Writing for different media...

Newspapers

–generally more in–depth than broadcast pieces

–all questions should be answered

–inverted–pyramid style (most important information comes first)

–stories need visuals (photos, graphics and or tables)

Radio

–write for the listener's ear, rather than the reader's eye

–sentences are crisp and short

–news stories can generally last from 15 to 90 seconds

–the script will contain less information than a print story

–record natural wild sound (running buses, planes taking off, conference chatter)

–interviews should be conducted in relatively quiet areas because loud background noise can make your edited piece sound choppy

Television

–try to coordinate the words with the pictures (don't force it!)

–like radio, sentences are crisp and short

–news stories generally run from 30 seconds to three minutes

–you have to factor 1 or 2 seconds of silence between each shot so the viewer can absorb the images on the screen

–take wide–angle shots, cut away shots, pan the scene (from different angles)

–close–up shots for interviews

On–line journals

–generally should be up to 500 words per page

-keep in mind that you can link to other sites, sidebars

-stories do not have to be as linear as in other media

 

Points of a story:

*News Stories:

-general to specific detail; most important to least important (inverted triangle)

-stories may be cut if the paper is short on space, so if important details are left to the end they may get cut off

-Who, what, where, when, why and how must be in every story, but the order in which they appear may vary depending on angle and their relative importance

-who is always essential because human interest is what keeps people interested in stories and reading papers

*Magazines:

-different format: Intro. to issue--Report on issue--return to issue in conclusion

-It's a good idea to focus on a person and their story then move to the issue or the institution and then return back to the person that you started the story with

-Features are more like telling a story and they have a strong theme, transitions and a definite conclusion

*Review:

-Start with introducing what you're reviewing and any pertinent background

-when you give an opinion there should be some sort of proof/back up/example for it

-editorials are the only place for personal opinion