Page 54 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

WORDS: THE FOUNDATION STONE OF JOURNALISM

Smithville Zoo on Monday, only to be found three hours later sleeping
on a school bus.”
It’s not about being sensational, but rather about letting people
know what happened that will change their lives. No one cared that the
city council met Monday to discuss a number of city issues. They want
to know if their taxes are going up, if the roads are getting fixed, or
if a controversial construction project is going to happen. If you think
about what matters most, you will provide readers with the news they
want.
Even if you don’t end up writing in a purely inverted pyramid fash-
ion, it helps to think that way. By prioritizing the information in your
mind, you can figure out what matters most. You might decide to use
a narrative topper or an example near the beginning of your story. You
might not have a clear-cut top news item to lead with. You might have
so much information that it becomes difficult to choose one piece of
information with which to start the story. If you order your thoughts in
inverted pyramid fashion, chances are you will serve the public better.

44 Putting It Together

All forms of writing require a basic structure that allows the reader to
see a beginning, a middle, and an end. Fairy tales open with “Once
upon a time” and close with “The end.” Letters and e-mails open with
“Dear so-and-so” and close with a signature (be it electronic or hand-
written). Jokes open with “Did you hear the one about ...” and close
with laughter (you hope). Journalism has its established norms as well
when it comes to the openings of stories, the middle information, and
the closing paragraph.

The Lead: Sounding the Opening Bell
The beginning is traditionally the lead of the story. Whether it’s a strict
inverted pyramid lead or a feature-style approach, the opening of the
story is meant to engage the reader and move him or her into the rest
of the story. Lead sentences for news stories tend to try to capture the
who, what, when, where, why, and how of a story. Since the sentence
should be between 25 and 35 words, not all of those elements always
end up in the lead. The elements that end up in the lead should be there
for a reason. Those that don’t should be omitted for a reason. Beginning
journalists often have problems deciding what should be included and
what shouldn’t. When it comes to writing, no hard-and-fast rules exist.