Multimedia Editing Final
complex sentence
A complex sentence combines a dependent clause with an independent clause. When the dependent clause is placed before the independent clause, the two clauses are divided by a comma; otherwise, no punctuation is necessary. Example: Because the soup was too cold, I warmed it in the microwave.
simple sentence
A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed thought. Examples of simple sentences include the following: Joe waited for the train. The train was late.
demographic factors (audience)
age, race/ethnic background, gender, geographic location, income, marital status, parental status, etc.
factual errors
all those cases in which incorrect information is passed along to the audience
parts of speed
noun (proper noun, pronoun), verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection
adverb
a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc. (e.g., gently, quite, then, there ).
pronoun
a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you ) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it, this ).
noun
a word that is the name of something (such as a person, animal, place, thing, quality, idea, or action) and is typically used in a sentence as subject or object of a verb or as an object of a preposition Ex: cat, book, shirt, New York, Betty Crocker, etc.
verb
a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence, such as hear, become, happen.
tips for triage editing
• check the lead • focus on the beginning and end (where the most mistakes are likely to occur) • avoid introducing any errors (important; worse than if you had published nothing at all)
informal style
• colloquial writing; conversational writing • contractions, abbreviations, slang, etc. • simplicity; help readers grasp points quickly • empathy and emotion • use of first, second, or third person
adjective
Adjectives are words that describe or modify other words, making your writing and speaking much more specific, and a whole lot more interesting. Words like small, blue, and sharp are descriptive, and they are all examples of adjectives
Need To Know vs Nice To Know
"Need to know" means basic things essential to understanding the news being presented-- the what, when, where, why, how. "Nice to Know" encompasses the deeper, more detailed aspects of the story.
compound-complex sentence
A compound-complex sentence is comprised of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. Example: Though Mitchell prefers watching romantic films, he rented the latest spy thriller, and he enjoyed it very much.
conjunction
A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. e.g., but, and, because, although, yet, since, unless, or, nor, while, where, etc.
phrase
A phrase is a group of two or more words that work together but don't form a clause. ... For example, "buttery popcorn" is a phrase, but "I eat buttery popcorn" is a clause. Because it isn't a clause, a phrase is never a full sentence on its own.
preposition
A preposition usually precedes a noun or a pronoun. Here is a list of commonly used prepositions: above, across, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, to, toward, under, upon, with and within.
run-on sentence
A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses (also known as complete sentences) are connected improperly. Example: I love to write papers I would write one every day if I had the time.
inverted pyramid organization
A structure used by journalists to illustrate how information should be prioritised in a story. It is a way to communicate the basics about a topic in the initial sentences. The most substantial, interesting, and important information comes first and then occurs in descending order.
compound sentence
An example of a compound sentence is, 'This house is too expensive, and that house is too small. ' This sentence is a compound sentence because it has two independent clauses, 'This house is too expensive' and 'that house is too small' separated by a comma and the conjunction 'and.'
interjection
An interjection is a word or expression that occurs as an utterance on its own and expresses a spontaneous feeling or reaction. Example: Oh, Ah, Wow, Alas, Um, Hey, etc.
audience engagement
At its simplest, engagement means using the best tools and platforms to share content and encourage audience interaction. Create a community around your news operation.
declarative sentences + action verbs
Declarative sentences are simply statements that relay information. They are the most common type of sentences in the English language. A declarative sentence states the facts or an opinion and lets the reader know something specific. It always ends with a period. A declarative sentence is written in the present tense and expresses a direct statement. It can be a simple or compound sentence. An action verb is a verb that describes an action, like run, jump, kick, eat, break, cry, smile, or think.
platforms central to most media engagement
Facebook & Twitter
compelling, accurate, and clear leads
The lead, or opening paragraph, is the most important part of a news story. With so many sources of information - newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and the internet - audiences simply are not willing to read beyond the first paragraph (and even sentence) of a story unless it grabs their interest. A good lead does just that. It gives readers the most important information in a clear, concise and interesting manner. It also establishes the voice and direction of an article.
proper noun
a name used for an individual person, place, or organization, spelled with initial capital letters, e.g., Larry, Mexico, and Boston Red Sox.
three primary types of engagement
outreach, conversation, collaboration
most important ingredient in creating engagement:
paying attention to what people are showing interest in
most important punctuation
period, comma, semicolon, colon, hyphen, quotation marks, question marks, exclamation points
types of sentences
phrase, simple, compound, compound-complex, complex, run-on
copyediting
proof-reading + fact-checking + AP style, headline writing, subheads, choosing images, understanding the audience, SEO . . . rewriting, trimming, etc.
four levels of editing
proof-reading, fact-checking, copyediting, content editing
psychographic factors (audience)
psychology, interests, hobbies, values, attitudes, behaviors, lifestyle, etc.
