Workshop.
Step 1. In pairs, share your Hard News story with your partner.
Read each other’s hard news story.
Give feedback on what works and what could be improved.
Step 2. And again… in new pairs, share your Hard News story with your new partner.
Read each other’s hard news story.
Give feedback on what works and what could be improved.
Step 3. And one more time … in final pairs, share your Hard News story with your new partner.
Read each other’s hard news story.
Give feedback on what works and what could be improved.
Step 4. In iLearn (Story 1 critique) write a summary of the three stories you read.
What critiques did you have for them?
Lastly – What critiques did your classmates have for you?
Now on to Soft News
start thinking about your next story…
What is Soft News?
From hard to soft news… it is a kind of spectrum. Some stories are clearly hard news, some clearly soft, and stuff in the middle that’s trickier to determine.
Soft News is (usually):
Lighter, less urgent, can involve celebrities, or sports, or fashion, arts and entertainment.
EXAMPLE CATEGORIES:
Lifestyles:
-Stories that explain issues and trends affecting our minds” such as goals, relationships, jobs, families
Health:
Stories like:
-“Is wine good for your health?”
-“How much sunscreen do you need?”
-“Why do some people have rough elbows?”
-Readers want help maintaining or improving health.
Science and Technology:
These are not research papers. They are environmental issues, medical developments, and technological advances explained in an easy to understand way. Readers want to know about stuff that will improve their lives, and keep them up to date on newest tech.
Business:
That new clothing store that opened up? The new toy that everyone is buying for Christmas? A local company is selling high-end lightsabers?
Entertainment:
Anything people do for fun.
Stories about movies, concerts, theater, art, books, computer games, festivals, restaurants, sports, fashion.
Food:
Kitchen-friendly advice on how to buy food, how to make food, how to grow food. New trends in the culinary arts.
STATS ON HARD VS SOFT NEWS (2016 International Poll)
SOFT NEWS IS OFTEN A FEATURE STORY:
The feature story is:
Usually less “news urgency” (it could publish today, or tomorrow.)
Longer story than a breaking news story.
Rarely has a simple lede. (Usually more narrative and interesting.)
Types of Features:
Personality profile of an unusual person, a hero (or a villain), or a famous person. They are newsmakers, people worth writing about.
A successful profile uses QUOTES, FACTS, and ARTFUL DESCRIPTIONS to reveal the truth about someone.
Human interest story
A tale to tell, about a real person. Tragic, funny, odd, inspirational. You’re job is to report on their journey. Use storytelling to capture the mood and emotion of someone’s story.
Color Story:
Color means “flavor” or “mood” — capturing the experience of attending an event like a parade, a funeral, a festival, a disaster (disaster may be more hard news feature.) Describing sights and sounds.
Backgrounder:
Also called “analysis” piece. Using research and interviews, you focus on an issue or event in the news, why it happened, why it matters.
It’s teaching a complex issue in a digestible way.
Trend Story:
Can be similar to backgrounder, but more focused on people, places and things affecting today’s culture. Latest, coolest, oddest, fads and fashions, lifestyles and entertainment.
Reaction Piece:
What news broke recently that affects your community? A reaction story gives a sampling of opinions from experts, fans, (victims if hard news story,) and regular people.
Flashback:
Usually stories that run on anniversaries, these are retrospectives of historic events or issues. Using archive photos and quotes, interviews with people remembering the event, expert analysis, and why was this important and worth remembering (and why it matters now).
HOW-TO:
A popular interactive format teaches readers how to do something. How to adopt a pet. How to cook a dish. How to quit smoking. Etc. Often uses interactivity, step-by-step imagery or diagrams.
CONSUMER GUIDE
A business feature focusing on where to find something (to spend money on). Where to find the best concerts. Where to find the tastiest sushi. Where to find the cheapest shoes.
Personal Narrative
(Not always allowed in many news organizations and about specific content types.)
This is a narrative told from the writer’s point of view and experience. Think Anthony Bourdain. You as the writer are a tour guide for the reader, telling them about your own journey.
Start preparing for your next story: Story 2 – The Soft News Story. 650 to 750 words. Due in two weeks… on Wednesday, October 12.
SOFT NEWS FEATURE REQUIREMENTS:
Acceptable Types:
Color Story
Backgrounder
Trend Story
Reaction Piece
Flashback
How-To
Consumer Guide
Not Acceptable Types:
Personality Profile
Human-Interest Story
Personal Narrative
Other Helpful Tips!
GET INTERVIEWS AND SOURCES TO QUOTE. MINIMUM 2 INTERVIEWS.
CAN NOT BE BASED OFF AN ALREADY PUBLISHED ARTICLE.
So…
What are you thinking of writing about now?
READ PG. 120 to 123