Every writer knows the KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid! But too many writers forget to apply it, loading their stories with so much information that the viewers’ eyes glaze over. KGO reporter Wayne Freedmancompares the way writers over-stuff stories to the way travelers cram suitcases with so many clothes that everything comes out wrinkled. [...]
Filed under: 05. Writing the Story | Comments Off
Think Strunk and White are too old school? Think again. Their legendary grammar guide, The Elements of Style, has been brought up to date by two Columbia J-school students in this new rap version: Not everyone thinks Strunk and White’s advice for writers is worth all the adulation it’s received since it was first published more [...]
Filed under: 05. Writing the Story | No Comments »
What could be more basic than a profile story, right? Yet, Sara Jackson a reporter and editor for UPI says they’re harder to write well than you may think. “Even with profiles, it’s important to have a news hook — something to grab people’s attention,” says Jackson. She suggests trying to tie the profile in [...]
Filed under: 05. Writing the Story | No Comments »
“It’s not about the beer,” says Boyd Huppert, describing an assignment to profile a successful local brewery. Instead, Huppert’s story focused on the family behind the business — tapping into a universal theme. “My goal is to go out and cover a story to make someone care about it,” says Huppert, “make you laugh or [...]
Filed under: 02. Finding the Story, 03. Multimedia Newsgathering, 04. Reporting in Depth, 05. Writing the Story | 1 Comment »
Jason Lamb is a Murrow Award-winning TV news writer from Anchorage, AK. Earlier this week, he shared how meticulous logging of video is one of the building blocks of effective storytelling. Lamb says another key component is taking time to determine a story’s focus. “Beyond just the story ‘subject,’ a focus tells you what person, [...]
Filed under: 05. Writing the Story | 1 Comment »
The Murrow Award for writing “demonstrates excellence in writing that conveys the feeling and significance of events to the listener or viewer.” That’s the goal of great storytelling, isn’t it? To help make the news matter. Last year’s national winner in the small market category was Jason Lamb of KTUU in Anchorage, AK. In this [...]
Filed under: 05. Writing the Story, 06. Multimedia Storytelling | 4 Comments »
Jonathan Glenn says you just have to love telling stories to be a good writer, but Glenn, who works on the Fox Report, also has some concrete suggestions for telling good TV stories. “After you’ve gathered all the information you need, there’s one thing you have to do before beginning to write,” says Glenn. “Put [...]
Filed under: 05. Writing the Story | No Comments »
One of the best things about awards season is the chance to see incredible work produced by some of the best reporters and photographers in the business. This year, the Sigma Delta Chi Award for large market TV feature reporting has gone to some old friends of Advancing the Story — Boyd Huppert, Jonathan Malat [...]
Filed under: 05. Writing the Story, 06. Multimedia Storytelling | No Comments »
If you’re just starting out in the news business or even thinking about a career in journalism, you may feel a little overwhelmed by everything you think you need to know. Don’t be. Every good journalist learns on the job. And many bosses I know would prefer to hire someone who admits they don’t know [...]
Filed under: 03. Multimedia Newsgathering, 05. Writing the Story, 12. Getting Ready for the Real World | 1 Comment »
When you start out writing for broadcast, it can be hard to know when you’ve nailed it. Rick Russell is news director at WJTV in Jackson, Miss.; he says the best way to assess the quality of your story is to have someone else read it back to you. “You have to listen to that [...]
Filed under: 05. Writing the Story | No Comments »