SEO
search engine optimization. Using key words to increase visibility when people search online
strong writing
short, declarative sentences with action verbs
holes
those cases in which the audience gets incomplete or misleading news because of missing information
Tips for writing a lead
• 5Ws + 1H: emphasize these aspects in the lead • Specificity: Though you are essentially summarizing information in most leads, try to be specific as possible. If your lead is too broad, it won't be informative or interesting. • Brevity: Readers want to know why the story matters to them and they won't wait long for the answer. Leads are often one sentence, sometimes two. • Active sentences: Strong verbs will make your lead lively and interesting.
Why study/practice headlines?
• 8/10 people will read a headline; only 2 will go on to read the story • they are a different style of writing, even from news writing
headACHES (triage editing)
• A = accuracy • C = clarity • H = headlines • E = efficiency • S = style ** ranked from most to least important
Subheads
• A subheading, also known as a "dek" or "subhead," is a secondary arrangement of text that often appears below the main headline in an article for print or online publications. • tweak aspects of a document so it is more likely to rise to the top of search results • headlines and subheads = most important
prominence (news story/current event)
• American gymnasts reached a $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee over abuse from Nassar and others with ties to the organizations • Elon Musk named TIME's Person of the Year • Bob Dole, a former US senator, passed away at the age of 98. He was also a WWII veteran.
conflict (news story/current event)
• American gymnasts reached a $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee over abuse from Nassar and others with ties to the organizations • Supreme Court left Texas's six-week abortion ban in place but allowed providers to challenge the law in federal court.
unusualness (news story/current event)
• American gymnasts reached a $380 million settlement with USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee over abuse from Nassar and others with ties to the organizations (number of victims; large settlement for sexual abuse case) • Dozens of tornados hit six states (Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee). Kentucky saw the worst of the damage. More than 100 people feared dead in Kentucky alone. Storms like this usually occur in the spring, so they took people by surprise. Research also shows that tornados seem to be occurring in greater clusters. • Iowa hunters find dead mountain lion with a broken snare around its neck. They gave it to the DNR for analysis.
internal engagement
• Cultivate a supportive culture for company-wide community engagement • get staff on board with engaging the audience • every staff member of a news organization is expected to use social media and other tools to connect with the audience • all staffers need to be familiar with the range of tools available, etc.
taste and sensitivity topics to be aware of
• DEI issues • triggering topics • gender issues • LGBTQIA+ matters • references to age
triage checklist (triage editing)
• Does the LEAD quickly make apparent what's in this for the reader? • Are names, titles, and businesses spelled correctly? • Do names in text match those in headlines and captions? • Do numbers add up? (figures, ages, etc.) • Are there any major holes? (a story needs to inform, not confuse readers) • Does the headline accurately reflect the main point? Are all words spelled correctly? • Is all potential defamatory material covered by one of the defenses? • Are there any potential copyright violations> • Are there any glaring style or word usage errors?
timeliness (news story / current event)
• Dozens of tornados hit six states (Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee). Kentucky saw the worst of the damage. More than 100 people feared dead in Kentucky alone. Storms like this usually occur in the spring, so they took people by surprise. Research also shows that tornados seem to be occurring in greater clusters.
visual impact (news story/current event)
• Dozens of tornados hit six states (Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee). Kentucky saw the worst of the damage. More than 100 people feared dead in Kentucky alone. Storms like this usually occur in the spring, so they took people by surprise. Research also shows that tornados seem to be occurring in greater clusters.
fact-checking
• Ensuring every fact and quote in a story is up-to-date and true. Double-check with other sources. • What holes are in the story. What information is nice to have vs. need to have. • Ensure photos, graphics are all available for use. • Be transparent with your audience about the nature of a source.
subheads in print
• In print, the function of a subhead is to add additional, often explanatory information to the main headline. • Often used to accompany more stylized headlines • Use subheads below a larger headline to include more information about a story
questions involved in content editing
• Is the content ethical? • Is the content appropriate / respectful? • Is the tone accurate? • Is the content sensitive? Is it handled with care and precision in word choices?
currency (news story/current event)
• Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading in the UK (and across Europe). The variant has also been identified in at least 30 U.S. states. • FDA approved Pfizer's third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone 16+. Early data suggests a third dose could be effective against the Omicron variant.
