The Body of a News Story

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The Body of a News Story

• Chapter 8
• Felder, Bender, Davenport
• and Drager

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Do it for your body

• Always, when time permits, read your story before
  submitting it. If you cant cut out at least a
  couple of words, youre not doing a sufficiently
  critical job of reading. One of the
• toughest things in the writing
• trade, and one of the best for
• a writer, is to cut your own
• copy. (Morton Sontheimer, journalist)

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• Inverted-Pyramid stories arrange the information
  in descending order of importance or
  newsworthiness.

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• The exact organization of the story will depend
  upon the storys newsworthy points.
• Many writing coaches feel the use of the
  inverted-pyramid style is overdone.
• But, daily deadline pressures
• encourage its use, because
• length requirements are still
• a consideration for print
• media.

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Inverted Feature Pyramid

• Many facts in feature stores are of equal
  importance, or build upon each other. Their
  organization more resembles the diagram at right.

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That SECOND Paragraph

• The second paragraph is an extension of the lead.
• It may fill in facts left out by a short or
  alternative lead.
• You set the tone for your
• storys transition with the
• second paragraph. Is it
• logical? Does it sustain the
• metaphor?

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• Above all, the second paragraph must emphasize
  the news. It is not your nut graph, but it
  supports the newsworthiness of this story.
• It can be almost as difficult to write as the
  lead.
• There are also some dangers
• to be considered, especially
• when you are referring to
• a person in the lead and
• start the second paragraph
• with a name.

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No Leapfrogging

• Leapfrogging happens when you refer to an
  individual in the lead and begin the second
  paragraph with a name, without telling your
  reader that this is the same guy.
• Felipe M. Santos, 53,
• the man suspected of the
• attack, Felipe M. Santos, 53

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Continue with the NEWS

• Continue to expound upon the topic introduced in
  your lead.
• Dont change topics at this point, you want to
  set up the flow of your story at this juncture.
• Try not to focus too much
• emphasis on identities.
• We know these are facts, but
• usually not most interesting.

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Dont have too much baggage

• Background is very useful, but remember this is
  about news, not that much about history.
• Detailed background in the second or third
  paragraphs is not good.
• Complexity of a story can
• force a writer to summarize
• other actions, not as
• important early in the story.

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The Hourglass Style
Inverted At Top
Inverted At Top
The Turn
The Turn
A Chronological Conclusion
A Chronological Conclusion
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• Police today accused a handyman who once worked
  in
• the home of Elizabeth Smart with burglary and
  theft.
• The charges, filed against Richard Ricci, are
  not related
• to the disappearance of 14-year-old Elizabeth. On
  June
• 5, the teen was taken from her bedroom at
  gunpoint
• as her younger sister watched.
• Ricci is charged with one count of theft for
  allegedly
• stealing 3,500 worth of items - jewelry, a
• perfume bottle and a wine glass filled with
• sea shells - from the Smarts home in June
• 2001. The articles were found during a search
• of Riccis home last month, said police.
• Here is what happened.
• After Elizabeth disappeared last
• summer, the
• THIS IS THE TURN

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The Focus Story Organization
Focus Lead

• 1. Indirect lead
• 2. Nut graf
• 3. Body to
• back up the lead
• and nut graf
• supporting points, quotes, facts,
• anecdotes, developments,
• explanations, points of view
• 4. Circle ending - the kicker
• anecdote, quote, description,
• a return to the lead image

Nut Graf
Kicker
Body of Story
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The Narrative Style

• To write in the narrative style, a reporter must
  find people who are crucial to the story and
  record their actions.
• This is a type of reporting beyond
• the interview, where the writer
• must spend time with his
• characters.
• ETHNOGRAPHY
• STYLE

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Using Transitions

• If your story is a train, then the transitions
  are the couplings that hold the cars together.
• Fortunately, the natural progression of
• thought, or sequence of facts
• and action, is adequate.
• Often a writer will repeat
• a noun or pronoun.

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Transitional Words

• Sometimes a single word can lead readers from one
  idea to the next earlier, later, before, after,
  promptly and tardy.
• Time
• Addition
• Causation
• Comparison
• Contrast

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Transitional Sentences

• A good transitional sentence often serves the
  same purposes as a lead, sometimes summarizing
  and discussing the topic in more detail.
• Transitional QUESTIONS
• How does this happen?
• How is writing like dancing?
• What happened to the rest?
• Why question authority?

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Explaining

• Explain the unfamiliar.
• Use examples to make a story easier to
  understand.
• Use DESCRIPTION. Description turns on a readers
  brain. Careful
• description can turn on
• memories in a readers
• brain, like certain smells and
• sights

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The Use of Humor

• In news stories, humor can be a tricky
• situation. You do not want to trivialize a
  serious topic, or downplay the impact
• of a serious incident.
• You can, however, use humor
• to break the routine of a story,
• like a commission meeting
• attended by a turkey seeking
• a governmental pardon
• at Thanksgiving.

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The need to be Fair

• Regardless of how a story is organized, it must
  be balanced, fair and accurate.
• Words, like bullets, are selected to be
• most effective tools. But, once
• sent on their way, bullets and
• words take their toll just by
• doing what they are
• designed to do.

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Edit your story

• Edit it ruthlessly.
• If you dont, then someone else will be
• more than happy to do it for you.
• A wise man once said if we
• dont set our priorities, then
• others will set them for us.
• Editing your story should be
• a labor or love tough love.

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A CHECKLIST

• Put the most important details in the lead.
• Emphasize details throughout the story.
• Help readers visualize.
• Stick to the topic a clear purpose.
• No leapfrogging.
• Concise sentences.
• Vary sentence structure.
• Dont overload sentences.
• If you have subtopics, mention
• them in your lead, so your readers
• wont be surprised.

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• If you use a list, put it in parallel form.
• Provide transition. This makes for a smooth
• ride for your readers.
• Make your transitional sentences specific.
• Use question transition wisely.
• Avoid generalities.
• Resist ending your story with
• a summary, or conclusion.
• If you love your story, you will
• edit it critically, even ruthlessly.

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The END