the narrative of original text (in story still), really just duplicating it) Purpose of _____: 1) Let a busy reader know the essence of the story quickly (scanners) 2) Offers multiple enticements to reader to click and read more (If get all highlights from ____, why would you need to read the story? ACTUALLY increases the readers' likelihood to actually read the entire story.) -More on Online Headlines: -Need to be compelling and clear to entice clicking and reading a) Convey ___ that are intriguing - themes of ____ ____ b) ____ verb 'Coal no longer fuels America. But the Legacy - and the myth - remain.' (Fuels - ___ verb, myth - intriguing angle, as a whole: the ___ ____ of changing times uprooting traditional ways of life, not just about coal.) -But "____" heads on journalistic stories are out of fashion 'You won't believe what this new Texas A&M T-shirt says about Alabama' -Denies you the point of the story to bait you into clicking, headlines are supposed to tell the reader what the story is about. -Online headlines need to help ___ ___ find the story (___ ___ ____ or SEO) a) 55 characters or less (that's the limit on Google search headlines) b) Include ____ that online reader would type in a search window EX: 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' cancelled after 20 years -If these ___ are put both in the headline and lead, much more likely the story will appear much higher in the search results. -Generally ____, ____, and ____ words or phrases are good ____. EX: ____: Breonna Taylor, _____: Louisville, Louisville protests, ____ words/phrases: Notorious RBG) -The goal: you want to be on the first page for more readership and exposure (it is also highly unlikely the reader will scroll down or go to the next page).

-Microcontent -Headline -Summary blurb -Highlights box -Pullout quote -Angles -Universal relevance -Active -Clickbait heads -Search engines, Search Engine Optimization -Keywords -People, locations, buzz words/buzz phrases

Leads to Avoid: 3. Crystal-Ball leads

-These are dream-sequence leads that foretell the future. If you were writing about psychics, perhaps you could write this kind of lead. But most people cannot predict the future. "John Jones never imagined when he boarded the plane that it was going to crash." Would he have been stupid enough to board it if her had known? Leads the emphasize "if only they had known" are far-fetched. -Example: It's unlikely a child who is choking is thinking about the future - much less about what he can do for someone else. When 10-year-old Jason Finser of Clermont was saved from choking to death at a family dinner two years ago, he never dreamed he would be able to return the favor. But luckily for his classmate, 9-year-old Abby Muick, Jason knew exactly what to do when she choked on a chocolate-and-Rice Krispies treat in the lunchroom at Minneola Elementary School.

-Feature Reporting Tips 1. The reporting is ____ ____ than the writing. The latter ___ on the former. 2. It is better to ___-___ than use only your best material. 3. Do not talk to only the ____ ____(s). The focus (if a profile) is to never settle for just ____ ____. Brainstorm everyone who could tell the story from different angles and perspectives (family, friends, coworkers, rivals of that individual). 4. Do thorough ___ ___ -Previous media coverage -What relevant records and documents exist? 5. In interviews, use mostly ___-____ ____ (elaborate and cannot simply answer with a one word answer). 6. Along with interviews, ____ are crucial. 7. ___ ___! Spend as much time as possible with the main subject. -Observe a subject's typical activities in typical places (workplace, go home with them, etc.) Whether person, place, event or program! 8. Whether by interview or by observation (observation being the best way to get these things), feature stories live or die in ____, ____, _____ and ____. "What was the name of the dog?" You need the DETAILS, not a good feature story to simply say "A woman and her dog..." What was its name? Color? Breed? Let the reader envision the scene and the moment through these 4 qualities mentioned above! 8 cont. The key mission of ant information in a feature story: Pull out the ___, ____, ____ and ____. -Some of the best questions to ask for all feature interviews to get these 4 qualities: Can you give me an example? Can you be more specific? PRESS YOUR SUBJECT TO DESCRIBE IN ___ (THE ____), TO GIVE THE ___, ____ AND ____.

-More important, depends -Over-report -Main person(s), one interview -Background research -Open-ended questions -Observations -GO THERE! -Details, specifics, examples, anecdotes

-Storytelling and Feature Techniques: -Tom French was fascinated by Karen Gregory's case. He wrote a 10-part series, called "A Cry in the Night," about her murder and the man on trial for it. -Introduction to the series. The first story began with a description of the trial of George Lewis, a firefighter who lived across the street from Karen Gregory and the person who was charged with her murder: The victim wasn't rich. She wasn't the daughter of anyone powerful. She was simply a 36-year-old woman trying to make a life for herself. Her name was Karen Gregory. The night she died, Karen became part of a numbing statistics ... It was what people sometimes casually refer to as "a little murder." -The entire series was written like a mystery novel. But it was all true, based on interviews with more than 50 people and 6,000 pages of court documents. The writing style, called ____ ____, is a form of dramatic storytelling that reconstructs the events as though the reader were witnessing them as they happened. French relied heavily on dialogue throughout the series, even from the dead woman. Although most of the dialogue was secondhand information, based on recollections from her. -Won Pulitzer Prize in 1998, Ohio woman and her two daughters, on vacation in Florida when they were raped, killed and dumped into Tampa Bay. Used a gripping account of their murders, the three-year search for their killer and his trial. The killer was convicted and sentenced to death.

