BMW! Notes on News Narratives PDF

class notes :) W2: LEC News Narratives: The way we present the facts shapes how we think and act News is what’s new and what people care about ○ E.g: Hot weathers in SG, Declining fertility rate, Graduate’s starting pay, Negative News Purpose of Journalism: to provide people...

class notes :) W2: LEC News Narratives: The way we present the facts shapes how we think and act News is what’s new and what people care about ○ E.g: Hot weathers in SG, Declining fertility rate, Graduate’s starting pay, Negative News Purpose of Journalism: to provide people with the information they need to be free and self-governing Purpose of Journalism: Obligation is to report the truth First loyalty – citizens Essence: discipline of verification → make sure stories are true ○ E.g: at least ask 3 people Must maintain independence from those they cover (e.g: mentally,emotionally) Serve as an independent monitor of power Forum for public criticism and compromise Make the significant interesting and relevant Keep news comprehensive and proportional Practitioners: exercise personal conscience Citizens: rights & responsibilities when it comes to the news Journalists in news organisations: Media accreditation Editorial checks and balances  Newsroom talents (design, photographers, subeditors) Existing audience Access to data and newsmakers Newswriting: Benchmark of clear writing Demands vigorous thinking (feeling vs perceiving) Imparts deep values of integrity (TRUTH) Foundation for different writing What’s newsworthy: Relevance Usefulness Interests Impact Conflict Novelty How many people were Against How unique a piece of impacted? ○ People news is How long is the impact? ○ Nature E.g: when a dog bites a man, it’s very plain What are the ○ Friends news. But when a man consequences? ○ Nations bites a dog, it is something interesting, contributing to the novelty of the news Prominence Proximity Timeliness The bigger the name, People are more News is supposed to be the bigger the news interested in news in new their vicinity News cycles may have If something happens shortened due to globally, we will tend to broadband and social ask how that affects us media, but still speed conflicts with thoughtfulness and thoroughness The Inverted Pyramid: Always start with a strong lead Gather all the facts (interviews, research) Decide how to stack these information for your reader (story angling) Keep the reader engage (write effectively) Lead: Definition: the first sentence, paragraph or each section of each news story Be simple, brief, compact, vigorous, attractive ○ Vigorous:can be short but must have ALL the information How to write a good lead: Find essential elements of the story Direct/delayed lead Single element/multiple element lead Subject - verb - object Concrete nouns and colourful verbs 30-35 words Do not sacrifice faith and accuracy W3: TUT Case Study: Telegram Scam (22 Aug 2024– CNA) Why use Telegram as the lead? ○ Prominence: High statistics in the article for those being scammed ○ Relevance: Youths are starting to use Telegram more Telegram scams: a new type of scam If investments scam was put as the lead: ○ Might not be so widespread (audience) ○ More relevant for The Business Times or for Economics Newspapers As leads need to draw in the readers, there is NO cookie cutter format Exercise: BMW Writing Exercise on Fire My response: “I was watching TV when I heard a big pop from the kitchen. I thought something had dropped, but when I looked, I saw flames”, said Meleissa Belducci, 41, the owner of 308 Hirth Ave (20 August 2024) It was a rainy Monday afternoon when phones at the Columbia Fire Department rang almost simultaneously. The three-story apartment building in the area of west-central Columbia, 308 Hirth Ave. was reported to be on fire at 2.48pm. Meleissa’s husband, 27-year-old Paltrick Belducci, who was home, said “The neighbours knocked on our house to let us know to get out of the house because there was a fire.” Thankfully, they managed to get out unscathed. According to Columbia Assistant Fire Marshal, Lt. Brian Davison, the firefighters took about 12 hours to put out the fire, and an estimate of $12000 worth of damages was incurred. Comments: (overall) 1. Take more notice of the relevance– how will this lead draw in readers? 2. Intensity – must mention the intensity of the fire (how it took 12h to be put out, and the damages incurred – this shows why it is newsworthy) 3. Remember to add AT LEAST one quote 4. When writing, don’t need to follow the direct script, can tweak words here and there 5. (From Karen Ho’s consult): try not to start the lead with a quote, as this may confuse the readers with its odd placement and they might not understand the context of the story – may then lose interest 6. Don’t mix facts 7. Don’t jump to conclusions 8. Shorter paragraphs and sentences– work on clarity 9. Don’t do chronological storytelling, but add the important information first (inverted pyramid)  10. Must be careful with spelling – ensure NO spelling mistakes 11. Focus of the story; what is the most important information? 12. Note that sentences shouldn’t be too wordy/ omit redundant words 13. Don’t need to use flowery language, just get straight to the point (wrong style for newswriting) 14. Don’t use passive voice, focus on the active voice Key Points (suggested by Karen Ho) – highlighted portion Suggested Answer (by Karen Ho): W3: LEC – mystery guest speaker!: Chua Tian Tian Gathering Information and News Writing Gathering Information: Using multiple sources ○ At least 3 sources – lets you triangulate the information ○ If a single source story is used – dangerous because the information might not be credible, wrong Beware of people’s agenda – political, commercial etc Data is plentiful, so be resourceful, don’t fall prey to fake news Verification of Information !!For General Knowledge self check: read “Reluctant Editor” – Pn Balji BBC Guidelines on Accuracy: Gather materials using first-hand sources Check facts and statistics, identifying important caveats and limitations Validate the authenticity of documentary evidence and digital material Corroborate claims and allegations made by contributors Weigh, interpret and contextualise claims, including statistical claims Where to find information: Primary Sources Secondary Sources ○ E.g: Government databases, emails, books, advertisements, youtube videos etc Opinion VS Facts Have a healthy skepticism of people’s agenda ○ Don’t be too trusting NOTE: your feelings about something is not news! Interviewing: !!NOTE: good tool to record interviews– whisperAI, otterAI Be prepared Listen and look carefully – be aware of body language and eye contact will help to build rapport Go with the flow Types: TV stories ○ Quote output – 20s max ○ Video interview – normally 10-15 min Walk-and-talk ○ Talk as the camera rolls ○ Normally for the colour  Radio interviews ○ Live – 10-15 min Challenging due to the time limits Need to be able to deal with live elements Need to maintain the conversation flow Tone of voice ○ Pre -recorded – 15-30 min Benefits: can ask as many questions to shape the story Panel discussions ○ Interview 2-3 people ○ Sometimes no newspoint ○ Just need the panel to engage well with each other Interview Checklist: Important to build rapport with the newsmakers and interviewees: Newsmakers – reach a middle point through ○ Phone calls ○ Meeting up Good interviewees ○ To the point ○ Straightforward ○ No script, natural ○ Comfortable small talk before the interview Good interviews ○ Don’t be ambiguous Be clear with context to shape the story “what did you mean by that” — can elicit details and clearer explanations for the audience “how do you know that” — helps interviewer judge credibility of the information and points them to additional sources ○ Know the difference between interviewees who can answer the question, cannot answer and those who provide additional information while answering Techniques to land an interview: Blast out emails and calls to as many interviewees at once Take part in small talk Share story ideas and start with the lower hanging fruit– simple stories Do ample research on interviewees Don’t go into a small talk saying you want an interview How to deal with sensitive topics: Don’t force the interviewee into a corner State your purpose first, be transparent Who to interview: Experts in a particular topic People who care about the topic People who are affected by the topic Where to interview (ranked): 1. In person 2. Video call 3. Phone call 4. Email/Message How to reduce rejection: Ask friends of friends Make it convenient for them Emails often DO NOT work How to keep them talking: Be genuinely interested in them Listen to what they say Expand on what they say If they go off topic: Let them finish first Ask your question again, or rephrase it Clarify why you are asking this question How to keep up with note-taking Record the interview and transcribe with AI Write crucial points in a paper notebook Clarify any points Building trust: Let them check their quotes before publishing Be contactable Allow them to deny usage of their quotes Don’t come unprepared Don’t ask close ended questions Go with the flow W4: TUT China’s Youth Unemployment https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/china-youth-unemployment-jobless-degree-masters-holder -economy-3755506 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/insight-2023-2024/young-and-jobless-china-3736526 Where did CNA get this story from: From the XIAMI guy who went viral for his