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News Reporting & WritingOff/On Record -- Writing Features
On & off the record“for attribution”
Name can be used
“not for attribution”
No name, but possibly affiliation
“on background”
“off the record”
Identifying sourcesAlways strive to quote sources by name
If that fails, include as much identifying detail as needed for the reader to be able to judge the validity of the information provided by that source
Must have detail that shows the reader why or how the source knows the information
Direct vs. indirect knowledge
Anonymous sourcesAlways ask why a source insists on anonymity
Does he/she have an ulterior motive?
If you have to use anonymous sources, you should get more than one.
Anonymous sources – 2
You must always know the real name of all sources you use, as well as other identifying detail, even if the source is “anonymous” in your story
Be prepared to provide this information to your editor if necessary
Set interview ground rules
Make sure you and your source agree ahead of the interview on attribution
Agree on what is “on” and “off” the record
And make sure you both have the same definition of “on” and “off” the record!
Finding human sources
• The hard way – look around, ask on the street, get lucky
• The easy way – talk to people who work/know the kinds of people you want to feature; have them introduce you
• Talk to NGOs, government agencies, public advocates for the issue you want to explore
The Ken Wells theory
SOURCE: KEN WELLS, FORMER PAGE-ONE EDITOR FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
“THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINDS OF STORIES:
THE ‘NO SHIT’ STORY AND THE ‘HOLY SHIT’ STORY”
The “no shit” feature
Tells readers something they already know
Spouts conventional wisdom
Belabors the obvious
“There’s violence and drug-related crime in the inner cities of the U.S.”
The “Holy shit” featureSurprises
Teaches
Might even vex or disturb
But never bores
“Gang members who’ve been shot get tricked-out wheelchairs with gold wheels and custom spokes.”
Feature ideas
Is it timely?
Is it relevant?
Will it stand the test of time?
Will it make a difference?
Does it serve multiple purposes?
Feature ledes
Hard-news lede
News/feature hybrid“Customs inspectors spent hours crawling over a 165-meter Maltese-registered tanker in Amsterdam last year. They came away appalled.”
Question lede“What imperils the world most?”
Scene-setting lede“With his suitcase and checkbook in hand, Ted Teng ventured off to the far corners of Asia to do some serious shopping”
Reporting features
Savor the atmosphere
Infusing stories with a sense of people and place is important
Be creative about settings for interviews
Ask to shadow your source for an afternoon
Interview everybody, not just the smart people
Writing features
Throw out trite, trendy phrases for a simple word
Don’t hype – understate
Don’t give away everything at once
Rewrite, refine & shorten constantly
Omit needless words
Show, don’t tell – give an example
General tips for featuresSuccess breeds success
If you write good, hard-hitting stories on your beat, the people who hate the people you write about will contact you
Indirect sourcing can pay off
If you can’t get directly to the people with the info you need, find out who might know them
A good feature writer is always on the jobWriters are people on whom nothing is lost
Keep your “string”
Read everything: history books, guide books, blogs, local Web sites
You never know where your next story idea will come from
Always practice your interviewing skills
Charting trends
• Readers and editors are trend happy
• Get ‘before’ and ‘after’ stats to chart rate of increase, rate of decrease, speed of change
• Beware of “One, two – Trend!”
• Still, the Rule of Threes (give three examples to support point) is a valid rule