What is the Lede?
The lede (that’s how journalists spell it) is the first paragraph of any news story. It’s also the most important. The lede must accomplish several things:
· give readers the main points of the story
· get readers interested in reading the story
· accomplish both “a” and “b” in as few words as possible
Typically editors want ledes to be no longer than 35-40 words. Why so short? Readers want their news delivered quickly. A short lede does just that.
What Goes in the Lede?
Journalists use the five “W’s and the H” – Who, What, Where, When, Why and How.
· Who – who is the story about?
· What – what is the story about?
· Where – where did the event you’re writing about occur?
· When – when did it occur?
· Why – why did this happen?
· How – how did this happen?
Example:
Let’s say you’re writing a story about a man who was injured when he fell off a ladder. Here are your five W’s and H:
· Who – the man
· What – he fell off a ladder while painting
· Where – at his house
· When – yesterday
· Why – the ladder was rickety
· How – the rickety ladder broke
So your lede might go something like this:
A man was injured yesterday when he fell off a rickety ladder that collapsed while he was painting his house.
That sums up the main points of the story in just 20 words, which is all you need for the lede.
Emphasize What’s Newsworthy
Sometimes, one particular aspect of a story – the who, what, where, when, why or how - will be especially interesting or newsworthy.
Celebrity stories are an example. People die of drug overdoses all the time, but when it happens to a celebrity it’s big news. So the “who” aspect of the story – who died – must be emphasized.
Here’s an example from CNN.com:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment, the New York Police Department said.
Notice how who died – Heath Ledger - is right at the start of the lede. That’s because the fact that a famous actor died is clearly the most newsworthy angle of this story.
Other stories might emphasize other angles. It’s the reporter’s job to figure out what’s most interesting in any story, and to play that up in the lede.
Adding Context
Ledes must be short, but that doesn’t mean they can’t include context and perspective that add meaning to a story. Look at this lede from The Associated Press:
WASHINGTON -- President Bush, facing doubts about his handling of Iraq amid rising casualties, is asking Congress for $87 billion to fight terrorism and cautioning Americans that the struggle "will take time and require sacrifice."
This lede is only 35 words long yet manages to tell us the following:
· President Bush is asking Congress for $87 billion to fight terrorism
· The president is facing doubts about his handling of the Iraq war
· casualties are rising in Iraq
· Bush admits the war “will take time and require sacrifice.”
Why did the writer feel the need to add such background information? Well, imagine if the lede had read like this:
President Bush is asking Congress for $87 billion to fight terrorism.
The basic story is there, but this bare-bones lede doesn’t provide any context for Bush’s request. The reader is left with little understanding of what’s really happening.
Subject-Verb-Object
A good way to keep ledes tight is to follow the subject-verb-object format. This simply means putting the subject at the start of the sentence whenever possible.
Look at these two sentences:
She read the book.
The book was read by her.
The first sentence is in S-V-O format, the second isn’t. What’s the difference?
· The first sentence is an “active” construction, the second is passive.
· The first sentence has a direct connection between the subject and the action she is taking, making the sentence punchy and vivid. The second sentence cuts that connection, making it dull and lifeless.
· The first sentence is four words long, the second is six words long.
Two words may not seem like a big difference, but imagine cutting two words out of every sentence your write. After awhile, it starts to add up.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Finding Story Topics On Campus
The best thing about this college campus is that something is ALWAYS happening. It's your job as a reporter to track that event, speech or meeting down and write about it.
1. Finding events and meetings on campus:
The campus calendar is a good place to start. Here's the link: http://www3.sunysuffolk.edu/Calendar/calendar.asp
This is the place to locate events the campus is promoting. Many of these events are paid for from student fees, so it's not only your right to attend the events, but it's your obligation to cover them from a public affairs perspective.
2. Finding out what decisions are being made that impact students and the campus community.
Covering events and meetings is not that difficult. You just show up, take notes, interview a few participants and write your story. The trickier jobs that journalists face are those that require attendance at governance meetings. Student Government organizations, Faculty Senates, and Faculty Associations and Board of Trustees meetings should be covered by student reporters. The calendars of these various groups appear online at http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/ under a variety of different headings. The best way to find their meetings is to search for them at the campus web site by typing in the name of the organization. Once the schedule of meetings is located, make contact with someone in charge and seek permission to attend. (The meetings are open and public, so your attendance is absolutely acceptable. You're getting permission out of professionalism and courtesy, and to allow those hosting the meeting to prepare for your attendance by adding an extra chair).