-Narrative writing

-Feature Writing Style: -A well-written feature story combines ___, ____ and ___ writing throughout. a. Quotes too (zingers + a few others) (But choose them ____!) -Lean on ___, ___ and ____, but not ____ -Flowery (too many ___), embellished writing is not good ('___') -As stated earlier, feature stories live or die on details, specifics, examples and anecdotes. -Keep this in mind throughout your reporting and writing! ALWAYS ALWAYS REMEMBER ONE EXPRESSION... _____, DON'T ____. -"The path is though to navigate." ____ the reader with details of what the road looked like. -"He was well-dressed." ____ what he was wearing with your details.

-Narrative, descriptive and anecdotal writing throughout -Selectively! -Nouns/facts/details, not adjectives -Overwriting -Show, don't tell. -The first example is telling, so it is boring. -The second example: words and phrases such as 'sipping on a cup of coffee', 'stacks', 'cover'. ENVISION, not telling (showing through the details and the observations.)

-Online platforms: Has it done good or bad? -Diverse technology of digital platforms has allowed for... -___ ___ now has numerous companion methods for presenting information.

-Next 2 debates: after it is over, listen to some post-event commentary by TV networks, analysis by MSNBC for 5 minutes, Fox for another 5 minutes, MSNBC again, Fox again. -Objectivity: being neutral and detached, not let political partisanship enter into your work - many networks just do not follow that principle. EX: Brian Williams of MSNBC - Ripping the president one one hand and Brit Hume of Fox - praising him. Different spins, angles, and framing on the same event. -Do MSNBC and Fox claim to be objective, or do they recognize their slant of one side or the other? -Though online platforms have done much harm and damage to journalism (destroying the business model - newspaper going out of business, etc.), online platforms have helped journalism find different ways to do journalism. -The diverse technology of digital platforms has greatly enhanced effective journalistic storytelling. -Narrated text now has numerous (and sometimes more impactful) companion methods for presenting info. This includes journalistic work and PR work. -These are abilities you need to learn.

-Visual journalism: 1) Photos (The 2 ways to represent photos in a story) -Can be supplemental? Standalone? 2) Video -Advertiser popularity? Citizen popularity? -Issues with news videos... (3) -Different ways to use video (___ featured, ____ featured, ____ featured) -Authentic video -Note on scheduled televised events 3) Graphics AKA _____ -Different options for infographics (4) -Data visualization -Static vs. dynamic infographics -Interactive infographics are ____ infographics. -Charts and graphs should have a _____ _____ and a ____ ____.

-Photo galleries -> DO NOT tell a story in a sequence VS. Slide shows -> similar to galleries, but controlled sequence often to tel la story -Both can be supplemental (to your text) or standalone (stories can be exclusively done by photos). -Coverage that is completely or 100% visual can work for some stories. EX: Alicia Keys purchases $20 million California mansion (no story, no text) _____________________________________________________________________________ -Hot trend in online journalism. -Popular with advertisers (news organizations make money off of advertisements before, between, or after their videos, selling ads for these videos) -But is it popular with consumers? (Actually yes, but there is a great debate on whether video is a good, effective method of getting news. Probably, but issues with news videos include... a) Poor quality (picture, sound, overall production value) b) Not in place or position to watch or to watch and hear the news videos. Many news videos often do not have subtitles. c) Do you have the time to watch a video? With news stories you can skip around, change up the pace based on what you're doing/how fast you read, and go as fast as you can. -Different ways to use video: Not authentic video: Citizens who record with their phone to get coverage of a disaster, crime, or other impactful incident. These videos are to be produced by news organizations. -Can be supplemental or standalone (like photos, only platform you use to tell a story or do you use other forms of coverage with it) 1) Reporter featured (Do you like to be on camera? Reporters get on video to discuss what is happening. There is a good chance you will need to be in video even if you do print or online journalism.) 2) Source featured (Interviews) 3) Scene featured (Breaking news events where reporter is at the scene recording what is going on.) Reminder that many scheduled televised events have restrictions on videotaping! Examples: -Alabama Media Group: News just that day in impeachment of former governor Bentley. Quality was very poor, brick wall backdrop, the media group label was cropped out of the video, among other disparities. -Florida high school shooting. Washington Post. Combined authentic and news organization video along with text and interviews. Very impactful. ______________________________________________________________________________ -Also known as Infographics. -Many different options -Charts or graphs AKA DATA VISUALIZATION (Presenting info via charts and graphs.) -Maps -Timelines with visual elements -Illustrations or diagrams -Info can be static (unchanging, non-interactive, simple images) or dynamic (changing, dynamic). -Dynamic infographics can be interactive with the reader. EX: Fallen of WW2, Dynamic IG of costs and casualties of WW2. Could have typed '8.7M Russian solders killed', but it was much more effective and impactful to provide the dynamic IG. -With charts and graphs, aim for an uncluttered look and a single takeaway. (Do not try to put too much info in one graphic, do multiple if necessary.) EX: Bloomberg - Billionaires Index - I can decide what I want to click into and what I want to skip or avoid clicking. The reader can interact with the graphic (click on certain people, click in aspects of the graph to make it change, etc.) EX: NY Times, Notre-Dame Cathedral. Dynamic IG where the fire took place, scroll to get more info about it in a chronology, and infographic changes as routes are made into the cathedral to put out the fire. EX: Parkland, FL: Static IGs. Map of school (single image), then another of a cutaway inside the building, and another of the general route of the shooter.

