Eng 223: Journalistic Writing

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Eng 223 Journalistic Writing

• Chapter 5

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Where to get news ideas?

• Traits a good news reporter must possess
• Curiosity
• Start with the basics 5Ws and 1 H
• Who Get the full names of people involved
• What Get the details of what happened
  especially the sequence of events
• When Note the day and time of the event
• Where Get the exact location. Describe the
  scene
• Why Understand what caused the event
• How look for more information about what
  happened

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Techniques for developing curiosity

• Learn to role-play
• Put yourself in the role of the reader
• What makes the story important or interesting?
• If you will be affected by the story, what do
  you want to know?

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• Learn to use timelines
• Put the sequence of events
• Start with the present, go back to the past and
  then to the future
• What is happening now? In what order?

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Techniques for developing curiosity

• Be a detective
• Imagine you are a detective
• What questions would you ask?
• Let these questions center on what happened,
  motives, consequence and clues, if any

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• Be Observant
• Observe and gather details using all senses
• Use the show and tell technique
• Visualize the scene in your mind

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Where to get news ideas?

• Basic news elements proximity, prominence, etc.
• Local or international newspapers
• Other sources people
• Events in school or community

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Where to get news ideas?

• BRAINSTORM
• Discuss ideas for stories with other students and
  other people in the community
• What topics would be of interest to the students
  of JUC?
• Does anyone have an unusual course or event?
• Is there a teacher, staff worth writing about?
• Think of consumer stories how to get the best
  books, where to get discount for school supplies
• Think of topics a student like you might be
  interested in - good study habits, how to get a
  high GPA

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Where to get news ideas?

• CHECK DATABASES
• Check for angles or follow-up stories from clips
  or previous issues of the newsletter, magazines
  or newspapers.

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MAP THE TOPIC
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• ASSUME OTHER POINTS OF VIEWS
• Take an issue and discover how other people might
  think about it
• OBSERVE
• Look at announcements in the campus, city
• Are there new things, new buildings, equipments
  worth telling the readers about?
• Is there a new event or program that makes you
  curious?

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• TALK TO PEOPLE
• Ask your friends what interests them
• Listen to conversations at the cafeteria to find
  out about what students find interesting

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• CHECK DIRECTORIES
• JUC has a directory which lists different
  departments, personnel.
• Do any of the departments, staff seem newsworthy?
• READ LOCAL NEWSPAPERS
• READ ADVERTISEMENTS

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Where to get news ideas?

• LOCALIZE NATIONAL NEWS
• Is there a national issue that affects your
  school or community?
• SEEK PROFILES
• Is there a person who is in the news because of
  her accomplishments or achievements

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• TRACK PROGRAM AND EVENTS
• Holidays , events (Flower festival) can be use as
  topics of news (how to spent your spring break)
• Contests to be held in school ike spelling bee,
  reading competition

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• REWRITE PRESS RELEASES
• Announcements made by agencies, companies, etc.
  can be used as news.(Mobily gives 50 discount on
  calls after 12 midnight)
• FOLLOW ISSUES AND TREND
• Are there problems on campus worth talking about?
  (cafeteria, cleanliness, bathroom breaks)

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• BE CURIOUS AND CONCERNED
• THESE QUALITIES will lead you to GOOD STORIES