Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing: Foundational Skills for a Digital Age

Description

Journalists in today’s media environment require a skill set that can be adapted to a variety of media. Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing: Foundational Skills for a Digital Age teaches students the foundational skills they need to successfully report and write the news in an evolving digital landscape. Author Vince F. Filak offers guidance on the essential skills of the industry while weaving in the "how-to’s" of writing digital news. Recognizing that well-crafted stories are founded on sharp prose, this new text covers the foundational elements of newswriting, such as lead writing, structure, and storytelling while also teaching students how to think critically and determine what matters most to their readers. Key Features: An audience-centric approach encourages students to understand why and how news is relevant to the lives of their readers before they even start digging into their stories. "Write Now! Exercises" provide students with an opportunity to immediately practice the core set of skills they have just learned and apply these skills to various platforms. "Consider This" debates spark classroom discussions by encouraging students to take a closer look at a current issue or ideological dilemma and make a valid case for their position.   "Thoughts from a Pro" offer students an up-close look at a specific aspect of reporting and writing from a professional who is plying their trade each day.     Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Chapter 1: Audience-Centric Journalism Thinking Ahead: Understand Your Audience Media and Media Users Today Information Whenever and Wherever The “Infotainment” Phenomenon Fake News Info Glut: Choices, Choices and More Choices Shorter Attention Spans Audience Participation and Spiraling Viral Coverage Consider This: A Media Diet: Audience Wants Versus Audience Needs Defining Your Audience Readership Surveys HELPFUL HINTS: Demographic, Psychographic and Geographic Information on Your Readers Website Analytics Real People THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Erik Petersen What Do We Owe Our Audience? Accuracy Above All Else Clarification of Value Fairness and Objectivity What Attracts an Audience? Fame Oddity Conflict Immediacy Impact The Big Three Chapter 2: Critical Thinking Thinking Ahead: How to Fully “Get” a Story How Do We Think? Defining Critical Thinking Learning How to Think The Requirements of Critical Thought How to Approach a Story as a Critical Thinker Raising Vital Questions by Coming to Grips With the Topic Gathering and Assessing Relevant Information Thinking Open-Mindedly HELPFUL HINTS: The Topeka Test Communicating Effectively With Others Critical Thought and the Value of Your Questions Asking Questions to Get Quotes or Soundbites THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Jill Geisler Asking Questions to Catch Up Don’t Let Your Ego Get in the Way Avoid Self-Importance Consider This: Fast Food News The Big Three Chapter 3: Basics of Writing Thinking Ahead: Writing for a Newsreader HELPFUL HINTS: Building a Lead From the Inside Out A Quick Look at Types of Leads Name-Recognition Leads Interesting-Action Leads Event Leads Meeting Speech Second-Day Leads Identifying Problematic Leads and Potential Fixes “You” Leads Question Leads Quote Leads “Many People/Some People/Everybody/Nobody” Leads THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Janelle Cogan The Inverted Pyramid: Ordering Information After the Lead Determine the Value of Your Information Support the Lead Use Small Chunks Know When to Stop Quotes: Letting Your Sources Tell the Story Direct Quotes HELPFUL HINTS: The 5-Minute AP Style Guide Indirect Quotes Partial Quotes Attributing Your Information Consider This: The Cases for and Against Fixing Quotes Verbs Structure Repetition The Big Three Chapter 4: Expanded News Writing Thinking Ahead: Learning to Break the Rules of Writing Expanding the Inverted Pyramid Lead Bridge: Moving From A to C Background Basic Body Elements Looking to End the Story THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Tony Rehagen Writing With a Narrative Feel Use a Descriptive Opening Weave a Narrative Thread Into Your Piece Tell Me Why I Care: The Nut Graph Draw Word Pictures for the Reader Build the Body HELPFUL HINTS: Secondary Senses: Smelling, Feeling Nonlinear Storytelling Visualizing the “Story Web” Understanding User-Controlled Navigation Nonlinear Versus Nonsensical Building Self-Contained Segments Consider This: The “Web as Buffet” Approach The Big Three Chapter 5: Social Media Thinking Ahead: Rethinking How to Reach Readers What Is Social Media? HELPFUL HINTS: How to Build an Audience Value of Social Media Easy Access on All Your Devices Choose Sources You Trust THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Mac Slavin Read, Share, Repeat Social Media Tools for Your Toolbox Text HELPFUL HINTS: How to Tweet as a Reporter Twitter Reddit Storify Visuals Instagram Consider This: How to Fight Fake News in the Facebook Era Snapchat Video YouTube Periscope and Facebook Live Blogging Focus on Audience Interests Establish a Tone HELPFUL HINTS: How Best to Use Social Media for Your Audience Offer Quick Reads Be Timely The Big Three Chapter 6: Interviewing Thinking Ahead: Avoiding the Awkwardness While Speaking to Others Critically Thinking About Interviewing’s Purpose Who Is This Person? What Value Does This Source Have to the Story? How Badly Do I Need This Source? Consider This: Email Interviews Understanding the Interviewing Basics Preparing for the Interview Getting the Interview Interacting With Your Source Working With Your Questions Interview Flow HELPFUL HINTS: Identifying and Fixing Problems With Your Questions Taking Good Notes The End of the Interview Following Up Types of Interviews HELPFUL HINTS: On-the-Record and Off-the-Record Interviewing Breaking News News Conference Person on the Street Hostile HELPFUL HINTS: 32 Obituaries in a College