Intro. to Media Writing Class Notes

Getting to the Point: Print Journalism Notes
Introduction to Print Journalism
Grammar and AP
Every class session we will go over a common problem in grammar and AP. The grammar examples are things not normally caught by a spell-checker. Write these down, you will be tested on them.

Grammar: than / then

than -: Example:
then -: Example:

AP: Numerals

Double-check all numbers under various categories.: The "numerals" entry points you to other categories (age, money, dimensions, etc.) that deal with numbers. Numbers must be consistent with AP style.

Introduction to Print Journalism
Getting to the point, organizing and writing leads
(This information is covered in chapters 3 and 4 in the textbook and pgs. 28-38 in the workbook.)

What is news?
There are two main types of news - hard news (a.k.a spot news) and depth and context (a.k.a. feature stories). Both types of news rely on research and observation as well as interviews. The writing styles are different but they share news values.

News Values (why print the story?)

Prominence -

Timeliness -

Proximity -

Impact -

Magnitude -

Conflict -

Oddity -

Emotional Impact -

* Always remember your audience when choosing stories.

Organizing Your Story - The Inverted Pyramid

The inverted pyramid is one type of story formula.

Inverted Pyramid

Top of the inverted pyramid to bottom:
Headline: one of the most important parts, serves multiple purposes (attract attention to articles, allow people to scan newspapers in a timely manner and summarize the articles).
Headline structure is subject-verb-object. USE AN ACTIVE VERB!

Lead: hook, summarizes information, entices the reader to keep reading by briefly listing the most important points of the story.

Body: answers all questions, gives facts and quotes to explain the most important to least important main points of the story.

Ending: explains future action (what's next?) or gives additional facts; usually contains the least important information

Lead writing tips:

Be as specific as possible to answer a majority of 5Ws and 1H. In other words, give your readers "just the facts." Use simple sentences, not run-ons.

Remember to put the most important thing first.

Write simply and easily. Don't use a lot of figures, dates and years in your lead. Numbers will only confuse your readers.

Delay unfamiliar names.

Your lead sets the tone for the rest of your piece - use active voice.

Types of Leads:
(see WB pgs. 28-38 for written examples)

Who lead:: Use when the person is immediately recognizable (the president, a celebrity, sports figure, etc.)
What lead:: Most common type of lead. Tells what happened.
Where lead:: Use when the location is significant
When lead:: Toughest to use effectively, but could be used in stories about special dedications, holidays, or other stories where the date or time is the news.
Why lead:: Rarely emphasized. Used when your story attempts to explain the cause of something
How lead:: Use this when the news is how something happened or how someone acted
Significance lead:: Use to stress the effect or importance of a happening
Quotation lead:: Use when what was said is the news
Delayed-information lead:: This type of lead does not name the person involved until the 2nd paragraph (or 2nd sentence)

Professor Name: Candace Homstad
Last Updated: 2/23/00
Published by North Dakota State University