The Basics of News Writing and Reporting
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By Corliss Smithen
6 May, 2018
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New
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Unusual
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Interesting
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Significant
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About people
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NOT NEWS
Businessman, Donald J. Trump, has been elected the
45
th
president of the United States.
NEWS
In the face of certain impeachment and removal from
office, U.S. President Donald J. Trump demitted
office last night after just a year and half at the helm.
Proximity or closeness
N
O
T
N
E
W
S
Three people died yesterday in a two-car accident in
Luxembourg City.
NEWS
A woman and her three children died yesterday when
the car they were travelling in crashed into a pole
along Veteran’s Drive.
R
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Eminence and Prominence
NOT NEWS
My next-door neighbor, Donna Greene, gave birth to a
healthy baby boy last night.
NEWS
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has welcomed
their new prince into the world. He’s fifth in line to
the British throne.
Impact
NOT NEWS
Kenya is set to increase fees for state-sponsored
students in public universities by 30% this year,
sparking student protests across the country.
NEWS
Parents of students attending the St. Thomas/St. John
Seventh-day Adventist School will have to dig deeper in
their pockets after school principal, Dr. Whitman Browne,
announced plans for a 100% tuition increase, come next
semester.
Human Interest
NOT NEWS
A vacant building that was once used as a storage
center was destroyed last night in a fire.
NEWS
A family of four has been left homeless after a fire
ripped through their home last night, destroying
everything in its path.
Conflict and Tension
NOT NEWS
The United States and its northern neighbor, Canada,
continue to remain ambivalent allies.
NEWS
The Palestinian Authority has declared Saturday a day of
national mourning after 17 Palestinians were killed by
Israeli forces as thousands marched near Gaza's border
with Israel in a major demonstration marking the 42nd
anniversary of Land Day.
Types of News Stories
•
Straight news/hard news
•
Soft news
•
Feature news
•
Human interest stories
•
Editorial
Types of News Stories
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factual and objective account of a
timely event that takes place within
24 hours
●
is of concern
●
must be covered as it happens
●
can be classified as a spot news or
breaking news, such as a bank
robbery, a murder, a school shooting
E.g.
V.I. police officers freed on
$100,000 secured bond
Types of News Stories
S
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t
n
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less timely than hard news
•
consequence and importance
less significant
•
is not always based on current
events.
E.g.
How To Find Beauty Products
That Aren’t Totally Killing The Planet
by HuffPost
.
Types of News Stories
Feature stories
•
used to inform or entertain
•
based on visuals and quotations
•
usually longer and more detailed
than a news story.
•
E.g.
Students’ apathy – a
growing concern for educators
Types of News Stories
Human interest
stories
•
type of feature stories
•
discuss a person or people in an
emotional way
•
present people and their
problems, concerns or
achievements
•
to bring about interest,
sympathy or motivation in the
reader or viewer.
•
E.g.
Adventists on St. Thomas
“cast down, but not destroyed”
Types of News Stories
Editorial
•
used to communicate personal
points of view about current
events and topics
•
used to develop an argument
about an issue
•
used to sway readers’ opinions
•
is not objective
•
represents the official view of an
editorial board
•
E.g.
Will the court stand up to
Donald Trump?
Writing a News Story
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•
identify the key terms in your
article
•
be accurate and direct
•
keep it short
•
use active voice
•
do not repeat the lead (lede)
•
know when to capitalize
•
write in present tense
•
E.g.
Mapp announces ambitious
road repair project (
V.I. Daily
News)
Writing a News Story
The Byline
•
Gives the name of the
writer of the article
•
Commonly placed after the
headline and before the
text of the article
Writing a News Story
The Dateline
•
geographic identifier at beginning of
news article or press release
•
includes the name of a city or town
followed by an abbreviation of a state
name; all letters are usually capitalized
•
placed after bylines and on the same
line of the first sentence of news
articles or press releases.
•
separated from the first sentence by a
dash
E.g.
ST. THOMAS, U.S.V.I. –
Writing a News Story
The Lead (Lede)
•
5 W’s and one H
•
Who
•
What
•
When
•
Why
•
Where
•
How
E.g.
Gov. Kenneth Mapp unveiled an
ambitious $1.2 billion plan Tuesday to
overhaul the territory’s broken public road
system — a project, he said, that aims to
make potholes a “thing of the past.”
Writing a News Story
Types of Leads
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a
summary of the whole story in as few words
as possible in a single sentence
•
most traditional lead
•
to the point and factual
•
focusses on the
who
and
what
of the story,
then follows with the
when
and
where
.
