WRITING
FOR MAGAZINES
Magazines
cater to the
tastes, temperaments and interests
of specific groups, These
groups, with their
special identified interests, provide a
possible readership for
many stories that
have little or no appeal to the general public.
Magazines have contributed or pioneered a
number of important aspects to journalism, including
• Investigative reporting
• Photojournalism
• The personality profile
• Narrative journalistic writing (in the
newsmagazine style)
Classes of Magazines
In
general, the four major classes of magazines are as follows:
·
Consumer
·
Trade, technical, professional and business
·
Company
(house organs)
Consumer
magazines
Consumer
magazines, the largest of the four classes, include all those publications
found on the newsstand .Their contents attempt to appeal to the general
public or to
large groups in
our society that
share common interests. With
few exceptions, consumer magazines carry advertising and are
sold individually or by
subscription. A few
magazines that qualify
as “consumers” are sold only by subscription. Consumer magazines are
made up of
general interest publications and special interest publications. This
distinction is made not so much for the readers as for the potential writers of
magazine articles. Magazines are purchased
by people who
expect certain things from
a particular publication. For
a magazine to be successful, those expectations must be met. Therefore, a
writer must adapt
to the style prescribed by a magazine’s editorial
policy and submit only stories dealing with its expressed area of concern.
Any disregard of
this policy will
result in a
story’s automatic rejection, regardless
of how interesting
or well written it maybe.
General interest
publications - as
the category implies, are
intended for the
general public. Their subject matter
is broad, and
their appeal usually transcends most
of the boundaries
of age, sex,
race, education, occupation and geography. Magazines such as Reader’s
Digest, Life, fall neatly into
this category. Each contains a
variety of articles
to interest a
diverse audience. Others, such as
Time and Newsweek, also qualify as
general interest publications. Although they concentrate primarily on news and
current events, they still cover a wide range of subjects, offering something
for everyone. Also, their material is
presented in an easily read style that explains a news
story in a way any reader can understand. Some magazines originally published
for specific groups now attract
a wider audience
because of interesting articles.
Special
Interest Publications -
as the term
implies, are magazines directed at specific groups of readers with one
or more common interests. Some
magazines attempt to
cover all aspects
of a broad subject,
while others are
concerned only with a
particular element of
the general subject.
Sports Illustrated, for example,
contains stories on practically any sport, but world Football carries only
stories related to soccer. Other
special interest publications find
their audiences through different demographic segmentations. There are
magazines published primarily for men (Adam and ,
Playboy, Gentlemen’s Quarterly,
etc.), women (True Love,
Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Woman’s
World, etc.), boys (Boys’ Life)
or girls (Teen). There are magazines
for various age
groups. For example, Senior World
is published for
senior citizens; Careers for boys
and girls, ages 15 to 18; Children’s Digest for boys and girls, ages 8 to 10;
Jack and Jill for children, ages 6 to 8; and Highlights for Children, ages 2 to
12. There are also magazines aimed at blacks and other minorities. Ebony,
for example, is
intended for black men
and women and
could be considered
a “general interest publication.”
Essence is one of a
number of magazines published
with black women
in mind, and Players caters to black male readers.
Some magazines are
published for residents
of a specific location etc.
Trade,
Technical, Professional and Business
Magazines in
the trade, technical, professional and business class are published for active
business people. The readers of these publications are looking for ways to
improve their businesses and increase profits. While they might appreciate a
little humor in the articles and want the material to be well-written, they are
not reading them for pleasure. These business journals are designed to appeal
to one of the following three specific groups:
·
Retailers
·
Manufacturers
·
Professionals and
industry experts
Retailers, along with business people who
perform various services, are
interested in such
subjects as successful sales
campaigns and unique
merchandise displays.
Manufacturers expect articles
dealing with ways to
solve industry problems,
such as personnel absenteeism and
equipment failure. Professionals
and industry experts want stories about new techniques and technical
developments in their respective fields. All of these business people are
interested in making money and managing their businesses more efficiently.
Therefore, the primary purpose of each of the business journals is the goal of
helping its readers do their jobs better.
Besides stories about
business trends and solutions
to problems, these
publications often offer advice
on ways a
particular business can
be operated more profitably.
Trade
Journals- While the term trade journal is often
applied to all publications in the
business journal class,
there are subtle differences.
A trade
refers to skilled
work usually requiring extensive training,
but not necessarily
formal education, to master it.