REPORTING FOR THE WEB: -Good reporting is similar in any medium, but you need some additional tools and reporting steps for Web 1) __ __ __ __: Be prepared to report your story for text delivery and for audio or video elements. Plan to get full text of speech, city budget, lists or contest winners, or other additional info to post on Web. 2) ____: For basic reporting in addition to notebook and pens/pencils, take tape recorder to get audio sound bites and some form of digital storage media such as jump drive for extended info mentioned in previous point. Cell phone to call in story, digital camera with extra batteries and notebook computer if going to transmit a story from your location. Also record and take photos with smartphone, shoot video then take lens wipes. 3) ____: When you are covering a major disaster or crime event, mark notes with time periods for ___ that might be posted. 4) ___ ____: Do not depend on it for deadline. Is good way to reach people and get limited info, but face-to-face or telephone interviewing is still preferable. 5) __ __ and ___: If you are using info from the Web or from social media, check date of info and reliability of website for accuracy. Is the info from a site by a government agency, university, or a respected media organization, or from a personal site? Is the social media info reliable, checked for accuracy, legal to use? Especially important when using photos. 6) __ and __-__ ___: Plan to file story in brief form as soon as news breaks. Then plan updated version for next print or broadcast edition. If covering a major breaking news story, plan to file for Web every time you receive new info. Think ahead. Plan to write follow-up story for next edition of broadcast or print publication. ANATOMY OF A NEWS STORY ON THE WEB: -Announce the news ASAP. EX: The News-Press posted breaking news at 4:47 p.m. and mentioned upcoming news conference. -Update in ____. Tell when there is more to come. EX: The next info was posted on the Web at 5:30 p.m., altering viewers that The News-Press would soon be posting tapes of the police interview shortly. -Promote within the site. EX: The promotion said tapes mentioned before are live online now. -Post multimedia. EX: Exclusive audio and video. WRITING TECHNIQUES: -No single way to write for Web. Choose form best fits story or purpose. Is purpose to inform, entertain, both? Writing for corporate or public relations site, determine best way to convey info quickly and clearly. Writing news, consider inverted pyramid for breaking or serious news. If you want to tell a good story, perhaps a narrative form is suitable. -Jakob Nielsen, considered the world's leading expert on Web usability, originally set standards for online writing. Early recommendations based on studies he conducted in the late 90s about how people read web content. -Many of guidelines still valid, but admits 'because people read differently, you have to write differently'. Guidelines still espouses are: 1) Write short 2) Write for readers who scan websites instead of reading thoroughly 3) Write to point, avoid fluffy marketese 4) Use common language, not made-up terms 5) State most important info in first 2 paragraphs "But the very best content strategy is one that mirrors the users' mixed diet,", no reason to limit yourself to only one content type. Possible to have short overviews for majority of users and supplement them with in-depth coverage and white papers for those few who need to know more. The most important information should be "____ ___ ___" meaning info can be viewed without scrolling, however he said scrolling is preferable to clicking to different pages in a story. OTHER WRITING TIPS THAT APPLY TO MOST STORIES 1) Write a clear headline and subhead summarizing the main idea of the story. Especially critical for stories distributed to mobile media. Twitter good way to practice writing good headlines and key words. 2) Summarize key points (a highlights box or list) under or alongside of story 3) Write clear focus statement or nut graph high in story, especially if use anecdotal lead 4) Write boldface subheadings for paragraphs, especially in long story (chunkification) 5) Write short, simple sentences. Avoid sentences with long clauses and complex sentences. Be concise. 6) Use bulleted lists to help readers scan text when story lends itself to itemized info 7) Limit each paragraph to one idea. Keep paragraphs short. This is even more important for small screens of mobile media. 8) Write in active not passive voice. Who did what rather than what was done to whom. 9) Avoid last name only on second reference in subsequent screens or Web pages, unless source is well known or is main person in story. Apply blocking technique of restricting each source's comments to one block in story so reader does not have to scroll up and down a page or refer to a previous page to remember someone's name 10) Use conversational style. Write as though you were talking to a single reader. Borrow from broadcast writing. The 'you' voice works well online. Try to let readers know what story means to them.

