This post is due by Monday, February 24 @ midnight for full credit.
Email late posts to rob.williamsATmadriver.com for partial credit.
Read our COVERING THE ENVIRONMENT book, assigned chapter(s) above.
In a SINGLE blog post below for ALL chapters in the section, provide for EACH chapter:
1. A single sentence, IYOW, that captures the THESIS (main argument) for each chapter.
2. THREE specific pieces of supporting documentation - ideas, concepts, stats, data - to bolster your thesis for each chapter. (Use 2 - 3 sentences for each.)
3. A SINGLE specific question you have after reading and blogging on ALL chapters of assignment.
The heat is on,
Dr. W
The heat is on,
Dr. W
Chapter 9:
ReplyDelete1. There are several important aspects to creating and writing a solid news story; these include format, leads, attribution, quotes, background, etc.
2. The first piece of evidence is the section of the chapter on story forms. Depending on the type of story you are covering, you can use several different formats in presenting said story. The first and most common for hard-news stories that need to be conveyed quickly is the inverted pyramid. Another is the hourglass format, which is for stories that are less time critical. The big facts are still presented at the beginning like the inverted pyramid, but the second half of the story is shaped so that the reported can build it back up from the beginning. There are also features, (meant for human interest stories) and explanation pieces (meant for clarification). The second piece of evidence is attribution to a reliable, and informed source. If you are not present for the actual event, getting an expert or eye witness helps to the audience to believe authenticity and authority of the story. The third piece of evidence is the section explaining revision. Not only should the story you write get to the presses as soon as possible, but you shouldn’t feel so rushed that the story is not re-read, revised and reassessed before being handed in. Probably one of the most important steps of creating a story is ensuring its accuracy and fluidity.
3. In using an inverted pyramid structure, what is the best way to ensure that a reader finishes the story?
Chapter 10:
1. A lot goes into writing a lengthy, well-developed news story, including up to years of research, finding the correct organization, and establishing a method of presenting the story.
2. The first supporting evidence is that the first section of the chapter goes into the process of deciding what to include in the large news story. There are so many related story-lines and possible avenues to explore, that its important to establish exactly what you want to incorporate in the story. Though the story may evolve into something entirely unexpected, its increasingly important to frame your story, go out with certain questions in mind and create an outline. The second piece of evidence is the idea of inserting a nut graph somewhere within the first four paragraphs. A nut graph is a snippet of information that brings it home to the reader: it offers the importance or value of the story in an effort to relate it to the reader. Incorporating a nut graph into a story has to be relatively well-placed, as you don’t want to lose the reader’s attention before they get to the nut graph. The third piece of evidence is the idea of the narrative and its place in a lengthy news story. A narrative allows for the reader to relate directly to the person featured in the story, but it also works as a segue to the information, statistics and background of the story. It’s important to know how to get on and off the “narrative train.”
3. How do you decide which format (expository vs. narrative) to use when writing a lengthy news story?
Chapter 9:
ReplyDelete(1) There is an importance stressed in the world of journalism to write short, informative stories that not only interest the reader but make them want to continue reading.
(2) In the earlier parts of the chapter, Wyss outlines important stylistic and syntactical techniques often employed by journalists, such as story formats or word/color/strong lead usage. He admits that "Journalists are often proud of their lengthy, comprehensive investigative stories. But journalism's power is just as strong in gathering and dispensing the facts quickly" (Wyss, 151).
Never underestimate the power of short, strong pieces just as Betty Gray of the Washington Daily News warranted a Pulitzer one year after reporting on a series about unsafe water in a rural Washington town. The key: "each story helped produce new developments" (Wyss, 151). It was deliberate reporting and a touch of patience that allowed Gray to publish this series and subsequently initiate political action in the town.
Two important steps in any story is explanation and revision. Explaining does not mean "simplifying the language and sometimes the account" (Wyss, 148) or involving yourself, as the writer, in a story (Wyss, 150). Instead, it requires background knowledge and first-hand accounts. With this addition of a human element, revising and checking accuracy will wrap-up a story succinctly.
(3) If any, what are the dangers in publishing a series consisting of multiple news stories on one topic and the potential fact that other, competitive news outlets might begin coverage on the same issue?