Carpentry is one example of a trade; printing is another. Therefore, a trade journal is a publication
addressing the skilled laborers in a particular field, or the work they
perform. Motor Magazine and Ceramic Monthly are examples of trade
journals.
Technical
Journals -Technical
journals usually discuss
sophisticated material,
equipment or instruments
and their use. Examples of technical journals are Datamation, Broadcasting and Photomethods.
Professional
Journals -Professional journals are publications
intended for professional people. This
group primarily includes persons with
a vocation or
occupation requiring advanced
education and training and involving intellectual skills. This group specifically comprises those
working in such fields as law, medicine, theology, education, engineering, journalism,
and so forth. However, the term professional has,
in general use, been expanded. It now
includes the executives,
managers, department heads, some
staff members and
even the sales force of most
business enterprises.
Business Journals -There are business journals for those persons in, seemingly, every
occupation imaginable. There
is the Accountant for
accountants, Advertising Age
for ad agency personnel, Chilton’s Food Engineering for those in the
food and beverage
processing industry and
Grocery Distribution for
operators of food warehouses and distribution
centers. Police is published
for law enforcement personnel
and Editor and Publisher for newspaper personnel.
Company Publications (House Organs)
Unlike business journals, company
publications, or house organs, are produced by, or for, the businesses or
organizations they serve. Their readers need or want certain information
about the companies for which they work, and the companies try to provide it.
There are six basic kinds of house organs. Many of the larger companies publish
them all. These journals serve the desire to communicate to an internal
or external audience. And all have a need for material that will interest their
readers. The types of company publications
are as follows:
· Employee
· Customer
· Stockholder or corporate
· Sales Dealer etc.
MAGAZINE ARTICLES
· Magazine journalism is attractive to young
people who are interested in the field because they do not have to work under
daily deadlines, magazine articles are long and more in-depth, the articles
receive better display, and magazines have more prestige than newspapers.
· Magazines are different from newspapers not
just in the frequency with which they are published but also because they
deliver news and information with more depth and perspective.
· Writing in magazines does not conform to all
of the strictures that writing in daily newspapers must observe; the
requirements of accuracy and good writing are just as strict, however.
· The
major difference between
a magazine article and
a newspaper story
is the style
in which each
is written.
· Magazines are created because someone (or
some group) has an editorial idea and can identify an audience that would be
interested in the idea and a set of advertisers that would like to sell
products to that audience.
· Since
magazine articles are
printed in their
entirety, there are no
requirements to put
all of the important
details “up front.”
Therefore, magazine writers
may use any format
they believe best
suits the material
being presented. This allows
the writers wider
latitudes of expression and
creativity.
· The magazine form also provides writers with
the opportunity to be more thorough in their storytelling. Both news stories
and magazine articles deal with facts.
· When necessary, magazines also permit their
writers to provide extensive background details to enable the reader to
understand the subject more.
· A newspaper’s news has a perishable quality;
its value and interest diminish as the degree of immediacy wanes. The news in
magazines, although less timely, is more
enduring. Many magazine
articles are as informative and interesting a year after
publication as they were on
the day they
first appeared in
print. Magazine articles also
are remembered longer
than newspaper stories because
magazines are read
more thoroughly, and at
a more leisurely
pace, than are newspapers.
TYPES OF MAGAZINE ARTICLES
Any attempt to classify all of the forms of
magazine articles would probably
prove to be inadequate. However, certain
characteristics do tend to identify seven general categories. These categories frequently overlap, and the
dividing lines that separate them often become blurred. For our purposes, there
are seven basic types of magazine articles. They are as follows:
· Personality
sketch, Personal experience, Confession, Narrative, Utility, Interview
,Featurette
Personality Sketch
The personality sketch is a short biography
that includes an individual’s achievements. The purpose of an article
of this type,
whether a success
article or a profile, is to portray the intimate details
of character and personality of someone.
The person may
be widely known, one who has
achieved some form of greatness or
someone whose life
is in some
way interesting or remarkable. The individual does not have
to be a famous show business or political personality;
Personal Experience
Unusual adventures, unique accomplishments,
rare travel experiences and countless other personal experiences lend
themselves to treatment in this type of article. “My 60
Days Under the
Sea in an
Atomic Submarine,” “I Walked on
the Moon” ‘my life in crime’ are typical
titles of personal experience articles. Many have had exciting personal
experiences they might
have developed into good magazine articles. Quite often, however, they do not have the
ability, the time or the inclination
to write these
experiences on paper. Nevertheless, they
usually will talk
about their experiences which
can provide a good story opportunist y for a journalist in search of ideas.