videos on China’s unemployment rate Where did CNA find information to support the story: (individual issue vs industry issue) Job recruiter in the video – someone who is familiar with the job industry Statistics from the world bank (secondary research) – to prove that there was a rising trend Director of East Asia – subject experts Where did they find all these interviewees from: XIAMI – posted so it was easier to get him especially because he’s a semi influencer Civil engineer – referral from the recruitment consultant Journalist’s contacts – maybe the consultant was one of his contact’s Which interviewee was key to shaping the overall story angle: Consultant – acknowledged the problem and also stated the reason for that problem, showing how things have gotten worse over time because the job market is very competitive – made it a proper story XIAMI– just the trigger to this issue but not really presenting the underlying reason – basically just ranting, but not showing the core reason for this issue Did they film the interview first, or their activities (e.g: graduation ceremony) first: Practical reason – due to time interests, want to grab the main story first After the interview you can then decide what other shots you need to push the angle and shape the story even more – other activities were an add on to make the story more appealing Some scenes can be staged/re-enacted but the most important thing to know is the sound that is going to be used, and the visual that is going to complement the sound Feature story/Video story: Although both are talking about the same issue, shots are the same, but the story angle is a bit different Feature story focuses more on the civil engineer girl Trump vs Chris Wallace: Trump's Fox News interview, in 4 minutes What information did Chris Wallace prepare before the interview: Charts and statistics from John Hopkins University How did he react when Trump stated falsehoods: Calm, composed and firm Brought and showed his charts What did he do when Trump brought out his own stats: Was transparent about it, showed both stats on the story Presented the information to the viewers to leave the audience to their own discretion Key takeaways: Be confident, be familiar with details to be able to rebut Be firm, but calm and composed W4: LEC (PRESS CONFERENCE) How do writers decide their approach to the same topic: Assemble your notes and thoughts ○ Highlight key points and certain areas deemed important for calling out ○ Assembling notes ideas Memorable quips Striking anecdotes Background stories Expressions and emotions Info that needs clarification Other ideas Find the best story angles ○ There might be multiple story angles but it is important to choose one best one ○ Will be considered late by the time others news outlets have published the story ○ Angle depends on the audience, the period of time, as some things are not fit to say at a current time ○ Finding the best story angle: Find the most important ingredient (the news peg)-- the lead Decide the tone of the story (e.g: formal, boring) Decide how much you want the reader to consume (length of the story)  ○ Possible Angles: Focus on the profile of the subject Focus on the trend (e.g: Contrary to global trends? Reversible trend? Inventions?) Focus on the policy (e.g: government initiatives, new areas the government is investing in) Discuss with editor or others (most important but hardest parts due to harsh criticism) ○ Have different points of view ○ 3rd parties are more detached from the story and can give better advice ○ Might need a follow up ○ Discussing with editor: (editor’s job) Distil the info Discuss the best angle for the audience Eliminate blind spots and do sanity checks Quotations ○ Direct quotes (“she was a horrendous cook”) ○ Paraphrase (he said she was a horrendous cook) ○ Partial quote (he said she was a “horrendous” cook) ○ When to quote: When someone says something unique someone says something uniquely Someone important says something important ○ Break the monotony Feature voices that add insights, colourful details, emotions Find interesting people Press the right buttons Avoid quoting your friends ○ Cardinal rules of quotations !!! Always Quote accurately Clarify words and meanings Quote in the right context Never Make up quotes Misquote Quote out of context Use pointless quotes  ○ Guidelines for honorifics: Summary Before writing the news story Quotations Assemble your notes and your thoughts Accuracy is paramount Find the best angle Lousy questions get you lousy quotes Discuss with your editor and write ASAP Close-ended vs Open-ended questions (both are necessary) W5: TUT Different angles to the same story: E.g: Taylor Swift coming to Singapore for a concert Before her arrival – articles confirming that she will be coming, other countries reactions, interviewing fans before her concerts, fans making friendship bracelets After her arrival – fans waiting at the airport, what she did Day of the concert – journalists attending the concert and how excited fans were, was it up to their expectations After she left – how her presence impacted the economy, geopolitical level How did the writer manage to shape their story: Factors affecting angle Audience Timeliness Trends What the editor wants (whether the article is too controversial) Your interests and expertise What the competitors are writing about Relevance when reading a story – story about the typhoon Closer to home? Does it impact you? Assignment: what affects cost of living other than money– mental wellness 3 angles – transport hike, job seekers, paternity leave Final angle and why Audience What data you will need – direct statistics Who you will need to interview – lower middle class, social workers, what the government has to say about this issue, psychologists – increased cases of people seeing them because they are stressed? Subject experts and someone who has been affected Can talk about transport hike, cpf, job seekers etc W5: LEC News vs Feature Stories News What's new What people care about Best shown with real news stories Lead Concise Concrete Assertive News vs Feature Stories News Feature Stories Timeliness Timeliness Seeks to inform Seeks to entertain and inform  Inverted pyramid No rigid format Straight lead Feature lead Defining a Feature Story: It has, at its heart, human interest It illuminates lives lived in our time It takes advantage of an expanded set of language and narrative strategies NOT a news story but can be inspired by the news Can read a short one in 5 minutes, read a long one in 15 minutes Can be written and reported within the normal timeframe of journalistic enterprise Types of Feature Stories: News Feature Trend story Travel Story When things start to shift in society Interview Piece (qna) Colour Story Investigative Story More details to an existing news story Human Interest Story Review Opinion/Commentary Lifestyle Story Profile Story Listicle Backgrounder Stories themselves that Gives more insight to require actual research the people in the news W6 TUT: W6 LEC: Beyond the Inverted Pyramid Inverted Pyramid Pros Cons Quick to digest and understand Does not encourage expressive writing Sharpens news judgement Does not have an ending crafted by journo Easy to cut to length No suspense Hourglass News is summarised in the lead The Turn A narrative with beginning, middle and end Nut Graf The lead is an anecdote, scene or portrait The “kernel”, the theme of the story. Makes a promise to the reader Rest of the story delivers the promise Good for: news analysis, opinion pieces, features, trend stories 5 boxes Lead (image, detail, draws in reader) → nut graf (provides context) → retell story in box 1 → boring but important (statistics and quotes from experts) → kicker (strong ending, quote, image) Good for: News features, trend stories, profile stories, breaking news Narrative Story form choices Instinctive, not forced Each story must get to the point early Every paragraph must move the story forward Must always hold the reader’s interest, if not GAME OVER Challenges in feature writing Finding ideas Justifying the story Writing the feature ○ Length of the story ○ Selecting voices and data ○ Organising info ○ Writing the lead and the kicker Finding Ideas (what to write about!) - Who am i and what am i doing What or who is changing people’s lives? What kind of lives do people lead? What kind of life do people want or fear? Do more research More interviews More ground recee Experience the real thing Read and watch stuff you DON’T normally like  Follow VIPs and experts on social media (esp Linkedin) and their channels Explore ideas and themes with AI (chatgpt, perplexity) Quick listen: No Stupid Questions podcast on Spotify Possible objectives: Uncover new insights on an old topic Offer a contrarian view Fight for a cause Solve a mystery Help people learn something useful Tell a tale of love/horror/regret (or all of the above) W7: TUT What to write? Ask yourself What or who is changing people’s lives? What kind of lives do people want to lead? What kind of life do people want or fear? Be clear why the story should exist So what? Why should the reader (from the target audience) care? Why should they bother to even read this story? From China’s Silver Economy Article Story originated from a trend of aging population (in general) that was exacerbated by COVID ○ China decided to raise the retirement age (source) ○ Not enough workforce because there aren’t enough young people Target audience: businessmen, job seekers, working adults ○ International investors