content editing
• Previous levels of editing + ensuring each line is 100% accurate and each word is necessary and on point. • This level of editing also takes into account legal and ethical issues. • proof-reading + fact-checking + copyediting + more • editors look at and review all the pieces of a story-- photos, graphics, social media, etc. • also involves legal aspects of collecting information in publishing
Tips for proof-reading
• Read the entire article first, before you even make a mark. Then read it again and make notes in it. Read through and actually correct/make suggestions • Read slowly and carefully to give your eyes enough time to spot errors. • Reading aloud helps you to notice run-on sentences, awkward transitions, and other grammatical and organization issues that you may not notice when reading silently. • Read from the end. This forces you to pay attention to the sentence itself rather than to the ideas of the paper as a whole.
impact (news story/current event)
• Supreme Court left Texas's six-week abortion ban in place but allowed providers to challenge the law in federal court. • FDA approved Pfizer's third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone 16+. Early data suggests a third dose could be effective against the Omicron variant. • Widespread power outages are expected across Iowa from severe windstorms expected on Wednesday (Dec. 15). Hurricane-force winds as high as 75mph.
voice
• The real or assumed personality used by a writer or speaker. • how much a a writer's personality comes through • based on audience, purpose, and seriousness of the publication • strong & passionate vs objective • is it alienating or inviting
conflict (news value)
• This news value centers on one party or several against each other • not contained to just competition or battles. It can also be found in business, politics, government, schools, etc.
Two key things to know about proof-reading
• Understand what your client wants → what outcome are they looking for in the end • Understand the audience for which you are proofreading
digital subheads
• Use subheads to break up long-form stories or attract readers further • Since many people find their way to a digital story through a search, the main headline has to make sense on its own or readers won't click on it. • typically is placed within the text; breaks text into easily digestible chunks
proximity (news story/current event)
• Widespread power outages are expected across Iowa from severe windstorms expected on Wednesday (Dec. 15). Hurricane force winds as high as 75mph. • Iowa hunters find dead mountain lion with a broken snare around its neck. They gave it to the DNR for analysis.
human interest (news story/current event)
• Widespread power outages are expected across Iowa from severe windstorms expected on Wednesday (Dec. 15). Hurricane force winds as high as 75mph. (Safety) • Bob Dole, a former US senator, passed away at the age of 98. He was also a WWII veteran.
cutlines
• a cutline (or caption) provides a headline to a photo or illustration • typically written in 1-2 full sentences • the "cutline" is the text below a picture, explaining what the reader is looking at • typically run under photos and help complete the 'story' of a photo
identifying a credible and reliable source (especially online)
• according to the textbook, verificationjunkie.com -- a site that collects all sorts of tools to help journalists check content •
traits of a strong cutline
• accurate • appeals to readers • identify people • describe what is going on in the photo or image in a short, full sentence • point out details readers may not notice at a glance • use strong writing skills • attribute the photographer who owns it
editing for taste and sensitivity can depend on . . .
• audience • location • understanding stereotypes etc.
determine if a news source is reputable
• avoid websites that end in "lo" (Newslo) • watch out for websites that end in ".com.co" as they are often fake versions of real news sources • lack of author attribution is suspect • check the website on Snopes, etc. • look out for bad web design • read multiple sources; get a variety of viewpoints, etc.
General causes of holes
• buried leads • lack of information • source credibility problems • misunderstood reports • overzealous editing
adding value to aggregated material
• complementing the material with original reporting • linking to existing stories on the same topic to provide context • verifying material circulating on social media • presenting it in a form that makes it easier for the audience to understand
news values (9)
• conflicts • currency • human interest • impact • proximity • prominence • timeliness • unusualness / novelty • visual impact
writing corrections
• corrections are a powerful tool to reinforce accountability & transparency • feel and write like a human • be clear about what was incorrect, and the correction information • give the correction a similar level of prominence and promotion as the original story • Example: "Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported . . ."
curation as distribution/relay
• curation at the platform level • it most often can be found on platforms that make it easy to cute, paste, and share links and other content • think of Twitter accounts that relay the most useful links/tweets
DO NOTs for headline writing
• do not echo the lead • do not use punctuation • do not be in past tense • do not have a time element • do not have strange breaks over multiple lines • do not repeat words etc.
proof-reading
• editing for fundamentals of English and clarity, likely also looking at organization as well. • Grammar, punctuation, spelling, missed words, etc. • Clean up the details • Think of proofreading as a process of looking for any inconsistencies and grammatical errors as well as style and spelling issues.
key points on egagement
• engaging with the audience is important to build loyalty in the digital era • social media are largely used to build engagement • mobile users are a vital focus of engagement • Facebook and Twitter are the two most widely used platforms
code of ethics + content editing
• ethical matters such as taste & sensitivity are usually covered by a code of ethics • most news outlets undergo ethics training • codes of ethics include: AP Stylebook, Society of Professional Journalists, Institute for Nonprofit News standards, etc.
