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Journalism 6

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5 views

Journalism 6

Uploaded by

ddwsvty8rr
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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JOURNALISM 1:

Lesson 6
Brainstorming and finding stories

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash


News that matters: News discussion

The lecturer should refresh the news discussion before each class since news
evolves daily.
Specific outcomes for this lesson:

▪ Brainstorm story ideas

▪ Find stories in your environment


(campus)

▪ Validate your story ideas in terms of


terms of newsworthiness (thus, is
the story newsworthy or not –
remember news values)

▪ Understand the characters in a story,


the event and the action
Story ideas

• A news angle is the specific focus or perspective from which a news story is reported. It
represents the unique and interesting aspect of an event or issue that makes it
newsworthy.

• News angles help journalists and editors decide how to present a story to capture the
audience's attention and convey the most important information.

• Exploring new perspectives on a breaking, developing, or ongoing news story is a


crucial aspect of the editorial process. Journalists bear the responsibility of
contemplating and elucidating how news developments resonate with the lives of their
audience. Typically, this process unfolds during news meetings where editorial staff
What is a journalistic writing/story

• Journalistic writing is a form of non- • A story is the telling of an event, either true
fiction writing used to report news or fictional, in such a way that the listener
and factual events. It can be utilised experiences or learns something just by the
in newspaper articles, television fact that he heard the story.
reports, radio scripts, and on news
websites. • A story is a means of transferring
information, experience, attitude or point of
• As it is written to inform, view. Every story has a teller and a listener.
journalistic writing usually consists
of short sentences and paragraphs
that get to the point of the article
quickly.
Different types of journalistic stories

▪ Journalism falls into four broad categories—news journalism,


investigative journalism, feature journalism, and opinion/analysis.

▪ These types then branch out into a variety of different niches, styles, and
techniques, with specialties ranging from politics and crime to sports and
entertainment.

▪ General news reporting is deadline-driven, succinct, and meant to inform


the public quickly and objectively about the day’s news.

▪ Investigative journalism takes a deep dive into a story or topic to uncover


something previously unknown or deliberately hidden.
News can either hard or soft

▪ Hard news is when reporters tell you important and true


stories about things that are happening right now, like big
events, crimes, or disasters.

▪ It's all about giving you the most essential and accurate
information.

▪ The purpose of hard news is to educate and inform (and


sometimes inspire)
Example of a hard news story

A 38-year-old police constable has been arrested in connection with


the death of two people and the attempted murder of three others.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) confirmed the
arrest of Constable Checha Doctor Makau for the incident that took place on
September 30, 2023. (IOL, 2024)
Soft news stories

▪ Soft news stories are less serious and often


focus on entertaining or human-interest topics.

▪ They are light-hearted and may include features


on lifestyle, culture, or personal stories.

▪ Examples of soft news include celebrity gossip,


lifestyle trends, or heartwarming human-interest
stories.
Example of a soft news story

Ray J and Princess Love have file


d for divorce for the fourth time.
The 43-year-old singer has been
married to Princess, 39, since 2016
and has Melody, five, as well as
four-year-old Epik with her but
the pair had filed for divorce a num
ber of times since May 2020 before
getting back together
and have now decided once again
that they intend to part ways. (IOL,
2024)
Where do I find stories?

▪ Scan local newspapers, advertisements


▪ Read widely
▪ Engage in local government meetings/or community meetings
▪ Swipe social media
▪ Cover local events
▪ Join groups
▪ Network and socialise
▪ Be observant
▪ Eavesdrop
▪ Keep an ideas file
Stories for Boston Media House

▪ Remember that different media have different audiences.


▪ Boston Media House specifically caters to a student audience.
▪ The interests of students differ from those of young working adults, mature adults,
and senior citizens.
▪ Students have a unique culture, being particularly interested in:
▪ Music
▪ Gossip (although it's essential to note that gossip stories are not always news
stories)
▪ Socialising and events
▪ Fashion and lifestyle
▪ Social issues
▪ New trends and technology
▪ Entertainment
▪ Cultural and artistic activates
Brainstorming stories

▪ Sports (hard news – what is happening now)


▪ Are there any sports stars (maybe North Gauteng netball players or rugby players,
soccer stars etc. Find out

▪ Trends
▪ Look for trendsetters on campus.
▪ What is the latest fashion trend?

▪ Social issues (hard news or soft news)


▪ From dust to college – a story of survival
▪ Poverty among students – student funding and free education
▪ Guest speakers – LBGTQ speakers
▪ Crime on campus (hard news)
▪ Resignation of a well-known lecturer (hard news)
▪ New construction across campus (impact on students – Sandton)
Brainstorming stories

▪ Socials and entertainment


▪ Latest DJ electrifying the scene and on campus
▪ Activities on campus
▪ Drinking among students (more hard news)

▪ Music
▪ A social media music influencer
▪ Latest nightingale popping the scene
▪ Hip-hop artist culture on campus
The characters, the event, the context

▪ Stories have characters - in fiction, the characters could either be


animated things, animals or human beings
▪ In journalism our characters are always humans
▪ ALWAYS include people in your story – even if you write about
issues
▪ In journalism, characters are the people who are part of a news
story
▪ They might be the ones directly involved in what's happening or
sharing their thoughts about it
▪ Describing these individuals in a news report helps readers or
viewers understand them better and makes the story more
interesting and relatable
The villain

▪ In journalism, the term “villains" is not commonly used in the same way it is in
fiction
▪ But we can describe villains in journalism as those who harm (either financially
or emotionally) members of society
▪ Corrupt government officials
▪ Fraudsters
▪ Bogus doctors
▪ Murders and rapist
The heroes

▪ In journalistic stories, "heroes" are not typically portrayed in the same


way as in fictional tales.
▪ Heroes can be individuals, groups, or entities that play a positive and
significant role in bringing about positive change, exposing truth, or
advocating for justice
▪ Heroes can also be survivors
The context

▪ In journalism, "context" means giving extra information to help people


understand a story better

▪ It's like background details that explain who, what, when, where, why, and how
things happened.

▪ Adding context makes sure the audience gets the full picture and can better grasp
the importance of the news.
The event

▪ In journalism, an "event" is something that


happens, like a situation, incident, or occurrence.

▪ It could be a speech, a protest, a sports game, or


any newsworthy incident

▪ Journalists tell stories about these events to keep


people informed about what's happening in the
world.
Group activity

▪ Divide the students into groups of three


▪ Give each group a copy of a newspaper
▪ Ask them to analyse three stories – identifying the
characters, the context, and the event

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