Once you attend the meeting for the first time, you'll become aware that much of the jargon is not familiar to you. It's okay to ask lots of questions and familiarize yourself with the topics. One of the best ways to learn about these meetings and governing bodies is to read old minutes from previous meetings. These minutes are generally posted online and are easy for you to access.
Here are some guidelines to follow when covering governing bodies:
1. Plan long in advance the meetings you will attend and notify those in charge that you will be attending.
2. To prepare, attempt to get a copy of the group's agenda.
3. Read old minutes to gain familiarity with the issues the governing body is handling. Learn through the minutes who the "movers and shakers" are.
4. Don't be afraid to ask questions about things that are confusing or unclear.
5. Remember that your goal is to be a watchdog of the government for the people. Pay close attention to how this governing body is managing the people's money. Are the decisions they are making in the best interest of students? faculty? the campus community?
6. Be sure to record minutes to be used later while you're attending the meeting. If using a tape recorder, request permission to do so.
7. Attempt to write the story within a few hours of covering the meeting, so the information is fresh in your mind.
8. Make sound judgements about what is most important to the story. Find your focus and present the information that supports the focus. Remember that it will not be uncommon to have a multiple-incident lead since governing bodies tend to cover a number of items at each meeting.
9. Work with a Compass editor to polish your story and get it ready for publication.
10. Be sure to save your notes and your tapes from all meetings for at least three years in case anyone questions your work.
1. Finding events and meetings on campus:
The campus calendar is a good place to start. Here's the link: http://www3.sunysuffolk.edu/Calendar/calendar.asp
This is the place to locate events the campus is promoting. Many of these events are paid for from student fees, so it's not only your right to attend the events, but it's your obligation to cover them from a public affairs perspective.
2. Finding out what decisions are being made that impact students and the campus community.
Covering events and meetings is not that difficult. You just show up, take notes, interview a few participants and write your story. The trickier jobs that journalists face are those that require attendance at governance meetings. Student Government organizations, Faculty Senates, and Faculty Associations and Board of Trustees meetings should be covered by student reporters. The calendars of these various groups appear online at http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/ under a variety of different headings. The best way to find their meetings is to search for them at the campus web site by typing in the name of the organization. Once the schedule of meetings is located, make contact with someone in charge and seek permission to attend. (The meetings are open and public, so your attendance is absolutely acceptable. You're getting permission out of professionalism and courtesy, and to allow those hosting the meeting to prepare for your attendance by adding an extra chair).
Once you attend the meeting for the first time, you'll become aware that much of the jargon is not familiar to you. It's okay to ask lots of questions and familiarize yourself with the topics. One of the best ways to learn about these meetings and governing bodies is to read old minutes from previous meetings. These minutes are generally posted online and are easy for you to access.
Here are some guidelines to follow when covering governing bodies:
1. Plan long in advance the meetings you will attend and notify those in charge that you will be attending.
2. To prepare, attempt to get a copy of the group's agenda.
3. Read old minutes to gain familiarity with the issues the governing body is handling. Learn through the minutes who the "movers and shakers" are.
4. Don't be afraid to ask questions about things that are confusing or unclear.
5. Remember that your goal is to be a watchdog of the government for the people. Pay close attention to how this governing body is managing the people's money. Are the decisions they are making in the best interest of students? faculty? the campus community?
6. Be sure to record minutes to be used later while you're attending the meeting. If using a tape recorder, request permission to do so.
7. Attempt to write the story within a few hours of covering the meeting, so the information is fresh in your mind.
8. Make sound judgements about what is most important to the story. Find your focus and present the information that supports the focus. Remember that it will not be uncommon to have a multiple-incident lead since governing bodies tend to cover a number of items at each meeting.
9. Work with a Compass editor to polish your story and get it ready for publication.
10. Be sure to save your notes and your tapes from all meetings for at least three years in case anyone questions your work.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Getting published in Compass, the campus newspaper
It's not as hard as it may seem. With just a little effort on your part, you, too, can be a published reporter. Once you've tackled a topic, talked to some sources and compiled your story, just email the attached copy to compassstaff@hotmail.com
The format they prefer is this:
Slugline: That's the brief topic of your story
Your Name
Your Phone Number
Your email address
The story should be typed and saved in rich text format and double spaced.
Stories that are big stories/ major tend to be about 500-750 words in length. They include at least three sources who have offered direct quotes that appear in the story. If at all possible, be sure to submit a photo or two with a caption for your story. It will have a better chance of being published.