who can be more informed about the economic sector (NYT) ○ Chinese nationals living out of China ○ Potential employees (eldercare, healthcare) ○ Other countries that are experiencing similar events ○ Governments in other countries – for policy making Story angle: embracing the trend of the ageing population and declining birth rates, businessmen and job seekers have new opportunities due to the booming cycle of the ageing population ○ Chinese business owners are looking how the trend is affecting and impacting businesses Story structure (NUTGRAF) ○ Hook, human interest story Business that pivoted ○ A lot of research and statistics to help make sense of the story ○ Ended off with human interest Stumbled into this job Unexpected job change Milk powder guy – unintentional but helps them make profits  Always question the intent of the journalist ○ In depth research of the journalist – in the middle section ○ More interviewees – story will be longer ○ Looking at the kind of people that they didn’t interview Seniors themselves Businesses that pivoted unsuccessfully Why didn’t they interview them? ○ Feature stories try to steer you in a certain way Possible story angles: Ask the senior citizens about their experience ○ not a wrong angle, but not an exciting angle because the reaction is predictable ○ Elderly will of course love it ○ UNLESS can find a few interviews that provide a spin to it Listicle of senior care business idea ○ What other kinds of businesses there are for elderly Loneliness of children in China ○ Because of the declining birth rates, harder for children to make friends ○ What do they feel about the childcare facilities closing down? ○ Immediate impact on children since all the businesses are pivoting to eldercare Booming growth of the funeral industry ○ Rising trend of the silver generation ○ Not wrong but a lot of research is needed to prove ○ Kind of expected because as more people are getting older, more people will also die ○ May have to interview funeral parlour people Opinion piece about the comparison between whether to embrace the trend of ageing population or working on the declining birth rates ○ Cannot be from a POV of a journalist because not very credible ○ Might have to ask a sociologist Feature story: how about the elderly who do not have the money to attend the elderly care? ○ The challenges that they face Challenges that the working adults face and why they send their parents to the elderly homes or facilities ○ Look at the rise in eldercare and expenses ○ Identify a particular segment and interview these people ○ Just because the facilities are there does not mean everyone has a means to get to use it Why are China unemployment rates still high even though there is a booming silver economy ○ Investigative pieces ○ Were they trained in areas which were unsuitable? Not trained for eldercare? ○ Talk to sociologists Urban rural divide ○ Deep dive into the demographics: is this a trend that is happening throughout the whole of China or is it just the urban areas ○ How does it affect the economy? W7: LEC – GUEST SPEAKER: Derrick Paulo (CNA) Headlines Capture the Essence Intrigue the reader Unleash emotions You need a dirty mind to write headlines For better headlines (Krugger) Be specific, not vague Start simple 5W1H Go beyond puns Take the mental picture Change your perspective Get emotional Use strong words Value the verb 10 questions: Accurate? Undersell the Story? Oversold the Story? Make the right point? Easily understood? The right tone? Fits your site’s personality? Follow your site’s style? Start with the interesting bit? Concise and engaging? Headlines – Derrick Paulo Article reference: From playing in arcades to a one-room flat, to top of the world Show, don’t tell ○ Show that he is poor through descriptions to make his rag to riches story more engaging Article reference: Singapore’s butterfly children, born with ‘the worst disease you’ve never heard of’ Not only headlines, the way you write has to immerse the reader in the story that they are reading to hook the reader Good quotes at the start: useful in capturing attention Capture the rawness of the story Article reference: They grieved when their baby was born blind. Now they see as world of possibilities for him The parents didn’t know that the baby was born blind  ○ Story talks about how they discovered and how they have transformed in their journey Important to follow what a literature classic would do ○ Thoughts before ○ Feelings Can help to move people and touch their heartstrings: maybe they will want to pull in efforts to help Not just tell the story as the parents want it, but also making sure that it is critical in the eyes of the journalist ○ Important that people understand ○ The readers need to want the story: important to steer the narrative and angle in the right way Article reference: inside the trauma unit: the surgeons who fight to save every life Challenge in writing a long story: what are the elements that need to be told? Importance lies in the intro Insight into careers that are secretive, not easily accessible/known Focusing on the emotional parts of it Feature stories: Contrast in angles: video vs written Information gathered: together ○ Doesn’t really clash because the elements will remain the same But the way that it is being told might differ ○ Recollection often not captured on video Who do you want your readers to be? What message do you want to send? What is the bigger message that you have? Have the mindset of: i want to tell this story because there is something important about it W8: TUT Top 3 for exam: news writing, feature story, press releases Feedback for news writing Be specific, especially if using statistics, be sure to highlight the sample size Give the connection and the significance of the percentages for statistics ○ Remember to give the context ○ Be clear and concise ○ Do not mix up statistics Source of the statement ○ As a reader, are statements gotten from the writer, the spokesperson or the interviewees? If not specified and mentioned, this can be misleading Interviewees chosen ○ Selection – if a 17yo speaks like an expert, do you think he will be discredited for it due to his age and lack of experience? ○ Remember to list down their titles to make readers believe why they are suitable candidates – do not be vague so that it can add more value  Quotes ○ Quotes used must add to the story ○ Must be structured in a way to elaborate or complement an earlier or later paragraph – cannot be a standalone Inverted pyramid and lead paragraph ○ 5w1h ○ Remember to have short and concise writing – no need for flowery language ○ Use simple words W8: LEC – Guest Speaker (George Anders) Feature Story W9: TUT – Consultation W9: LEC Press Releases and Public Relations Exam Format: MCQ, current affairs, writing portion – based on the content taught, short writing section involving reflections Journalism Public Relations the activity of keeping good relationships between an organisation and the general public The business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill towards a person, firm or institution Needs to be Agile Versatile Fast thinkers Often: Exposed to many parts of the organisation Receive feedback from all quarters Often make good strategic counsels to the bosses Gets stereotyped as evil advisors Help to shape the company’s voice and values in public Create angles for the media  Written in inverted pyramid format ○ News lead Companies improve search rankings with PR content Concise and clear writing Focused story angle Inform, educate, entertain, persuade Defined target audience Wide distribution (websites and social media) Multiple perspectives One or few perspectives Public service (usually) Commercial interest (usually) Gatekeeping by editors Gatekeeping by management Follow journalism ethics Follow industry norms (code of conduct, ethics) Written for: Press releases Press responses Internal news Newsletters Speeches Social media posts Commissioned articles Financial reports Retrenchment notices Types of Press Releases: Where to find press releases ○ Google “Company name” + “press release” “Company name” + “media release” ○ Website Footer or main menu ○ Call the PR team Get on the PR mailing list Common types of press releases ○ Financial reports ○ Product launches ○ Crisis updates ○ People changes (e.g: leadership transitions) Most press releases go unread: No news value Poorly written (writing, not concise, bad grammar, boring) Rambling (didn’t get to the point) Poor distribution Wrong recipient Hubris (when you are full of yourself) No image assets No contact details Make sure that your story is newsworthy: Is there anything new Is there anything unusual or unexpected Would this be of interest to anyone outside my business Will anyone actually care Think in terms of headlines ○ What is the headline i want my boss to see ○ How do i get everyone to say the same thing Anatomy of a press release: (that companies put on their website) Inverted pyramid Headline Subheadline Body (even the body is in the inverted pyramid) Place and date Lead Key points Quotes – not from people but from the company Call to action Background info Contact details Boilerplate About the companies Paragraph or two about what your company does Other info More info about the appendices Recap: Press Release Are written for different public and needs Improve online presence and searchability Follow the inverted pyramid structure ○ Journalists need to see the key information at one go Have evolved for the online space