-Plan for full coverage, equipment -Timelines, email reporting, check accuracy and timeliness, updates and follow-up stories -Increments -'above the fold' -Most of these tips apply to online writing for print, broadcast, or PR sites: -Enlist crowdsourcing, contributions from readers and viewers in blogs, messages, Twitter, FB, or other social media -Use photos, graphics, audio, video that complement your story, don't just add multimedia for its own sake -Gather more info than you need for a single story, always plan follow-up stories, full text of documents and other materials for readers who want in-depth material on your website -Check date of info from the Web -Add contact info to your website. Provide name, email, phone number and physical address, especially on corporate sites or PR materials -Add info such as an About Us especially for corporate info or multimedia projects. Explain who created the project and other pertinent info for viewers -Plan social media blogs and links to post on Twitter, FB, YouTube, or other popular sites -'swamp' of share buttons -College students are social media savvy, but do not want social networking on all websites they visit. Students are multitaskers who keep many browsers open at same time, but when site slows down, switch to another tab. High inclination to multitask and low patience reinforce need for quick, responsive and easy Web design.

Writing for online: -There is no such thing anymore as writing for ___ ____. Newspapers and TV stations always have websites. Writing for print/broadcast AND for online. -Standards of good journalism for online stories are ___ ___ from print. (Accuracy, Fairness, Balance, Attributed, Clear/Clarity, Completeness) -"Online is easily changeable, so you can always fact-check later and fix it as need be." -> DISAGREE (look to prior bullet). -Writing techniques not much different, either. -But some techniques are especially necessary for online writing. a) Because online readers are called _____, AKA _____. (on the go, always busy, not a lot of time) b) Because ___ ____ are small. -Points of Emphasis for Online Writing (True for all platforms, but emphasized online) -___ _____ (and straight to the point or you'll lose them: readers are scanners) -Write ____ a) In terms of total length, b) In terms of length of paragraphs and sentences, c) And in terms of using simple language -Liberal use of ____ in body of story (known as ____) a) Reader-friendly guide b) Place ____ wherever ____ change, not randomly or every certain number of paragraphs (not by numerical count of paragraphs) c) Another form of _____: Break story into multiple stories -> makes individual story shorter and reader has more points of access Chunkification EX: Bold subhead in body of story "Russia conflict" -> When story moves from one angle to another -Different format/typography: -___ ___ type such as Arial (no squiggles or tips) (Times New Roman is ____ type: tips of each letter/squiggles) -Do not indent paragraphs -Space between grafs

-Print only -Not different -Scanners, skimmers -Device screens -Impactful lead -Short -Subheads, chunkification -Subheads, subtopics -Chunkification -Sans (sans meaning without) serif, Serif

-Roles of PR -Press releases can be used for the varied roles of PR 1) Aid ____ ____ ____ 2) Get out positive messages for client 3) Add relevant info to ____ ____ 4) Assist journalists (information, interviews, credentials, FOI requests -> If working for a public or government entity, these are FREEDOM OF INFORMATION requests to release records that are seen as public) 5) Deal with news events (Unexpected or expected things happen and they might involve your client... -When dealing with news events: 1) Do not be ___ ___ with journalists. Example: Auburn 24/7 'New logo' VS. Auburn 'new visual identity system', wrong and ___ ___. Auburn 24/7 got the story right. Example: Sports Illustrated, Houston Astros. Player convicted for domestic violence, assistant general manager made public comments claiming the female reporters made up or fabricated the story (within moments of this release witnesses came out and claimed what they said was true and she was later fired). 2) Do not be ___ ___ with journalists. -It is better not to tell reporters to not ask certain questions.Instead tell your client certain ways to respond such as no comment. Train client how to deal with journalists in how they attempt to do their job. Example: Press conference with members of Houston Rockets following GM backlash from NBA defending democratic protestors at Hong Kong (because NBA is trying to get a foothold in China). CNN reporter asked players how they felt about their free speech rights following the backlash. Representative prevented journalist from asking that question by saying 'Basketball questions only.'

