Journalism Chapter 6

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JournalismChapter 6
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Writing for PublicationChapter 6
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Identifying the Central PointChapter 6.1

• Readers, viewers, and listeners
• are busy
• have multiple options for news
• Journalists have to
• work harder
• identify the central point
• deliver stories that get the point across clearly
  and quickly
• Write a lead that makes readers want to read on
• Write a lead that teases viewers to stay with the
  channel

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Identifying the Central Point

• News stories are written in journalistic style
  so that readers and listeners may quickly absorb
  the most important information.

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What is the central point?

• Most important piece of information the writer
  wants to get across
• Will have the most impact
• Will have the most emotional punch
• Thesis statement

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When does the reporter find it?

• While collecting information
• Reporter constantly asks, What is this story
  really about?
• Subject to change as the reporter learns more

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Five Ws and an H

• Who? Who is this story about?
• What? What happened, or is going to happen?
• What event or occurrence is the story about?
• When? When did the event or occurrence take
  place, or when will it take place?
• Where? Where did the event or occurrence take
  place, or when will it take place?
• Why? Why did the event or occurrence take place.
  What circumstances led up to it?
• How? How does this story impact the community,
  the nation, or the world. What makes it
  newsworthy?

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Applying the Five Ws and an H

• http//www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-co
  llege-football/24091870/clemson-confident-of-setti
  ng-new-crowd-noise-record-vs-seminoles

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Applying the Five Ws and an H

• Who? Clemson fans
• What? Effort to set crowd noise record
• When? Tomorrow, during first defensive snap
• Where? Death Valley, Clemson, SC
• Why? To be recognized by the Guinness Book of
  World Records
• How? The Administration made a public appeal
  to fans

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The Lead Summary

• 1st paragraph in a news story
• summarizes story in one paragraph
• establishes the angle or central point
• gives readers most important information
  immediately
• Answers the questions Who? What? When? Where?
  Why? and How?
• The central point is expressed in the first
  sentence of the paragraph

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Partner AssignmentIdentifying Leads

• Read a news story on one of the websites on the
  list, then answer the following questions about
  the opening paragraph
• 1. What is the central point?
• 2. What happened?
• 3. Who did it happen to?
• 4. Why did it happen?
• 5. When did it happen?
• 6. How is this story important?
• 7. Are all questions answered in the lead
• summary?

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Alternative Leads

• Descriptive Lead allows the writer to become a
  storyteller
• Few things about Elizabeth Taylor are subtle
  except, perhaps, the place where she lives.
  Nestled into the hillside of ultra-ritzy Bel Air,
  Taylors massive California-style ranch house has
  sweeping views of Los Angeles, feels as secluded
  as an island, but is just yards from neighbors
  and 10 minutes from the heart of Beverly Hills.

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Alternative Leads

• The Question Lead readers are asked a direct
  question
• What would you do if you won 5,000,000 in the
  South Carolina Education Lottery? Public school
  janitor, Lawrence Hicks, is asking himself that
  question today

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Alternative Leads

• The Quotation Lead opening with an important
  or engaging quotation
• Im lucky to be alive, said Marie Johnson as
  she surveyed the rubble of the home in which she
  survived a tornado.

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Alternative Leads

• Direct Address Lead readers are told to do
  something
• Imagine a school where heavy backpacks full of
  thick textbooks are replaced by light and thin
  Kindles.

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Alternative Leads

• Surprise Lead in which the writer supplies a
  twist
• Officer Bob Hawthorne was enjoying a quiet
  routine shift, until he saw the glowing orb
  hovering silently over the high school football
  field.

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Computer Lab Group Activity Alternative Leads

• Each member of your group must share an amusing,
  entertaining, astonishing, interesting, fun,
  infuriating, dramatic, unexpected or notable
  event that he or she has experienced during this
  school year.
• The group must then write one news story
  covering the event.
• The group must write four alternative leads for
  this news story (1-5 sentences each), including a
  question lead, a quotation lead, a direct address
  lead, and a surprise lead.