When you write this type of article, use the “as told to...” byline. Be
cautious when writing in the first person. The frequent use of “I” can become,
or appear, egotistical.
Confession
The confession article is not necessarily a
“shocker” or scandal story.
Instead, it is an “inside
story” of conditions or
problems normally unfamiliar
to the average reader.
The confession article
often involves handicaps or
disadvantages that are
overcome by determination and
common sense. Incidents related in confession articles
are often typical of
everyday life. A
spoiled, rich kid
learns discipline and responsibility in campus.. A young man cures a morbid fear of water by
joining the Navy. Subjects like these have been used in confession articles. The
most noticeable characteristic of the confession story is the intimate,
confidential tone in which the writer seems to be personally revealing a secret
to the reader. Although the subject matter is personal, it must evoke an
emphatic response from the reader. Humor should not be overlooked in this type
of article. An individual’s willingness
to tell the story shows that he or she is not ashamed. If humor can be
injected into the
account, it indicates
an objective approach. Some
subjects are best when given a humorous treatment. Many
interesting articles about
common phobias, such as a visit to the dentist, have been written that
way. This approach often helps readers to see that most of the fear is
unfounded. If the humor is skillfully handled, the readers will probably be
amused.
Narrative
The narrative involves Sharp
characterization, vivid description, dialogue; action
and suspense are skillfully woven into the framework of a narrative article to
dramatize the facts. However, the facts must be adapted to this type of
treatment. The writer does not invent them, exaggerate them or embellish
them in any way. The story must be authentic even in the smallest detail. The
real life exploits and adventures of sailors the world over are told in
magazine articles using the narrative approach. A heroic
rescue, an epic battle, a dramatic struggle
against the elements, a display of bravery
and determination in the face of overwhelming difficulties are all subjects
that maybe developed into narrative articles. Careful research
is important in writing
the narrative article.. Also, the writing should be colorful and
fast-paced. Otherwise it may sound like a chapter out of a history textbook.
Utility
Any process, product, method or idea that
will help the reader become wiser, healthier, wealthier or happier is
a subject for the
utility article. Also called
the “how-to-do-it” article, the utility article is generally
shorter than most other articles and the writing is usually expository or
explanatory.. At one time or another, practically everyone has devised a scheme
to improve a job, working conditions or equipment. These ideas are especially
valuable if they can be tailored for a specific magazine. The most common
approach is to use
the second person, imperative voice (You
fit the tie on your shirt ...).
Interview
Interview articles present
questions and answers that offer a
subject’s views on a given topic.
Little background information is given in
the article if the subject is widely known to the
readers and the emphasis is on the topic of
discussion. The interview requires much advance planning, however,
and the writer should research the subject thoroughly before conducting the
interview.
Featurette
The featurette is probably
the most popular and best-selling short
article found in magazines today. It is
short and simple, and it contains the element of oddity or humor, and sometimes
both. The purpose of the featurette is to entertain. “Humor in Uniform”
and “all in a day’s work,” regular sections in Reader’s Digest, are good
examples of the featurette.
Nearly every magazine carries at least one
anecdote as filler material in each issue.
RESEARCHING AN IDEA FOR A MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Every person, place, event
or thing is a possible source for a
magazine article. What one person sees
daily and takes for granted, another person
with a well-developed eye for the interesting and unusual often can
turn it into a successful article.
Purpose-Any magazine article, whether for a
glamorous nationwide consumer magazine or for one of the internal
publications, should begin with a good
idea supported by a statement of purpose. An author without a purpose for
an article easily loses sight of the intended goal. If an
article would serve no purpose, the
likely result would be wasted
time and an unintelligible
product
Research-One writer, preparing to write a personality sketch on a famous
composer, spent six months doing research before he felt ready to interview his
subject. During those six months, the writer spent three months reading
about symphonies. He spent another two months month talking to people who
knew the composer. Studying that particular composer’s works and a final
obviously, you will not spend
six months researching every magazine article you write.
However, in most cases, you will need to do
some extensive research. The in-depth nature of most magazine
articles requires that the writer
thoroughly understand the subject he or she
is presenting. Unless you are writing from personal experience,
you must be prepared to conduct whatever
research is necessary to give your article
the degree of authority it requires.
