How To Write News Tutorial

How to Write NewsAnsel Oliver, Adventist News Network

http://news.adventist.org

Thursday, June 18, 2009



Practice.


What Reporters Do

• Our job as church reporters is to build trust with people.

• We build trust by sharing accurate information.


We communicate so we can build trust.


An organizationis a group of

real, authentic people.


How do we report?


How do we report?

• Share information quickly and in an interesting way.


share the most interesting piece of information first.


Quickly Answer:

• Who?

• What?

• When?

• Where?

• Why

• How?


Quickly Answer:

• Who? Jim & Jane

• What? Kissing

• When? Today, a few minutes ago

• Where? Behind the gym

• Why? You know...


“Jim and Jane were seen kissing behind the gym today, suggesting the two new freshman students are now dating.”






We’ve Answered:

• Who?

• What?

• When?

• Where?

• Why

• How?


Story Formula


intro

body

climax

end

how stories usually progress


climax

A news story starts at climax.


baby born in Bethlehem

body of the story

rose from the dead

gospel commission

how stories usually progress


“A man rose from the dead after being crucified three days ago, giving strong credence to his claim of being the Messiah.”

rose from the dead


Your Turn.



Get used to being edited.


Your Turn(again).


A top national military officer was cured of leprosy yesterday after washing in the Jordan River seven times upon advice from a prophet and encouragement from his own servant girl.


A top national military officer was cured of leprosy yesterday after washing in the Jordan River seven times upon advice from a prophet and encouragement from his own servant girl. General Naman, who had been suffering from the disease for…


Your Formula:

• First Paragraph: One sentence, summarizes the story

• Second Paragraph: Gives main person’s name, more specific information



Why a quote?A quote placed

every few paragraphs moves the story along. “?”


"I wasn't going to waver from my faith," Daniel said. "I didn't care what anyone

threatened to do to me."


"I wasn't going to waver from my faith," Daniel said. "I didn't care what anyone

threatened to do to me."

"This just proves that his God is the most powerful God in the universe," King Darius

said.


"This just proves that his God is the most powerful God in the universe,"

King Darius said.



Inverted Pyramid

• Retains important information when trimming a story to fit a certain space.


How long shoulda paragraph be?

• 1-3 sentences

• less is better


The Davis Adventist Church board last night voted to build a school that will serve 200 Adventist students currently enrolled in a troubled public school.



Board members voted 9-2 to approve $600,000 over the next two years to fund construction of the school on church property.




"I'm glad we have the resources and vision to invest in our kids," said board chair Bob Smith. "This is something we have needed for a long time."




"I'm glad we have the resources and vision to invest in our kids," said board chair Bob Smith. "This is something we have needed for a long time."


Nine-year-old Sally Jones has been struggling in public school for two years now.


She is bullied by other students, and her parents think her teachers are just giving most students good grades whether they work hard or not.




"My parents want to send me to another school, but there just isn't another option," Jones said.




"My parents want to send me to another school, but there just isn't another option," Jones said.


Davis Adventist Church board members hope Jones and some 200 other Adventist students currently struggling in public schools will be served with a new Adventist school approved in last night's meeting. In a 9-2 vote, the board approved $600,000 for a school scheduled for completion in two years.


Kenya defeated Germany in yesterday's regional football championship off a last-minute goal from forward Ben Mwansa.


Ben Mwansa didn't think he would be able to walk this year without limping.

An off-season foot injury kept him from practicing with the national team for three months.

But his work ethic with physical therapy propelled him from the disabled list to starting forward halfway through the season.

That work paid off for Mwansa and team Kenya yesterday as they defeated Germany with a kick off that once-injured foot for a last-minute goal to win the match 3-2.

"My foot actually still hurts, but I don't care," Mwansa said in the locker room after the game. "I wanted to be there for my team."


Ben Mwansa didn't think he would be able to walk this year without limping.

An off-season foot injury kept him from practicing with the national team for three months.

But his work ethic with physical therapy propelled him from the disabled list to starting forward halfway through the season.

That work paid off for Mwansa and team Kenya yesterday as they defeated Germany with a kick off that once-injured foot for a last-minute goal to win the match 3-2.

"My foot actually still hurts, but I don't care," Mwansa said in the locker room after the game. "I wanted to be there for my team."


Hard Lead

• Inverted Pyramid


Soft Lead

• Soft lead using Inverted Pyramid


An important point...


How long shouldyour news story be?


[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Education

How To Write News Tutorial