🎙️Honors Journalism Unit 5 – News Writing Fundamentals

What's News?

• News is timely information about recent events or changes in the world
• Newsworthy stories are unusual, significant, and interesting to the audience
• Proximity, timeliness, prominence, impact, and human interest determine newsworthiness
• Hard news focuses on serious topics (politics, economics, crime) and requires immediate reporting
• Soft news covers lighter topics (entertainment, lifestyle) and is less time-sensitive
• News values guide journalists in selecting and prioritizing stories
• Gatekeeping is the process of filtering and selecting news stories for publication or broadcast

The Inverted Pyramid

• The inverted pyramid is a writing structure that presents information in descending order of importance
• Most important facts are placed at the beginning of the article, with less essential details following
• Allows readers to quickly grasp the main points of the story
• Enables editors to cut from the bottom without losing crucial information
• Lead paragraph (lede) contains the most newsworthy and essential elements of the story
  • Answers the 5 W's and H: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How
• Body paragraphs provide additional context, quotes, and supporting details
• Conclusion is the least important part and can be omitted if necessary

Crafting the Lead

• The lead is the opening paragraph of a news article that hooks the reader and summarizes the main points
• Summary leads concisely answer the 5 W's and H, providing a brief overview of the story
• Anecdotal leads begin with a story, description, or quote to engage the reader before revealing the main point
• Question leads pose a thought-provoking question to draw the reader in, then answer it in the following paragraphs
• Delayed identification leads withhold a key piece of information to create suspense and encourage further reading
• Leads should be clear, concise, and compelling, enticing the reader to continue with the article
• Avoid burying the lead by placing less important information before the main point
• Leads are typically one to two sentences long, around 25-30 words

Gathering Information

• Journalists gather information through research, interviews, and observation
• Primary sources provide first-hand accounts and direct evidence (eyewitnesses, official documents)
• Secondary sources offer analysis, interpretation, or commentary on primary sources (news articles, books)
• Interviews are a key method for obtaining quotes, insights, and perspectives from sources
  • Prepare questions in advance, but be flexible and ask follow-up questions
  • Record interviews for accuracy and later reference
• Attend press conferences and events to gather information and quotes from newsmakers
• Utilize public records (government documents, court filings) for background information and verification
• Fact-check information to ensure accuracy and credibility
• Cultivate a network of reliable sources for tips and leads on potential stories

Attribution and Sourcing

• Attribution identifies the source of information or quotes in a news article
• Proper attribution enhances credibility and allows readers to assess the reliability of the information
• Use direct quotes to convey exact words spoken by a source
• Use indirect quotes or paraphrasing to summarize information in your own words
• Attribute information to specific sources, avoiding vague terms like "sources say"
• On-the-record attribution directly names the source and their title or affiliation
• Off-the-record information cannot be published or attributed to the source
• Background or not-for-attribution information can be used but not directly linked to the source
• Anonymous sources should be used sparingly and only when necessary to protect the source's safety or livelihood

Writing Concisely

• Concise writing conveys information clearly and efficiently, using the fewest words possible
• Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases that do not add meaning or value
• Use active voice to create more direct and engaging sentences
  • Active: "The mayor announced the new policy"
  • Passive: "The new policy was announced by the mayor"
• Avoid jargon, clichés, and overly complex language that may confuse readers
• Break long sentences into shorter, more manageable ones
• Use strong, specific verbs to convey action and meaning
• Edit ruthlessly, cutting any information that does not directly support the main point of the article
• Aim for an average sentence length of 20-25 words

Headline Writing

• Headlines summarize the main point of the article in a concise and attention-grabbing way
• Use active voice and strong, specific verbs to create impact
• Avoid using articles (a, an, the) and unnecessary words to save space
• Aim for headlines between 5-10 words long
• Use present tense for current events and past tense for completed actions
• Capitalize the first letter of each word except for short prepositions and conjunctions
• Avoid using puns or clever wordplay that may confuse readers or detract from the seriousness of the topic
• Subheadings provide additional context or highlight secondary points in the article

Ethical Considerations

• Journalists have a responsibility to report the truth accurately, fairly, and impartially
• Verify information from multiple sources before publishing to ensure accuracy
• Avoid conflicts of interest that may compromise objectivity or independence
• Respect privacy and only publish personal information when it is relevant to the story and in the public interest
• Give subjects of critical stories a chance to respond to allegations or provide their perspective
• Correct errors promptly and prominently to maintain credibility and trust with readers
• Avoid sensationalism, misleading headlines, or reporting unverified rumors
• Protect confidential sources and honor promises of anonymity
• Be transparent about methods and any potential biases or limitations in reporting
• Adhere to professional codes of ethics (Society of Professional Journalists) and organizational guidelines