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Using Free Writing To Get Started

• Writing with complete freedom
• Doesnt require complete sentences
• Doesnt require punctuation
• Follow where the words lead you
• Use a laptop or a notebook
• Technique designed to find the central point
• Write without notes after returning from
  interview or scene of the story

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Questions to Ask Yourself During Free Writing

• Whats my story really about?
• Whos my story about? (who are the major and
  minor characters?)
• Where and when are the best places to find the
  story?
• When should the story begin and end?
• How did the story happen, unfold, come to be?
  Whats the plot?
• Why am I telling this story? (Why does it
  matter?)
• In ONE WORD, whats my story really about?

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Chapter 6.2 Group Activity

• 1. Review the material on pages 154-156.
• 2. Consult the following websites
• http//cubreporters.org/grammar_for_journalists.
  html
• http//www.grammaruntied.com/
• http//www.dailygrammar.com/archive.html
• http//www.englishchick.com/grammar/
• http//grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
• 3. Prepare a five minute grammar lesson
  covering
• Group 1 What are subjects and verbs, and how
  you begin sentences with them
• Group 2 What verbs are, and how to use more
  active verbs to make writing interesting
• Group 3 What adverbs are, and why it is
  important to use them sparingly
• Group 4 What adverbs are, and why it is
  important to use them sparingly
• Group 5 What periods and commas are, and how
  to use them to control the flow of the story
• Group 6 What are slang and dialect, and why
  they should be avoided when writing a news story
• 4. Your lesson should do all of the following
• State the applicable rule(s)

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Class Presentations

• Group 1 What are subjects and verbs, and how
  you begin sentences with them?
• Group 2 What verbs are, and how to use more
  active verbs to make writing interesting
• Group 3 What adverbs are, and why it is
  important to use them sparingly
• Group 4 Active vs. Passive voice.
• Group 5 What periods and commas are, and how
  to use them to control the flow of the story
• Group 6 What are slang and dialect, and why
  they should be avoided when writing a news
  story

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Chapter 6.2 - The PyramidTextbook, pages 150-153
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The Great Inverted Pyramid P

• Organize into groups of a minimum of three and a
  maximum of four students.
• If you cannot find a group, I will assign you to
  one.
• Write your group members names on a piece of
  paper and turn it in to Mr. White.
• Pipe down, sit with your group members, and await
  further instructions.

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GROUP PROJECT Examine your assigned article
carefully. Identify each part of the Article
that corresponds To the parts of the Inverted
pyramid chart Using poster paper and markers,
crayons, or colored pencils, create a classroom
display that Includes 3 things a model inverted
pyramid, the article itself pasted on the poster,
and an inverted pyramid diagram with the
appropriate parts of the article copied and
written into the appropriate places on an
inverted pyramid diagram.
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Like This
Who SC Legislators What Named Collard state
vegetable When April 26, 2011 Why
Historically important How Shows government
priorities
First cooked by slaves. The vote was 30-12.
Sen. Martin was confused. The House hasnt
voted yet.
COLUMBIA South Carolina senators have named
collard greens the state's official
vegetable. The Senate on Tuesday approved
recognizing collard greens with a 30-12 vote. The
proposal needs to get routine final approval
Wednesday before being sent to the House. State
Sen. Greg Ryberg of Aiken wondered why collards
were getting singled out for recognition and not
something like green beans. State Sen. Larry
Martin of Pickens said the designation was for a
leafy vegetable and green beans weren't leafy
vegetables. But the legislation doesn't limit the
designation to a leafy vegetable.
Tea, milk, wolf spider, and dolphin also
Have been named.
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Now, back to the textbook

• Review the material on pages 154-156.
• Here are some websites to consult if you have
  any problems with grammar
• http//cubreporters.org/grammar_for_journalists.
  html
• http//www.grammaruntied.com/
• http//www.dailygrammar.com/archive.html
• http//www.englishchick.com/grammar/
• http//grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
• Here are six of the most common writing
  pitfalls
• 1 Use more active verbs.
• 2 Use passive, rather than active voice.
• 3 Avoid sentence fragments.
• 4 Avoid run-on sentences and comma splices.
• 5 Use sentences and commas to control the
  flow of the story.
• 6 Avoid slang and dialect.

