1 Organizing a News Story Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication Arizona State...

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Organizing a News StoryOrganizing a News Story

Cronkite School of Journalism Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication & Mass Communication

Arizona State UniversityArizona State University

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Now what?Now what?

Great that you can write a summary lead -- a promise of a story.

But how do you move from a lead to a story?

How do you fulfill that promise?

Your story will need structure, some form of organization.

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Story structuresStory structures

• Inverted pyramidInverted pyramid• HourglassHourglass• CircleCircle• FeatureFeature

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Inverted pyramidInverted pyramid

Most to Least Important FactsMost to Least Important Facts

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Inverted pyramidInverted pyramid

Most Popular News Structure

Facts in Descending Order of Importance

Most Important Material at Story Beginning

Succeeding Grafs Explain & Amplify Lead

Less Important Material Follows

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Inverted pyramidInverted pyramid

The inverted pyramid is popular because it still serves readers well. It tells them quickly what they want to know.

It also allows reporters to focus their news judgment, to identify and rank the most important elements of the story.

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Inverted pyramidInverted pyramid

• Summary leadSummary lead

• News in descending importanceNews in descending importance

• Background facts highBackground facts high

• Quotes interspersedQuotes interspersed

• Use of transitionsUse of transitions

• No editorializingNo editorializing

• End when done, often with quoteEnd when done, often with quote

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ExampleExample

High school eligibilityHigh school eligibility

simplified for evacueessimplified for evacueesBy Jose E. Garcia

The Arizona Republic

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Summary leadSummary lead

The Arizona Interscholastic Association cleared the way Wednesday for Hurricane Katrina evacuees in the state to play high school sports here.

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Following upFollowing up

The AIA Executive Board voted unanimously to allow school administrators and students and parents to fill out an eligibility hardship two-page waiver that the AIA drafted for this circumstance. The students will not have to show any identification, such as a birth certificate, to prove eligibility.

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BackgroundBackground

The students were displaced this month when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, forcing mass evacuations from New Orleans and other cities that were devastated in the aftermath.

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News in descending orderNews in descending order

Chuck Schmidt, an AIA assistant executive director, estimates about 70 evacuees will participate in AIA-sanctioned events, from athletics to band, this school year.

Some athletes already are practicing with local teams and may see action as soon as Friday.

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Quotes interspersedQuotes interspersed

Troy Harris, a junior already enrolled at Chandler High, is practicing with the varsity football team and was waiting on the AIA's decision on whether he can play on Friday against Mesa Westwood. The defensive back was rescued from the roof of his parent's suburban New Orleans home after the hurricane.

"It's not important for me to start or anything," Harris said. "After what I've been through, I can relax and release some of the anger and fear I have inside me. I can just let loose on the football field. It will help take my mind off what's happened. It eases me."

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Use transitionsUse transitions

Some administrators and coaches have expressed a concern that some programs may gain an athletic advantage with evacuees who transfer in.

However, Schmidt said the AIA's priority is to get the displaced students to feel somewhat at home on Valley high school sports fields.

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EndingEnding

"Our concern is to give these kids an opportunity to participate," Schmidt said.

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Inverted Pyramid Inverted Pyramid AdvantagesAdvantages

Gives the gist of the story in first few grafs.

Delivers the most important news first so that hurried readers quickly get the story gist.

Satisfies reader curiosity in a natural way from important to least important facts.

Facilitates copydesk headline writing.

Makes story cutting from the bottom easier.

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Hourglass StyleHourglass Style

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HourglassHourglass

The hourglass combines some of the best The hourglass combines some of the best elements of the inverted pyramid and elements of the inverted pyramid and narrative story-telling. narrative story-telling.