-Public service causes -Current events -News events -Needlessly adversarial -Needlessly restrictive

-Writing For Radio: -Radio news writing follows many of same principles as writing for television news, but copy is shorter. Stories can be more like TV teasers in length. -A radio newscast may total to 90 seconds, with 6 or 7 stories, unless it is NPR. Typical story might contain fewer than 100 words. And because you cannot show video, you should create word pictures by describing the scene. -Pick out most important info and not get caught up in minutiae. Keep it simple. Do not cram too much info in too little time, prioritize and do it quickly. -Most sentences only last 5-6 seconds on radio. If it seems awkward aloud, probably sounds that way to the listener. Keep sentences focused on a single thought, and keep it simple. -Scripts can be written in uppercase and lowercase letters instead of all caps, depending on preference of radio station. -Terms for Radio: -_: Script that newscaster reads without any background noise or comments from sources. -_: Equivalent of a sound bite. -_ _: Also called _ _. Background sound, same term for television news. -_: Story from a reporter than includes actualities. -_: A story the reporter reads; it may contain natural sound but does not include actualities.

-Reader -Actuality -Natural sound, ambient sound -Wrap -Voicer

-Feature Writing: The Body: -Hard news stories your ___ ___ is your ___, but not in soft or feature stories!!! -Could you begin a feature story with a nut graf? Yes, but it is not recommended. -Order of story is lead -> nut graf -> zinger quote -> elaboration -> ending Where is the nut graf in the following example? -After your lead and nut graf comes the ___, development of ___ (like hard news stories). -Do a ___ ___ (as with hard news stories) but structure/organization is much more ____ and ___. Ways to write the body of your story: 1. ___-___ ____: Could have flashbacks, foreshadowing, or start with the ending. -____ ___ remains an option, but it usually only works for part of the story rather than the whole story. But do NOT use an ___ ___! -Features, like hard news stories, should address the 5 W's, H, and So What? but there is no pressure to do it all ___ ___ ___ ____.

-The last graf, the soft lead lasted for the first 4 grafs -Narrative lead (bounding and barreling are action verbs, verbs exhibiting an action) -Elaboration, angles -Written outline -Flexible and creative -Non-chronological order -Chronological order -Inverted pyramid (NO!!!!) -In the first few grafs.

-Writing tools for narrative writing. 3. Narrative techniques -Seek unusual stories

-The next example is the type of human-interest story that Charles Kuralt would have enjoyed reporting. It is also the type of story you might do if you work in a small community for a newspaper or TV station. Chances are, you will seek stories about people who are doing interesting or unusual things in your community. -Charles Kuralt: Consummate storyteller who wrote human-interest features for "On the Road", a series for CBS-TV's "Sunday Morning" show. -Whether you are writing feature stories for print, broadcast or the Web, take Kuralt's advice and find a story that interests you. Seek universal qualities of human interest such as people's hopes, fears, dreams, love, hate, the ability to triumph over adversity or the ability to achieve something special. -Example: Cooper Landing man revels in clover collection Some people believe the Kenai peninsula is the luckiest place on Earth. Cooper Landing resident Ed Martin Sr. said he believes it is time somebody proved it. Martin has been finding four-leaf clovers since his childhood and started to save them only two years ago. Since then he has rounded up more than 76,000 clovers. Some people likely would ask why a person would be so concentrated on how many mutated clovers they found, especially a collection well into five figures. The answer is it has to do with a little competition and a little bit of pride. Martin has surpassed the previously largest known four-leaf clover collection held by George J. Kaminski, who collected 72,927 clovers within... (see rest of image)

Leads to Avoid: 7. Stereotype leads REMINDERS: TIPS FOR FINDING YOUR LEAD: -To find a lead that will work for you, first find your ___ ___. Ask yourself what the main point of a story is. Then ask some of these questions to find your lead: 1) Reader interest: What did you or would the reader find most interesting about this subject? 2) Memorable item: What was the most memorable impression or fact? 3) Focus on a person: Is there someone who exemplifies the problem or issue? If you tell a story about this person or show the person in action, will it lead to the point in the nut graph? 4) Descriptive approach: Will a description of the scene relate to the focus? 5) Mystery approach: Can you tease the reader with a surprise that leads to the nut graph? 6) Build on a quote: Is there a great quote to back up the lead? If so , write the lead so it refers to the quote without repeating it. 7) Contrast: Would a then-and-now approach work? 8) Problem/Solution: Can you set up a problem so the reader wants to discover the solution? 9) Narrative storytelling: If you were just telling a good story, how would you start? Can you reconstruct the events to put the reader on the scene?

