Focusing the story
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The document provides guidance on writing news stories, including how to focus a story, evaluate accuracy and fairness, identify stakeholders, structure stories in an inverted pyramid format, conduct interviews, record information as on- or off-the-record, get both sides of a story, and find facts from official records and statements. Students are assigned to write a story applying these techniques and send it to the instructor for feedback and posting on social media.
Focusing the story
- 1. Focusing the story Mary Turck maryturck@gmail.com
- 2. Good story, bad story • Accuracy: Does this story get facts right? How can you tell? • Balance: Does this story include multiple POV? • Fairness: Have people been given opportunity to respond? • Independence/transparency: What is the reporter’s interest? • Reader interest: Is this story interesting?
- 3. What’s your story? 1) Brainstorm ideas for stories you want to write. (3 minutes) 2) Discuss ideas with partner — identify focus of story, possible sources, how you would report story (10 minutes) 3) Report to group — what’s your story?
- 4. Stakeholders • Who is affected by the story? • Who is involved in the story? • Who cares about the story?
- 5. Inverted Pyramid who, what , when, where, why explanation, supporting information details stories
- 6. Four Box Structure (Doug McGill)
- 7. Interviewing • Research the subject • Know your interviewee • Prepare a list of questions • Be friendly • Be polite • Get names right
- 8. The medium and the message
- 9. On the record • On the record – “normal” – when you say you are a reporter, everything is on the record • Off the record – background, not quotable • Anonymous sources – want to be quoted, but not identified
- 10. Both Sides: Who is ‘the other side?’ Anyone with “a dog in the fight” – stakeholders Suddenly public figures The official sources
- 11. Getting to the facts • Official records • Public statements, including public meetings • Interviews • Other news stories
- 12. Assignment: Write a story • Write your story • Send it to me • Post it on Facebook • Don’t worry if it’s not perfect – next week, we’ll make it better! (Email me with questions during the week – or post them on the Facebook page so everyone can learn.)
Editor's Notes
- #2: This is the second of a three-part series on journalism basics for citizen journalists. The workshop is being presented for the Twin Cities Daily Planet in Minneapolis, MN. INTRODUCTIONS: Your name and one story you followed in last week’s news.
- #3: Discuss stories that you identified from last week’s assignment: Read/watch/listen to the news! Choose a good and a bad example of a news story. Post on Facebook group by NOON on TUESDAY. Explain what you see as good or bad in each story.
- #4: This week we focus on the story that you are going to report. We’ll start by identifying a story. Remember the instructions for how to focus a story, especially: “A focus paragraph tells what the story is about, including the five Ws – who, what, when, where, why – and sometimes how. Sometimes the focus paragraph is the first paragraph of the story. Sometimes it follows the compelling anecdote or quote that opens the story. Wherever the paragraph appears in the story, you need to be clear about your focus. Your focus guides you in deciding what material to include, and what to leave for another day or another story.”
- #5: Example: Target plans to put liquor store in Midway shopping area. Then have partners quickly identify stakeholders in their own stories. Target photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/13046562183 (Creative Commons license) Mike Mozart - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/ Jack Daniels photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ykjc9/4195907764/in/photolist-6XLYFY-8nc4ez-f5w9fg-6sPQmw-o7ESAq-9faAQW-nTXsU-pvquuX-a1sEzS-7oM8cj-5Lmq1R-99Rk7a-4BhBiA-o7N2jV-23M3tr-dCa55Y-dC4BPV-dCa3Ty-dC4BqX-dC4yPn-dCa1G1-dCa1cb-dC4yQt-dCa4A3-dCa49d-dC4zY4-dCa2Ro-dC4zLT-dCa28E-dC4A2M-dCa42f-dCa2ed-dC4yXe-dCa2MJ-dC4A8g-dC4AL4-dCa3Qd-dCa54o-dC4AaK-dCa2bG-dC4AHe-dC4A1F-dC9ZGL-dC4B7n-dCa5cU-dCa4Qs-dC4Azv-dC4yMF-dC9ZSq-dC4zXc/ (Creative Commons license) https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookbookman/
- #6: Traditional for news reporting – why? limited space cut from the bottom good for reporting spot news/breaking news, some beat news
- #7: Today’s news consumers want to be entertained – if you don’t catch them in the headline/first paragraph, you won’t keep them. Pay attention to craft of storytelling. BUT – combine that craft with reporting. When you write, it’s fine to start in the middle. Write the story – THEN figure out your lead. Remember that the focus paragraph will have most of the information for your nut graf - WWWWWH
- #8: You should know all that you can possibly find out about your subject. Ask deliberately naïve questions, but not stupid questions. Have a list, but that’s a starting point, not an end point. An interview should be a conversation. Always identify yourself as a reporter, freelancer, on assignment, etc. Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/yanrf/1408711192/in/photolist-39u1L1-D8ZuF-o4J7kW-o4JfBB-omc7UA-ojbKKh-ojbYPd-5U2ymb-om1Tvd-o4K7AH-ojbLgh-okWmf2-o4HZw6-o4JgPf-onYD4P-om1YMW-onYKNF-onYG22-omc5mE-o4KanV-o4HUMC-om1Vy1-o4J6UB-onYPmT-omdNJX-o4K7Xz-o4JaxY-o4KagT-om1SeW-o4J3Ev-onYKdH-o4Jjcm-o4Jbvj-o4JfFU-onYBop-okWpYe-omc9uE-omc7rG-o4Kb2R-o4J496-omc6ub-om214y-o4J81J-om255Q-ombZCS-o4J8dN-o4HXqU-onYGh2-omcatJ-ojc2SN (Creative Commons license)
- #9: What are the differences? (ask, try to get group to answer) Personal – can see reactions, body language, eyes – includes on-camera Phone – at least you can hear the voice – and this is often the only way you can reach people Email interviews (or text) – subject can change answers, have PR rep write answers; not very revealing
- #10: What’s the difference? When do you agree to off the record conversations? Why? What can you do with them? Anonymous sources – Who? When? Why? How to establish reliability?
- #11: Graphic: © Igor Zakowski - Fotolia.com
- #12: Where do you find facts? Nose for news = nose for bullshit Figure out where to check facts – Snopes, Politifact Remember librarians Graphics from politifact.com
- #13: Questions?