Studying Magazine Styles
· Knowing the markets
for magazine articles is almost
as important as knowing your subject. The best-written manuscript serves
no purpose tucked away in a file cabinet or desk drawer. And the best-conceived
idea for an article is of no value unless it is presented in an acceptable
manuscript. Studying magazines can solve
both of these problems.
· Your research will tell you which magazine
publishers are interested in your subject and the style in which they want
articles to be written.
· As you examine the magazines, you should be
alert to the literary style or approach a
magazine takes in presenting a subject. For
instance, several magazines might handle a piece dealing with
the GM foods, but each would present it in an
entirely different way. In studying magazines styles,
consider:
· Names(s) of editor(s). Frequency of publication.
Circulation Demography of readers. Approximate number of manuscripts purchased
per issue (if any). Method of payment (flat rate
for manuscript, pays per line of copy, pays per word, pays percent
of magazine royalties, pays in magazine copies, pays nothing).. Whether by-line
is given. Description of material desired. Description of material not desired.
Whether photos are desired, and if so, payment rates. Minimum and maximum
lengths of manuscripts. Whether unsolicited manuscripts are accepted. Whether
previously published submissions are accepted. Whether simultaneous submissions
are accepted. (Some magazines, especially regional ones, will consider
such submissions if the
offered manuscripts are not
being sent to other publications in their
state or geographical area.)
Writing a Magazine Article
Generally, a magazine article can be divided
into four basic components: The title, the lead, the body, the conclusion.
THE TITLE
· The title of a magazine article should tell the
readers the nature of the article. It usually features a short, terse statement
designed to attract their attention or to arouse their curiosity.
· The title should entice the audience to read
the article immediately. A title, like the article itself, should be slanted or
directed toward a particular market.
· Each magazine has its own
title requirements for style,
length and typographical arrangement.
· In developing titles for their articles,
writers must be honest. They should not mislead the reader with facts not
supported by the articles, and they
should avoid exaggeration or sensationalism. The title should
convey the tone and spirit of the material featured in the
article. Declarative sentences with concrete nouns and active
verbs are best
THE LEAD
The lead of a magazine article is similar to
the lead of a news story, except it is usually longer and nearly always more
difficult to write. The lead may run only one paragraph in length, or it may
run as much as 10 percent of the entire article. Whatever space you allot to
your lead, it must accomplish the following objectives:
· Indicate the central idea to be conveyed in
the article.
· Contain a hint of the spirit and movement of
the article.
· Locate the subject as to time and place.
· Show any relation that may exist between the
facts and the reader.
· Generate enough interest to make the reader
want to read the rest of the article.
THE BODY
· The title of a magazine article attracts an
audience’s attention. The lead arouses curiosity,
stimulates interest and whets the readers’ appetite for more facts.
The body of the article must keep the readers interested. Keeping your audience
interested for two or three thousand words is a tough
job.
· To do this, you must
weigh every word, every sentence and every paragraph carefully. The facts you
use must not only be interesting in themselves, but they
must be presented in an interesting manner.
· relate the details in the order in which they
happened. With this approach, you can depend on the action to hold the readers’
interest.
· However, an article that contains no action
and only presents straight, factual information, a writer must use skill and
imagination in presenting them. The facts must flow from the article naturally,
without awkward pauses or sudden changes in direction.
· In all magazine
articles, paragraphs should be
written so they interlock. The end of
one paragraph should lead naturally into
the beginning of the next.
· Transitions should be used in such a
manner that the readers are not even aware of them.
· Appropriately insert anecdotes, specific
examples and hypothetical situations. These devices help illustrate points and
emphasize important facts
THE CONCLUSION
A magazine article should end as dramatically as it began. When
appropriate, use an anecdote that typifies the main points presented in the
body. Surprise endings also work well. The
conclusion should neatly and succinctly tie
together all the threads of the article and bring it to a smooth finish.
X �8a > � �T
>The pronoun will be a predicate nominative, as
in "It was
we who discovered the mistake. (A predicate nominative
is a noun that comes after a non-action verb and renames the subject.
We,
for example, renames
It, the subject of the sentence. The verb,
was,
is a nonaction verb.)