W10: TUT Why do PR: Aim is often to organisation’s stakeholders to maintain a positive view about the organisation, its leadership and products Functions of PR ○ Promoting product, service, corporate image ○ Promoting goodwill ○ Lobbying – lobby stakeholders ○ Countering negative publicity Event planning, media relations, internal communication, digital/new media, reputation management, community relations, crisis communication Example of press release:  Generally the media does not like embargo releases ○ Always better to give the release as an immediate release if not it will be troublesome for journalists Boilerplate ○ Some positive aspect of the company ○ Saves media the time to do the research ○ Also helps lesser known brands to be known to the media W10: LEC – Guest Speaker; Wang Hai Video Stories Video Stories Pointers: Need to have a conversational tone Contractions Short, declarative sentences Active voice (person, action, activity) Present or future tense Written Stories Video Stories Clear and concise writing Clear, Concise and Conversational writing Vivid descriptions Don’t repeat what is seen Facts and figures Visual impact Inverted pyramid Beginning and ending Direct quotes Sound bites Past tense Present tense numbers Script: Spell out numbers Words and visuals must be complementary ○ Not disparate but also not repetitive Always orient viewers ○ Establishing shots, scene changes Think visually ○ Rhythm with visuals ○ Break visual monotony Typical Script: Narrative Power of Audio: Contextual depth ○ rich contextual information without needing explicit visual representation Cognitive engagement ○ Engage the audience’s imagination Memory trigger: ○ Distinctive sounds or music can become powerful memory hooks Takeaway: Use images smarter ○ Sometimes a few well-chosen shots can tell more compelling story than a montage of flashy transitions Be a good interviewer ○ Interview = Inter-view In journalism stories, discover the truth with your interviewees, rather than seeking to confirm your preconceived notions Don’t stage your scene ○ Authenticity is key ○ Capture real moments as they unfold naturally, without inference and manipulation W11 LEC: Video Story (Part 2) Feedback from A2: Information – the who, the what, the when ○ Go beyond the information to look at the why, how and the so what – why should a reader want to read this ○ Why do these facts occur and how do these people live their lives Sanity checks for A3: Is it visual? ○ Scenes should draw YOU in ○ Don’t just have long interviews (head shots) Is it viable? ○ Is the event you want to shoot near the deadline? (DON’T) ○ Have you booked your interviewees’ time for the shoot? Phone videography: Don’t shoot until you've done your ground recce Before the shoot ○ Battery ○ Storage ○ Lenses Do everything to get a steady shot ○ Tripods are necessary for long recordings (e.g: interviews) ○ When holding your phone or camera, tuck elbows close to your body to steady it Keep it simple ○ Use 3-4 angles out of the 12 angles Always take different shooting angles Focus on telling the story, not showing fancy visuals Decide what type of scene you want to shoot, then choose the visual angle “Zoom with your feet” for better shots – keep walking and get up close to find the best angle Don’t be shy to reshoot A-roll: your main footage B-roll: supplementary footage ○ Tend to have no audio so you overlay narration/music ○ Establish scenes: establish a location or add context ○ Smooth transitions: cover up cuts during scene transitions ○ Add visual interest: add variety and visual interest to the video ○ Build mood and tone: help build mood and tone Framing the interview ○ Common practice is for the interviewee to talk to the interviewee to talk to the interviewer who is standing next to the camera Do interviews in quiet places If you are shooting a noisy scene, then overlay interviewee’s voice as a voiceover  Use royalty- free music to fill in scenes without narration Closing the video ○ Video stories should have a beginning and an end ○ Thematic unity – answer the questions you raised at the beginning. Don’t leave the viewer hanging readings :( Insights from the readings: Brooks - Chapter 1 - The Nature of News Purpose of Journalism: ○ to provide people the information they need to be free and self-governing 10 principles that define journalism ○ Journalism’s first obligation is to tell the truth ○ First loyalty is to citizens ○ Its essence is a discipline of verification ○ Its practitioners must maintain independence from those they cover ○ Journalism must serve as an independent monitor of power ○ It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise ○ It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant ○ Must keep the news comprehensive and proportional ○ Practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience ○ Citizens have rights and responsibilities when it comes to the news Those who get their news online rate the major information sources (Facebook, Google) even lower than traditional media – traditional media is more credible ○ Might be because online media is ad-revenue based so they might just want to generate profits through shares and clicks Kinds of stories ○ Hard news: straightforward reporting of a news event Delivered clearly and simply ○ Explanatory journalism Like an analysis, which is intended to explain what the hard news means to those who read, watch or listen to it ○ Soft news/features: about people public conversation that introduces or helps us understand the people who are part of the news ○ Commentary/opinion: Opinions from all sides, and those opinions should not be confused with either hard or soft news Elements of a good news story (summarised) ○ Relevance ○ Usefulness ○ Interest ○ Engagement (for social media) ○ Solutions Convergence: ○ describes efforts to use the different strengths of different media to reach broader audiences and tell the world’s stories in new ways Crowdsourcing – citizen journalists  ○ Members of the public are being invited to respond to stories that are published or broadcast ○ Citizens enlisted as amateur reporters Accuracy – the most important characteristic of any story ○ Every name, quote, set of numbers are all correct Fairness – requires asking yourself if you have done enough to uncover all the relevant facts and have delivered those facts in an impartial manner, without favouring one side or another in a story Primary goal of a news story is to inform Brooks - Chapter 3 - Gathering and Verifying Info Good writing depends on good reporting To be thorough, it is best to engage in ○ Discipline of multiple sources – finding and analysing multiple sources ○ Discipline of verification – verify the information they obtain from these sources Micro Editing vs macro editing ○ Micro editing: process of paying attention to detail Are the facts correct Are the names spelled correctly Is the grammar sound ○ Macro editing: looking at the bigger picture Will readers understand this Are there any ambiguities Are there unanswered questions or inconsistencies in the story Does this agree with what i know from previous stories on the subject Brooks - Chapter 4 – Interviewing Seeing that you’re a real person somehow establishes a baseline of trust Least desirable interviews: email interviews ○ Does not allow rapport to be established ○ Dry, over polished and uninformative answers to questions ○ No opportunity to ask follow-up questions immediately unlike face interviews Interviews are best used to solicit reactions and interpretations, not to gather facts Offer to show the sources relevant portions of your manuscript as an accuracy check ○ Just verifies the script, not giving the source an option of choosing what goes in and what stays out of the story For audio and video interviews: ○ Goal is the sound bite: the few seconds of words (can be with accompanying video) that convey both information and emotion  Open-ended questions: ○ Allows the respondent some flexibility ○ Open-ended questions do not sound as personal and as threatening, which will allow the source to reveal more than he or she releases or intends to Close-ended questions ○ Useful to pin down details and get the responded to be specific How to maintain accuracy during interviews ○ Know the background of your sources ○ Have a comfortable relationship with them ○ Keep good notes Brooks - Chapter 5 - Quotations and Attributions Direct quotes ○ Exact words that a source says or writes ○ Puts readers in touch with the speaker in your story ○ Provides the story with a change of pace, a breath of fresh air ○ Makes the story clear, credible, immediate and dramatic ○ When to use it When someone says something unique When someone says something uniquely When someone important says something important Indirect quotes ○ Paraphrasing of quotes Partial quotes ○ Not very advised as it often makes for choppy, interrupted sentences ○ Do not put quotation marks around something the speaker could not have said ○ Often contain an ellipsis Attribution ○ Giving credit to the source who gave you the information ○ Instances where it is not needed It is a matter of public record It is generally known It is available from several sources It is easily verifiable It makes no assumptions It contains no opinions It is noncontroversial Use good judgement in selecting quotes and don’t use direct quotes for straight facts Avoid quotes that provide statistics Generally, reporters quote public officials or known personalities in their news stories because prominence is an important