As I stated in class, we won't be traveling to class Wednesday because we are all likely to die horrible snowy deaths if we try. But we will have classwork, albeit within the confines of our cozy homes. So DO NOT COME TO CLASS ON WEDNESDAY! BUT DO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING WORK!
Your first task is to read the latest entries in this blog, starting with all January entries. Most are entitled, "Basic Ledes," same as the assignment slug those blog posts will be critiquing. Normally, we'll review those blog posts in class, but given the weather, fuggetaboudit.
Your first independent study assignment will be to write ledes based on content on p. 173-176. Please write ledes for City Beat #1-2, State Beat #1 and National Beat #1. Just like Monday's in-class assignment, all you need to do is a lede.
Please slug the assignment as city ledes. When you finish, email your attached Word document to omars@msu.edu. Your deadline is noon Wednesday.
Also by noon Wednesday, I will post a homework lede-writing exercise that will be due by 11 p.m. Thursday. Please be sure to check the latest blog posts at that time for the details of that assignment, including text pages, assignment numbers and the assignment slug.
I expect by midday Thursday I will have new blog posts critiquing your Wednesday lede-writing assignment. Please hold off on working on/finishing the Thursday assignment until you've had a chance to consider further critiques.
Also, by next Monday please read Reporting For The Media Chapter 10 (p. 242-271). It's a short chapter so this should not be a big problem.
As we touched on Monday, this week you also need to be working on coming up with your first out-of-class story idea. Next Monday you will be given a tip sheet that will need to be filled out and returned to me on Wednesday detailing your idea. These are the categories you'll have to quantify:
STORY TOPIC: Describe in a few sentences what this story is about.
NEWS VALUE: Describe the news angle you are exploring. Refer to news values from class or from textbooks. Explain how your story is relevant, interesting and useful.
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS: Describe in a few sentences which readers will be interested in or affected by your story.
STORY SOURCES; List a primary interview source and at least two other interview sources. Give names, titles, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and Web URLs for each source.
DOCUMENTARY SOURCES: List print and online sources you plan to rely on in writing your story.
SOURCE CREDIBILITY AND EXPERTISE: Why are these good sources? How are they appropriate and available for the story?
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Disclose any/all conflicts of interest you may have. Do you have a personal interest in this topic and/or sources? If so, what are they?
MULTIMEDIA/GRAPHIC COMPONENT: Not a part of this exercise. Skip this.
PUBLICATION POTENTIAL: What publications or media might be interested in printing or posting this story? What are your chances of publication or distribution?
STORY ALTERNATIVES: If the planned story does not work out, what will you do instead? Will the planned story be modified? Will an entirely different story be needed? Explain fallback plans briefly.
If anyone has any questions about any of this stuff, please email me at omars@msu.edu or call my office number at 517-432-3009.
I hope we all survive the Snowpacolypse and see next Monday. If not, nice knowing ya!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Basic Ledes . . . Say What You Mean
Be careful that you don't say more than the facts suggest. Like in this lede:
Lightning struck at a municipal swimming pool last year, causing a young man to lose his friend, his sight, mobility and memory. Erik Barsh and his family are now suing the city for his injuries.
This is an awesome lede. Love the structure, the context and the word play.
Problem is, it's not right.
According to the information you were given, Barsh is at risk of losing his damaged sight and mobility. He has not lost those yet. Technically, this is a fatal. It's not supported by the facts. You went off track just a little, but there's no such thing as a little mistake. Especially when you are labeling someone as blind and immobile when they are not.
Make sure you say what you mean, and you mean what you say.
Lightning struck at a municipal swimming pool last year, causing a young man to lose his friend, his sight, mobility and memory. Erik Barsh and his family are now suing the city for his injuries.
This is an awesome lede. Love the structure, the context and the word play.
Problem is, it's not right.
According to the information you were given, Barsh is at risk of losing his damaged sight and mobility. He has not lost those yet. Technically, this is a fatal. It's not supported by the facts. You went off track just a little, but there's no such thing as a little mistake. Especially when you are labeling someone as blind and immobile when they are not.
Make sure you say what you mean, and you mean what you say.