Chapter 10:
(1) Longer news stories, or developed stories, often take more in-depth investigation and time to produce than shorter ones but ultimately provide readers a wealth of information.
(2) Developed stories tend to have much more planning than short, breaking-news stories. "The first step in launching a developed story is to do the homework. Reporters need to calculate the reporting requirements and to estimate when the writing can be completed" (Wyss, 160). That said, the duration of the process is typically unknown, and some renowned reporters such as John McPhee of the New Yorker knows that it's "time to wrap up the research when he heard the same stories and comments from sources for the third time" (Wyss, 161).
Leads are equally important in long stories as they are in short, yet longer stories often employ delayed leads. Though some journalists feel differently about this tactic than others, nut graphs can also be helpful in longer stories.
Gathering enough evidence will allow journalists to write with authority. "This is forceful prose backed up by strong reporting and an abundance of facts" (Wyss, 167). In addition, longer stories or those in a series require reporters to have an interesting ending each time, like a cliffhanger. Lastly, working with editors, employing various forms of narration, and even expository writing will all be encountered in reporting longer stories. Journalists should be wary of staying on the narrative train too long and "deal with the challenges of narrative by combining it with elements of exposition" (Wyss, 175).
(3) Is there more room in longer stories specifically covering environmental issues for the journalist to explain terminology, etc. to their readers who may not know much about environmental language, etc.?
Chapter 9:
ReplyDelete1) There are many different ways that a journalist can make a story interesting to the public such as the use of leads, attribution, features, and color.
2) The first piece of evidence are the ways that a story can take form using the inverted pyramid, complex news stories, hourglass, features, and explanation. A journalist named Donald Murray said, “writing is not a mystery. It is a process, a logical series of language acts that anyone who can write-- and read what they have written—can perform.” (Wyss 142)
Journalists say that leads are the most important part to a story and there are different ways to write a lead. One way is to use the readers curiosity such as Andrew Rivkin did, “Two kinds of edgeless whiteness confront those who fly over the frozen, two-mile high, 1200-mile long hump called Greenland: layers of low clouds and horizon-to-horizon sprawl of the ice cap itself. It is important to recognize the difference.” (Wyss 144)
In a story it is also really important to make the reader interested by showing them what is happening rather than telling them, which can be done by being descriptive. A writing coach for the Associated Press, Bruce DeSilva said, “Description should be never be there for decoration.” (Wyss 147)
3) When writing about a serious environmental problem how can a journalist bring some entertainment to the piece in order to gain readers?
Chapter 10:
1) Longer news stories give journalists a lot more option in what to write and how to go about writing a story, allows journalists to work with others, and allows a story to have more information.
2) “The most important thing is the story,” Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post said, “ is finding the central idea…Once you find that idea or thread, all other anecdotes, illustrations, and quotes are pearls that hang on this thread.” (Wyss 161)
Sometimes when working on a developed story with another reporter it is crucial to talk with each other on how to make the story better. Such was the case with Jean Plunkett and Peter Lord of the Providence Journal. “If I’m getting dense of losing her, Jean didn’t mind saying so,” said Lord when talking about the relationship between Plunkett and him while they worked on a story about lead-poising affecting children.
Narrative stories are either used by journalists or disliked by others. Some readers really enjoy narrative stories because a story is easier and more entertaining sometimes when it works. Salt Lake Tribune journalists Janet Rae Brooks said, “narrative is what I come up with when I put my niece to bed and she says ‘Tell me a story.’ I tell her a story, I don’t tell her an article.” (Wyss 174)
3) What happens when multiple journalists work on a developed story together yet don’t get along?
Chapter 9
ReplyDelete1.To write a successful and interesting short news story it must have: an active lead, attribution, quotes from various people, color, background, and a ‘kicker’ ending.
2.Endings are sometimes called ‘kickers.’ Many journalists choose to conclude a news story using a strong quote, by returning to the beginning of the story at the end, concluding with a surprise, telling an anecdote, looking to the future, or by unfolding with a natural close or climax.
Journalists should capture ‘color’ by describing a plethora of observations. By describing as many sensations as possible, the writer can help place the reader at the scene, creating a much better and interesting story.