content editing + ethical matters
• fabrication • plagiarism • image manipulation • getting information via deception • funding matters (advertising, sponsored content, sponsorships, etc.) • transparency
other ethical matters in content editing
• fairness and balance (partisan vs bipartisan for example) • conflicts of interest • anonymity and confidentiality • withholding information that could lead to harm
digital headlines
• fit the platform's size • use key words for SEO • compete with other headlines on the same page for reader attention • convey a story without an accompanying design or photo • have more personality/flair than in print • longer • follow trends • keep to a maximum of 70 characters, though can be shorter unlike print headlines
What to avoid in a lead
• flowery language • unnecessary words/language • formulaic leads: Your lead must sound genuine, not merely mechanical.
fact-checking online tips
• google it • search fact-checking sites (snopes, etc.) • look closely at the URL (easiest thing to alter online) • find out who owns the site (whoowns.com) • find out how old the site is • check the internet archive (wayback machine) • google reverse image search
what should a cutline do:
• identify the main people in the photo • explain the action in the photo • point out details the reader might not notice
external engagement
• journalists need to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and think about how they might be used in journalism (ex: Tik Tok) • community engagement = listen, join, lead, and enable conversation
identify an audience
• learning as much as possible about an audience is essential to helping focus the content of a publication • every publication must have a clearly defined audience. Attempting to appeal to everyone means the content will appeal to no one. • two key aspects of an audience are its demographic and psychographic traits • the more you know about these traits, the better you can tailor your content
prominence (news value)
• means a person, place, or topic that is high-profile, important or recognizable is news
visual impact (news value)
• means a story has such compelling visuals that it becomes news
unusualness / novelty (news value)
• means the story has uncommon elements that make it news • ex: first black councilman
timeliness (news value)
• means the story is more relevant to viewers because of the urgency or time that it is taking place • the closer the event or news is to a deadline, the more timely it is
common factual errors
• names and titles • place names • numbers (dates, percentages, etc.)
currency (news value)
• not only about money • it means a story or topic has more significance because it's tied to a current event or hot topic
human interest (news value)
• pertains to stories that zero in on universal themes such as love, personal safety, dreams, and interests, etc. • could be a profile of a person
back-editing (editorial triage)
• publishing things and then having the copy editors look through it afterward
editorial triage
• refers to the fact that in some cases material arrives so close to deadline that the editor cannot possibly do a thorough job. They have to use a strategy designed to catch the most serious problems in the least amount of time
proximity (news value)
• relates to the geographic location
curation
• selecting and packaging content • selecting material, adding value to it, and exhibiting it in the most useful and informative way • three types: distribution/relay; aggregation/combination' filter/distillation
curation as aggregation/combination
• selects and packages news / information but links to the original / outside news sources • question of ethics • has the aggregator linked to the original source • is the material clearly attributed • has the aggregator added value • has the aggregator used a reasonable amount of the material
print headlines
• shorter and to the point, likely 8-10 words • fit a specific space (character limits; shouldn't be more or less) • work with the surrounding layout of design and photos
What do headlines do?
• summarize the main information in a story • capture readers' attention • convey tone and style • short and to the point • precise wording • accuracy
curation as filter/distillation
• the act of curating information into a more simplistic format where only the most important or relevant ideas are shared • repackaging conversations from other sources • cut through the noise to find the key points worth passing along • often comes in the form of a list (ex: Buzzfeed)
impact (news value)
• the story/topic/event affects many people or viewers in your target audience
writing the ultimate cutline
• understand what is happening in the photo • use present tense and active verbs • identify by location when needed • double check names and identities • avoid imagining beyond what you see
Tips for constructing simple headlines
• use a subject + verb + object construction • seek active verbs • present tense • Be accurate • be specific; headline should ideally fit only a single story • size it right
formal style
• use of full words, jargon, and terminology • typically targeted toward readers with some degree of expertise on the topic • technical terms • complex sentences and paragraphs • objective stands • use of third person
style
• word choice, and more • range from casual to deathly serious • depend on audience and purpose • formal vs informal
analytics
•the observation and interpretation of data patterns for effective decision-making • allows you to create content similar to that which you know your audience has actively consumed in the past • use analytics to create content that has a greater impact on the audience • pay attention to: unique visitors, visits, page views, time spent, etc.
5Ws + 1H in stories
•who, what, where, when, why •how These are questions that are typically answered in the lead, or early on in the story. The story isn't truly complete unless all of these are answered. Missing any of these questions leaves a hole in the story.