•
the
how
and
why
may be explained further
into the story.
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(
Points to remember
)
•
use few words, max. of 30, to write a
summary of the most newsworthy fact
•
pick out the most important details and
include the 5 W’s and H, beginning with the
subject (
who
or
what
)
•
cite sources, if applicable
•
try to conceal identification, if possible, in the
lead
•
give the reader the subject’s name and title in
the paragraph that follows
E.g.
GHANA
–
Two social workers are under investigation for
allegedly selling a day-old baby for $3,600 (£2,600) after faking
the baby's death.
E.g.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
–
The World Health
Organization (WHO) is warning that the fight against malaria has
stalled for the first time in a decade.
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Creative lead
•
use creativity to begin the story
•
sometimes writers begin with the
conclusion, then build on the story
•
useful in writing human interest or
feature articles; rarely used in
writing straight or hard news
•
most important facts usually
appear about the third paragraph,
called the nut graph
•
nut graph contains essence of the
story.
Writing a News Story
Types of Creative Leads
Scene-setting lead
Storytelling lead
•
can be used for graduation and similar events
•
begin with a description of a scene of the event
•
tell the rest of the story in the succeeding
paragraphs.
•
use a narrative style
•
begin by introducing main characters, conflicts,
setting of the story
•
pique readers’ interest and curiosity with the
use of literary devices and expressions
•
delay identification of persons in the story until
a later paragraph to avoid disrupting the flow of
the lead
Writing a News Story
Types of Creative Leads
Startling statement lead
Opposite lead
•
begin the story with an amazing fact or startling
statement that arouses the readers’ interest
•
reporting on an important speech delivered by
the NCC president or on the findings of a survey
or a research, begin with the most startling
piece of information the president imparted or
the most amazing fact the research uncovered
•
arrest the readers’ attention and make them
want to read the rest of the story
•
begin with one point of view or observation
•
follow with an opposite view
Writing a News Story
The Inverted
Pyramid
Most Newsworthy
Information
(5 W’s and one H)
____________________
Important Details
____________________
Other General and
Background
information
Writing a News Story
The Basics of
AP Style
•
Numbers
•
Street, avenue and
boulevard
•
State and organization
names
•
Months
•
Titles
Writing a News Story
Quick Course in
Grammar and
Punctuation
•
Subject-verb agreement
•
Pronoun agreement
•
Subject and object pronouns
•
Avoid dangling modifiers
•
Avoid misplaced modifiers
•
Make sure words are spelt
correctly
•
Use words correctly
Writing a News Story
Writing Exercises
Write a lead from the facts below,
paying attention to the
who,
what, why, when, where,
and
how
details
:
There was a shooting at Ulke
Gade. A young man was killed.
The incident occurred on Monday
March 7, 2018 at 7 p.m.
Police are investigating Monday
night’s shooting at Ulke Gade,
which claimed the life of a young
man.
Or
A young man was killed Monday
night during a shooting at Ulke
Gade.
Writing a News Story
Writing Exercises
Write a news story, using the inverted pyramid style, from
the facts below. The official source of information is police
spokeswoman Joan Freeman, who should be credited
throughout the story.
Facts:
•
Who
: John Meade, 50, and his wife, Annie Meade, 45, of
Smith Bay
•
What
: found shot to death
•
Where
: inside their home – John Meade’s body lay on the
bathroom floor. Annie Meade was found dead in her bed.
•
When
: Sunday at 8 a.m.
•
How
: Annie Meade had a single gunshot wound to the head.
John Meade was shot multiple times about the body.
•
Police rushed to the scene after a neighbor called 911 to
report shots fired. Police broke down the front door to gain
entry into the house, where they found the couple fatally
shot. Police have no leads and are asking the public for help
in their investigations. Anyone with information is asked to
call the Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tipline at 1-800- 222-
TIPS.
Couple found shot to death inside their home
By ……………..
ST. THOMAS, V.I. –
A man and his wife were found shot to death in
their Smith Bay home Sunday morning, according to VIPD
spokeswoman, Joan Freeman.
Police responding to a 911 report of shots fired found the bullet-
riddled bodies of John Meade, 50, and his wife, Annie Meade, 45,
inside the house. Officers broke down the door to gain entry into
the house where they found John Meade, who was shot multiple
times about the body, on the bathroom floor. Annie Meade still lay
in her bed with a gunshot wound to the head and one in the chest,
Freeman said.
Police have no leads and are asking the public for help in their
investigations. Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime
Stoppers’ anonymous tipline at 1-800- 222-TIPS.