Basic Ledes . . . Evolution Of A Lede
Let's look at some examples regarding the pool/lightning story. Here's one example:
After being struck by lightning last year in a city pool, a boy is suing the city for the cost of his medical bills.
Good lede. Solid. All you need to know is there. It's right. But is it the best way? You can build on it a bit by offering context, like this:
After being struck by lightning last summer in a municipal swimming pool and enduring injuries that may leave him in a wheelchair and destroy his sight and memory, Erik Barsh, 17, is suing the city.
This lede takes the basic and most necessary info and offers additional details that could have been left for the nut graf, but ones that the writer found a compact way to seamlessly fit into the lede. It still fits the parameters of a basic lede, but with value-added context.
In this next lede, the writer decided to jump beyond what I was looking for in this assignment by creating an anecdotal lede:
Instead of coasting through his senior year and applying for colleges, 17-year-old Erik Barsh sits at home to nurse his lightning-induced brain injury caused during a trip to the local swimming pool last year.
Again, this was not necessary in this assignment. And obviously how this lede works would depend on the nut graf. But this kind of lede is one of the more ambitious types to aim for. And we will be aiming for such lofty heights, as the semester goes on and you gain experience of confidence.
Again, let me emphasize these are ALL good ledes. But I do think there is a bit of a good-better-best ranking in play here.
After being struck by lightning last year in a city pool, a boy is suing the city for the cost of his medical bills.
Good lede. Solid. All you need to know is there. It's right. But is it the best way? You can build on it a bit by offering context, like this:
After being struck by lightning last summer in a municipal swimming pool and enduring injuries that may leave him in a wheelchair and destroy his sight and memory, Erik Barsh, 17, is suing the city.
This lede takes the basic and most necessary info and offers additional details that could have been left for the nut graf, but ones that the writer found a compact way to seamlessly fit into the lede. It still fits the parameters of a basic lede, but with value-added context.
In this next lede, the writer decided to jump beyond what I was looking for in this assignment by creating an anecdotal lede:
Instead of coasting through his senior year and applying for colleges, 17-year-old Erik Barsh sits at home to nurse his lightning-induced brain injury caused during a trip to the local swimming pool last year.
Again, this was not necessary in this assignment. And obviously how this lede works would depend on the nut graf. But this kind of lede is one of the more ambitious types to aim for. And we will be aiming for such lofty heights, as the semester goes on and you gain experience of confidence.
Again, let me emphasize these are ALL good ledes. But I do think there is a bit of a good-better-best ranking in play here.
Basic Ledes . . . Ledes Vs. Nut Grafs
Take a look at this lede:
In hopes of clearing many vagrants from downtown city streets, a number of bus tickets will be offered to homeless individuals. Mayor Datolli recently announced that she will introduce a new panhandling ordinance to the city council on Tuesday.
Now, is this a lede, or a lede and a nut graf smushed together?
I'd argue it could be the latter. Let's split the graf into two grafs:
In hopes of clearing many vagrants from downtown city streets, a number of bus tickets will be offered to homeless individuals.
Mayor Datolli recently announced that she will introduce a new panhandling ordinance to the city council on Tuesday.
The first graf is a bare minimum account. The second graf expands on the first and offers additional details. That's a pure definition of a lede/nut graf combo.
Here's a very general but good rule of thumb on whether you have a lede or a lede/nut graf mashup: is your lede more than one sentence? If so, most times it's the latter.
I know it looks weird to have such short paragraphs, but that's how we do it in journalism. It's to more clearly have each new idea and/or unit of thought stand out for readers, and for ease of editing via editors who can simply cut out an entire short graf instead of having to take out parts of a long graf.
(BTW, if you get a paper back from me and see I've written in an L-shaped figure at the start of one of your sentences, that indicates a point I'd create a new paragraph.)
In hopes of clearing many vagrants from downtown city streets, a number of bus tickets will be offered to homeless individuals. Mayor Datolli recently announced that she will introduce a new panhandling ordinance to the city council on Tuesday.
Now, is this a lede, or a lede and a nut graf smushed together?
I'd argue it could be the latter. Let's split the graf into two grafs:
In hopes of clearing many vagrants from downtown city streets, a number of bus tickets will be offered to homeless individuals.
Mayor Datolli recently announced that she will introduce a new panhandling ordinance to the city council on Tuesday.