The first paragraph, or the lead, is the most important paragraph. It should contain strong verbs, details and color, and should compel the reader to become interested in the story and make them want to continue reading.
3.Although color is important to a story, how does a journalist ensure that they do not add too many extraneous details?
Chapter 10
1.Longer news stories, which take anywhere from a few days to years to develop, are hard-hitting investigations based on an extensive search of documents or computer databases that are written in an expository style or a narrative style story that can run in a single day or over a series of weeks.
2.A good delayed lead is more than a tease, than an exercise to display a writer’s talents for description or narrative. It aims at connecting the reader to the story.
If reporting has been thorough, a developed story should allow the journalist to write the story with authority. Writing with authority comes from talking to so many people and finding so much common ground that you do not have to attribute that kind of information to particular people.
Expository writing is non-fiction prose that sets forth facts, ideas and arguments. The main distinction with exposition is to convey facts in an order that the writer believes to be both compelling and important.
3.Is one or the other, expository writing or narrative writing, more effective overall? Or does it depend on the topic.
Chapter 9
ReplyDelete1. This chapter focuses on the elements needed to create a successful short news story, including, story form, leads, attribution, quotes and color.
2. Story forms are an important aspect to writing a effective short news story. Some of the different forms include inverted pyramid, complex news stories, hourglass, features, and explanation. Inverted pyramid is the most widely known and used story form. This form is extremely common for hard news stories and focuses on new and important information. The way that an inverted pyramid is set up is that the most important and factual information appears at the beginning of the story while the less important news is left for the end. Another important supplement to short news stories is color. Color is needed to indulge the reader. Color includes all five senses. Any good news article should try and include as many of the senses as possible in order to keep the attention of the reader.
3. Why is it that when using the inverted pyramid technique, writers expect to loose the interest of the reader halfway through? Isn’t the point of writing to try and keep your viewers attention?
Chapter 10
1. This chapter focuses on longer news stories, also called developed stories, and they need in order to be effective including organization, leads, nut graphs, working with authority, endings and working with an editor.
2. These stories usually take between a few days to years to write and can be written by either a single reporter or a staff of a newspaper. In order to write a successful developed story, one must have good organization to focus on what the reporting has come up with and find a good way to relay that information to the public. “’The most important thing in the story,’ said Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, ‘is finding the central idea… Once you find that idea or thread, all the other anecdotes, illustrations and quotes are pearls that hang on this thread’” (Wyss, 161). Another important part of a developed story that is also important in a short news story is the lead. The lead has more variety in longer stories than they do in shorter stories.
3. Does an editor have the authority to change content in a story or only grammatical errors and such?
1) There are various elements that create a good short news story, and a journalist needs to be aware of these various “formulas.”
ReplyDelete2) The most common “formula” for writing a short news story is the inverted pyramid. The most important info is at the top in this type of story so that the reader can stop reading before they finish the story. Another type of formula is called the hourglass formula, and this gives the story a more natural flow. This form helps to bridge the difference between hard news and soft news. It’s important for journalists to add color to their news articles, so they can “show” rather that tell. Quotes should also be added to add, “flavor,” because the reader can hear various speakers. Journalists also should pay attention to their endings in shorts news stories. The endings should not be ignored.
1) Longer news stories take a longer period of time to develop, and journalists need to know how to approach these stories.
2) Journalists need to do their “homework” when starting a longer news story. They need to have an idea of when the project will be done. Longer news stories need to be organized around a central idea. This central idea can be a relatively simple phrase. Endings for a longer news story are very important. Especially if these news stories are part of a series. A strong ending is the best way to get the reader to return for the next installment. The book also talks about working with an editor when writing a longer news story because the longer projects involve others besides just the writer. They mentioned 4 types of editing: idea editing, reporting editing, structural editing, and language editing.
3) Which type of new story is more effective when reporting on the environment?
Chapter 9
ReplyDelete1. In order to write an effective story, journalists use strategies to organize and produce their work.
2. a. There are structures that a journalist can conform to when writing their story, including the inverted pyramid, the hourglass and features. The use of these structures allows the journalist to organize the most important information they want to convey, then place the human interest sections in places where it is appropriate.
b. Journalists should also be using direct quotes from sources in their piece. These quotes "add flavor and color" and allow a different outlook or viewpoint to be conveyed in the piece.
c. When writing stories, especially ones that pertain to the environment, it is paramount that journalists do their background research before reporting. Journalists then need to take that information and convey it in a way that the general public will understand.