property of news ○ Quoting sources whom readers are likely to know lends authority, credibility and interest tot the story  Never alter quotations even to correct minor grammatical errors or word usage It is ok to use the word “said” instead of always trying to find other synonyms or flowery language ○ When quoting from written sources, can use the word “states”or “stated” Brooks - Chapter 8 - The Inverted Pyramid Used to save time for business people: getting straight to the point Capture the attention of news editors (for PR) In-house and client communication (strategic communication) Information is arranged from most important to least important Inverted pyramid ○ Requires the writer to rank the importance of information ○ Puts the most important information first ○ Arranges the paragraphs in descending order of importance How to decide on the lead: ask “so what” and “who cares” ○ So what – answered from the 5W1H When writing the lead: ○ Always check names ○ Keep the lead to fewer than 25 words ○ Attribute opinion ○ Find out the 5w1h ○ Tell readers what the news means to them ○ Gather basic information even if its routine ○ Variations Can use the word “you” for more personal touch Immediate identification Delayed identification Provide a summary Can choose multiple elements if one theme is too restrictive (but not recommended) Red flags to leads: ○ Question leads – especially because readers don’t know the subject ○ Leads that say what might happen or what might have happened – don’t speculate but talk to the reader ○ Leads that overreach – report what you know instead of generalising Scanlan – Reporting and Writing – Chapter 5 – Story Form Best stories create their own shape: writers consider their material, determine what they want the story to say and then decide on the best way to say it Narrative: ○ Classic story form, featuring a beginning, middle, end, characters, theme, plot, climax and resolution Serial narrative: ○ Narrative broken up into segments that unfolds in instalments Inverted Pyramid – From the top down ○ Puts the most newsworthy information at the top and then the remaining information follows in order of importance, with the least important at the bottom ○ Remember that many readers are impatient and want stories to get to the point immediately The Hourglass method ○ Combining narrative elements that contained the power of storytelling with the inverted pyramid ○ Take advantage of the narrative and spurs the writers to new levels of reporting ○ The top: Delivers the news in a summary lead followed by 3-4 paragraphs that answers the reader’s most pressing questions Top gives the most basic news, enough to satisfy a time-pressed reader ○ The turn Signal the reader that a narrative, usually chronological, is beginning Normally known as a transitional phase that contains attribution for the narrative that follows – “according to the police”/ “eyewitnesses described the event this way” ○ The narrative Bottom allows the writer to tell a chronological narrative complete with detail, dialogue and background information The Nut Graf: giving readers a reason to care ○ Includes anecdotal leads that hook the reader, followed by alternating sections that amplify the story’s analysis and provide balance with evidence that presents a counter thesis ○ Tells the reader what the writer is up to: delivers a promise of the story’s content and message ○ Just about a single paragraph long ○ Purpose of the nutgraf Justifies the story by telling readers why they should care Provides a transition from the lead and explains the lead and its connection to the rest of the story Often tells readers why the story is timely Includes supporting material that helps readers see why the story is important ○ To enhance rather than crush the story:  Never give away the ending of the story Anticipate the questions that readers might be asking early in a story and address them Give readers a concrete reason or reasons to move on Five boxes story ○ Lead First box contains the lead, the image, the detail that draws the reader into the story Can be a single paragraph or several ○ Nut-graf A paragraph (or paragraphs) that sums up the story and provides the reader with context and background ○ Retelling Almost like a second lead, based on a new scene, detail or strong image which allows the writer to begin retelling the story that began in the lead and draws the reader into the bulk of the story The length can vary ○ BBI (Boring but Important) Contains less compelling material, such as quotes from experts or data bolstering the main theme Rounds out the story and provides balance ○ Kicker Story ends with a quote, image or comment Cappon – Chapter 1 and 2 Always use simple language instead of flowery language Questions to ask yourself before letting go of the story ○ Have I said what I meant to say? ○ Have I put it as concisely as possible? ○ Have I put things as simply as possible? Make jargon intelligible to readers, not repeat it Strong writing relies on nouns and verbs instead of adjectives; use adjectives to make your meaning clear, not as decorative afterthoughts Always try to use active voice Tips ○ Prefer the short word to the long ○ Prefer the familiar word to the fancy ○ Prefer the specific word to the abstract ○ Use no more words than necessary to make your meaning clear Try not to keep using pronouns unless you are using them instead of using synonyms for words In structure and sentence, simplify and avoid clutter Cappon – Chapter 3 - Leads the Agony of Square One A good lead makes a clear statement of the essential news point and when possible includes a detail that distinguishes the story from others of its kind Decide what the most important news is first; people read the news to get answers, not more questions You can avoid mumblers by being specific and concrete, giving the reader a picture – a clever phrase, a touch of humour and an ironic contrast Ask yourself what is different about each story ○ Much of the news is repetitive: war, crime, disaster BUT news is meant to reveal the unusual ○ Stress on those angles that are least like those about similar events or issues ○ The more action your lead conveys, the better; strong verbs are important Quotes are a requirement, but if you can say it better as a paraphrase, the quotes probably are not that strong When you back up your lead with repetitive quotes, your entire story weakens For leads, start with the action because that is the fact rather than the analysis Try to give a short introductory phrase – ask yourself: does the phrase help what follows or does it just get in the way? Start the lead with the source, notably when the statement or action derives all its significance from the speaker or doer Direction: lean, uncluttered sentence, towards the news itself rather than by play, towards logical order of thought, toward concrete and specific language Cappon – Chapter 9 – Dip your brush in the small details For colour, reporters cannot rely on phrases and fancy - or ready-made – figures of speech. They must rely on the hard particulars Part of writing is knowing when the colour details don’t fit When colour works ○ Story that deals with a story about controversy ○ When every detail has a purpose in setting the scene in a story DeGregory – Chapter 11 – Ignore Important People What to do when your subject shuts down: ○ Find someone else. Another person with a stake in what’s going on You don’t always have to identify people by name ○ When trying to paint a broad-brush view of a scene, it is okay to scan a crows and describe individuals by what they are wearing, where they came from or who they say they are The best question to carry any narrative is “why” Use more verbs and action words to make your story Edson – Grammar Refresher Slides Noun: names a person, place, thing, event, substance or quality ○ Countable ○ Uncountable Adjectives: describing words ○ Describe nouns Verbs: action words Dangling modifiers ○ Word or phrase that modifies a word not clearly stated in the sentence ○ Modifier describes, clarifies or gives more detail about a concept Krueger – 9 tips for writing stronger headlines – Poynter Tips to write headlines ○ Be specific, not vague Draw readers in because your headline is compelling It is great to invoke curiosity, but do not mislead or overpromise as accuracy and credibility count every time with every story ○ Start simple Think about subject and verb Think about who and what  ○ Explore the 5W1H Ask yourself what are the primary questions addressed by a story If a profile or a person – that is a ‘who’ story Breaking news – ‘what’ story ○ Go beyond puns For wordplay to work, it needs to communicate the story’s point and tone and it should work on both the literal and figurative levels ○ Take the mental picture Think about what picture comes to mind as you read the story ○ Change your perspective Tune in to your targeted audience Instead of writing the headline from an agency’s perspective, write it from the affected person’s perspective ○ Get emotional ○ Use strong words Identify words and phrases that best describe your topic Look for single words that do the work of two, or use phrases ○ Value the verb Use fresh verbs Krueger – 10 questions for your headline writing checklist – Poynter Is it accurate ○ Really take note of each word and make sure that it is accurate Does it undersell the story ○ While the headlines might be accurate, it might not make the story’s point strong enough ○ The headline should be as strong as the content allow Does it oversell the