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Start Here Basics for beginning reporters, journalists and other publication neophytes

Start Here Basics for beginning reporters, journalists and other publication neophytes. For Starters Be a reporter first . Yearbook and Newspaper need writers, but more than that, they need reporters. This means:  Talking to people.  Cultivating sources.  Walking a beat.

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Start Here Basics for beginning reporters, journalists and other publication neophytes

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  1. Start HereBasics for beginning reporters, journalists and other publication neophytes

  2. For Starters • Be a reporter first. • Yearbook and Newspaper need writers, but more than that, they need reporters. This means: •  Talking to people. •  Cultivating sources. •  Walking a beat. • Opening your eyes and ears.

  3. For Starters • WRITE JOURNALISTICALLY. •  No essays. •  No research papers. • No computer assisted plagiarism. • No editorials or opinion columns.

  4. For Starters • DON’T STATE THE OBVIOUS. •  Tell the reader something new. •  All news questions are not created equal. • Build your story around the unknown, the unexplained, the misunderstood.

  5. For Starters • TALK TO PEOPLE. •  Find the right person. • Converse. • Be curious. • Anticipate questions your readers will have. • Ask “so what,” “what if,” and “for example?” • Seek anecdotes.

  6. For Starters FIND AN ANGLE.  Look for interesting point of view.  Provide the unexpected.

  7. For Starters • DECIPHER YOUR FACTS. •  Where do your facts lead you? • Straight news? • News-analysis? • News-feature? • Feature? • Alternative copy? • Stand-alone photo?

  8. For Starters • LEAD WITH A BANG. •  Get to the point. • No clichés. • No wordy summaries.

  9. For Starters • ORGANIZE YOUR STORY. •  Build story on direct quotes. • Tell the story logically. • Keep transitions short. • Remember: quotes provide opinion, elaboration, clarification. Transitions provide fact.

  10. For Starters • LOOK FOR STORY. •  The interesting character. • The plot or dilemma. • The setting. • The chronology or flow. • The climax. • The resolution.

  11. For Starters • NO OPINION. •  Attribute information to a source. • No summary conclusions. • Be fair. • Be balanced.

  12. For Starters • KNOW THE RULES. •  Associated Press Stylebook. • Basic grammar. • Basic punctuation. • Correct spelling. • Precise diction. • Remember: accuracy, accuracy, accuracy.

  13. For Starters • KILL YOUR BABIES. •  Drop the ego. • Edith ruthlessly. • Write. Re-write. • Listen to and trust your editors. • Re-write again.

  14. For Starters • WRITING ISN’T ENOUGH. •  Report first. • Get the full story. • Go beyond formula. • Give more than people expect.

  15. For Starters • STUDY YOUR CRAFT. •  Read a newspaper every day. • Study good writing. • Know what’s going on in the world. • Practice. Practice. Practice.

  16. For more great examples… The Radical Write By Bobby Hawthorne Available from the Journalism Education Association bookstore. www.jea.org.

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