·
Objective case
·
The objective case pronouns are: me, you, him,
her, it, us, you (meaning "you all") and them. Note that the pronouns
"you," "it," and "you (meaning "you
all")" have identical nominative and objective case forms.
·
Use an objective case pronoun if:
·
The pronoun will be the direct object of a verb,
as in "My father gave me this toolbox." (You wouldn't say,
"My father gave I this tookbox," because I is a
nominative case pronoun.)
·
The pronoun will be the direct object of a
preposition, as in "The car swerved around
him. (You wouldn't say,
"The car swerved around
he," because "he" is a
nominative case pronoun. A preposition, by the way, is any word like
"around," "over," "to," "from,"
"at," etc. that shows some kind of connection between two other
words. The best definition of a preposition I've ever heard is "anywhere a
mouse can go." (
Back to top)
Quotes: Be selective about what you choose to present as a direct
quote. Nine times out of 10, you can use a paraphrase to do a better job than
the source did of saying what the source said.
·
When you use a direct quote, it's important
to use a quote that forms a complete sentence. In other words, don't use a
partial quote.
·
Always set up a quote by preceding it with a
paragraph that:
·
Indicates who is about to talk
·
Gives a general paraphrase of what he or she is
about to say
·
Then present the quote in its own paragraph.
Here's an example (also note the punctuation):
Detective Jason Otiso said the suspects, both wanted in five states on
charges of murder, kidnapping and robbery, should be considered armed and
dangerous.
"These two guys make Bonnie and Clyde look like a traveling circus," Otiso
said. "These guys are elusive, calculating and, above all, deadly."
Police described the pair as traveling in a stolen, dark blue Ford Explorer. A
reward of Ksh.50,000 has been offered for information leading to their arrests.
·
Note how the first graf indicates who's about to
speak (Detective Jason Otiso) and gives an idea of what he's about to say (the
suspects should be considered armed and dangerous). The second graf presents
the quote. The "Smith said" is optional. It's pretty clear that Smith
is talking. This format helps the reader keep track of who is saying what in a
story. One of the most confusing things you can do in mass media writing is
present two quotes, back to back, from two separate sources without indicating
that the speaker has changed.
Redundancy: A word is redundant if it adds no meaning to the
sentence or phrase it is part of. For example, the word "completely"
is redundant in the phrase "completely destroyed." Things can't be
"partly destroyed." The word "destroyed" is absolute.
Similarly, there's no point in writing "3 p.m. in the afternoon." Use
either "3 p.m." or "3 in the afternoon. Other redundancies are
more subtle: "joined together," for example, or "collapsed
down." Things can't join in any way besides together, and things can't
collapse in any way but down.
Run-on sentence: A run-on sentence is a sentence consisting of two
or more independent clauses with no appropriate connections between them. For
example, "The driver lost control of the car the vehicle smashed into the
guard rail." is a run-on sentence, because two independent clauses,
"The driver lost control of the car" and "The vehicle smashed
into the guard rail" have been run together with no connecting punctuation
or words. The easiest way to fix a run-on sentence is to make each independent
clause a separate sentence. "The driver lost control of the car. The
vehicle smashed into the guard rail." It's also possible to fix a run-on
sentence by using the techniques described under "
comma splice."
Said: Use this neutral verb for most attribution jobs. Other words
like "stated," "admitted" "asserted," etc. carry
connotations that may be inaccurate. "Stated," for instance, suggests
that whatever was said was said under some kind of duress. "Admitted"
suggests the speaker had been trying to conceal what was said.
"Claimed" suggests that what the person is claiming is untrue.
·
Also use "said" to qualify
statements made about what someone thinks or believes. For example, writing
that "The convicted rapist is sorry for his crimes" may or may not be
accurate. It's more accurate to say "The convicted rapist said he
is sorry for his crimes."
·
Also remember that the word "that"
usually is unnecessary after "said." Use "that" after
"said" only if some other word -- a time element, for example --
comes between "said" and the description of what was said. For
example: "The president's aide said Friday that the bill is as good
as dead."
Semicolon: Semicolons have two main uses:
·
Joining two independent clauses, as in
"Billy opened the chips; I poured the soda." The two clauses are
independent because each has a subject and a verb (Billy/opened, I/poured).
·
Separating items in a series of things if the
things involve commas. For example, "His favorite breakfast foods include
ham, eggs and toast; pancakes, syrup and sausage; and bagels, cream cheese and
juice."