Works Cited
SPJ Code of Ethics
•
Seek truth and report it
•
Minimize harm
•
Act independently
•
Be accountable
•
Details available
•
Details available
•
Details available
•
Details available
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Delve into the fundamentals of news writing and reporting with a comprehensive overview covering the definition of news, timeliness, proximity, rarity, eminence, prominence, impact, and human interest stories. This insightful exploration provides a glimpse into the essential elements that make a piece newsworthy, highlighting key concepts through real-world examples.
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Presentation Transcript
News Writing and Reporting News Writing and Reporting By Corliss Smithen 6 May, 2018
INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
What is News? What is News? New Unusual Interesting Significant About people
Timeliness Timeliness NOT NEWS NEWS Image result for donald trump impeached Image result for donald trump is president Businessman, Donald J. Trump, has been elected the 45thpresident of the United States. In the face of certain impeachment and removal from office, U.S. President Donald J. Trump demitted office last night after just a year and half at the helm.
Proximity or closeness NOT NEWS NOT NEWS NEWS Image result for CAR ACCIDENT Image result for CAR ACCIDENT Three people died yesterday in a two-car accident in Luxembourg City. A woman and her three children died yesterday when the car they were travelling in crashed into a pole along Veteran s Drive.
Rarity NEWS NEWS NOT NEWS NOT NEWS
Eminence and Prominence NOT NEWS NEWS Image result for woman with baby Image result for royal baby The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has welcomed their new prince into the world. He s fifth in line to the British throne. My next-door neighbor, Donna Greene, gave birth to a healthy baby boy last night.
Impact NEWS NOT NEWS Image result for students protest tuition fee rise in Kenya Image result for students protest tuition fee rise in Kenya Parents of students attending the St. Thomas/St. John Seventh-day Adventist School will have to dig deeper in their pockets after school principal, Dr. Whitman Browne, announced plans for a 100% tuition increase, come next semester. Kenya is set to increase fees for state-sponsored students in public universities by 30% this year, sparking student protests across the country.
Human Interest NOT NEWS NEWS Image result for fire burns down house Image result for EMPTY BUILDING ON FIRE A vacant building that was once used as a storage center was destroyed last night in a fire. A family of four has been left homeless after a fire ripped through their home last night, destroying everything in its path.
Conflict and Tension NOT NEWS NEWS Image result for canada and the united states ambivalent allies Image result for israel-palestine conflict The Palestinian Authority has declared Saturday a day of national mourning after 17 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces as thousands marched near Gaza's border with Israel in a major demonstration marking the 42nd anniversary of Land Day. The United States and its northern neighbor, Canada, continue to remain ambivalent allies.
Types of News Stories Straight news/hard news Soft news Feature news Human interest stories Editorial
Types of News Stories Straight news/hard Straight news/hard news news factual and objective account of a timely event that takes place within 24 hours is of concern must be covered as it happens can be classified as a spot news or breaking news, such as a bank robbery, a murder, a school shooting E.g. V.I. police officers freed on $100,000 secured bond
Types of News Stories Soft news Soft news less timely than hard news consequence and importance less significant is not always based on current events. E.g. How To Find Beauty Products That Aren t Totally Killing The Planet by HuffPost.
Types of News Stories Feature stories used to inform or entertain based on visuals and quotations usually longer and more detailed than a news story. E.g. growing concern for educators Students apathy a
Types of News Stories type of feature stories discuss a person or people in an emotional way present people and their problems, concerns or achievements to bring about interest, sympathy or motivation in the reader or viewer. E.g. Adventists on St. Thomas cast down, but not destroyed Human stories interest
Types of News Stories used to communicate personal points of view about current events and topics used to develop an argument about an issue used to sway readers opinions is not objective represents the official view of an editorial board E.g. Will the court stand up to Donald Trump? Editorial
Writing a News Story The The Headline Headline identify the key terms in your article be accurate and direct keep it short use active voice do not repeat the lead (lede) know when to capitalize write in present tense E.g. Mapp announces ambitious road repair project (V.I. Daily News)
Writing a News Story The Byline Gives the name of the writer of the article Commonly placed after the headline and before the text of the article
Writing a News Story The Dateline geographic identifier at beginning of news article or press release includes the name of a city or town followed by an abbreviation of a state name; all letters are usually capitalized placed after bylines and on the same line of the first sentence of news articles or press releases. separated from the first sentence by a dash E.g. ST. THOMAS, U.S.V.I.
