WRITING NEWS STORIES (WEEK 4)

Once a writer has gathered information necessary to begin a story, he/she must decide on time what the structure should be.

The essence of a proper structure is to:

1. Inform readers as quickly as possible

2. Allow readers to go through the news easily

3. Allow readers to see the relationships between the various or pieces of information that the journalists gathered

4. Ensure that when part of a story must be yanked off due to space constraints, the most important parts are not affected. This is a technical reason

The most common structure is the Inverted Pyramid. The structure concentrates the most interesting and important information at the very beginning of the story so that readers can get the information they need.

Headlines and the Lead paragraph are written to describe what the story contains as succinctly and interestingly as possible.

The Lead, or the first paragraph, is the focal point of the basic news story.

The second paragraph is also important. In fact a good second paragraph takes some aspect of the lead and expands it with additional information.

The body of the Inverted Pyramid Structure (IPS) adds detail to information that which had been introduced. That is: supporting evidence, context, and illumination in the form of more details, direct and indirect quotes.

Least important information

STRAIGHT NEWS STORY ANALYSIS

Pick the front page story and analyze thus:

1. The Lead (note spellings, acronyms, caps, places, persons)

2. The second paragraph: Does it build on the lead paragraph with additional information. Do you have most of the major information of this story.

3. Are there direct quotes? (note them if there are)

4. Last paragraph: Do you think this paragraph informs the readers who haven’t heard about the incident and also reminds those who have.

DEVELOPING YOUR STORY

This requires much skill and practice.

A lead paragraph cannot contain all of the information in a news story.

If well written, it will inform the readers, but it will also raise certain questions in the reader’s mind about the story.

This is the major role of the second paragraph; it is to answer these questions.

The writer must decide what information is most important. One method that will help is to ask yourself, “If I was the reader of this story that I am writing, what would I want to know next”.

For example: Authorities of Badagry are searching for a State Prison inmate who escaped from a work crew at the Badagry farms on Thursday.

The lead takes some information about the story but it also raises a number of questions.

For example:

1. Who was the inmate? (name)

2. Why was he in prison?

3. How long had he been there and how long was his sentence?

4. How did he escape?

5. Where is the search for him taking place?

6. How did he escape?

7. Is the inmate dangerous?

8. What does he look like?

9. How have the Prison officials explained his escape?

INFORMATION

Take note
Lecture notes for week 3 will be posted tomorrow. Please see OJ (class representative) for the AP style textbook. This textbook will serve as a guide to enable you complete your take home worksheet successfully.

WEEK ONE AND TWO LECTURE NOTES

OVERVIEW OF THE MASS MEDIA

What is Mass media?

Mass media refers to the various medium of communicating to a large heterogeneous audience.

It is a term used to represent a section of the media specifically designed to reach a very large audience such as the population of a nation, a continent, or a state.

Today the mass media is not limited to TV and radio but it now includes internet which is global. These internet media includes message boards, pod casts, video sharing, webinars, blogs, etc.

The mass media can be categorized into Electronic and print media.

Ø Electronic media: Radio, TV, internet, satellite.

Ø Print media: Newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, etc.

Why are we looking at the mass media in this course?

If we must write for these media of communication

Then we need to know each of these media of communication.

	HOW TO WRITE AN OVERVIEW An overview gives a brief but detailed information on a subject. Introduction, short summary, description. (this requires an outline) if your outline is food, your paper should be easy to write.

Importance of Writing / Writing for the mass media

(1) It helps convey information in details.

(2) It enables / promotes information archiving.

(3) A well written piece conveys meaning to the readers. Its expresses the writer to the reader.

(4) Because communication is crucial to today’s society.

(5) It is a means to better grades and greater academic achievement.

(6) Writing is the basic foundation on which your intellect, work, learning will be judged in the university, in your workplace and the society at large.

(7) Writing helps others give you feedback.

(8) Writing requires that you anticipate your readers’ needs. Being able to do so, shows your intellectual flexibility and maturity.

Characteristics of media writing

“But I know how to write, why must I take this course?”

– A Typical 100L student

This course is different from all other writing lessons that you have had in the following ways:

(1) We emphasize information ; The major purpose for writing for the mass media is to present information.

(2) Secondly, it is to teach you how to write in a professional environment i.e. to help you understand what the demands of professionalism are and then help you meet them.

(3) Writing in the media environment means writing for a mass audience i.e. chances are that people will hear, see, read what you have written. Now understanding the audience is a by part of learning to write for the mass media.

(4) Is the Concept of Modesty; A good writing puts the writer in the background and emphasizes instead the content of the writing. The audience does not care what you feel or think about what you are writing. They are interested in information which must be accurate, precise, efficient, complete.

Accuracy: Your information must be accurate. Misinformation / Lies are strongly prohibited. The audience will flee from any medium that communicates lies.

Efficiency: Refers to communicating a whole deal of information in the fewest possible words without losing the intended meaning. This may be difficult to achieve if the writer uses his first draft; does not edit his writing.

Precision: Use words for precisely what you want to convey. You must good with grammar and practice it to become a precise writer.