Mcm261 Unit5new(2)

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Mid Term Exam

• Covers all material from course.• Lecture and reading• At least 1 sample script to correct or write.

3 Mysterious Symbols

L R

D C B A

Unit 5Basic News Story(Story Structure)

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Unit 6 Questions• How should a news story develop?• How do you select and place

information in a story?• What are the building blocks of a news

story?

How should a news story develop?

• Rich’s 4 C’s of Story Development– Conceive the idea or main point.– Collect the need info (facts, quotes, etc.)– Construct (or organize the info)– Correct and Correct Again

• (o.k., I added that “correct again” part)

See details on page 260

How do you select and place information in a story?• Key Questions

– What facts to include?– What facts to throw out?

– How to arrange the facts?

Rich’s CONSTRUCT

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How do you select and place information in a story?• Techniques/Skills

– Develop informed judgment. Be knowledgeable.

– Talk through the story. Talk to the story.• Be the audience. What do they want to know.

– Limit the information included.

– Emphasize the importance/impact.– Fact selection, placement and structure are

strongly determined by the lead.

What are the building blocks of a news story?

Building Blocks of Print News Story

• Headline (required)• Lead (required)• Backup for the Lead (required)• Nut Graph (needed with soft leads)• Lead Quote (optional, but helps)• Impact (almost always, in some form)• Attribution (required)• Background (needed in most)• Elaboration (required, if space allows)• Ending (required)• Graphics (helpful)

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Headline

• What is the story about? The topic?

• Usually written by editor.• Secondary headlines: Deck Heads and

Summary Blurbs.

Lead

• Entices reader

• Hard Leads– 5 W’s & H

– AKA Summary Lead

• Soft Leads

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Backup for Lead

• Lead should be supported with facts, quotes, etc. that substantiate the lead.

Nut Graph

• Paragraph that states the focus or main point of the story.

• If there, it is usually the 3rd to 5th paragraph.

• Only with soft leads. Why?

Lead Quote

• The first quote that backs up the lead.

• Helps to use strongest quote available.

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Impact

• How does this affect readers?

• Sometimes in lead or nut graph.

• Also as a separate paragraph later.

Attribution

• Where did you get the information?• Who told you the facts?

Attribution

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Attribution

Background

• Additional background info may be needed.

Elaboration

• Multiple sources.

• Other points of view.

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Ending/Conclusion

• Further elaboration.

• Statement or quote that summarizes, but does not repeat previous info.

• Future action.

Ending/Conclusion

Visuals

• Photographs, Pull Quotes, etc.

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Broadcast(TV) vs. Print

Broadcast(TV) vs. Print

Broadcast(TV) vs. Print

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Building Blocks of TV News Story

• Teasers• Lead-ins

• Beginning - Lead• Body• Ending

See pgs 260-268.

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Building Blocks of TV News Story

• Teaser– A few words or few sentences used to get the reader return to next segment or newscast.– “When we come back…”– “Just ahead…”

• Lead-in– Right before reporter package. Like lead, but should

not repeat reporter’s lead.– Usually ends with something like “Our reporter,

<insert name>, has more details.”– Said by anchor, written by anchor or producer

Building Blocks of TV News Story

• Beginning – Lead (Hard or Soft)– Soft

• May be used with feature stories.– Hard

• Who? Where? What? When? • Place time element after verb.• “At least five people were arrested today in an anti-abortion

protest outside a Milwaukee clinic.”• Write to the pictures/images

– You can use “you” – stress impact• “You may be paying more for milk soon…”

Building Blocks of TV News Story

• Body– Transitions

• Don’t get carried away here. Limit.

– Common Structures (Ways to Order)• Problem/Solution• Time Sequence• Hourglass• Circle

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Building Blocks of TV News Story

• Common Endings– Summary

• A fact that reinforces the main idea without repeating previous points.

– Future• Next step. Where we going from here.

– Consumer• Helpful tip – maybe this is where you get in the impact.

– “Faux Ending”• “Factual” – just another background fact

Building Blocks of Radio/AudioNews Story• Lead-in: introductory copy

– Gives the basics– Sets up the audio/package

• Example: Explain any references made in Audio. If audio mentions “Bill HR-232”, thenexplain “Bill HR-232”.

– Less need for explaining voicers and wraps, than actualities. Why?

– Be careful with parroting• Lead-in: Fire Chief Jones called it worst fire he has seen.• Actuality: This is the worst fire I’ve seen.

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Building Blocks of Radio/AudioNews Story• Throws: last sentence in lead-in

just before person on recording.

• Throw lines…– Mayor Lee says…– The tax issue bothers Mayor Lee.– Which is better and why? Technical problems?

Building Blocks of Radio/AudioNews Story• Throws to Actualities

– Must mention the person speaking– One option: News 3 talked with…

• Throws to Voicers and Wraps– Our reporter Jan Glover…– Some stations may not give the reporter’s name. Why?

Building Blocks of Radio/AudioNews Story• Write-Out, Tag Line or Close

– After reporter “signs off,” the anchor does not return to that story, but goes on with another.

– But, after an actuality…– Remind listener again who the speaker is and end with

a “snapper” (mainly TV term)• The other side: But, opponents say…• The future: Next week the mayor…• Additional fact: The mayor’s plan also…• Summary: What it boils down to is…

• Last Building Block: Reporter’s story/package?

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HEADLINE

SOFT LEAD

NUT GRAPH

BACK-GROUND

ENDING

LEAD

LEAD-IN

BODY

THROW

SNDBITE

CLOSING SNAPPER

BU

ILD

ING

BLO

CK

S O

F ST

OR

Y