·
Generally avoid using semicolons in leads,
especially if you're doing so to join two independent clauses, as in "Fire
destroyed a Nanyuki home yesterday; investigators suspect arson." The
structure puts two complete thoughts on equal footing in the lead, leaving
readers to wonder which is more important. It's better to make one idea clearly
dominant: "A Nanyuki home burned to the ground yesterday in what
investigators think may be a case of arson." or "An arsonist may have
set the blaze that destroyed a Nanyuki home yesterday, according to
investigators."
Sentence fragment: A sentence fragment is a phrase that is
presented as a sentence but lacks a subject and/or a verb.
·
For example: "The firefighter crawled
through the smoke-filled, inky black room. Groping for the missing boy."
The phrase "groping for the missing boy" is capitalized and
punctuated as if it were a sentence. But it has no subject and no verb. The
idea it conveys would fit better if expressed as part of the preceding
sentence: "Groping for the missing boy, the firefighter crawled through
the smoke-filled, inky black room."
·
Writers sometimes use sentence fragments for
dramatic effect. For example: "The firefighter crawled through the
smoke-filled, inky black room. Exhausted, disoriented , terrified, but determined."
The latter phrase is a fragment used for dramatic effect. Avoid using fragments
this way unless you're sure doing so is appropriate. And do so only
occasionally.
Since/because: Use "since" for time relationships, as in
"I haven't seen you since last year." Use "because" for
cause-and-effect relationships, like "Because my car broke down, I had to
catch a bus." Don't make the common mistake of using
"since" to mean "because," as in "Since my car broke
down, I had to catch a bus."
Spelling: Media writers take spelling pretty seriously. At the
very least, run the spelling checker routine available in whatever application
you're using to compose your assignments. If you're unsure of a word's
spelling, look the word up in a dictionary. Nothing will discredit your writing
quicker than crummy spelling.
Suffered/sustained: In newspaper parlance, buildings, cars and
other inanimate objects "sustain damage." People or animals
"suffer injuries."
That: The word "that" can cause trouble in at least two
ways:
First, generally, omit "that" after any tense of the verb
"to say." For example, "The president said he had signed the
bill." Keep "that," however, if a time element appears directly
after any tense of the verb "to say." For example, "The president
said Monday that he had signed the bill." Also keep "that" if it
is followed by a subordinate clause beginning with a conjunction like after,
although, because, before, in addition to, until, and while. For example:
"The president said that until he gets Congress' support for his Social
Security package, he will refuse to sign the Media bill."
Second, know when to use "that" and when to use
"which." Both words can be used to introduces a
clause or
phrase. For example:
·
Police found two cars in the suspect's garage.
They searched the car that matched the description of the car seen leaving
the scene of the crime.
·
Police found two cars in the suspect's garage.
They searched the red one, which matched the description of the car
seen leaving the scene of the crime.
Notice how the italicized phrases, although identical, serve different
purposes. Knowing whether to use "that" or "which" depends
on figuring out which kind of purpose the phrase or clause is serving.
In the first example, the phrase is specifying which car the police
searched. Without it, you would have no way of knowing which of the two cars
police had searched. That property makes the phrase "restrictive" or
"essential," and such phrases are introduced by "that."
In the second example, the phrase is providing extra information about
the car. Without it, you still would know which car the police had searched.
They searched the red one. The phrase simply clues you in to the fact that the
red car matched the description of a car seen leaving the crime scene. Such
"nonessential" or "nonrestrictive" phrases are introduced
by "which." Notice also that "which" usually must be
preceded by a comma in such usages.
The/A: Putting "the" in front of a noun in a news story
usually signals that you have alluded to that noun somewhere earlier in the
story, or that readers are already familiar - perhaps from earlier stories -
with whatever the "the" is referring to. If neither is the case,
readers will be confused. Consider this example of a poorly written lead
and second graf:
One person died Friday afternoon in a single-car accident on Tom Mboya Street.
The boy, 6-year-old Jack Tui, was pronounced dead at the scene of the
accident. His parents, Jim and Jane Tui, both of Maimuna, are listed in
critical condition at Marie Stopes Medical Center.
Your reaction upon reading the two grafs was probably something like,
"Boy? What boy are we talking about, here? There's been no mention of a
boy." That's precisely the problem. Consider how adding an allusion to the
boy earlier in the story helps things out:
A boy died Friday afternoon in a single-car accident on Main
Street.
