Write an advance news story

Transcription

1 Basic Public Affairs Specialist Course Write an advance news story The military can spend millions on events to help boost morale and involve the community, but it won t help anything if no one attends. The advance story is critical in notifying the public of the event ahead of time and increasing participation. It has the widest target audience of all the news stories, and you will be the one who most likely writes that story. Photo courtesy of Defense Imagery Purpose Basic Structure Quotes and Attribution The Defense Information School, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 1

2 Purpose The advance story, whether it s internal or external, publicizes an upcoming event such as an open house, concert, comedy show, air show, seminar or luncheon. Readers and local media are always interested in major events on your installation. These events are usually open to the public, and media usually are invited to cover them. Small events, such as seminars or luncheons, are generally not large enough to provide more information than what will fit in small three- to four-paragraph news briefs. Large events, such as open houses, cultural awareness events, community fairs or celebrity performances, will require a full, detailed story. Ultimately, the writer is responsible for providing clear, accurate information to readers about the event. In these types of stories, some writers may be tempted to gush and write with exaggerated enthusiasm, but this should be avoided. Example of gushing: The fair will offer bigger and better attractions than ever before. Or, The event will provide fun and surprises for everyone who attends. 2 The Center of Excellence for Visual Information and Public Affairs

3 Basic Structure When constructing an advance story, you must develop strong local angles, noting events or items that will be of particular interest. The inverted pyramid structure is typically appropriate for the advance story. Consider the elements of mass appeal when you are formulating your lead. Emphasize the magnitude of the story or stress the unusual, depending on the topic. The lead will generate interest by stating the most notable parts of the event first. Avoid a Come one, come all approach and don t use opinionated words like spectacular or tremendous without attribution. Journalists must be accurate and impartial above all else, and such terms are distinctly based on an individual s point of view. y The lead should contain the most important W s -- specifically the who, what, when and where of the news peg. A free, public open house is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday on the parade field across from the post headquarters building. Country music singer Wynonna Judd is scheduled to perform a free, public show at 7 p.m. Friday at the post pavilion. y If the event is open to the public, that information is typically of great importance to your external audience. If the event is free and open to the public, the lead can begin with the words, A free, public is scheduled If a celebrity or other well-known person is making an appearance, that may also be considered for the lead emphasis. y Be specific and concise, especially when describing what is happening, where on post it is taking place, when it will happen and who will participate. Make sure to have the time and the date included in the lead if possible. Country music singer Wynonna Judd is scheduled to perform a free, public show at 7 p.m. Friday at the post pavilion. Judd s performance is part of a national United Service Organizations tour, which began in May. y Indicate in the lead the event is planned or scheduled. Avoid making positive statements in the lead, like will be, because the event may be canceled. However, once this is made clear, use the definitive term throughout the rest of the story. The bridge should conform to the guidelines in WAITS. You may choose to highlight another important W, provide attribution, include identification, tie-back to a previous story or include significant secondary facts. Remember, the bridge Photo courtesy of Defense Imagery The Defense Information School, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 3

4 should be one sentence, words. The writer should choose the most important facts or details available, which usually include information about another highlight at the event or an important guest speaker or display. The body of the story should contain the rest of the information organized in descending order of importance. Include activities and their specific times. If there are special displays that can only be seen at a specific time, include that information as well. Many events include food vendors and merchants if so, give readers an outline of what they should expect to be available. Also include any pertinent additional facts such as the expected attendance of the event, success of similar events in the past, and any command messages relevant to the event. You may also include directions to the event and any parking information. The U.S. Marine Band, also known as The President s Own, will play military and patriotic songs throughout the day, beginning at 10 a.m. Tanks, aircraft and other military equipment will be on display on the parade field. The southern entrance to the post is on Mapes Road and Route 175. Signs will direct visitors to the event and parking areas. Free parking will be available at the commissary parking lot. Official military illustration 4 The Center of Excellence for Visual Information and Public Affairs

5 The mechanics of Quotes and Attribution You have had a couple of assignments in which you ve used quotes, but there are some guidelines to follow in order to use quotes correctly and effectively. Each new speaker should be quoted in a separate paragraph. Example: Never place quotes from two speakers in the same paragraph, said Sarah L. Hood, the academic director for the public affairs department at the Defense Information School here. Even if it s short? asked Pvt. John F. Rojas, a student at the school. According to the Associated Press Stylebook, in general, avoid partial quotes. If a speaker s words are clear and concise, favor the full quote. If cumbersome language can be paraphrased fairly, use and indirect construction, reserving quotation marks for sensitive or controversial passages that must be identified specifically as coming from the speaker. Avoid quotation marks around words you want to emphasize. Unless someone said it, don t enclose it in quotes. Example: The school has had a whopping increase in attrition. Yes, Hood answered. Place the attribution after the first sentence in a quote. Example: When the quote is two or more sentences in the same paragraph, attribute it after the first sentence, said Brian M. Hibbard, a journalism instructor at the Defense Information School here. Don t make the reader wait until the end of the paragraph to discover who is speaking. The Defense Information School, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 5

6 Basic Public Affairs Specialist Course Conclusion Throughout your career, you will write advance news stories to publicize events on your installation. Through your work as a journalist, you can have an impact on the success of the event. If your story is informative and engaging, more people will be interested in the event. 6 The Center of Excellence for Visual Information and Public Affairs

7 References Goldstein, N. (2007). Associated Press style book and briefing on media law. Associated Press, New York Harrigan, J. & Dunlap, K. (2003). The editorial eye. Bedford/St. Martins, New York, New York Baskette, F., Sissors, J. & Brooks, B. (1997). The art of editing (6th ed.) Hohenberg, J. (1983). The professional journalist. Cengage Learning, Florence, KY. Mencher, M. (1999). News reporting and writing (8th ed.). The McGraw-Hill Companies, Seitel, F. (1994). The practice of public relations (6th ed.). Prentice Hall Professional Technical Reference. Lieter, K., Johnson, S., & Harriss, J. (1999). The complete reporter: Fundamentals of new gathering, writing, and editing. Pearson Itule, B., & Anderson, D. (2002). News writing and reporting for today s media (6th ed.). The McGraw-Hill Companies Ward, H. (1985). Professional newswriting. Harcourt College Publishers. Agee, W., Ault, P., & Emery, E. (1983). Reporting & writing the news. Harper & Row, New York. Fedler, F., Bender, J., & Davenport, L. (2000). Reporting for the media. Oxford University Press, Cary, NC. Rich, C. (1999). Writing and reporting news: A coaching method. Wadsworth Publishing, Florence, KY. The Defense Information School, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 7