3. How can journalists make environmental pieces interesting to the reader without hyperbole or exaggeration?
Chapter 10
1. Compared to shorter pieces, when writing a longer piece, journalists must partake in much more research and weeks, months, even years of reporting in order to effectively create a work.
2.a. Journalists need to reel the reader in with a strong lead. Journalists need to convey a reality both engaging without hyperbole, as well as personal and relatable. Dana Capiello said “my tendency as a writer is, if I have something important , is to say it right out.” (pg 163)
b. After a successful lead, journalists then must present the key bit of information, the ultimate subject of the piece, in a succinct paragraph before plunging back into the narrative. The “nut graph” needs to be as short and informative as possible, and while there is a debate as to where it should reside in the story, the third or fourth paragraph is a safe bet.
c. Two other important tools that can be utilized are expository writing and narrative. Expository writing for a longer piece is in the same vein as the inverted pyramid, in that the writer presents the information in order of importance. In narrative writing, the writer establishes characters with motivations and personalities to match. This adds a greater depth to the whole story.
3. When reporting a longer story about the environment, how long would it be best for a reporter to research a topic, say, like global warming?
Chapter 9
ReplyDelete1. It is very important to write in a way that is compelling, concise, and colorful in order to keep the attention of the reader and keep them informed.
2. The lead is the most important sentence in the piece. It is important to capture the attention of the reader while giving them a glimpse of what the article is about. Gaining the interest of the reader is essential in order for the story to continue to be read.
Writing with "color" is another way to capture the attention of the reader. Using eloquent phrases, describing the scene with vivid details, and making astute observations is a great way to write with color.
Keeping the reader engaged and interested in the story is essential. To do this one must write in concise and "tight" sentences. The simplest and fastest way to get the story to the reader is the best way.
3. What's the time frame reporters usually get to write their stories?
Chapter 10
1. Developed stories need good reporting, organization, and a good story line.
2. Taking a developed story and turning it into a narrative story is a great way to gain human interest. "Narrative means storytelling" (173). It forces the piece to have a "climax" which gives it momentum and direction. It also keeps the reader reading.
Writing with a sense of authority is also a key element to successful reporting. "You don't say it as an opinion, but as a fact that is later backed up by the facts all the way through" (167). It is essential for the audience to feel like they can trust the source that their information is coming from.
The organization of the piece is another vital component. It is important to lead the readers down to the point of the story. The most important information needs to be at the beginning and it needs to lead the readers to the other stories, facts, and personal interest pieces.
3. Where's the line between creative writing with a few facts thrown in and a balanced and interesting piece?
Chapter 9
ReplyDelete1. This chapter provides a guide for some techniques in writing short, to the point hard news stories, and in doing so addresses some of the challenges that are often associated with this type of reporting.
2. There are several examples of hard news stories discussed in this chapter that are brought up in several different sections. The first is the story about the train tunnel chemical spill, and this highlights the first and “most important lesson” which is that no matter the urgency of reporting the story, the facts must be accurate. This story and particularly a report on Greenland are brought up numerous times throughout the chapter with respect to different portions of short news story reporting such as the story form, attribution, color, etc. One that I found particularly interesting was the background aspect for environmental stories. For a short story the reporter must deliver the vital information quickly while keeping the reader interested. The background for environmental stories is often complex and technical, so it must be shortened and simplified while still being accurate. The final interesting point I will touch on in the chapter was another mention of the Burlington Free Press. It was fascinating how the reporter was able to use the story form of a feature, which is usually akin to human interest, on a short report on a rare snake in Vermont. I would never have thought to break down the report in such a way if I had read it without the context of this chapter.
3. Should there be a heavier emphasis on the endings to short news stories or should it be accepted that many people will not read the piece all the way through?
Chapter 10.
1. Similar to the last chapter, chapter ten explains the process of writing longer and more developed new stories (again highlighting challenges), and then lengthily describes the difference between expository and narrative journalism.