Writing a News Story The Lead (Lede) 5 W s and one H Who What When Why Where How E.g. Gov. ambitious overhaul the territory s broken public road system a project, he said, that aims to make potholes a thing of the past. Kenneth $1.2 Mapp plan unveiled Tuesday an to billion
Writing a News Story Types of Leads a summary of the whole story in as few words as possible in a single sentence Story Story summary summary lead lead most traditional lead to the point and factual focusses on the who and what of the story, then follows with the when and where. the how and why may be explained further into the story.
Writing a News Story Writing a News Story Story Story summary summary lead lead use few words, max. of 30, to write a summary of the most newsworthy fact pick out the most important details and include the 5 W s and H, beginning with the subject (who or what) cite sources, if applicable try to conceal identification, if possible, in the lead give the reader the subject s name and title in the paragraph that follows E.g. GHANA Two social workers are under investigation for allegedly selling a day-old baby for $3,600 ( 2,600) after faking the baby's death. (Points to remember) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND The World Health E.g. Organization (WHO) is warning that the fight against malaria has stalled for the first time in a decade.
Writing a News Story Writing a News Story Creative lead use creativity to begin the story sometimes writers begin with the conclusion, then build on the story useful in writing human interest or feature articles; rarely used in writing straight or hard news most important appear about the third paragraph, called the nut graph nut graph contains essence of the story. facts usually
Writing a News Story Types of Creative Leads can be used for graduation and similar events begin with a description of a scene of the event tell the rest of the story in the succeeding paragraphs. Scene-setting lead use a narrative style begin by introducing main characters, conflicts, setting of the story pique readers interest and curiosity with the use of literary devices and expressions delay identification of persons in the story until a later paragraph to avoid disrupting the flow of the lead Storytelling lead
Writing a News Story Types of Creative Leads begin the story with an amazing fact or startling statement that arouses the readers interest reporting on an important speech delivered by the NCC president or on the findings of a survey or a research, begin with the most startling piece of information the president imparted or the most amazing fact the research uncovered arrest the readers attention and make them want to read the rest of the story Startling statement lead begin with one point of view or observation follow with an opposite view Opposite lead
Writing a News Story The Inverted Pyramid Most Newsworthy Information (5 W s and one H) ____________________ Important Details ____________________ Other General and Background information
Writing a News Story The Basics of AP Style Numbers Street, boulevard State and organization names Months Titles avenue and
Writing a News Story Quick Course in Grammar and Punctuation Subject-verb agreement Pronoun agreement Subject and object pronouns Avoid dangling modifiers Avoid misplaced modifiers Make sure words are spelt correctly Use words correctly
Writing a News Story Writing Exercises Write a lead from the facts below, paying attention to the who, what, why, when, where, and how details: There was a shooting at Ulke Gade. A young man was killed. The incident occurred on Monday March 7, 2018 at 7 p.m. Police are investigating Monday night s shooting at Ulke Gade, which claimed the life of a young man. Or A young man was killed Monday night during a shooting at Ulke Gade.
Writing a News Story Writing Exercises Couple found shot to death inside their home Write a news story, using the inverted pyramid style, from the facts below. The official source of information is police spokeswoman Joan Freeman, who should be credited throughout the story. By .. Facts: Who: John Meade, 50, and his wife, Annie Meade, 45, of Smith Bay What: found shot to death Where: inside their home John Meade s body lay on the bathroom floor. Annie Meade was found dead in her bed. When: Sunday at 8 a.m. How: Annie Meade had a single gunshot wound to the head. John Meade was shot multiple times about the body. Police rushed to the scene after a neighbor called 911 to report shots fired. Police broke down the front door to gain entry into the house, where they found the couple fatally shot. Police have no leads and are asking the public for help in their investigations. Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tipline at 1-800- 222- TIPS. ST. THOMAS, V.I. A man and his wife were found shot to death in their Smith Bay home Sunday morning, according to VIPD spokeswoman, Joan Freeman. Police responding to a 911 report of shots fired found the bullet- riddled bodies of John Meade, 50, and his wife, Annie Meade, 45, inside the house. Officers broke down the door to gain entry into the house where they found John Meade, who was shot multiple times about the body, on the bathroom floor. Annie Meade still lay in her bed with a gunshot wound to the head and one in the chest, Freeman said. Police have no leads and are asking the public for help in their investigations. Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tipline at 1-800- 222-TIPS.
SPJ Code of Ethics Details available Seek truth and report it Details available Minimize harm Details available Act independently Details available Be accountable
End of Presentation End of Presentation