story ○ You want it to be strong, but you cannot cheat the feelings of the reader Does it make the right point ○ Does it address the crux of the issue Is it easily understandable ○ Or do you have to read it 2-3 times Does its tone match the story’s tone ○ The headline should be in tune with the story Does it match the overall personality of your site and organisation ○ Who is your target audience Does it follow your organisation’s style Is the most interesting part of the headline at the beginning or end ○ Try to put your best phrase up front Does it use good, interesting, efficient language ○ Or is it vague and boring Based on the headline you have crafted, do you think YOU will read the story Dobbs – Chapter 1 – The Right Words and the Right Stuff Don’t use words your audience wouldn’t use in normal conversation ○ Don’t use words they may not be able to envision ○ Don’t use words they won’t easily understand ○ Don’t use words that sound judgemental Use short, simple, unambiguous, descriptive, active, fair, everyday English Besides being a communicator, think of yourself as a translator Make sure you don’t use phrases or words that you don’t understand ○ Even if you understand them, make sure that you and your information source aren’t the only ones who do Remember that you are not writing for an audience so that you can show off ○ You’re writing so you can show them elements of a story in language that they will understand Whenever possible, the present tense is better than the past tense Whenever possible, active voice is better than passive voice Whenever possible, a descriptive word is better than a dull word Strunk and White – Chapter 2 – Elementary Principles of Composition Choose a suitable design and hold to it ○ Writing must follow the thoughts of the writer, but not necessarily in the order in which those thoughts occur Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic ○ NOTE: single sentences should not be written or printed as paragraphs ○ Exception: sentences of transition, indicating the relation between the parts of an exposition or an argument Use the active voice Put statements in positive form ○ Make definite assertions ○ Avoid tame, colourless, hesitating, noncommittal language Use definite, specific, concrete language Omit needless words Avoid a succession of loose sentences Express coordinate ideas in similar form Keep related words together ○ The position of the words in a sentence is the principal means of showing their relationship Keep to one tense – always try to use present tense Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end Blundell – Chapter 5 – Organisation Before writing a story: ○ Have the lead: intrigue the reader and give them a reason for going on with your story instead of doing something else ○ Don’t give windy explanations, no details – just what is going on ○ Prove what you just said, prove your logic and evidence ○ Make it clear, make it forceful and put an ending on it that will nail it into my memory Put aside material that is irrelevant and weakly repetitive Give a final refinement to the main theme statement (the most important part of your story plan) and keep it simple, brief and centred only on the main aspects of the story ○ Emphasise action elements if they are strongly present and omit details and explanations For narrative lines: ○ Use block progression line – group material together and establish themes Then, develop them (index your material then expand) Let what you have already written suggest what you write next Try to isolate material from one source in one place Block progression works best when there is no single character overshadowing the story and when it depends on multiple elements addressing move, impact and countermove – story action ○ Use time line Use simple chronological sequence Digress often, but DO NOT digress for long A time line imposes natural order on a story but keep in mind that it imprisons the writer ○ Use theme line This form delivers specific messages – play the most dramatic elements first regardless of when they happened. Then, you can weave the facts together, if they are related or you can separate them and deal with them separately Hart – Storycraft Chapter 5– Ethics Be honest and keep everything transparent Avoid the ambiguities of memory and imagination Ask yourself: ○ Am i using diverse, representative sources or am I trying to make a case by casting ○ How do my sources know what they know ○ Do my sources have conflict of interest Always be truthful Zinsser – Part 1 – Principles Strip every sentence to its cleanest components Always ask yourself: What am I trying to say? Who am I writing for? Simplify your sentences Never say anything that you wouldn’t comfortably say in conversation Writing is learned by imitation Balji – The Toh Chin Chye Affair Context: The New Paper was the offspring of the government’s desire for a newspaper that would meet one of its political objectives: to speak the language of blue-collared workers (aka those who could not comprehend the straits times due to its language and content) Issue at hand: journalist yan chong did not check properly before publishing a piece of news he believed to be an exclusive of toh chin chye knocking someone down despite there being many flaws in the story ○ He also only got his interviews from one source Lessons learnt in journalism: ○ To always be sure ○ Do not cite an unnamed source as it provides vagueness and some might suspect that the source does not exist ○ Every single uncertainty can lead to a downfall and destruction of more than one’s life Ricketson – Chapter 3 – The variety of feature stories Event and issue based features ○ Colour story Purpose: provide the atmosphere or “feel” of an event Hard news: about information Colour: emotion Scope may be limited and it does not aim to provide a comprehensive picture of an issue/event but it is very heavily dependent on the journalist’s ability to observe and describe First type: adjunct to a news story Does not repeat anymore news information than is necessary for the story Aim is to answer the question: what was it like to be there? Observe the event closely: describe how people look, what they are wearing, byplay between participants and dialogue If space is tight, colour story will be dropped and news story will run instead Second type: contains no news Published purely on the strength of the atmosphere described ○ News feature  Begins with the news of the day and then develops it, either by uncovering its meaning or examining its implications ○ General feature Not typically driven by the daily news agenda Investigation of (social) phenomenons, and is a story that will take time to research Story can be run as soon as it is finished, or the editor can wait until there is a further news development News features win the right to be published through their connection the news, while general features must have intrinsic interests ○ Backgrounder Variation of news features – recognises that some news events and issues need to be explained to readers because they are complicated Their significance may be linked to past events, or their context is unknown by most readers Aims to make the complicated simple ○ Investigative feature Places as much weight on news as on storytelling Must contain revelations Some investigations have an obvious target and achieve a concrete result ○ Lifestyle features Most common kinds of features and the best place to break into the industry for those starting out Provides entertaining information about life and how to live it more comfortably or more sensibly Subject matters can range from the light and frothy to critical household issues 3 main types of lifestyle features: list, issue, idea List based features: focus on the reader as a consumer, and could also be included as a kind of listicle Issue based: pick up a matter in the news and presents in an unthreatening way Idea-driven: familiar and unthreatening to readers ○ Listicle Collection of short summaries under numbered subheadings, sometimes presented alongside images, gifs and videos Pros: as people think in lists, it is an accessible way to convey information that makes it both palatable and memorable Listicle should share many of the elements of a good feature article more generally Should have a clever idea Good headline Captivating introduction Be appealing to its audience Be “tight” and pared back to its strongest elements  Three types of listicles every journo should be able to write The basic list ○ Groups items under one category ○ Least complex and also least effective ○ Will not grab readers with the concept or the research so you will have to work harder to make every item in the list entertaining or enlightening The definitive list ○ Most useful form of infographic and is also the most time-consuming to produce ○ Usually identifies the qualities at the extreme of the phenomena: the best/worst, cheapest/most expensive etc ○ Must use experience, expertise or research to sift through the noise and provide clear, powerful information in a user-friendly framework The concept list ○ Letting the concept be the thing that makes your list memorable ○ Depth doesn’t come from the research bur rather the insight, originality and creativity Top 5 tips for writing listicles Getting the concept right ○ Workshop and polish a solid concept Cut the fat ○ Nobody wants to read so many lists – cut your list back to only the great ideas Use emotions ○ People generally turn to listicles for easy and entertaining information ○ Humour plays