2. The main issues that were presented with short news stories somewhat translate to the longer stories as well. The whole idea is for the writer to maintain the reader’s interest, though it is achieved in different ways for the longer pieces. One thing I found to be quite interesting is oddly named “nut graph”, which was created by the Wall Street Journal. It is fun to realize how many times I have read something similar in all manner of news stories. Something else that is clearly different between the long and the short story is how much more time is dedicated to development and processing the story, a luxury that is rare in shorter pieces. The sections on organization, planning, and editing make this very clear. Such things have the potential to clean up the piece, but I could see them getting over-done and over-thought easily. Thus I think the challenges of both types of pieces are quite even. Lastly there are the sections comparing expository writing with the narrative technique, and the abrasiveness between them. Both hold a negative connotation for proponents of the other system, but in the end, they can both be effect ways to report on any number of topics.
3. Since longer stories often include a good amount of research and investigation, should they be held to a higher standard than short reports?
Good work here so far, colleagues - you are doing a fine job of teasing out major points and asking EXCELLENT questions. Tar sands = chocolate brownie; Jet Skiing versus SCUBA diving - remind me of these 2 analogies today in class.
ReplyDeleteDr. W
Chapter 9
ReplyDelete1. There are several ways to go about writing a news story, but there are certain techniques good journalists use in order to write a GOOD news story.
2. (a) The lead is the most important part of an article. "As any journalist, what is the most important paragraph in a news story? The answer will be the first one" (p.142). In order to write a successful news story, the lead must be strong.
(b) There are plenty of story forms to choose from, and depending on skill, each can be used effectively. One thing remains the same for all forms, however; in order to write a good comprehensive news story there must be a good lead, accuracy, color, attribution, and quotes.
(c) One very important thing to keep in mind as a writer is moderation and good selection when it comes to colors and quotes. Descriptions and quotes are necessary, but only when relevant and to make the story better.
3. What is the most effective story form for environmental journalism? How can these story forms translate onto social media?
Chapter 10
1. Longer news stories take a longer time to develop, and it is important for a journalists to explore every avenue in order to a write a successful piece.
2. (a) Longer news stories take a lot of planning and organization to develop. "The most important thing in the story, is finding the central idea... Once you find that idea or thread, all other anecdotes, illustrations, and quotes are pearls that hang on this thread" (p.161). Outline from simple to complex.
(b) Like chapter 9 covers, good leads are vital to a successful news story. Here, we see that leads can be written in various ways, depending on the writer's abilities and the story. Some stories work with short and concise leads with all the important facts laid out right away. Other leads work better with a starting anecdote of some sort, to make human connection.
(c) Almost every story has a nut graph, and it is central to a story's success. It is important for journalists to not lose their reader before the nut graph, so timing and build-up is key. The nut-graph explains why the story is important to the reader, and usually comes somewhere in the middle of the story.
3. There are certain elements that can make or a break a story when done right or wrong such as narration, human connection, and facts. When conducting a long environmental story, how do you find the correct balance using all elements?
Chapter 9
ReplyDelete1. Journalists use various strategies to write their stories to make them organized, clear, and interesting.
2. The inverted pyramid is the most common way to get important information out as quickly as possible. This is where the most important information is at the top and the following paragraphs contain more information with increasingly less importance.
The lead is the most important sentence in any news story. They contain strong verbs, details and color and strive for active sentences. They are usually made up of the most interesting or compelling fact of the story.
Quotes are a very important aspect of a news story. They provide different viewpoints and outlooks, a human interest element, and can also serve as transitions.
3. How do you know when enough is enough when it comes to quoting, color, etc?
Chapter 10
1. Developed stories often are the more lengthy stories, which require sufficient amounts of reporting and often take a longer amount of time to develop.
2. One of the most important aspects of a long story is taking what you have found and organizing it. Thomas Boswell of "The Washington Post" said the most important thing in the story is finding the central idea (pg 161).
Nut paragraphs are critical in longer news stories. It explains the value of the current story. Some writers, however, don't think it is necessary. Rick Jaroslovsky from "The Wall Street Journal" talked about an excellent writer who didn't write nut paragraphs. He argued that putting in a nut paragraph would only slow down the story, and if you had done your job well, the reader would already know the value of the story they are reading (pg 166-167).
