Soft lede notes Sight-Sound-Story (major project) Read pp. 185-188 and 207-211 in Carole Rich’s “Writing and Reporting News” (International Edition)

COM 210College of Communication & Media Sciences

Thirteenth Week, Lab

No class Next Tuesday/Thursday Work on S-S-S project

Today Look at Amani’s Sight-Sound-Story project. Work on S-S-S project.

Major project

Sight-Sound-Story! Visual element (photography) At least one 15- to 30-second sound byte

(audio); or a video (strongly discouraged) A 400-word feature story The entire project is worth 300 points, or

one-eighth of your grade

Key to the kingdom

Feature writing

Feature writing

Feature writing

Feature writing

Feature story

• The key is how you START your story

• Soft lead for your written story

• Must be focused

• Must connect to your photograph and audio

• Have at least four quotes in your story

• Make sure National Day celebration is the focusing event (news peg)

WSJ formula

• 1.) Article begins with an anecdotal or scenic paragraph or two (called the lead).2.) You then insert a nut graf after the lead; it explains the lead and answers that WHO+WHAT+WHEN+WHERE+HOW.3.) Then comes the body of your story with various kinds of supporting information (quotes, facts, statistics, context, developments). In the case of the national identity, that would mean bringing in the other subjects (people you interviewed) and letting them have their say. In a sense, you are further developing theme.4.) You conclude with a return to the lead, with a related anecdote or a final description of the people/person/place featured in the article.

Story rubric

• Soft lede

• First quote

• Nut graph (why the reader is reading the story now)

• Supporting information

• Second quote

• Meaning (impact on reader) Context, if necessary Third quote Conclusion: Go back to the beginning (lasting

impression; you can finish with a quote, but it must have a set-up)

Get out and interview

• Interview a faculty member about Sheikh Zayed

• Record with your smartphone recorder

• Take notes

• See questions below

• Come back write it up

• Combine with the interview you did of a relative before class

Questions for interview• What is your name?

• Your job title?

• Age? Nationality?

• What does Shiekh Zayed mean to you?

• What do you think about when you hear the words “Sheikh Zayed”?

• Why are you proud of Sheikh Zayed?

• How do you feel about what Sheikh Zayed accomplished?

• Did you ever personally see or meet Sheikh Zayed? If so, what do you remember about that occasion?

• What should every child know about Sheikh Zayed?

• What should the world know about Sheikh Zayed?

Deadline:Written story, photos,

audio (video)

• Due Tuesday, Dec. 9 for men; Thursday, Dec. 11 for women