Filed under: Writing on deadline | Tags: breaking news, deadline, storytelling
Many journalists (and some online news readers) may disagree, but I don’t believe that breaking news has to be so…cut and dry.
A writer can use effective narrative techniques while getting the story out in rapid time. At the very least, you certainly can update that first cut-and-dry breaking news bulletin throughout the day until it reads like a true story instead of a report.
It does involve more creativity to weave some narrative or gripping description into an 8- to 10-inch story that you only have 15 minutes to file.
But this is an acquired talent that will separate you from the average journalist who files the story, goes back and adds a line or two to make the editor happy, then moves on.
The basic rule is the same no matter the deadline or word count: Always think to yourself why the reader should care. What unique way can I tell this story to pull the reader in?
Let’s assume we have to file a breaking news report about a double murder. If you don’t have time to go to the scene, there are ways to seek out details that paint the picture. Take five minutes to call the neighbors who live on either side of the murder site, for example. Ask them not only what they saw, heard, etc., but also what they were feeling.
Here’s the difference between relying primarily on the police report vs. a combination of using the police report and talking to a neighbor:
1. A Phoenix man allegedly stabbed his wife and mother-in-law early Monday, then led police on a foot chase before his arrest, police said.
2. Jeff Gables says he woke up to the sound of a woman “screaming bloody murder” on Monday and looked out his bedroom window to see his neighbor stabbing his wife on their front lawn.
Gables recalls freezing in fear for about 10 seconds, then calling police. Less than an hour later, David Geer of Phoenix was arrested for allegedly murdering his wife and mother-in-law, then leading police on a foot chase.
Of course, there are dozens of other ways to spice up a story on deadline. Adding a storytelling element to breaking news coverage isn’t back-breaking work. It just involves some dedication and ingenuity.
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