-These are most common in features about people older people, women and groups with special interests. The writer tries hard to be complimentary but instead only reinforces stereotypes. -Example: Senior Olympics, games for people over age 60. At the age when most of their contemporaries are in rocking chairs, these athletes will be competing in swimming, archery, badminton, bicycle racing - just about every imaginable sport, through the long jump and shot put. -If you look around your college campus, you're likely to see many professors in their 60s, and most of them don't spend much time in rocking chairs. Soft leads can be enticing and creative, but they must be accurate. . -Nut graph

Other Soft Leads: 7. Question leads

-These can be effective if the reader is interested in finding the answer to the question you pose. If not, you could lose the reader. One way to test the question lead is to determine whether the answer would be yes or no. Those are the dangerous ones. A question that raises a more thoughtful, and more interesting answer is preferable. -Example: What are the odds of finding your true love by placing an ad with a telephone dating service? About one in 40, according to Terry Ehlbert. On April 13, Ehlbert is planning to marry Scott Anderson, who was the last of 40 guys she agreed to meet after placing a voicemail ad with the dating service she saw advertised on TV. -Example: A little dangerous. What if you don't want to buy cigarettes at all? Will you read on? Want to buy cigarettes while at the gas station? Or while sipping a cocktail at your favorite bar? Not in Lower Merion, if township officials have their way. Officials there, concerned about the availability of cigarettes to minors, have proposed a municipal law prohibiting cigarette vending machines in the township. The law would be the first of its kind in PA.

Leads to Avoid: 6. Weather-Report leads

-These leads set the scene by describing the weather: "It was a dark and stormy night." Avoid using the weather as a lead when it isn't related to the story. -Example: It was hot and humid the day the city council decided to ban smoking from all public buildings. The ordinance, passed unanimously, will go into effect immediately.

Other Soft Leads: 3. Teaser leads

-These leads use the element of surprise to tease the reader into the story. The nut graph may also be a contrast, but the first sentence sets it up as a tease into something unusual. Broadcast news uses the concepts of teasers before commercials to convince the audience to stay tuned after the break, but teasers are also effective in leads of broadcast stories. -Example: This is no ordinary public library. For one thing, there are only four books on the shelves. For another, you won't find any of these works, or the many that are expected to join them soon, at other libraries or bookstores. You probably never will. That's because the Brautigan Library, which opened here last weekend, has a unique policy - it only accepts books that have never been published.

Other Soft Leads: 2. Contrast Leads a) But-Guess-What Contrast b) Then-and-Now Contrast

-This type of lead can be used to set up stories about conflicts or unusual circumstances. The two most common ways to write contrast leads emphasize circumstance or time. 1. B-G-W: Contrast leads that revolve around circumstances can be used to explain something unusual: -Example: William Pearce, known to his patients as Dr. William J. Rick, was charming and slick, say his former associates and police detectives. He came to town with medical degrees, numerous national board certificates and myriad of other qualifications. But the real Dr. Rick died in 1986, police say. And now William John Pearce, 57, is in jail on charges of impersonating a doctor. 2. T-A-N: Time contrasts - then and now - are useful ways to show change. This type of lead also can be used when the background is interesting or important and is relevant to the focus. -Example: It was March 1964 when Lewis "Hackie: Wilson, the 7-year-old son of a St. Petersburg firefighter, disappeared after stopping to pick up flowers on his way home from school. His case received national attention a month later when a sheriff's posse on horseback, flushing out rattlesnakes ahead of a line of 80 searchers, found the child's bones in a field south of Venice. Now the case may be revived. Prosecutors in Sarasota County have realized that Joseph Frances Byran, a convicted child kidnapper indicated for Hackie's murder in 1965, has never been brought to trial.

Leads to Avoid: 5. Plop-a-Person leads

-This type of lead is a misuse of the focus-on-a-person lead. When the writer just tops the story with a sketch of a person and does not back it up in the text, that's plopping. It's also misleading. The reader starts the story thinking the person has something to say or do in the story. But after the lead, the person disappears. -Example: Tuesday was a good day for psychology professor Carnot Nelson. He spent most of it helping an honors student work on her thesis. He reader another student's doctoral dissertation and two master's thesis proposals. Then he went to a meeting, which he left after an hour and a half so he could some reading of his own. Nelson, a senior professor at the University of South Florida, who also teaches large undergraduate classes and small graduate seminars, is a good example of the range of activity involved in teaching Florida university students. "Education is a one-at-a-time, hand-made business," said state university spokesman Pat Riordan. "You can't mechanize it, you can't computerize it and you can't put it on an assembly line." But college professors in Florida are under increasing pressure to do exactly that. Recurring state budget cuts have made some classes larger and eliminated many others. And a political climate that says there can be no new taxes until a state government becomes "more productive" has fueled a drive to force professors to spend more time in the classroom.

