News Editing Spring 2009

Today’s agenda—Feb. 9 Return Quiz #2 Discuss Chapter 4, Macro Editing

Return Quiz #2

Discuss Chapter 4, Macro Editing

Quiz #2 Let’s take a look

Let’s take a look

Chapter 4 Macro editing is big picture editing Are stories worth running? Does it have a good lead? Is it well organized? Does it flow well? Does it have unanswered questions? Is it accurate? Is it objective? Is it legal, ethical, tasteful and sensitive?

Macro editing is big picture editing

Are stories worth running?

Does it have a good lead? Is it well organized? Does it flow well?

Does it have unanswered questions?

Is it accurate?

Is it objective?

Is it legal, ethical, tasteful and sensitive?

Is it worth running? Reader-centered Focus on something your audience wants Focus on something your audience needs Who is your audience? Put yourself in their shoes and answer Does it directly affect my life? Money Emotional impact on family or friends Will I find it interesting? People focus—especially important in PR

Reader-centered

Focus on something your audience wants

Focus on something your audience needs

Who is your audience?

Put yourself in their shoes and answer

Does it directly affect my life?

Money

Emotional impact on family or friends

Will I find it interesting?

People focus—especially important in PR

Kill that story Assignment editor decides Can be the specific section editor Sometimes best to check with the reporter

Assignment editor decides

Can be the specific section editor

Sometimes best to check with the reporter

How important is the story? Determines the length How much does the audience care about the story? How much space is available? Newshole….. You want to give reporters guidance on how important a story is before they begin work on it

Determines the length

How much does the audience care about the story?

How much space is available?

Newshole…..

You want to give reporters guidance on how important a story is before they begin work on it

Good leads Hard news and soft news are different Why?

Hard news and soft news are different

Why?

Hard News versus Soft News Hard news Timely Conflicts Just happened Answer these questions What happened Why it happened How readers are affected Examples: Crimes, fires, meetings, speeches , court testimony

Hard news

Timely

Conflicts

Just happened

Answer these questions

What happened

Why it happened

How readers are affected

Examples: Crimes, fires, meetings, speeches , court testimony

Basic Hard News Story Inverted Pyramid and Story Focus The basic news story is told upside down (inverted pyramid), with most important information first to least important information. Results of a news event first. Lead Less important info. Least important info.

Inverted Pyramid and Story Focus

The basic news story is told upside down (inverted pyramid), with most important information first to least important information. Results of a news event first.

Basic Questions to be Answered in a Hard News Story 5 Ws and an H Who What Where When Why How Additional: So what? How does it impact readers? Why should they care?

5 Ws and an H

Who

What

Where

When

Why

How

Additional: So what? How does it impact readers? Why should they care?

Typical order of hard news lead Who then what Immediate ID lead Delayed ID lead Time, day and place are after the who and what if at all in the lead Time-day-place

Who then what

Immediate ID lead

Delayed ID lead

Time, day and place are after the who and what if at all in the lead

Time-day-place

Wednesday’s agenda Discuss Chapter 4, Macro Editing Edit

Discuss Chapter 4, Macro Editing

Edit