Chapter 5- Newswriting Rules

1.) Inverted pyramid- the format of news stories, the framework, the blueprints. This helps writers write good stories to get readers' attentions.
It should look kind of like this-

In Jeremy Caplan's class at CCBC (community college I transfered from)-
Important information
More details
More details
More details

What the textbook says-
Important information
Interesting, colorful details
Remaining facts

It looks like an upside down triangle or pyramid.

2.) Delayed lead- doesn't show the major facts of a story to a reader and catches the reader's attention more creatively, usually when the information is more interesting than important.
Other names for this term: feature or soft leads
Towerlight example: The Peruvian Amazon is known for being one of the greatest places on Earth to find a biologically diverse environment. - Daniel Gross

3.) Nut graf- adds more important information than the lead can handle, helps the reader understand why the story's important.
*usually written directly after the lead

4.) In AP style, the when should be placed right after the verb.
Examples:
The Student Government vice president called Thursday... (correct)
The Student Government vice president Thursday called... (confusing title, wrong)
The Student Government vice president called......... Thursday. (sounds like the VP just did this on Thursday, also wrong)

5.) Summary/chronology story- story written in an order of how something happened, uses a summary lead, sums up everything.

6.) Crime issue in writing- Until the person is charged with the crime, it's best not to report the suspect's name. If the name(s) is(are) reported in the story, the suspect(s) may not keep a good reputation anymore and you could get sued for libel.
After someone's been charged with the crime, be careful with the words committed, convicted, allegedly, and charged. If the person was charged with the crime but no one is sure if the person actually committed those actions, it's best not to use the word allegedly. It may be better to say that the person was charged with those infractions.
And when writing the crime story, always describe what happened at the scene first without putting in adjectives or opinion. The suspect's name shouldn't be mentioned in the beginning of the story.

7.) Multiple element- 2-3 different ideas competing for attention, all 2 or 3 ideas are lead-worthy and don't really explain each other.
*Deal with those big elements only one at a time; break it down.

8.) Second day story- follow up stories from the first story that was printed a day or a few before, but require a complete rewrite of the first day stories.

9.) Correlation vs. Causation (big time issue- don't get these two confused!)
Correlation- events that happen at the exact same time
Causation- something causes something else (like a domino effect- event causes event)
Make sure you get your facts straight and check your sources to get the correct insight of the events. Be careful of making assumptions! You may be wrong about something.

10.) Facts to check:
*Names (spelled correctly)
*Dates
*Places
*Corporate (company) names
*Titles
*Numbers
*Photos/graphics

11.) Rules for using quotes-
- Make sure the quote adds to the story.
- Double check that quoted words are the exact words from the person.
- Paraphrase when you have to.
- Partial quotes also work fine for stories. Ex- Thomason said that the LeaderShape experience gave him "the best college experience I could ever get."
- Place attribution carefully. When writing a quote in, use "she said" or "he said" after a complete thought or sentence.
- Stick to "(person) said", not "said (person)." Why? Everything must ALWAYS be in SVO (subject verb object) format.
- Make sure you know who's talking in the quote! When more than one person is quoted in a story, attribution to the quote should be before the first quote of every new speaker. Don't confuse your readers!
And as always, the word 'said' works best for news stories when writing quotes, no matter what. Try not to use any other word than 'said' when using a quote.