Other Soft Leads: -Soft leads can be written in many other ways. The following techniques are variations on the three main types of soft leads, combining features of descriptive, anecdotal and narrative leads. 1. Focus-on-a-Person leads:

-You can focus on a person in two ways: 1. Use an anecdotal approach, telling a little story about the person, or 2. Use a descriptive approach that describes the person or shows the person in action. This type of lead can be used in profile stories about the person or in news stories about issues, where the person is one of many affected by the point of your story. -Example: Descriptive approach Nita walked slowly down the narrow hall, deftly guiding her tottering 11-month-old son around the abandoned baby walkers, strollers and toys. Inside her tiny bedroom, the 17-year-old mother pointed to photographs of her son's father and some of her friends. Cards congratulating her on her recent high school graduation were nearby. The baby's crib was crammed into an area near the door. Nita, one of 85 residents at Florence Crittenton Services in Fullerton, is one of a growing number of teenagers having babies in Orange County - a figure that has increased 36 percent in five years. The focus-on-a-person lead is an effective technique for broadcast news as well, especially when the person or people used in the lead exemplify a problem shared by many other people in your community. -Example: Judy and Jose Westbrook spent the morning cleaning up the furniture in their front yard. The Blue River had overflowed its way into their Independence home. More than 25 families share their predicament. Late this afternoon, all of those families were awaiting word about their flood insurance claims.

-Other multimedia tools for journalism... (4) #2 includes court filings, reports, and letters. #3 can be interactive with readers. -Famous multimedia storytelling example and one of the first examples of multimedia storytelling - New York Times Snow Fall Index, 2012

1) Audio (podcasts) -Reporters and/or sources talking 2) Embedded documents -Stories might be proposed due to a document. -You cannot put everything into one story, so for those who are really interested, you can link a full document within your story. -Include court filings, -Reports, -And letters. 3) Databases -Interactive with reader EX: Washington Post - records of DEA - Interactive graphic: reader can choose county and state and know its pain pill distribution (the page then changes to give them the information of that specific county and state). 4) Embedded social media posts -Especially as these become more common way for newsmakers to communicate -Option for reporting on public reaction -News gets made on social media and is an option for receiving public reaction -> Further, you can take posts and embed them in your story to see the authentic post themselves. Sometimes stories can be made entirely on embedded social media posts. _____________________________________________________________________________ -Included tex, other opportunities to get journalism in other ways such as... a) Survivor recounting her experiences via video interview b) Dynamic infographics (one being a clock in the corner as the patterns of the atmosphere changed around the specific geographic location) c) Still photos d) Slideshow -"A Plan In Motion" is an example of a subhead implanted in the body of the story.

-Writing tools for narrative writing. 3. Narrative techniques Combines show-in-action description, dialogue, plot and reconstruction of an event as it occurred.

3. Narrative writing techniques: Combines show-in-action description, dialogue, plot and reconstruction of an event as it occurred. This type of writing requires a bond of faith with the reader because attribution is limited. You need to make it clear where you got the info, but you don't need to attribute repeatedly. You can also use an overview attribution for portions of the story and then attribute periodically, especially when you are quoting sources. -Before you can do narrative writing, you need to do thorough reporting. It takes a different kind of questioning to gather the information you will need to reconstruct the facts even though the story may read like a novel. You need to ask questions like these: a. What were you thinking at the time? What were you feeling? b. What did you say? c. What were you wearing? d. What were you doing? -You need to get details about colors, sounds, sights, smells, sizes, shapes, times and places. -If you were witnessing the event, you would see, hear, smell and feel - perhaps even taste - the experiences of your subject. Because you are reconstructing the event, you need to ask the questions that will evoke all those images. -Example: Meisner, woman who had been raped (Pulitzer-Prize winning) -In the opening part of her series, reporter sets scene (with relevant time and weather references) and reconstructs the woman's experience, so the reader is a witness to the event. -She would have to allow extra driving time because of the fog. A heavy gray veil had enveloped Grinnell overnight, and Nancy decided to leave home early for her 7:30 a.m. appointment at Grand View College in Des Moines. It was Nov. 19, a day Ziegenmeyer had awaited eagerly, because she knew that whatever happened during those morning hours in Des Moines... (see rest of image)

