chapter 4 - basic requirements of good stories - jnl-1102 - reporting and writing i - professor...
TRANSCRIPT
CHAPTER 4: BASIC
REQUIREMENTS OF
GOOD STORIESAccuracy
Verification
Objectivity
Attribution
Balance and fairness
Clarity
Completeness
Definitions• Credibility
• Fact
• Opinion
• Truth
• Bias
• Objectivity
• Balance
• Fairness
• Accuracy
Definitions: Credibility•Deserving of being trusted and believed
Definitions: Fact•A piece of information that has been verified or is known to be true.
Examples:
• U Thein Sein is the
president of Myanmar.
• New Zealand beat
Myanmar 5-1 in the U-20
World Cup.
• The population of
Myanmar was 51.5
million, according to the
country’s 2014 census.
By C
ha
tha
m H
ou
se
Definitions: Opinion• Go beyond what is known to assert a belief,
conclusion or prejudice.
Examples:
• U Thein Sein is a good
president of Myanmar.
• New Zealand should not
have beaten Myanmar 5-
1 in the U-20 World Cup.
• The population of
Myanmar was 51.5
million, according to the
country’s 2014 census,
and is too small.
By C
ha
tha
m H
ou
se
“JUST
the
FACTS,
ma’am”Police Sgt. Joe
Friday from the 1950s
“Dragnet” TV show in
the United States.
By j
ayd
ex
Fact or opinion?The defendant’s confession came at the end of the depositions in the trial for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which firmly established his participation in terror activity beyond any doubt.
The defendant’s confession came at the end of the depositions in the trial for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which 135 witnesses identified him as one of the gunmen who fired on commuters at the Mumbai station.
Fact or opinion?The defendant’s confession came at the end of the depositions in the trial for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which firmly established his participation in terror activity beyond any doubt.
The defendant’s confession came at the end of the depositions in the trial for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which 135 witnesses identified him as one of the gunmen who fired on commuters at the Mumbai station.
Fact or opinion?a. Mitt Romney’s futile election
campaign came to a disappointing
end last night as the exhausted
candidate conceded defeat before
200 loyal supporters.
b. Mitt Romney’s presidential
election campaign came to an end
last night as the Republican
candidate conceded defeat before
200 cheering supporters.
By davelawrence8
Fact or opinion?a. Mitt Romney’s futile election
campaign came to a disappointing
end last night as the exhausted
candidate conceded defeat before
200 loyal supporters.
b. Mitt Romney’s presidential
election campaign came to an end
last night as the Republican
candidate conceded defeat before
200 cheering supporters.
By davelawrence8
Fact or opinion?a. Mitt Romney’s futile election
campaign came to a disappointing
end last night as the exhausted
candidate conceded defeat before
200 loyal supporters.
b. Mitt Romney’s presidential
election campaign came to an end
last night as the Republican
candidate conceded defeat before
200 cheering supporters.
By davelawrence8
Definitions: Bias•A way of looking at the world that
values one group, person or
philosophy over another.
By H
on
es
tRe
po
rtin
g
Definitions: Objectivity•Reporting on a subject fairly
without being influenced by
personal beliefs, feelings or biases.
•The reporter keeps his or her own
opinions and feelings out of the
story as much as possible and
reports only the facts.
Definitions: Balance•Reporting all sides of a subject
without favoring one over another
By v
aX
zin
e
Definitions: Fairness•Treating all people and subjects in
an equal, even-handed and
reasonable way.
By T
he P
izza
Revie
w
Definitions: Accuracy•Being correct, true and precise.
• Which is more precise?
a. The woman is very tall.
OR
b. The woman is 183
centimeters tall.
By P
ett
er
Du
va
nd
er
10 most common errors1. Misquotation
2. Numbers wrong
3. Misspelling
4. Job title wrong
5. Name wrong
6. Location wrong
7. Time wrong
8. Date wrong
9. Address wrong
10. Age wrong
Factual newspaper errors ranked in order of frequency, according to research at the University of
Oregon. From Inside Reporting, by Tim Harrower
Accuracy
Major error of fact in
your story =
ZERO
Accuracy
NEVER
ASSUME
Accuracy
What does
ASSUME
spell?
Accuracy
Accuracy checklistAccuracy
Definitions: Verification
The steps a reporter takes to
make sure that the information a
source gives to him or her is true.