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Avoiding Sexist or Offensive Language

• Editors and writers must avoid stereotypes
• Language (fireman, policeman, his, etc.)
• Using race or ethnicity as identifyers (Police
  are looking for an Hispanic man in his
  mid-twenties.)
• Words that diminish a group (treehuggers)
• Photographs (show different races, ethnicities,
  and religions)

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Individual Classroom Activity

• Correct the following news story
• A 20-year-old Hispanic is being sought in
  connection with an armed robbery and assault that
  occurred last night at the Fast Fare Convenience
  Store in Westminster, South Carolina, at
  approximately 1000 PM. The suspect fled before
  policemen arrived on the scene. He is described
  as being 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with black wavy
  hair and brown eyes. According to eyewitnesses,
  he was last seen dressed like an Hispanic
  construction worker a white t-shirt, blue
  jeans, and a baseball cap. Police Department
  spokesman, Sgt. Kris Hines, advises any citizen
  who sees him to call 911, because he is
  considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who tries
  to approach him is putting himself in grave
  danger.

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Individual Classroom Activity

• Correct the following news story
• A 20-year-old man is being sought in connection
  with an armed robbery and assault that occurred
  last night at the Fast Fare Convenience Store in
  Westminster, South Carolina, at approximately
  1000 PM. The suspect fled before police
  officers (the police) arrived on the scene. He
  is described as being 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with
  black wavy hair and brown eyes. He was last seen
  wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. Police
  Department spokesperson (representative), Sgt.
  Kris Hines, advises anyone who sees him to call
  911, because he is considered armed and
  dangerous. Anyone who tries to approach him is
  putting himself or herself in grave danger.

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Individual Interview ActivityCollege Admissions
Project

• Steps
• Identify two out-of-state schools that offer a
  major in your area of interest. One school must
  be a large university, and the other a small
  college.
• Send an email to the admissions department,
  requesting an online interview with an admissions
  counselor.
• Send email interview questions to the counselor.
• Reduce your interview to question and answer
  format and type it out to turn in for a grade.
• Prepare to present your findings about these two
  universities in a class PowerPoint presentation
  comprised of a minimum of 5 slides.
• You will find the following links helpfulccsd
• http//www.collegedata.com/cs/search/college/coll
  ege_search_tmpl.jhtml?referrerGoogleCollegeSearch
  gclidCP_wsPSWwqgCFQ5-5QodJHbqsA
• http//collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/inde
  x.jsp

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eMail Inquiry

• My name is . I am a junior at T L Hanna
  High School in Anderson, South Carolina. My
  Journalism teacher, Mr. Keith White, has given me
  an assignment that requires me to conduct an
  online interview with an admissions counselor at
  , and to present what I learn to my class.
  Could you please provide me with the name and
  email address of someone who could take a moment
  to answer a few of my questions? Thank you for
  your kind attention.

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Possible Questions

• Do you offer my area of interest as a major?
• What grade point average and SAT or ACT scores
  are necessary before I can be considered for
  admission?
• How would you describe your schools overall
  atmosphere?
• How would you describe the character and make-up
  of your student body?
• Are there any unique traditions or customs
  observed or celebrated by your students during
  the school year?
• Are there any unique clubs or organizations
  located on campus?
• What are your schools greatest strengths?
• Are tours of the campus available to interested
  students?
• Does your school have any famous or unusually
  successful alumni?

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• eMail Inquiry
• My name is . I am a junior at T L Hanna
  High School in Anderson, South Carolina. My
  Journalism teacher, Mr. Keith White, has given me
  an assignment that requires me to conduct an
  online interview with an admissions counselor at
  , and to present what I learn to my class.
  Could you please provide me with the name and
  email address of someone who could take a moment
  to answer a few of my questions? Thank you for
  your kind attention.
• Possible Questions after you receive a reply
• Do you offer my area of interest as a major?
• What grade point average and SAT or ACT scores
  are necessary before I can be considered for
  admission?
• How would you describe your schools overall
  atmosphere?
• How would you describe the character and make-up
  of your student body?
• Are there any unique traditions or customs
  observed or celebrated by your students during
  the school year?
• Are there any unique clubs or organizations
  located on campus?
• What are your schools greatest strengths?
• Are tours of the campus available to interested
  students?
• Does your school have any famous or unusually
  successful alumni?