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Finding the Focus Information is everywhere
▪ News stories are developed around one main point▪ Readers want to know the point of the story quickly
▪ Headline▪ Lead▪ 1st 2-3 paragraphs
?’s to help find the focus▪ What’s the story about?▪ How are the readers or viewers affected?▪ How would you tell the story to a friend?
These questions will help identify the focus/angle
Basic questions News stories answer the 5 W’s Which are…..?
All day coverage in broadcast & online▪ Have led editors to explore another question
▪ Anybody want to guess what it is…?
SO WHAT??? What is the significance to readers? How can you make readers care?
Write a vivid & compelling story▪ Put the reader there▪ Make them “see” the story
Elements of the Basic News Story Include
▪ The Headline Plus Three general parts
▪ A beginning– The “Lead” ▪ A middle – The “Body”▪ An ending
Inverted Pyramid Writing
The Headline
Left-handers have shorter life span, research shows
The Lead
Left-handed people don’t live as long as right-handers,according to research by a professor at California
State University, San Bernardino.
Body/Middle Provides support for lead
▪ Facts▪ Statistics▪ Quotes▪ Background▪ Details▪ Fairness & Accuracy
▪ (For controversial/two sided issues)
Endings Common types of endings
▪ Future Action▪ Statement/Quote that summarizes previous info
▪ (Should not repeat it)
▪ More elaboration
Visuals Crucial to news presentations in print &
online▪ Photographs▪ Charts▪ Graphic illustrations▪ Highlight/Fact box▪ Pull quotes
▪ Link
When to use direct quotes▪ Interesting & informative▪ Backs up the lead or a point made in story▪ If it is memorable▪ Advances the story
▪ Adds emotion, interest, new information
When to avoid quotes▪ If they are boring▪ Indisputable/factual quotes▪ Not clearly worded▪ Accusatory quotes
▪ (ie, from politicians, crime witnesses, etc)
▪ Don’t relate to the focus
Plagiarism▪ Copying the words of other writers▪ Even if you paraphrase
▪ Information from other publications
Unless you attribute it▪ Say where it came from & it’s not plagiarism
Rules How to write quotes When to use attribution Wording of attribution
There are rules that apply at different times
▪ Review pgs 51-54 in the text book