The boy, 6-year-old Brenden Smith, was pronounced dead at the scene of
the accident. His parents, Jim and Jane Tui, both of Maimuna, are listed in
critical condition at Marie Stopes Medical Center.
Similarly, using "the" in front of a noun or noun phrase in a
news story can imply that the noun or noun phrase has been talked about in
previous stories and should be well known to the reader. If such is not the
case, the reader will be confused. Consider this lead:
The expansion of City Hall has hit an expensive snag, the
project's contractor said Monday.
The above lead suggests that the reader already should know about
"the expansion." If this is the first-ever story about the expansion,
the reader had no way of knowing about it.
Time: Use figures with no ":00" for on-the-hour times.
For example: 10 a.m., 11 p.m., 5 a.m., 5 p.m. You also can use 5 o'clock in the
afternoon, 10 o'clock in the morning, etc. Express minutes past an hour by
using a colon. For example: 10:01 a.m., 10:59 p.m., 5:15 p.m., etc. Some other
tips:
·
Express 12 p.m. using the
more-readily-understood "noon" and 12 a.m. as the
more-readily-understood "midnight." Many people mistakenly think 12
a.m. means noon and 12 p.m. means midnight. The assume "a.m."
indicates daytime and "p.m." indicates night time.
Transition: Transition links each paragraph of a news story to the
preceding paragraph and provides the momentum necessary to keep the reader
reading. Transition also helps link sentences within a paragraph. Some types of
transition include:
1. Time sequence:
After screeching through the turn from Main Street onto Broad, the
speeding car barreled through a red light at the Waiyaki intersection.
Hitting speeds of up to 80 kph, the car then careened up General Kago
Street, finally smashing into a utility pole near Banda Lane.
2. Repeating a sentence structure:
Johnson said she has tried and tried to call attention to the problem.
She has written 25 letters to various government officials.
She has made countless phone calls.
She has even taken time off work to stake out the mayor’s office.
3. Using contrast and/or comparison:
Officials insist the campus has plenty of parking spaces.
However, cars could be seen Monday parked in grassy medians, in front of
fire hydrants, on sidewalks and even, in one case, right in the middle of the
street.
4. Using geographic sequence:
A spacious lobby greets visitors to the new library.
Across the lobby, stairs lead to an airy reading room and computer
center on the second floor.
From here, visitors can take any of four elevators to the stacks on the
building’s six other floors.
5. Using pronouns and demonstrative adjectives:
“This ordinance absolutely must pass,” the mayor declared.
He threatened to resign in protest if it didn’t.
That ultimatum irked the council members, who promptly decided to call
his bluff.
6. Using conjunctive adverbs:
Developers are applying for a permit to build a landfill on the site.
Meanwhile, environmentalists are organizing opposition to the plan.
(Other conjunctive adverbs: accordingly, consequently, moreover,
therefore, however, etc. Be aware that many conjunctive adverbs imply a
particular relationship between the thoughs they link. "Therefore,"
for example, suggests that the second idea is a result or outcome of the first
idea. Use these words only when their connotations are accurate.)
7. Using numbers:
Getting healthy involves some basic principles, the trainer said.
First, cut the fat out of your diet. Hamburgers, pizza and bacon are OK,
but only as occasional treats, he said.
Second, exercise. As little as 30 minutes a day can make a big
difference, he said.
8. Echoing words or grafs from the preceding graf
The accident left 41-year-old Jane Okosi battling for her life in
the Maria Medical Center’s intensive care unit.
Okosi, a mother of three, suffered head injuries, a crushed leg and a
broken back, a hospital nursing supervisor said.
Very: A word to be avoided. Convey degrees instead by choosing the
correct word. Someone who is very angry, for example, is incensed or furious.
Vote tabulations: Use this form: "The Council voted 5-2
against the proposal."
Who/That: Use "who" to refer to people, as in "He's
the one who wrote the report" or "They're the ones who wrote the
report." Also use "who" to refer to animals that have a name:
"Lassie was a dog who starred in a 1980s TV show." Use
"that" to refer both to objects and to animals that don't have
specific names. For example, "Here's the report that I wrote," and
"There's the dog that I was telling you about."
Wordiness: Say what you need to say in as few words as possible.
For example, don't write, "The man proceeded to leave the building." Instead,
write "The man left the building."
Bll413:
writing for the media.2009
