What is the difference between information and news?
News Values
1. Is it new?
Did it just happen?
2. Is it timely and relevant?
Is it pegged to a specific event?
3. Is it local?
Know your audience. People care about things that affect them and their communities. Does a national audience care about the story of a small-town diner in Ohio? Maybe, if it’s told in a way that reveals universal truths. But would it work if a small-town newspaper in California tried to do that story?
4. Is there conflict/controversy?
Legal battles, violence, any sort of political controversy, personal hurdles, “My neighbor’s tree is blocking my view.”
5. Is it in the public interest?
Bad weather, how-to stories, human interest, breach of public trust, hypocrisy.
Types of Stories
Spot news – breaking news, events
Day 1 story vs. Day 2 story
Hard news vs. soft news – where is the line?
Feature stories
- “Evergreen” stories
- Trend stories
- Profile
Structure of a news story
The inverted pyramid
Lede
- Very top of the story: should hook the reader
- In short breaking news stories, usually sticks with who, what, where, when, why and how
- Well-known journo expression: “Don’t bury the lede.”
- Room for creativity in feature stories: anecdotal ledes, humorous ledes
Nut graph
Via Poynter: The nut graf tells the reader what the writer is up to; it delivers a promise of the story’s content and message. It’s called the nut graf because, like a nut, it contains the “kernel,” or essential theme, of the story. At The Philadelphia Inquirer, reporters and editors called it the “You may have wondered why we invited you to this party?” section.
The nut graf has several purposes:
- It justifies the story by telling readers why they should care.
- It provides a transition from the lead and explains the lead and its connection to the rest of the story.
- It often tells readers why the story is timely.
- It often includes supporting material that helps readers see why the story is important.
Body
- Background information, statistics, quotes
Kicker
- Finish with a flourish: your best quote, something that looks to the future, or lingers in the reader’s mind
And finally… how does this structure apply to multimedia journalism?
Fundamentally, it’s all storytelling.
What makes a good story?