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HourglassHourglass

The hourglass consists of three parts:

• A top, which tells the news quicklyA top, which tells the news quickly

• The turn, a nimble transition

• The narrative, a chronological retelling of events

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HourglassHourglass

AdvantagesAdvantages

• Readers get the news high in the storyReaders get the news high in the story

• The writer gets to use storytelling The writer gets to use storytelling techniquestechniques

• It encourages a real endingIt encourages a real ending

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HourglassHourglass

The hourglass works well with police, fire stories, meetings, courtroom dramas and other incidents that lend themselves to chronological narration.

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Circle StyleCircle Style

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CircleCircle

A more feature-friendly approach that brings stories “full circle” by tying the story end to the lead.

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Circle Style AdvantagesCircle Style Advantages

Narrative and descriptive writing can be used.

Readers can attach to a key source and feel story is about the source as well as a broader topic.

Based on effective storytelling techniques that can keep readers interested to the end.

Editors cannot slash the story from the bottom.

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ReferencesReferences

• Itule, B.D., and Anderson, D.A. Itule, B.D., and Anderson, D.A. News Writing News Writing and Reporting for Today’s Mediaand Reporting for Today’s Media. New York: . New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2003.The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2003.

• Hall, J. Hall, J. Beginning ReportingBeginning Reporting. . www.courses.www.courses.vcuvcu..eduedu/ENG-/ENG-jehjeh//BeginningReportingBeginningReporting//

• Garcia, Jose E. “High school eligibility Garcia, Jose E. “High school eligibility simplified for evacuees.” simplified for evacuees.” The Arizona The Arizona RepublicRepublic 15 Sept. 2005: C1. 15 Sept. 2005: C1.

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Features:Features:Writing with a heartWriting with a heart

• There’s an infinite number of feature possibilities.There’s an infinite number of feature possibilities.

• The best way to find them is to look around you --The best way to find them is to look around you -- look at the news, talk to people in class, the grocery look at the news, talk to people in class, the grocery

store, library, lunch room, home, neighborhood, at store, library, lunch room, home, neighborhood, at social events and everywhere you go. Just live!social events and everywhere you go. Just live!

• Whatever you find around you is a potential Whatever you find around you is a potential story. story.

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Types of FeaturesTypes of Features

News with more relaxed time deadlinesNews with more relaxed time deadlines

• Personality Profiles Personality Profiles

• Human Interest StoriesHuman Interest Stories

• Trend StoriesTrend Stories

• In-Depth StoriesIn-Depth Stories

• Analysis PiecesAnalysis Pieces

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Feature Organization TipsFeature Organization Tips

1) Choose a theme.1) Choose a theme.

2) Write a lead that invites us into the story.2) Write a lead that invites us into the story.

3) Write clear concise sentences.3) Write clear concise sentences.

4)4) Provide vital background information.Provide vital background information.

5)5) Use a thread.Use a thread.

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More Feature TipsMore Feature Tips

4)4) Use transitions.Use transitions.

5)5) Use dialogue when possible.Use dialogue when possible.

6)6) Use Voice.Use Voice.

7) End with a quotation or extended thread. 7) End with a quotation or extended thread.

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Feature Idea ExamplesFeature Idea Examples

Can you localize the ideas below to your campus?Can you localize the ideas below to your campus?

1)1) Profile people who are making news or offer Profile people who are making news or offer human interest. human interest.

2) Explain events that are making the news.2) Explain events that are making the news.

3)3) Analyze school, community, nation or world Analyze school, community, nation or world happening. Consider education,health, accidents, happening. Consider education,health, accidents, census, law enforcement, data bases.census, law enforcement, data bases.

4) Teach your audience how to do something.4) Teach your audience how to do something.

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Feature Ideas (cont)Feature Ideas (cont)

Can you localize these ideas to your campus?Can you localize these ideas to your campus?

5)5) Suggest better ways to live from complicated world Suggest better ways to live from complicated world to high school campus.to high school campus.

6) Examine trends in society.6) Examine trends in society.

7) Take people somewhere to see something they 7) Take people somewhere to see something they haven’t seen before.haven’t seen before.

8) Entertain or humor an audience.8) Entertain or humor an audience.