METHODS OF WRITING AND ORGANIZING

JOURNALISM

Swbat identify different types of leads and news stories

• DO NOW: In the second packet that I gave you this week, I want you to read and highlight.

Start where it says Inverted Pyramid Style in the lower third part of page 159-end of 161

Organizing Ideas for writing

• F= focusLead WE HAVE COVERED THIS

Organize your ideas for writing

• O= Order• Decide what you will include from your notes.

Code your notes so you know what information you will use in the story.

• Consider organizing according to main topics, what you would ask if you were giving a test on this information, question/answer format, chronological order.

• Decide how you will end the story

Organize your ideas for writing

• R- Repetition• Repetition refers to repeating key words to

provide smooth transitions from one idea or paragraph to another, but don’t overdo for word-for-word repetition

Organize your ideas for writing

• K= Kiss-off• Organize blocks of information by source or

main idea, especially when there are three or more in the story. Finish with one source or idea and then “kiss it off” and move on to the next. This is less confusing for the reader than intertwining multiple sources or ideas throughout the story.

ALTERNATIVE LEAD STARTS

• Quote Lead: Starts a story with a compelling quote that sums up its main points. Compelling quotes are rare.– Best to avoid starting with a quote in a news story.

• Question Lead is simply a lead paragraph phrased as a question. Like the quote lead, these leads do not give the reader solid information about the story, so it is best to avoid them most of the time.

How to Start?

• Direct Lead: 5W’s and H way to start a news article.

• You have to decide which one of the W’s provides the most important/interesting information.

• Impact Lead: Starts to answer the “So What” question. It makes absolutely clear what effect this news event will have on the reader.

How to start?

• Indirect Lead/soft lead: This draws the reader into the story in some way other than directly with a summary of the facts. Because it delays getting to the main point of the story, this is also known as a feature lead or delayed lead.

• Sets a scene• Introduce a character• Introduce a situation• Relate a story or anecdote

Checklist for Writing

• Use concrete details rather than vague adjectives• Use dialogue when possible and appropriate • Set a scene• Use action verbs• Observe or ask questions involving all your senses• Tell a story like a plot, with a beginning, middle, and

climax• Good quote from American Author Mark Twain-“Don’t say the old lady screamed—bring her on and let her scream.”

Special Types of News Stories

• Action Story• Quote Story• Surprise ending story• Academic story• Personality story• Obituary• Advance Story (stories that feature the future)• Follow-up story• Speech-report story• Meeting story• Survey results story

Activity

• You are going to be assigned one of the stories on the sheet to practice.

• You are going to pick (2) ways to write the lead.