This may involve:
(1) observation,
(2) talking to other sources,
(3) looking at documents.
Verification
ASK: HOW
DO YOU
KNOW THAT?
Verification
If your mother says she loves
you,…
By D
in J
ime
ne
z
Verification
Verification
http://ethics.npr.org/category/memos-from-memmott/
Verification
http://ethics.npr.org/category/memos-from-memmott/
Verification
Verification
ASK: HOW
DO YOU
KNOW THAT?
Verification
Verification
GET IT
FIRST,
BUT GET IT
RIGHT.
Verification
VerificationIn 2011, 18 shot, including
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords; six died
NPR reports:
Congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords dead
The story was wrong!
Verification
Others reported the error
“A lie gets halfway around the world before the truthhas a chance to get its pants on.”
Verification
– Winston Churchill,
prime minister of Great Britain
How did NPR
get it wrong?•2 sources, but both anonymous
• Local sheriff’s office
• Congressional office
•Neither source had first-hand knowledge
•Did not follow policy requiring a top editor’s approval for the anonymous sources
Verification
Lessons• In reporting a death, the best sources are the hospital, funeral home or family – those with first-hand knowledge.
•Ask sources: how do you know that?
•Follow policy requiring a top editor’s approval for anonymous sources
•Don’t report as truth just because others are
Verification
Impact of the mistake•Caused enormous grief to her family and friends
•Damaged NPR’s credibility
Verification
Definitions: Objectivity•Reporting on a subject fairly
without being influenced by
personal beliefs, feelings or biases.
•The reporter keeps his or her own
opinions and feelings out of the
story as much as possible and
reports only the facts.
Objectivity
Objectivity
Definitions: Attribution• The way in which the reporter describes the source of a quote or information.
• When to use: Attribute quotes, things you did not see yourself. Shows readers that you’re reporting what’s been said, not saying it yourself.
• How: Use the verb, “said.” Identify source by name, occupation and other relevant details.
• Where: Should usually be at beginning or end of sentence.
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
Firefighter Aye Ko raced into the burning house to carry
3-year-old Aung San Oo to safety. “I heard a child
screaming,” Aye Ko said, “so I hacked through a wall
and found him huddled in a corner. The poor kid was
frozen in terror.”B
y B
en
jam
in J
. D
eL
on
g
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
Firefighter Aye Ko raced into the burning house to carry
3-year-old Aung San Oo to safety. “I heard a child
screaming,” Aye Ko said, “so I hacked through a wall
and found him huddled in a corner. The poor kid was
frozen in terror [From Inside Reporting]
By B
en
jam
in J
. D
eL
on
g
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
College spokesman Bo Mya said the fire damaged the
Human Resources offices on the ground floor, but 99
percent of their computer files had been saved. The
dorm will remain closed for at least two more days, Bo
Mya said. [From Inside Reporting]
By J
ere
me
Rau
ck
ma
n
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
College spokesman Bo Mya said the fire damaged the
Human Resources offices on the ground floor, but 99
percent of their computer files had been saved. The
dorm will remain closed for at least two more days, Bo
Mya said. [From Inside Reporting]
By J
ere
me
Rau
ck
ma
n
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
Justin Case, a Yale law professor and author of Death in
the Dorm, calls the issue “a ticking time bomb.”
Every dorm fire, Case argues, “proves that
administrators would rather spend your tuition on sports
than make campus buildings safer.” [From Inside Reporting]
By P
en
n S
tate
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
Justin Case, a Yale law professor and author of
Death in the Dorm, calls the issue “a ticking time
bomb.” Every dorm fire, Case argues, “proves that
administrators would rather spend your tuition on sports
than make campus buildings safer.” [From Inside Reporting]
By P
en
n S
tate
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
According to university records, third-year student Win
Aung sued the school for $1.7 million after suffering
third-degree burns in a 1987 dormitory fire. Win Aung
convinced a jury that the fire had left her “too
traumatized to continue her studies.” [From Inside Reporting]
By M
ea
gh
an
O'M
all
ey
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
According to university records, third-year student
Win Aung sued the school for $1.7 million after suffering
third-degree burns in a 1987 dormitory fire. Win Aung
convinced a jury that the fire had left her “too
traumatized to continue her studies.” [From Inside Reporting]
By M
ea
gh
an
O'M
all
ey
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
According to the National Fire Protection Association,
more than 2,000 fires occur at U.S. colleges and
universities each year, resulting in three deaths and 102
injuries annually, on average. Most of those
fires occur early in the morning. [From Inside Reporting]
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
According to the National Fire Protection
Association, more than 2,000 fires occur at U.S.
colleges and universities each year, resulting in three
deaths and 102 injuries annually, on average. Most of
those fires occur early in the morning. [From
Inside Reporting]
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
“I’m moving out,” said second-year student Tin Oo. “Next
term, I’m renting an apartment off campus.”
