Mastering the Art of Public Affairs News Writing
Basic News writing
Basic News writing
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AR 360-1, The Army Public Affairs Program, dtd
May 2011
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FM 3-61, Public Affairs Operations, dtd April 2014
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STP 46-46QZ14-SM-TG, Public Affairs
Specialist, dtd December 2010
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Army Public Affairs Handbook
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S
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News/Personality feature
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Commentary (see handout)
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What message do you want your audience to
leave with?
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Why is this story important?
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Who is it important to?
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Know your subject
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Prep for Interviews
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Provide context
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Find the story
behind the story
What is this story really about?
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Three subjects min.
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Vary ranks/position
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Perspective quotes
What story are you trying
to tell ?
Get them to tell it!
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5 Ws
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Qualifying info
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Background info
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End with quote
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Start your story
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Two main types of leads – easiest is DIRECT
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D
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4
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(
5
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DO NOT USE “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow…”
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1
.
SANTIAGO, Chile –
2.
Senior leaders of the
Texas
National
Guard and the Chilean Armed Forces
3.
met for the Annual
State Partnership Program Planning Meeting,
4.
March 26, 2014,
in
5.
Santiago
.
Always place a COMMA before date.
DO
NOT
use the words “on” before date.
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Connects lead to story
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?
)
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EX:
Service members practiced their Soldier skills while performing emergency
response operations in order to build competence as the custodians of the FEMA
Region VI Homeland Response Force mission.
(Ready and Relevant Force to Texas,
prep for hurricane season matters to Texans)
•
EX:
The Texas Joint Counterdrug Task Force partnered with the city of Laredo, the
Laredo Police Department and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to clean up
the city and rid the community of crime associated with drugs after thirty-three
properties in Laredo were selected for demolition over the course of two weeks,
through a carefully planned, legal process that identified, qualified and validated
inclusion of each site.
(Partner, Relevant force to Texas, People First, helping the
community)
•
EX:
During the annual Adjutant General’s Pistol Competition, a total of 54
competitors from the Army, Air and State Guards competed for one of eight
Governor’s Twenty tabs.
(Competition – People First)
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Alternate words & quotes (see hand out)
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Quote 3 people
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WHY do I care?
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Attribution
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Secondary Information
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Avoid Acronyms!
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Security
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Accuracy
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Policy
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Propriety
Basic News Writing – as a UPAR, you can help us by writing stories about training exercises, memorial services and missions/operations your unit is involved with, when a PA service member is unavailable.
Discover the essential steps in crafting compelling public affairs stories, from choosing the right topics to conducting thorough research and selecting interview subjects. Learn about the inverted pyramid structure, writing effective leads, and creating engaging bridges to hook your readers. Elevate your news writing skills with practical tips and strategies for producing impactful stories that resonate with your audience.
Uploaded on Sep 25, 2024 | 1 Views
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Presentation Transcript
References References AR 360-1, The Army Public Affairs Program, dtd May 2011 FM 3-61, Public Affairs Operations, dtd April 2014 STP 46-46QZ14-SM-TG, Public Affairs Specialist, dtd December 2010 Army Public Affairs Handbook AP Style Guide, 2014
Types of public affairs stories Types of public affairs stories Straight news News/Personality feature Commentary (see handout)
Choosing your topic Choosing your topic What message do you want your audience to leave with? Why is this story important? Who is it important to?
Research Research Know your subject Prep for Interviews Provide context Find the story behind the story What is this story really about?
Choosing your interview subjects Choosing your interview subjects Three subjects min. Vary ranks/position Perspective quotes What story are you trying to tell ? Get them to tell it!
Inverted Pyramid Inverted Pyramid 5 Ws Qualifying info Background info End with quote
Leads Leads Start your story Two main types of leads easiest is DIRECT Dateline CITY, State (1) / CITY, Country 4 W s Who (2), What (3), When (4), Where (5) DO NOT USE Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow 1. SANTIAGO, Chile 2. Senior leaders of the Texas National Guard and the Chilean Armed Forces 3. met for the Annual State Partnership Program Planning Meeting, 4. March 26, 2014, in 5. Santiago. Always place a COMMA before date. DO NOT use the words on before date.
Bridge Bridge Connects lead to story HOOKS the reader WHY do I care? statement (What makes this story newsworthy?)
Bridge Bridge EX: Service members practiced their Soldier skills while performing emergency response operations in order to build competence as the custodians of the FEMA Region VI Homeland Response Force mission. (Ready and Relevant Force to Texas, prep for hurricane season matters to Texans) EX:The Texas Joint Counterdrug Task Force partnered with the city of Laredo, the Laredo Police Department and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to clean up the city and rid the community of crime associated with drugs after thirty-three properties in Laredo were selected for demolition over the course of two weeks, through a carefully planned, legal process that identified, qualified and validated inclusion of each site.(Partner, Relevant force to Texas, People First, helping the community) EX:During the annual Adjutant General s Pistol Competition, a total of 54 competitors from the Army, Air and State Guards competed for one of eight Governor s Twenty tabs. (Competition People First)
Flow of story Flow of story Alternate words & quotes (see hand out) Quote 3 people WHY do I care? Attribution Secondary Information Avoid Acronyms!
SAPP SAPP Security Accuracy Policy Propriety
