Lesson 5 - The News Story
In this lesson you will learn to recognize that a news story is a very structured piece of writing containing information and facts. This information can be identified under the heading of the 5 W’s – who, what, where, when and why.
In this assignment you will learn to identify the parts of a news article. Materials: The Lesson: What is “hard” news? It’s a story written to provide the reader with as much information as possible. The purpose is to inform the reader. It is a facts based story that covers a news event. Accidents, crimes, court cases, natural disasters (earthquakes, floods) new government legislation, and news from city hall are all examples of hard news events. The most important facts are contained in the first paragraph of the story. This is called the lede. The other details are presented in descending order of importance. This style of writing is called the inverted pyramid. What? Who? The story revolves around an event that is taking place, or has taken place, usually within a 24-hour period. Several news stories may be written on a single event as new information unfolds. Once a news story has appeared in the paper, an editor may ask reporters to write a follow-up story to wrap up information around the event. Tips on Writing the News Story: The “Soft” News Story The soft story usually appears in the entertainment or lifestyle sections of a newspaper. It often profiles an individual who is newsworthy because he or she has accomplished something of interest to many people. For example, it’s common to read stories on singers or bands who release a new CD. The news part of the story is the release of the CD. Soft stories can also inform the reader by offering advice on health, fitness, fashion, home décor, or food preparation. Example: In a story about a recent sleep study of 3,200 teenagers, researchers found teens get less sleep as they get older and this has a big impact on grades, attendance and emotions. Here’s how one daily news reporter covered the story: Laura has heard it described as carrying a load of bricks in her backpack and she pretty much agrees with the description: for every hour of lost sleep, add two bricks to the pack. “It’s true,” says the 16-uear-old. “If I get to bed too late, I really feel the weight of the next day. It’s like being in a fog.” Teens need sleep. Just ask their parents who will have spent much of the past week nagging them to get to bed on time only to spend the next week nagging them to wake up to get to school on time. Pity that poor teen who has to turn her internal clock around to suit a new school year. Pity more the parent who has to deal with her. The writer could have written a straight news story about a recent study on sleep deprived teens. It might have gone something like this: Example: A lack of sleep is costing teens marks in school, according to a new Canadian study. Instead, the writer chose to interview a student and use her experience to launch the story of how early school openings, combined with a lack of sleep, is having a negative impact on school attendance, grades and emotions. Which version of the story would you want to read?
This is often background or historical information that adds colour or detail to the story. If space on the page is tight, an editor can easily cut it from the story. You’ll notice most of this information is contained in the final paragraphs. The reason for this will be explained to students in Lesson Four.
Where? When?
Why?
Unlike a news story, the soft story does not have to follow the inverted pyramid style of writing. Writers will look for an interesting angle to begin the story. The writer uses descriptive words to create a scene or mood that brings the reader into the story.