Work from a checklist: Video
“You can check that off the list.” We say that all the time. Intuitively, we recognize that making a list, and following it, ensures that the job gets done. That it is complete — and done right. But when it comes to journalism, we are often suspicious of anything that sounds like a “formula.” It [...]
Context essential in any story
As I was reading the latest news today about the conflict between North Korea and South Korea, I came upon a couple of paragraphs tucked in a New York Times story that added value to my understanding of the situation. The paragraphs provided: Context Background History They told me why this crisis is different from [...]
Packaging news and info differently
It’s not a new concept to package news and information on print pages to resemble Web pages. What does that mean? Instead of a long narrative, a reporter might write a shorter text story, and show the rest as: A map An illustrative graphic A text sidebar A list A breakout of any kind In [...]
It’s all in the preparation: Video
In my reporting class, I tell a story about a painting project I did once with my father-in-law, a true handyman. I was downstairs first and eager to begin. I literally had brush in hand when he descended the stairs and called a halt. He informed me that there was at least a day of [...]
Nothing funny about hoaxes
It’s April 1. When I was a kid, April Fools’ Day used to be a favorite. But no more. Fake stories and hoaxes of all kinds are a journalist’s nightmare. How easily we can be fooled. There are people whose life’s goal is to punk the press, and they have a better chance at success [...]
Get online readers involved: Video
Newspaper editors like to talk about points of entry on a page — headlines, photos, graphics, breakouts and the stories themselves. Readers usually start with the main art or top story and move in a left-to-right fashion from the top to bottom. This is not surprising to learn, but it’s important nonetheless. Editors should know [...]
