Instructor’s News Writing Tips for JSONS
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MISC. If a story is complex, I will consider giving you credit for two stories. Talk to me ahead of time. Also, although hard-copy comment/corrections will be provided to you, it is VERY important that you read carefully the edited, final version of your story (on the site) and compare it with your submitted original…. Here are some “style” reminders: –”Said” is better than “says” in the vast majority of news stories that deal with an event’s coverage. Broadcast scripts can use the present tense. –It is “Jones said,” not “said Jones.” –Use “more than” rather than “over” when referring to quantity. –We use NO personal pronouns in our stories unless we are quoting someone. On a rare occasion, a reviewer may be exempted. –Job titles following a person’s name are lower cased–before the name they are capitalized. –In first reference, use full name and title. Use only last name after that. –Start your story with the date of submission, then leave a line blank, then start your text. –Some Emerson departments use “Communication” NOT “Communications” in their names/titles. Confirm before you turn your story in. –Dont’ start a sentence with a digit–spell out the number or recast the sentence. –Punctuation marks (, . ;, etc.) fall inside quotation marks, i.e. “…….,” she said. –As a matter of policy, JSONS reporters do not show their notes or story drafts to news sources prior to publication. If WE are unclear about something, WE call to verify. –Don’t indent when you start a new paragraph. Simply leave one line blank and then go to the next line to start a new paragraph. |
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