The first graf is a bare minimum account. The second graf expands on the first and offers additional details. That's a pure definition of a lede/nut graf combo.
Here's a very general but good rule of thumb on whether you have a lede or a lede/nut graf mashup: is your lede more than one sentence? If so, most times it's the latter.
I know it looks weird to have such short paragraphs, but that's how we do it in journalism. It's to more clearly have each new idea and/or unit of thought stand out for readers, and for ease of editing via editors who can simply cut out an entire short graf instead of having to take out parts of a long graf.
(BTW, if you get a paper back from me and see I've written in an L-shaped figure at the start of one of your sentences, that indicates a point I'd create a new paragraph.)
Basic Ledes . . . Peanut Barrel Rule
This one I think adheres to the rule:
A young man who was hit by lightning last summer is now suing for the cost of his medical bills.
That's the most basic detail of the story, right? It's the bare minimum of what a reader must know about the story. It's the latest information.
This one, not so much:
An adoption agency hired a private investigator after a woman cut off contact with the agency and the prospective adoptive parents.
I just don't think this is the first thing you'd say about the story. Wouldn't you say something about a woman being arrested for faking her pregnancy for cash?
When reviewing a lede, put it through the Peanut Barrel test. If it doesn't pass, then keep rewriting until it does.
A young man who was hit by lightning last summer is now suing for the cost of his medical bills.
That's the most basic detail of the story, right? It's the bare minimum of what a reader must know about the story. It's the latest information.
This one, not so much:
An adoption agency hired a private investigator after a woman cut off contact with the agency and the prospective adoptive parents.
I just don't think this is the first thing you'd say about the story. Wouldn't you say something about a woman being arrested for faking her pregnancy for cash?
When reviewing a lede, put it through the Peanut Barrel test. If it doesn't pass, then keep rewriting until it does.
Basic Ledes . . . What Does This Mean?
Please note the tail end of this lede:
A local woman was arrested by police and charged with grand theft and defrauding an adoption agency after medical doctors deciphered tests pertaining to the chargers.
Uh, whaa?
You may have done one of two things here.
One possibility is that you used overly technical language to explain something. Try to find simple ways -- and simple language -- to explain situations.
Another possibility is that you didn't have a solid grasp of your topic, which can create a problem. If you don't understand exactly what you are writing about, how can you explain it to your reader?
After writing your story, read it over carefully. Imagine you are a reader that has no prior knowledge about the story. Is the story written in a way that's easy to understand? Or is it confusing?
If it's the latter, you're obligated to rewrite your work. If you're unsure about the topic, you are obligated to do more reporting and to ask questions until you are sure about your subject matter. Only then can you find the right words to tell the story.
A local woman was arrested by police and charged with grand theft and defrauding an adoption agency after medical doctors deciphered tests pertaining to the chargers.
Uh, whaa?
You may have done one of two things here.
One possibility is that you used overly technical language to explain something. Try to find simple ways -- and simple language -- to explain situations.
Another possibility is that you didn't have a solid grasp of your topic, which can create a problem. If you don't understand exactly what you are writing about, how can you explain it to your reader?
After writing your story, read it over carefully. Imagine you are a reader that has no prior knowledge about the story. Is the story written in a way that's easy to understand? Or is it confusing?
If it's the latter, you're obligated to rewrite your work. If you're unsure about the topic, you are obligated to do more reporting and to ask questions until you are sure about your subject matter. Only then can you find the right words to tell the story.
Basic Ledes . . . Avoid Unnecessary Words
Anytime you can, try to eliminate words that aren't necessary to your copy. Like in the start of this lede:
Police have arrested a woman . . .
Is "have" necessary? Look at it without the word:
Police arrested a woman . . .
Does it change the meaning at all? Or have you maintained the same exact meaning, but in a more economical manner?
Word order can also help nix an unneeded word or two. Look at the tail end of this lede:
. . . next Tuesday at its meeting at 8 p.m.
Two uses of "at" is a bit wordy. So why not flip time and event like this:
. . . next Tuesday at its 8 p.m. meeting.
Ta-da! And here's a free bit of advice: if you're using the word "that," try your graf without the word and see if it changes the meaning at all. Most of the time, "that" is unnecessary.