Send it off and see what happens!
The format they prefer is this:
Slugline: That's the brief topic of your story
Your Name
Your Phone Number
Your email address
The story should be typed and saved in rich text format and double spaced.
Stories that are big stories/ major tend to be about 500-750 words in length. They include at least three sources who have offered direct quotes that appear in the story. If at all possible, be sure to submit a photo or two with a caption for your story. It will have a better chance of being published.
Send it off and see what happens!
Reporting 101
Believe it or not, in the journalism business, what counts most is not your 3.5 gpa, but the number of inches you have published and compiled in your clippings portfolio. While it's a good idea to keep up with the classes, most journalists spend more time at the campus newspaper office than they do in the luxury of their own homes or in their classes, or the library, for that matter.
With that said, you've come to the place to get hints about possible story ideas, contacts on campus and tips that will lead you to those amazing stories that not even Newsday will be aware of. It's true, with just a little hard work and some serious reporting, you'll be scooping Newsday.
Here are few quick tips to get you started.
1. Be a keen observer. Does anything appear to be out of the ordinary or unusual? As I. F. Stone once said, "I look for the loose thread, and give it a yank."
2. Listen to the word on the street. What's the talk on campus? Are professors, classmates, colleagues, staff members buzzing about some recent rumor? Who better to check it out than you?!
3. Don't be afraid to talk to strangers. ( I know it violates a rule you learned as a wee tot, but hey, you're older and wiser!) EVERYONE has a story to tell. It's your job to ask people for their best stories. With more than 350 foreign students on campus, you're bound to find an interesting immigration story. Any single parents in your classes? How about older than average students? What's their story? What are they doing here? Get out there and ask them. Go ahead, talk to a stranger.
4. Check the campus events calendar constantly. What events are occuring that students might not be aware of? It's your job to keep readers informed.
5. Public Affairs is where it's all happening! Did you realize that more than half of all newspaper coverage stems from public affairs reporting? What public issues are of importance to campus readers? Public Safety, Student Government, Faculty Senate, Board of Trustees and Student Service Organizations can provide hundreds of story possiblities. Attend a meeting and find out what the next big issue is!
6. READ, READ, READ! What are other newspapers covering? How do those topics relate to our readers? By reading everything you can get your hands on, you'll gather more and more ideas for interesting story topics of your own.
7. Just do it! You don't have to have any experience to get your stories written. Just do what feels right, and let a student editor at the campus paper help you polish your story. Most students never attempt to get anything published because they fear failure. Just hold your nose and jump in the deep end. Experience can be the best teacher when it comes to reporting. Dont' wait any longer. Get your first story published, already!
With that said, you've come to the place to get hints about possible story ideas, contacts on campus and tips that will lead you to those amazing stories that not even Newsday will be aware of. It's true, with just a little hard work and some serious reporting, you'll be scooping Newsday.
Here are few quick tips to get you started.
1. Be a keen observer. Does anything appear to be out of the ordinary or unusual? As I. F. Stone once said, "I look for the loose thread, and give it a yank."
2. Listen to the word on the street. What's the talk on campus? Are professors, classmates, colleagues, staff members buzzing about some recent rumor? Who better to check it out than you?!
3. Don't be afraid to talk to strangers. ( I know it violates a rule you learned as a wee tot, but hey, you're older and wiser!) EVERYONE has a story to tell. It's your job to ask people for their best stories. With more than 350 foreign students on campus, you're bound to find an interesting immigration story. Any single parents in your classes? How about older than average students? What's their story? What are they doing here? Get out there and ask them. Go ahead, talk to a stranger.
4. Check the campus events calendar constantly. What events are occuring that students might not be aware of? It's your job to keep readers informed.
5. Public Affairs is where it's all happening! Did you realize that more than half of all newspaper coverage stems from public affairs reporting? What public issues are of importance to campus readers? Public Safety, Student Government, Faculty Senate, Board of Trustees and Student Service Organizations can provide hundreds of story possiblities. Attend a meeting and find out what the next big issue is!
6. READ, READ, READ! What are other newspapers covering? How do those topics relate to our readers? By reading everything you can get your hands on, you'll gather more and more ideas for interesting story topics of your own.
7. Just do it! You don't have to have any experience to get your stories written. Just do what feels right, and let a student editor at the campus paper help you polish your story. Most students never attempt to get anything published because they fear failure. Just hold your nose and jump in the deep end. Experience can be the best teacher when it comes to reporting. Dont' wait any longer. Get your first story published, already!
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