An introduction to writing news that goes beyond the inverted pyramid structure. News is first and foremost an intellectual exercise; reviews news styles - narrative sentences; hourglass; the "DNA of documentary" (brief intro - see other presentations for more detail)

1. Beyond the inverted pyramid Beyond the inverted pyramid Beyond the inverted pyramid Dr Martin Hirst, News Reporting, AUT 2011

3. Why am I doing this story?

4. Who will care about it?Secondly it is about the facts – without facts you don’t have a story. Third, if you like, but in a way, equal second, is people. Facts don’t make news, people do. Without interviews and observations about people you don’t have a story. When you’ve got all these threads assembled you can set it out straight, so it makes sense. That’s real news writing. Once you can do that, then, and only then, is it about style.

5. The lexical, grammatical and syntactical choices a journalist makes, such as writing a headline, lead or body of a news story, make up a schema that, while shaped by rules and conventions, can function as a framing device itself (van Dijk, 1988). Intellectual organisation

7. Structuring the story Good writers structure their stories clearly and logically, enticing the reader in and encouraging them to keep reading. (Sissons, 2006, p.57) Focus on the strongest angle Write an attractive intro Set out the facts faithfully and lucidly Structure the story to encourage reading Use the most compelling quotes early on Form follows function + content [GIGO] Good structure and strong news values must scaffold style

8. Answers news questions Simplicity Edited from bottom  up Summary lead Clear B—M—E A common complaint is that the inverted pyramid does not have the emotion or suspense of other news writing structures such as the narrative or hourglass. It is informative but often reduces news to the bare bones

9. If we only ever wrote to this formula journalism would be boring and news would be dull Audiences would desert the news faster than they are already It no longer works in broadcast or online and perhaps less and less in print as newspapers re-invent themselves

10. In the inverted pyramid structure, the most important or interesting moment in the story is right at the start – in the summary lead. According to American news folklore, the inverted pyramid was invented during the Civil War – as news was sent by wire, it had to be sharp and concise, the most important information was sent first in case the wires were cut. Maybe it’s time to bury the inverted pyramid, perhaps at 150 years old it is passed its use-by date

11. Move beyond the inverted pyramid In a typical news story, you generally make your point, set the tone, and frame the issue in the first paragraph or two. Beyond the in verted pyramid you can develop the theme of the story and leave your point until the end, if that suits your style.

12. Narrative – story-telling Narrative structure has the same basic structure as a book; a beginning, middle and end. The story focuses on the people involved and offers the opportunity for dialogue and action.

15. Hourglass Style Basics Begin with a summary lead Build your story from there with facts organized from most important to least About the middle of the article, build in a, "turn," the transitional paragraph Organize the second half of the article from least important to most important facts Use active voice & colorful verbs throughout the article Build in a conclusion. The conclusion can circle back to the original lead.

16. Linking via referential continuity Each paragraph links to the previous one by referencing a subject using the same or similar word, a detail of the subject, a contrast, or a synonym. For example: ‘A young boy is attacked by dogs…’ in the first paragraph, Police statement / parent [?] in par 2 ‘the eight-year-old survived the attack…’ in the third and ‘The dog’s owner in the fourth. The child is now in hospital…’in the fifth

17. Get the details right…don’t overload Choose the right amount of detail to include in your story; you don't have to tackle the less important aspects of your topic. Give the most vital pieces of information that you want to get across, and choose the details that go along with it However, be careful that you don't omit so much detail that you end up with a vague outline for an article

18. News stories often don't have the space for long passages of description, but even just a few key words can convey to readers a sense of a place or a person. Use a variety of verbs that convey action and give a sense of movement Link actions from one sentence to the next – think about a re-action from another source or contrast

19. Write right. Syntax, all right? Write in the active voice. In active writing, people do things. Passive sentences often have the person doing the action at the end of the sentence or things being done “by” someone. People have agency and take action An organisation is it, not they

20. Avoid clichéd emotions Avoid clichés (cutting edge, world beating, revolutionary ) and sentimental statements - especially at the end of your article Focus on human interest – the feel and emotion you put into the article are critical. Don't think about writing a "science" story - think about writing a "human interest" story

22. Watch your language Don't subject your reader to the equivalent of linguistic torture. News is supposed to be light, entertaining and informative-not deathly pedantic like a textbook Subject—verb—object Agreement of tenses Tense can change when appropriate Agreement of verb and noun Action completed, or on-going

23. Decide on the ‘tense' of your story at the start and stick to it. Present tense usually works best Change tense with care – action in past or present Avoid lengthy, complex paragraphs, so one or two sentences equals a paragraph

24. Remember you are telling a storyThat means characters, scenes and action. Who is there? What are they like? What are they doing and saying? What does the place look like? Show your reader instead of tellingWhy say a person is friendly when you can say how they bounce down the street, smiling at everyone and calling hello to strangers.

25. Location, location, detail Use concrete and specific words to get your meaning across.It was a pearl-grey Siamese – not just a cat. It was a crumbling cement building with broken panes of glass where windows used to be — not an abandoned building. Status detail adds colour and weight

26. Make people earn quote space Quotes should be something interesting and compelling, something that the source says better than you could. Do not quote people stating facts:"The school board will hold a hearing next Monday night to find out what parents think of the school closures.“ Save the quotation marks for a person's opinion or their experience:"If parents don't turn up for the hearing, then I think we know that they just don't care about the school system," says Anne Smith, a school board member.

27. The DNA of documentary style

30. Themes

31. Related ideas