Week 8 - Editorials

Today, we talked about editorials and columns. Editorials, which provide personality and passion to a paper, are usually short in length, averaging 300-500 words. Editorials may appear on the letters to the editor page, op-ed page, as a cartoon or in a column. Columns are usually written by veteran journalists and might include topical commentary, personal meditations on life, and/or a humorous/insightful “slice-of-life” story.

Tips for writing effective editorials include:

• Keep it tight (recap and summarize)
• Keep it relevant (focus on something that matters to readers)
• Take a stand (create a thesis)
• Attack issues, not personalities (no cheap shots)
• Don’t be a bully
• Control your anger (don’t rant)
• Write a strong lead and a solid finish
• Must argue something (for or against)

Structure:

• Construct short, compelling intro sentence
• Encapsulate idea/engage reader
• Offer proof (statistics, experts, books, personal experience, etc.)
• Compelling conclusion

Samples:

§  http://lavozdeanza.com/showcase/2017/02/21/students-should-stop-snubbing-conservativism/

§  http://www.mercurynews.com/editorials

For Thursday

Editorial (Assignment #9) is due. You may write an editorial on the facts provided to you on the lion shooting (in your workbook) or write your own editorial on a current event or issue. I also mentioned in class that in lieu of writing and editorial, you can create and turn in an editorial cartoon.

Week 7 - Investigation/Enterprise Stories

This week, we talked about enterprise stories and investigative reporting.

Enterprise stories are special, in-depth stories that usually appear in a special section or as a multi-part series. A great deal of time is spent investigating the topic and compiling the research. When you undertake such a story, you want to be sure to manage your time wisely, prioritize tasks, keep your notes and files organized and spend some time each day working on the project. The key with this type of project is to not procrastinate!

Our text contains other lists and tips for enterprise stories, so be sure to check those out.

Investigative feature writing is very specific and requires a journalist who is not afraid to push the envelope to uncover injustices, illegal activity, corporate corruption, and any other story hidden from the public eye.  

Investigative stories should be the work of the reporter, not a report of an investigation made by someone else. The subject involves something of importance to readers, and generally focuses on something that others are attempting to hide from the public.

Investigative reporters turn observations into questions about the way the world works – and those questions may be the seed of an idea for an investigative story.

Students were asked to complete Assignment #5 in class with three options for an enterprise/investigative story, as well as a planning sheet (from the class workbook).

On Tuesday, your event stories (Assignment #6) are due. I will email a couple of student samples. Also, be sure to read the section in your textbook about writing editorials.

Week 6 - Profiles (Part II)

Today, we talked about interviewing tips and techniques.

Your profile story is due on Thursday. Please use the helpful checklist at the bottom of page 125 to make sure you’ve covered everything.

Here is the link to the blog I talked about:

}https://stevebuttry.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/shut-up-and-listen-getting-the-most-from-your-interviews/

Here are some great questions to get to the “story behind the story”:

·       Who has been the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her?

·       What was the happiest moment of your life? The saddest?

·       Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?

·       Who has been the kindest to you in your life?

·       What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?

·       What is your earliest memory?

·       Are there any funny stories your family tells about you that come to mind?

·       Are there any funny stories or memories or characters from your life that you want to tell me about?

·       What are you proudest of?

·       When in life have you felt most alone?

·       If you could hold on to one memory from your life forever, what would that be?

·       How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?

·       How would you like to be remembered?

·       Do you have any regrets?

·       What does your future hold?

·       Is there any wisdom you’d want to pass on to your future children/grandchildren? What would you want them to know?

·       Is there anything that you’ve never told me but want to tell me now?

·       If you could interview anyone from your life living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?

Source: http://storycorps.org/great-questions/

And here are some more…

• What are your hobbies?
• Where did you grow up? Did you move around a lot? If yes, how did this affect you? If no, how did the stability of living in one place all your life affect you?
• Are there any political or social issues you feel passionately about?
  Do you have a nickname?
• List your favorites (book, movie or play, quote, poem, website, type of food or individual dish, music genre, song, band or individual musician, perfume, clothing style or designer, etc.).
• Where have you traveled?
• Tell me about your current job (activity, whatever)? What attracted you to it?
• How do you break it down and handle everything?
• How do you keep a healthy work/life balance?
• What are your greatest stresses and what causes you the most anxiety in your life?
• What is most rewarding about your job; what makes it all worthwhile?
• What are the most critical problems faced by people in your field in this city/state/country? How do you think these problems should be handled? 
• What's the hardest thing for you about being a _____? How do you address that?
• What comes easiest to you as a ______?
• Who was your favorite _______ and why?
• So far what's been your most embarrassing moment as a ________?
• What's the newest, freshest approach you are bringing to your job?
• What's the next skill or knowledge set you want to add to your repertoire to make you a better _________?
• Favorite weekend activity?
• What's your favorite funny story about yourself?
• Name one thing about yourself that most people don't know.
• List three misconceptions that people often have about you (and, if none, why).
• What's your life plan? What do you plan to have accomplished in five, 10, 20, and 50 years -- personally and/or professionally?
• What was your favorite toy (or game) as a child, and why?
• What makes you laugh?
• Best compliment you've ever received?
• Anything else you’d like to add?
• Did the person have a model or idol who they aspired to be as a youth?
• Did the person have specific goals as a youth? How did they go about achieving those goals?
• Who has helped them during their personal or professional career?
• Has there been a defining moment in that person's life that made them decide to take the direction in life that they did?
• Does the person have advice to offer people who are aspiring to be as successful as he/she?
• Tell me something about yourself that people might not readily know.

Source: http://journalism-education.cubreporters.org/2010/08/how-to-write-profile-story.html