[From Inside Reporting]
By W
ag
ne
r T.
Ca
ss
imir
o "
Ara
nh
a"
Attribution
Where is the attribution?
“I’m moving out,” said second-year student Tin Oo.
“Next term, I’m renting an apartment off campus.”
[From Inside Reporting]
By W
ag
ner
T.
Cas
sim
iro
"A
ran
ha"
Attribution
Balance and fairness
• Reporters interview sources from all sides.
• Balanced stories do not favor one side.
• Fair stories treat all sides in an equal, even-
handed and reasonable way.
• When you can’t get a response from a
particular side, you include how you tried to
reach them.
• “U Kyaw Soe did not immediately return a phone
message requesting comment.”
Balance and fairness
Definition: Clarity
•Written clearly so that readers
can easily understand a story
• Is well-organized
•Has no jargon
• Is concise
• Is specific
•Has short words and sentences
Clarity
By A
lex
ey K
lja
tov
Original• 1. at that time
• 2. on one occasion
• 3. a small number of
• 4. in addition to
• 5. went on to say
• 6. in the near future
• 7. any one of the two
• 8. at the present time
• 9. told his listeners
that
• 10. all of a sudden
Less wordy
• 1. at that time then
• 2. on one occasion once
• 3. a small number of few
• 4. in addition to also
• 5. went on to say said
• 6. in the near future soon
• 7. any one of the two
either
• 8. at the present time now
• 9. told his listeners that
said
• 10. all of a sudden
suddenly
Clarity
Original
• 11. once in a great while
• 12. a large number of
• 13. during the time that
• 14. at regular intervals in
time
• 15. tendered his resignation
• 16. as long as (time, not
space)
• 17. not any one of the two
• 18. was able to make his
escape
• 19. spell out in act detail
• 20. brought to a sudden halt
Less wordy
• 11. once in a great while rarely
• 12. a large number of many
• 13. during the time that while
• 14. at regular intervals in time
regularly
• 15. tendered his resignation
resigned
• 16. as long as (time, not space)
• 17. not any one of the two neither
• 18. was able to make his escape
escaped
• 19. spell out in great detail
detailed
• 20. brought to a sudden halt
halted
Clarity
Original
• 21. completely destroyed by
fire
• 22. united in holy matrimony
• 23. plodded slowly
• 24. in the same manner as
• 25. the time at which
• 26. made an investigation of
• 27. is of the opinion that
• 28. a great number of times
• 29. ended his talk to the
assembled audience with
the following statement:
• 30. taken to the jail and
locked up
Less wordy
• 21. completely destroyed by fire
destroyed
• 22. united in holy matrimony
married
• 23. plodded slowly
• 24. in the same manner as like
• 25. the time at which
• 26. made an investigation of
investigated
• 27. is of the opinion that believes
• 28. a great number of times many
• 29. ended his talk to the
assembled audience with the
following statement: concluded
• 30. taken to the jail and locked up
jailed
Clarity
Original
• 31. at this point in time
• 32. went back to where he
came from
• 33. formulated a decision
• 34. yielded to an opinion
• 35. in this modern world
today
• 36. researched to gather
information
• 37. due to the fact that
• 38. a lot (frequency)
• 39. a lot of (quantity)
• 40. a lot of (a quality)
Less wordy• 31. at this point in time now
• 32. went back to where he
came from returned
• 33. formulated a decision
decided
• 34. yielded to an opinion
deferred
• 35. in this modern world today
• 36. researched to gather
information
• 37. due to the fact that because
• 38. a lot (frequency) often
• 39. a lot of (quantity) many
• 40. a lot of (quality) much
Clarity
Original
• 41. passed away
• 42. “put to sleep”
• 43. smiles on their
faces
• 44. in a careful
manner
• 45. in a facetious way
• 46. a free gift
• 47. foreign imports
• 48. future prognosis
• 49. in close proximity
• 50. followed behind
Less wordy
• 41. passed away died
• 42. “put to sleep”
euthanized
• 43. smiles on their faces
• 44. in a careful manner
carefully
• 45. in a facetious way
facetiously
• 46. a free gift
• 47. foreign imports
• 48. future prognosis
• 49. in close proximity
near
• 50. followed behind
Clarity
Definition: Completeness•Answers all of a reasonable reader’s questions. No “holes”
•5 W’s and H: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How
•Sources
•Documents
•Places
Completeness
By dz roman
You are a reporter for The
Irrawaddy who has been assigned
a story on results of the Myanmar
Census, the first since 1983.
