Ch. 8 - Revving Up Your Writing
Ch. 9 - The Last Minute(s)
non-linear and interactive
means the reader is in charge (self-guided)
what tools can the online journalist use to help the reader interact with the story/stories?
1. active vs. passive voice
the subject performs the action rather than having the action performed on them
creates energy
usually uses fewer words
watch your verbs!
exercise 2 a-e
2. pacing
balancing "long" and short sentences
run-on vs. choppy
a key - read the story aloud
(the verbal reading may help with informality as well)
3. Transitions
shifting to the next idea
a new paragraph?
connecting what's next with what came before
(seamlessness)
dialogue - a way of alternating quotes (from different speakers)
4. Story Structures
inverted pyramid the norm
chronological
for features - telling a story or sidebars
for hard news - when the chain of events is critical
subject heading links
for when a story contains more than one topic
for when the reader may want related info before continuing on
can be placed outside or inside the story
if outside, usually above (a preview)
if inside, usually within the first paragraph
Deadlines
"rolling"
stories can be updated at any time
may only update part of a story
how important is it to update vs. having journalists work on new stories?
what are your audiences expectations?
should a story be updated or should a follow-up be written?
a key - if a follow-up, a summary lead helps the reader get up to speed
(can't assume the reader read the original story
After the story is written (and before when possible)
be thinking about audio, video, related stories etc.
links:
embedded?
at the end?
links to outside sites?
to archived stories?