Police have arrested a woman . . .
Is "have" necessary? Look at it without the word:
Police arrested a woman . . .
Does it change the meaning at all? Or have you maintained the same exact meaning, but in a more economical manner?
Word order can also help nix an unneeded word or two. Look at the tail end of this lede:
. . . next Tuesday at its meeting at 8 p.m.
Two uses of "at" is a bit wordy. So why not flip time and event like this:
. . . next Tuesday at its 8 p.m. meeting.
Ta-da! And here's a free bit of advice: if you're using the word "that," try your graf without the word and see if it changes the meaning at all. Most of the time, "that" is unnecessary.
Basic Ledes . . . Look At Streamlining
Try to make sure that your ledes are smooth and clear in sequence, and that related information flows cleanly. I thought this lede was a bit choppy:
A woman is charged for accepting $12,000 in aid from an adoption agency after claiming a false pregnancy, with intent of fraud.
Read that one out loud. Not so smooth, right?
I think sequencing could have helped here by putting like information together; in this case, the woman and what got her in trouble. Taking the same info but putting it in a new order resulted in this:
A woman claiming a false pregnancy with intent of fraud was charged for accepting $12,000 in aid from an adoption agency.
What do you think? A bit better? More logical? Rolls off the tongue a bit easier? Easier to read?
A woman is charged for accepting $12,000 in aid from an adoption agency after claiming a false pregnancy, with intent of fraud.
Read that one out loud. Not so smooth, right?
I think sequencing could have helped here by putting like information together; in this case, the woman and what got her in trouble. Taking the same info but putting it in a new order resulted in this:
A woman claiming a false pregnancy with intent of fraud was charged for accepting $12,000 in aid from an adoption agency.
What do you think? A bit better? More logical? Rolls off the tongue a bit easier? Easier to read?
Basic Ledes . . . Watch Those Fatals
Getting it right is at the heart of journalism. It's also not an accident; it's a process that requires you to carefully check facts not only before you write but after, so that you can ensure that errors didn't find their way into a story.
Like in this lede:
A woman was charged today for grand theft auto and defrauding $12,000 dollars from an adoption agency.
The charge was not grand theft auto. According to the text, it was grand theft, period.
It's a mistake that could have been easily caught, if you had fact-checked each and every assertion, label, title, name, date and figure.
You can't get away from doing the grunt work. Please make sure that on deadline assignments that you are building in some time to do the necessary job of checking your facts.
Like in this lede:
A woman was charged today for grand theft auto and defrauding $12,000 dollars from an adoption agency.
The charge was not grand theft auto. According to the text, it was grand theft, period.
It's a mistake that could have been easily caught, if you had fact-checked each and every assertion, label, title, name, date and figure.
You can't get away from doing the grunt work. Please make sure that on deadline assignments that you are building in some time to do the necessary job of checking your facts.
Basic Ledes . . . Write With (AP) Style
In writing copy that adheres to AP style, is it 12,000 dollars, or $12,000?
It's the latter. Here's the AP Style listing under "dollars": "Use figures and the $ sign in all except casual references or amounts without a figure."
Be sure you are checking -- and adhering to -- AP Style, folks.
It's the latter. Here's the AP Style listing under "dollars": "Use figures and the $ sign in all except casual references or amounts without a figure."
Be sure you are checking -- and adhering to -- AP Style, folks.
Basic Ledes . . . Don't Trust Spell Check!
In journalism, it's important you get all your facts right. A Spell Check program is one tool that helps you find errors and fix 'em. But it's not a perfect tool.
For example, it won't catch instances when you use an incorrect word, but spell that incorrect word correctly. Like in this lede:
A new panhandling ordinance will be announced Tuesday by Major Datolli.
You meant "Mayor" and not "Major," right?
Spell Check is one layer of due diligence. But it's not a substitute for going through a story line-by-line and double-checking facts yourself.
For example, it won't catch instances when you use an incorrect word, but spell that incorrect word correctly. Like in this lede:
A new panhandling ordinance will be announced Tuesday by Major Datolli.
You meant "Mayor" and not "Major," right?
Spell Check is one layer of due diligence. But it's not a substitute for going through a story line-by-line and double-checking facts yourself.
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