Page 55 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

Putting It Together

It is best to answer the questions you think will arise in a reader’s mind.
Good writers always have good reasons for the choices they make.
Look for the elements you think matter the most. Seek out the
best way to present accurate information and simultaneously grab your
reader’s attention. Don’t waste time with things people couldn’t care
less about. For example, imagine coming home and your roommate
tells you, “Your mom called. Your dad was in a car accident.” If
you screamed, “What happened?” and your roommate started with
“The Centerville Police Department responded to a report of an
accident...” you’d likely cut your roommate off in midsentence and
demand to know if anyone was hurt, how bad the damage was, and
what caused the crash. When seen in those terms, what should come
first seems to be common sense. Yet, when rookie journalists sit down
to write their first accident brief, their lead usually starts with “The
Centerville Police Department responded... .”

Gaining a Sense of Closure
The end should let people know that the story has officially closed. 45
There should be no doubt that the reader has reached the end of the
line. Far too often, stories end because the writer has just decided to
stop writing. In other forms of writing, this would not be acceptable.
Imagine how irate readers of a murder mystery novel would be if the
writer just decided to quit writing before unveiling the killer. Com-
pleting a task is not the same as just being done. The end should seek
either to wrap up what has happened or look forward to the next event
in the story line.
In terms of wrapping up, a closing quote can be particularly helpful
and valuable. In many cases, a source talking about a topic can sum it
up better than you can as a writer. One of the big drawbacks of trying
to do a summary on your own is that it comes across as forced or phony.
With a quote, the person not only sums up what you need, but often
does it in a more sincere manner.
If you decide not to close your story with a quote, look for things
that give your readers a look ahead to the next part of the story. A
simple wrap-up and look forward can be as simple as “The city council
will vote on the issue during its July 9 meeting” or “All proceeds from
the event will benefit the Smithville Charity Network.” By bringing
closure to the story, you let your readers know that you’ve completed
the story and they can move on.