Campus Newspaper Profile Other Purposes for Interviews Confirming Information Fishing for Quotes THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Pat Borzi Provoking a Reaction Does This Matter to My Story? Am I Asking the Question at the Right Time? Am I Asking the Question in the Best Possible Way? The Big Three Chapter 7: Basic Reporting: News That Finds You Thinking Ahead: Getting Ready to Hit the Field Reporting Basics Research the Topic Previous Stories Source Documents Official Websites Seek Sources and Plan Interviews Make Sure You Are Sure Check Spelling Review Proper Nouns Consider This: Is Objectivity Dead? Look Into the Numbers Event Coverage Speeches Meetings News Conferences HELPFUL HINTS: Gathering Quotes at Public Events Sporting Events Basic Tips for All Event Stories Understand Your Purpose Improvise and Adapt Look Outside of the Event Stories Beyond Standard Events Localizations THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Ryan Wood Crime and Disasters Stay Calm Stay Safe Stay Focused The Big Three Chapter 8: Beyond Basic Reporting: News You Have to Find Thinking Ahead: How to Find Bigger Stories That Matter The News Feature: How to Find Stories in Everyday Life HELPFUL HINTS: Ways to Find Stories Beat Reporting Types of Beats Getting Started: How to Become Immersed in Your New Area Interview Your Predecessor Read Your Publication Talk to Your Boss Building Your Beat: How to Make Friends and Influence People Get Out of the Office Build Sources Gather Documents HELPFUL HINTS: Three Big Tips for Succeeding on a Beat Continuing Coverage: Simple Ways to Refresh Beat Reporting Keep in Contact With Sources Revisit Older Stories Connect the Dots Personality Profiles Interviewing for the Profile THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Jaimi Dowdell First Interview Second Interview Third Interview Working as a Watchdog Consider This: Is the Big Story Worth It? The Big Three Chapter 9: Broadcast-Style Writing and Voicing Thinking Ahead: Writing Scripts and Building Stories Broadcast Style: Different, Yet the Same THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Lauren Leamanczyk Script Writing 101 Write Short Use Active Voice Write for the Ear Consider Pace and Flow HELPFUL HINTS: Understanding Broadcast Vocabulary Keep It Conversational The Basic Elements of Broadcast Structure The Lead The Body The Close HELPFUL HINTS: TIPS FOR WRITING SCRIPTS Story Types and Formats Reader Voice-Over VO/SOT Consider This: The Use of “You” Package The Big Three Chapter 10: Collecting Audio and Visuals in the Field Thinking Ahead: How to Get Enough Material to Build a Good Story Tools of the Trade Microphones Audio Recorders Video Cameras What Is Your Goal? What Recording Format Do You Want? What Are Your Sound Options? What Accessories Matter? Still Cameras CONSIDER THIS: The Smartphone—The Amphicar of Journalism Mobile Phone Camera Compact Camera Mirrorless and Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) Cameras Types of Material You Gather Ambient Sound B-Roll Video Interviews HELPFUL HINTS: Basic Types of Shots Capturing Vivid Visuals Tell a Story HELPFUL HINTS: Captions Count Grab Actions and Reactions THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Brian Urbanek Abide by the Rule of Thirds Making Your Video Valuable Plan Your Shoot Properly Frame and Compose Your Shots Stick With Stable Shots Keep Focused Get More Than You Think You Need Take Multiple Shots of the Same Thing Learn to Relax The Big Three Chapter 11: Editing Audio and Video Thinking Ahead: Editing Your Raw Material Into a Polished Gem Audio Bites Online Check for Clarity Tell a Story HELPFUL HINTS: Identifying Problematic Video Weigh Size Versus Value Video Bites Online Pairing Script and Video CONSIDER THIS: Using Raw Video Building a Story From Start to Finish Import Your Video Review Your Footage Work With Your Audio Track Select Shots and Form Sequences HELPFUL HINTS: When to Use Each Shot in Your Story Avoid Gimmicky Transitions Add Graphics and Other Elements THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Brandon Kinnard Review the Package for Any Errors The Big Three Chapter 12: Law and the Media Thinking Ahead: The Law Is Your Friend Understanding the First Amendment Misconceptions About the Amendment No One Can Stop You From Publishing Anything You Want Nothing Bad Can Happen to You After You Publish Professional Journalists Enjoy Stronger Protections Than Other People The First Amendment Is Clear and Absolute Law Across Media Platforms: Levels of Protection Reporter’s Privilege Let the Sunshine In: Rules for Transparency and Access Open Meetings Open Records THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Charles N. Davis Rules for Recording The Basics of Libel HELPFUL HINTS: When Someone Tells You, “I Don’t Like This! I’m Suing You!” Defenses Against Libel Truth Opinion HELPFUL HINTS: Understanding Fault and Damage Privilege Invasion of Privacy Intrusion CONSIDER THIS: Drones: Journalism Future or Journalism Fad? False Light Public Embarrassment of Private People The Big Three Chapter 13: Ethics Thinking Ahead: Just Because You Can, It Doesn’t Mean You Should Why Ethics Matter Basic Approaches to Ethics The Golden Mean The Categorical Imperative The Principle of Utility The Veil of Ignorance The Principle of Self-Determination Tenets of Journalistic Ethics Honesty Be Upfront in Your Reporting Keep Your Promises Be Fair Accuracy Verify Information Avoid Misinformation Diversity Reject Stereotypes Give Voice to All Compassion Think Before You Act CONSIDER THIS: The Trouble With Twitter: Journalists as Private Citizens Be Human Independence THOUGHTS FROM A PRO: Andrew Seaman Avoid Conflicts of Interest Resist Being Manipulated Accountability Acknowledge Mistakes Explain Yourself The Big Three APPENDIX A: Using FOCII to Build Your Leads APPENDIX B: Résumés, Cover Letters and More APPENDIX C: A Deeper Dig Into FOIA and State Public Records Laws APPENDIX D: Step-by-Step Editing Processes for Avid, Final Cut and Premier Glossary Notes Index