well here but there is a place for sentimentality, empathy and fear ○ Use visuals Be novel ○ Avoid cliches and formulas Write for your friends ○ Listicle’s life span is directly linked to how shareable it is so keep the writing casual, friendly and engaging People stories ○ Interview pieces Often confined to an interview with a celebrity Piece is not developed beyond that Pros: can read subject’s own words Cons: form’s laziness – few people are endlessly quotable ○ Profile  Distinguishes itself from the interview piece by providing a range of perspectives on the subject Profile writer will also require sound judgement of people, meaning that profiles tend to be done by more experienced journalists Note that not all profiles spring from a person’s achievements or notoriety Some aim to portray a particular job or group of people ○ Human- interest story Normally about emotions, information is secondary First type of human-interest story: clusters around dramatic events Second type: features less dramatic events but similarly affecting material Personal Narratives ○ Columns A good columnist brings knowledge, wit and personality to their publication 4 types of columns Service and advice columns written by well-known experts Pundit: learned and skilled – used to express views freely and forcibly; readers want to know their opinion on an issue ○ Good pundits have strong following s and apply broad general knowledge and experience to the issues of the day Personal columnist: may comment on the news of the day but more likely will regale you with the latest news – probably more like reviews ○ They have loyal readerships Specialists called on to write about a particular issues ○ Analogous to news features ○ Prompted by a news event: they add expert knowledge and comment ○ They always have something to say and always learning more things about that field ○ Blogs Work is supplementary to their journalistic work and is often more conversational and personal with opportunities to inject humour and wit For standalone blogs, the format is more personal than even the column and its scope is wider As well as being a feature writing format, a series of blog posts on a platform amounts to a publication in its own right, so writers must take care to craft a clear and consistent identity Personal blogs – similar to columns More incomplete, less structured, more open and more confessional than a column Have a niche element to them, but are primarily about the life and times of the writer Can be considered as influential Commentary blogs  While they may provide a personal perspective, they are framed around news, events and issues Challenge blogs Extended approach to writing about life, culture or a social issue Niche blogs Combine personal disclosure and commentary with a small, clearly, defined area of expertise Rationale: if you can make your subject matter specific enough, you will essentially become the reigning authority on that topic online (however narrow it is) ○ Reviews Reviews are fraught with uncomfortable ethical considerations ○ Travel stories Provides consumer information about travel destinations: where to go, how much will it cost, or providing reads about exotic locations along with photos However, keep in mind: balancing access to the travel destinations with editorial independence Ricketson – Chapter 10 – Leads, closes and that big lump in the middle A good lead should have: ○ Relevance to the feature’s theme Pick something attention grabbing that illustrates the theme of the feature ○ Simplicity ○ Deliver what you promise Don’t cheat the feelings of the reader Five main types of feature leads ○ Summary lead Capturing a key element of the story in one enticing paragraph ○ Suspense lead Playing with the reader’s expectations and withholding information ○ Descriptive lead Describing a scene Easier to describe action as it unfolds ○ Anecdotal lead Tells a mini story May contain some description ○ Surprise lead Teaser: surprising the reader at the end of the lead with a shocking news Shocker: some of them are deliberately confronting Organising the big lump in the middle: body of the story ○ Relationship the average feature should develop with the reader: friendly and helpful  Contrast with columnist that posits statements on the readers or bloggers who guide readers through hand-held ○ Keep related material together ○ Let what you have already written suggest what you write next ○ Try to isolate material from source in one place ○ Digress often, but do not digress for long Endings ○ If you have a strong anecdote, put it in the lead rather than the close ○ 4 main types of endings Rounding up and rounding off Summarise and restate the feature’s theme May need a line, preferably witty, to round off the piece Circling back Return to the idea or scene in the feature’s lead to unify the piece Looking ahead Cast your gaze forward Spreading out Broaden the focus and look at a new terrain Bernard – Chapter 5 – Time on Screen Storytelling Can be told in chronological order or reverse chronological order Must transcend through time and space You may not distort or falsify chronology Shots can be arranged as per your liking but you still need to be truthful about the order of events Editing an interview: to focus information and to shorten the time it takes to convey that information Do not manipulate shots to make it look like lies Wilhem York – Chapter 21 – Script Writing Scripts are used to gauge the length of a movie where each page of a script averages out to one minute of screen time Reasons for scripts ○ Helps to formulate ideas Writing process helps to get your thoughts down and organise them, looking at the relationship between shots and ideas Helps to see the bigger picture and create a better arc to the story ○ Helps to prevent accidents Ensures that there are no unexpected props or camera angles ○ Shows that you are serious  Ensures that the client takes you seriously and spends time and attention on the production needs ○ Helps communication and streamline revision Easier for clients to comment on specifics and to shape your production long before you get to the set Client can get a concrete handle on your ideas and the way you want to present them ○ Helps multiple people work on a project easier and better Bernard – Chapter 11 – Shooting Shooting with the story in mind means being prepared to get all the visuals you need to tell the story you want to tell ○ Prepared for those surprises that are likely to make a good documentary even better ○ Always shoot with the story in mind so you can recognise and take advantage of those moments you couldn’t anticipate beforehand Always think about the narrative spine, the structure, how the scene get distilled – this way the themes can emerge Shoot with the editing in mind ○ Think if shooting your documentary in the way you would shoot a dramatic feature – make sure that there are enough shots to create visual scenes that give context and other story information ○ Establish the time, place and people, looking for visuals that might let you cut back on verbal information Positioning the camera close to the interview subject (within 5 feet or so) ○ If the person moves, they change size in the frame which makes it more 3d whereas if on a long lens, they’re plastered against the background ○ This also puts the interviewer in comfortable range of the questioner Interview styles ○ Need to have an energy and immediacy about them, as well as credibility ○ People often shape stories after the fact, especially if they’ve told them before, and it creates a kind of distance between the storyteller and the story which is sometimes desired but not always Bernard – Chapter 12 – Editing Story and structure do not truly come together until the editor begins to assemble and pare down filmed material Look for moments that truly affect you in some way, whether emotionally or intellectually  Look for scenes and sequences that can play on their own, interview bites that seem strong and clear and material that has potential to reveal themes and issues that you want to raise with special moments you hope the audience will discuss Focus on scenes that the meaning and the emphasis in your film’s narrative is clear Note that choosing some details from a person’s life as a means of focusing a story is NOT the same thing as selectively leaving out information you don’t want the audience to know – will ultimately be found out and this weakens your film and credibility Fine cut to picture lock: reread transcripts to see if the changes you have made to the structure are better served by interview bites you didn’t pull because you were looking at a very different film back then Primary question to ask: “what do i think the story is about at this point?” Note that resolution does not mean things are resolved; it means that you’ve reached a conclusion that satisfies the questions and issues initially raised in your film’s opening moments A mark of a good storyteller is the ability to look with fresh eyes – the audience’s eyes – at material each time a new cut is available and to honestly assess its weaknesses Murray from the Guardian – How to write an effective press release Make sure your story is newsworthy ○ Is there anything “new” in my story ○ Is there anything unusual or unexpected about it ○ Would this be of interest to anyone outside my business ○ Will anyone actually care Write killer headlines ○ Make it easy to understand as journalists will just spend a few seconds deciding whether something looks interesting ○ Label