The editor is of high value because they can help when a reporter gets stuck. One type of editing according to writing coach Donald Murray is idea editing. This is when the editor works with the writer to hone and shape the direction of a story (pg 168).
3. What are some pros and cons of using a nut paragraph?
CHAPTER NINE
ReplyDelete1. In order to create informative as well as interesting short news stories the writer should make use of different forms, leads, and quotes.
2. a. There are a few key forms when writing short story pieces: the inverted pyramid, the complex story, the hourglass, features, and explanation stories. Each of these can be used when covering the environmental beat, and depending on the issue that is being researched sometimes one outweighs another.
b. Showing rather than telling is a technique that is used frequently in journalism, adding quotes can help to add “color” to the writing and keep the readers interest.
c. It is important to end a short story on the right note. Often time’s journalists call endings the “kicker” because they need to still keep readers attention and make them want to learn more. Some examples of ways to end a story are with quotes, anecdotes, looking into the future, or unfolding with a natural close or climax.
3. How does a journalist keep a short environmental news story interesting to the reader without skimming over important facts?
CHAPTER TEN
1. The difference when writing developed stories and how much more research and information needs to be presented in order to write a longer piece.
2. a. Organization is an important part of the writing process in developed news stories. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post said that the most important part is “finding a central idea” (161).
b. Nut graphs, invented by the Wall Street Journal, are an important tool in developed stories. They need to be as tight as possible to keep readers interest when the story jumps to a different page.
c. Narrative writing is one form used by journalists in developed stories. Some find it problematic because of its resemblance to fiction writing, while other writers feel that it is a useful tool. It is important to be aware of this when writing in this form in particular.
3. How can environmental journalists keep the readers interest without giving away too much at the beginning of a story? How can the nut graph be used in a way that it does not skim over important scientific information that might be useful in developing the story?
Thanks for catching up, posse. - W
ReplyDeleteCh9
ReplyDelete1. Short news stories are meant to deliver facts and news to readers quickly, characteristically summarized in the title and opening paragraph.
2. This thesis is captured in the section on Leads, or as the book describes it “the most important paragraph in a news story.” This is where you answer the 5 W’s as concisely as possible. In the age of smartphones and social media, we see this gaining even more importance. They’re more like “news shots” whereas in chapter 10 we learn more about the “news pints”. The second component to these short news stories is the attribution, who are your sources? In the age of new media technologies, that source is increasingly becoming the writer, or the tweeter. Is there a photo or even a video to accompany the Lead? This is the fast paced news environment that we live in. If you’re the writer but NOT the source, where do you gather your sources? This again is where new media technology comes in handy, because you may be able to learn about an issue after the news ‘breaks’, and that’s okay. You now just found great people to attribute in a longer form story. Pullquotes are great, but they are meaningless unless they can really connect with readers on the level of shared understanding and human condition. This goes back to the “show, don’t tell” concept. If you’re not getting good enough sources, good enough photos, or good enough quotes, you’re clearly not close enough to the story.
3. How has new media impacted the overall quality of stories although we are able to find information more quickly?
Ch10
1. Whereas short news stories are about urgency, longer news stories are much more content and story important, and therefore can become very complex.
2. Just like Josh Fox, we’ve all played role in researching and writing longer news stories. What separates this from short news stories, aside from length, is the amount of organization and planning required to make compelling stories. I found the section on writing with authority interesting in the sense of the advice it gives to break out of the “fair and balanced” traditional news approach by saying, “while the story clearly had a point-of-view, it was justified by overwhelming evidence.” This is when journalists speak with so many people, who have very relatable stories, and find so much common ground, that they cannot be answered by 5 quick W questions in a Lead. The idea that some writers like to start at their end and work backwards is an iffy practice because it’s not really “storytelling” it’s more “storymaking” and I feel like we see this in a lot of Michael Moore films. Like Dylan Kelley said, sometimes we’re too focused on the right answers, and not the right questions. I feel like the chapter explains the most effective storytelling techniques at the very end, weaving the expository with the narrative. This is where we find Josh Fox among many other successful stories. A personal narrative, mixed with overwhelming evidence from common ground sources, that keeps exposing new pieces until the end is where stories can win the “call to action” over the short news stories.
3. How can longer stories use the short story model to spark public interest in the whole work?