-Story links: -Liberally link to other online stories and sources Good story links include... a) Related stories that are part of the ____ ____ (chunkification: separate stories being linked together) b) _____ ____ stories c) _____ information (e.g. interview transcript, detailed statistics) d) ____ _____ for more information (e.g. an agency website) e) Even to relevant stories by _____ _____ (if you're ____, it's ethically mandatory!) ____: Borrowing work from other news media/news organizations (must provide a link!) Not doing so is known as unethical _____. (Pulling from multiple sources and putting them in one place.) -Would be unethical if to not link because they deserve some of the online traffic that your story receives. -Embed links either ___ ___ ___ or putting them at the ___ __ ___ as a group. You have the choice. Must not do both, either or. a) Danger of embedding is its reader may click and not return to finish the story b) But if embedding, use software hyperlink function to embed URL into precisely chosen words in the story text EX: The cow jumped over the moon. Over is not precise, is a vague word with no clue as to what will be in the link. Whereas, cow and moon you might be able to expect what the link will be. EX: Gender and Race Studies graduate students write public letter. OR: Read it here. -Links are one of two advantages of the online platform over print. -Story visuals: -Another big advantage of the online platform over print. a) Volume and quality of visual elements. -Every online story needs a visual element: photo or video. a) Greatly increases readership. b) Reporters usually shoot, edit, and post their own visuals. c) Most cellphones work for photo or video. -____ Reporting: -Not about how you write online, but when you post. -___ Reporting: Usually applied to ongoing breaking news, means a separate, short, immediate post for each new development Pros: -____ of news -More ____ presumably mean more ____ Cons: -Can lead to ____ posts (accuracy and speed are both important, but accuracy is more essential) -Lack of ____ _____ (balance); Once responses get posted, will the same audience see it? The answer is usually no. Almost always not. EX: Very negative response (news story) early in the day, more balanced version later in the day. -Not every development deserves equal online display.

a) Coverage package b) Past related c) Supplemented d) External sources e) Competing media -Aggregating, unethical aggregation -Within the story, end of story -Incremental Reporting -Immediacy -Posts, clicks -Inaccurate -Needed responses

-Writing Tips: -Why should I care? Think of the viewers. -What's it all about? State focus with a simple sentence containing a subject, verb, and object. Who is doing what to whom? -So what? Address a larger issue. Assess what can be learned from the story. -Attribution: Who said what? If you are going to state anything but the most obvious fact, back it up with attribution. -A good lead: Captures viewers attention, is conversational, uses active voice, moves story forward. -Guillotine the Gimmes: Get rid of info that people already know. Focus on what they don't know. -Write to the corners: I can see the picture, the words should complement the image not describe it. -Bounce the babble: Don't write like a police report. People are caught, not apprehended. -Sound: Use whenever possible. Takes viewers out of studio and puts them at story. -Sound bites: Write to them. They should not come out of nowhere, and they should not repeat what you said leading up to the bite. -The end: All good stories build to a strong finish. Leave the viewer feeling something. A successful story evokes an emotional response. Does your story close the circle? Sometimes you can end your story by returning to the start of the story, having answered the questions you posed.

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STORY STRUCTURE: -Get to the point of the story quickly, within first 50 words. If you picture the website with a title image and possibly a banner advertisement at top of page plus story headline, this does not leave much room. In addition, text on most news sites is enclosed in tables about 4 inches wide to facilitate reading. That translates to 100-150 words per screen. -Inverted Pyramid: -Favored format for Web stories because main idea is in the lead or in first few paragraphs. Placed main point at top, with rest of info in descending order of importance. Form is good for basic news stories, but is too restrictive for features and other types of storytelling. As long as the nut graph expressing the main point is high in the story, writers may have as much flexibility for Web stories as for print. -List Format: -Lists within stories break up text and help readers scan Web stories quickly. -Question/Answer Format: -Good structure for Web stories and for mobile media. Quick way of providing a lot of info in an easily scannable form -Storytelling Format: -Web stories can use feature leads and storytelling format, such as the Wall Street Journal formula focusing on a person, but the nut graph needs to be high in the story. Especially important for online stories that will be read on small screens such as smartphones or iPads, so readers know the main point of the story without scrolling or linking to another screen. PERSONAL STORYTELLING -Human beings have been telling stories since prehistoric man drew pictures on caves and recited stories around a fire. The Web is simply a new cave blending old and new techniques. People still want to hear, read, and share stories and that's how the Web can exceed any other medium in history. Personal storytelling thrives on the Web, especially in blogs, and its increasing on news sites. -Some of the best personal storytelling sites are not traditional broadcast or newspaper sites. Musarium: Site features innovative multimedia packages with personal stories in several formats, some of the storytelling is told in photo essays. Six Word Stories. REVISE: -Do not eliminate this crucial process. Be concise. Cut every word or paragraph that does not advance the story. Short sentences and active verbs make Web writing more readable. Same principles apply.

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