emails containing press releases with the phrase “press release” or “story idea” with a good subject line Get your top line in the first line of your press release ○ Your first line should be a summary of the story and read like the opening of a news story ○ Imagine your story being featured on radio: how do you want it to sound? Be concise ○ Ideal length is about 300-400 words – 3 to 4 short paragraphs and a couple of quotes ○ Do not be tempted to include background information about your company in the opening paragraph – it can always be included in the “notes to editors” section ○ Subheadings and bullet points can be useful to make information easy to digest, particularly if you are including figures or statistics Use quotes to provide insights, not information ○ Should not be full of jargon or technical language Good idea to include a short outline of your idea (no more than a paragraph) and where you think it might fit in the publication you are pitching it to Brooks – Chapter 18 – Public Relations Steps for press releases ○ Name of organisation that put out the release ○ Contact person’s name ○ Title ○ Phone number ○ Email address Key terms ○ Deliberate: the activity is intentional, designed to influence, gain understanding, provide feedback and obtain feedback ○ Planned: Organised and systematic, requiring research and analysis ○ Performance: Based on actual policies ○ Public interest: Mutually beneficial to the organisation and to the public ○ Two-way communication: Equally important to solicit feedback ○ Management function: An integral part of decision making by the top management Public relations writer ○ Persuades the audience to accept a particular position ○ Typically works for an organisation or for a client other than a news operation, serving as an advocate ○ Should not lie or distort, but they might play down certain facts and emphasise others Main focus of PR writing ○ The message Message must first know what you want to accomplish, even if your purpose is just to inform Most likely focuses on a product, program or the organisation itself ○ The audience Know the target audience, their attitudes and what they do ○ The media Think in terms of campaigns and strategies Choose the media that best delivers the message Avoid overused words ○ Announcement ○ Award-winning ○ Cutting-edge ○ Exciting ○ Exclusive ○ Groundbreaking  ○ Innovative ○ Proactive ○ Revolutionary ○ Unprecedented Use persuasive writing ○ Attitude Believe that people are essentially good Appeal to their basic goodness and fairness Believe that people are intelligent and can learn Do not talk down to them Do not assume that you can trick or fool them But also do not assume that they know the subject matter as well as you do People can be changed, and you can gain their attention and acceptance Can use effective and ethical strategies to increase awareness of the product, service and idea to shape attitudes and encourage certain types of actions First develop a clear objective regarding what you want to achieve Then work backwards, thinking about what objections you need to overcome, what questions need to be answered and what you need to do to make the reader believe you Be a good listener and use words and phrases that are familiar to audiences and address their concerns See things from the audience’s perspective Build credibility and trust To get your message to your intended audience ○ Know what news is and how to write it Follow the style that journalists have AP style (generally) ○ Know the structure and operations of newsrooms Learn the deadlines of the media in your area and respect them ○ Know the people in the news media and the jobs they hold Don’t send your pitch to the wrong person ○ Know the style of writing that fits the medium Do not just send every type of media the same release because it may differ for different media styles ○ Know how to distribute information online Establish your own credible, up to date interactive website Be thoroughly familiar with websites where you can publish your releases online and keep up with what is happening in public relations Become an expert at using digital media to get across your organisation’s messages Digital news releases ○ Write a short, concise headline ○ Answer the 5 W's in the first paragraph ○ List the core news facts in bullet points ○ Add approved quotes ○ Write the rest in narrative form, using relevant keywords so that journalists and others can find the release through search engines or social sites ○ Add links to research, facts, statistics, trends ○ Include an original, high-quality image that tells the story ○ Provide the source URL for the image so that bloggers and journalists can use it easily and quickly ○ Add more images, icons and a short video with charts and infographics ○ Provide an embed code so that it can be easily republished ○ Add the “about us” boilerplate and contact person ○ Made the release available in an RSS news feed ○ Add sharing buttons so that the release can be shared through social networking sites current affairs :/ August: 32 cyclists were fined for flouting group size rules over two Sundays in Singapore ○ Groups must be no more than 5 cyclists if they are riding in single file ○ 10 cyclists if riding two side-by-side on roads with two or more lanes Japan warns that the risk of a “megaquake” has increased, after Thursday’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake ○ Prompted thousands of hotel cancellations in high-risk areas Team Singapore’s olympians are setting of on their bus parade Hong Kong director and action choreographer Corey Yuen was revealed to have died in 2022 from Covid-19 Toxic substances found in Shein and Temu products – sometimes amounts many times above acceptable levels, according to the latest round of inspections by Seoul authorities ○ Formaldehyde was found in Shein’s caps at double the permissible limit After a night of drinking to celebrate the last day of reservist training, a man drive his uncle’s Mercedes and ended up falling asleep and mounting a kerb near Sixth Avenue MRT station ○ He was given a jail, a fine and a drinking ban Thailand’s constitutional court has removed Srettha Thavisin as prime minister after less than a year in office for breaching ethical rules over a Cabinet appointment 40 NUS students will be paid to lead guided tours and educate tourists on visitor guidelines and etiquettes ○ This comes after complaints online about badly behaved tourists who crowd out students on shuttle buses, the library and the food courts Bicycles and PMDs will be banned from pedestrian-only footpaths from 1st July 2025 Yew Tee CC deputy constituency director helped himself to more than $12 000 from National Day ticket sales to feed his online gambling addiction  HDB lease buyback scheme: 12 600 homeowners sell part of their flat leases back to HDB since 2009, gets 100 000-300 000 back in return Billion-dollar money laundering case: 3 more people will be charged ○ 2 former bank relationship managers whose clients included convicted criminals Su Baolin, Vang Shuiming and Lin Baoying ○ The former personal driver of Su Binghai who is still at large Mpox: declared a global public health emergency ○ Outbreak of the viral infection in Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries Wally Amos, creator of Famous Amos cookies, has died at the age of 88 Chateraise’s 90 year old founder Hiroshi Saito has died Billion-dollar money laundering case: former bank employees, driver charged with helping culprits ○ Two former bank relationship managers and a driver were charged with helping some of the money launderers in the billion-dollar case in Singapore ○ Identified as Wang Qiming, Liu Kai (former bank employee) and Liew Yik Kit (personal driver) “Magic Carpet” ride in China ○ Location: Guangxi tourist spot ○ 1 person dead, 60 people injured Heat related deaths ○ 21 died in South Korea, Seoul ○ North Korea has issued a warning over fierce heat with temperatures up to 37 degrees Cat themed purrsa malam coming to Geylang Serai on Aug 17-18 Former teacher was jailed for possessing child porn and for obstructing justice ○ He admitted to watching videos in chat groups involving babies ○ Refused to provide the police with the passwords to his devices (phone, macbook)  Construction firms feeling the effects of Bangladesh’s recent unrest ○ More workers are asking to return home to be with their families ○ Companies are facing difficulty in recruiting new staff 7 year old girl has died after being hit by a school bus ○ Location: Topiary condominium in Sengkang Japan has lifted the megaquake warning ○ But also cautions that the “possibility of a major earthquake has not been eliminated” BTS Jungkook – releasing his first solo documentary titled Jungkook: I Am Still on Sep 18 CNA explains: Mpox ○ WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency – second such declaration in 2 years ○ Virus that causes mpox: transmitted from human to human through large respiratory droplets or body fluids ○ No vaccines are available yet Stage 0 breast cancer ○ DCIS = stage 0 breast cancer, accounts for 25-30% of breast cancer in all Singapore women ○ Disease tends to be asymptomatic and the best way to detect it is through a mammogram ○ Mainstay treatment is surgery to remove the tumour, followed by radiation Typhoon Ampil (Japan) – 6 Singapore Airlines flights going between Singapore and Japan were retimed in view of adverse weather conditions UN human rights chief called the 40 000 Palestinians reported killed in Israel’s 10 month a