•5 W’s and H: Who, What, When,
Where, Why and How
•Sources: whom to talk to?
•Documents: what documents?
•Places: where go?
Completeness
Who?
Who was counted?
What?
What was the total population?
What else was counted?
When?
When was the census taken?
Completeness: 5 W’s and H
Where?
Where was the census taken?
Were any areas left out?
Why?
Why was the census taken now?
How?
How was the census taken?
Completeness: 5 W’s and H
Completeness
http://bit.ly/mmcensus
Where was
it taken?
When was
it taken?
What else
was
counted?
•Sources: whom to talk to?
Census officials
•Documents: what documents?
Census report, Census website
•Places: where to go?
Census office, maybe follow-up
stories in other parts of the
country
Completeness
Completeness: Places
Completeness: Places
Highest
infant
mortality
rate
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Limited, the milestone signing builds upon the Sheraton first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Write Qs: 5 Ws and 1 H
Turn this press
release into a
story
for the
Myanmar
Times
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Who?
•Who is involved?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Who?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
What?
•What is happening?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
What?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
When?
• When was it announced?
• When will it open?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
When?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Where?
•Where will it be built?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Where?
Where in Yangon?
Why?
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Why?
•Why is Sheraton coming?
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Background (past):
• Many international hotel chains have entered the
country since 2011: Accor, Hilton, Kempinski,
Best Western, Royal Park
• 3 million foreign visitors in 2014
Context (now):
• 5 million foreign visitors expected in 2015
How?
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
How?• How much will it cost?
• How many rooms?
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Write a better lead
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels
& Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market
debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon
Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by
Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing
builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
• Tamwe Township in 2017
• WHO DID WHAT?
A Sheraton hotel is coming to Yangon’s Tamwe Township
in 2017, becoming the latest international chain to take
advantage of an expected surge in foreign visitors to
Myanmar.
Write it better
Completeness
A Sheraton hotel is coming to Yangon’s
Tamwe Township in 2017, becoming
the latest international chain to take
advantage of an expected surge in
foreign visitors to Myanmar.
What is
happening?Where? When?
Why?
Who and How for later
1. Credibility
2. Fact
3. Opinion
4. Truth
5. Bias
6. Objectivity
7. Balance
8. Fairness
9. Accuracy
a. Reporting on all sides of a subject without
favoring one over another
b. Reporting on a subject fairly without being
influenced by personal beliefs, feelings or
biases
c. A piece of info that has been verified or is
known to be true
d. Being correct, true and precise
e. Deserving of being trusted and believed
f. Going beyond what is known to assert a
belief, conclusion or prejudice
g. Verifiable facts
h. A way of looking at the world that values
one person, group or philosophy over
another
i. Treating all people and subjects in an
equal, even-handed and reasonable way.
REVIEW: Definitions
1. Accuracy
2. Verification
3. Objectivity
4. Attribution
5. Balance
6. Fairness
7. Clarity
8. Completeness
a. The way in which the reporter
describes the source of a quote or
information.
b. Reporting on all sides of a subject
without favoring one over another
c. Written clearly so that readers can
easily understand a story
d. Reporting on a subject fairly without
being influenced by personal beliefs,
feelings or biases
e. The steps a reporter takes to make
sure that the information a source
gives to him or her is true.
f. Being correct, true and precise
g. Answers all of a reasonable reader’s
questions.
h. Treating all people and subjects in an
equal, even-handed and reasonable
way.
REVIEW: Basic requirements for stories