How to Write the Lead and the News Story| Part 2 of Chapter 2 Campus Journalism

Summary

In this video, Momshi Roxanne introduces the essentials of writing leads and news stories in campus journalism. She discusses the importance of the lead in a news article, explaining different types such as the summary lead, who lead, where lead, and more. Roxanne also dives into various grammatical and novelty leads, helping viewers understand when to use them effectively. She explains the inverted pyramid structure for news stories and explores different news feature formats like fact, action, and interpretative stories. Lastly, she emphasizes the qualities of an in-depth reporter and provides tips for writing compelling death news stories.

Takeaways

• 😀 The lead in news writing is crucial as it introduces the story and captures the reader's attention.
• 😀 Different types of leads exist, such as summary leads, who leads, and where leads, each serving a specific purpose.
• 😀 A conventional lead answers the five W's and H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) to provide clarity on the story.
• 😀 Grammatical beginning leads include prepositional, infinitive, participial, and gerund phrases, helping to start the story with clarity and focus.
• 😀 Novelty leads, such as astonisher leads and contrast leads, are used in feature writing to engage the reader with attention-grabbing phrases or comparisons.
• 😀 A news story is structured like an inverted pyramid, with the most important information at the top, followed by supporting details and less significant information at the end.
• 😀 News features differ from straight news stories, often providing additional background or multiple perspectives on a topic.
• 😀 Death news is a specialized form of news feature that goes beyond the facts to provide deeper interpretation and context.
• 😀 Objective reporting focuses on presenting facts without bias, while interpretative reporting explains the significance and context behind the facts.
• 😀 To write a compelling death news story, a reporter must conduct thorough research, provide relevant background, and organize the story effectively for the reader.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video?

The primary focus of the video is on teaching how to write a lead and a news story, two critical components of campus journalism.

Why is the lead considered an essential part of a news story?

The lead is essential because it introduces the story, grabs the reader's attention, and answers the most important questions (the five W's and H), which are fundamental to the news story.

What are the different types of leads discussed in the video?

The different types of leads discussed include conventional or summary lead, where lead, when lead, why lead, how lead, grammatical beginning lead, novelty lead, and novelty leads such as astonisher, contrast, epigram, picture, background, descriptive, parody, punch, one word, quotation, and question lead.

What is the structure of a straight news story?

A straight news story follows the inverted pyramid structure, with the most important information at the top (the lead), followed by additional details and less important information towards the bottom that can be cropped.

How do news features differ from feature articles?

News features differ from feature articles in that news features focus on timely events and are written on a daily basis, while feature articles often focus on special topics and are not as immediate.

What is a composite news story?

A composite news story combines multiple aspects of a news topic into one cohesive story, often covering different angles and focusing on new, spot news. It may also include references to future events.

What is interpretative reporting, and how does it differ from objective reporting?

Interpretative reporting puts facts into perspective by explaining why and how something happened, whereas objective reporting simply presents the raw facts without interpretation. Interpretative reporting helps the reader understand the significance of the news.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of objective reporting?

Advantages of objective reporting include its neutrality and avoidance of bias, while disadvantages include its lack of depth and failure to provide context or explanations for the facts presented.

What qualifications are important for in-depth reporters?

In-depth reporters should be inquisitive, investigative, analytical, objective, patient, persistent, impartial, and broad-minded. They must be dedicated to uncovering the truth and presenting it clearly and accurately.

What is death news, and how does it differ from traditional news stories?

Death news is a type of feature that focuses on a timely topic of interest, providing background information, analysis, and interpretation. Unlike traditional news stories, it does not always follow the five W's and H but instead elaborates on the story's significance and context.