Journalism EssentialsA limited series on media literacy and journalism skills from The School of The New York Times
Greetings, friends. My name is Ted Kim, and I oversee the newsroom’s early careers team at The New York Times. In the spring, we began a limited series about media literacy and journalism fundamentals. We touched on journalism’s role in society, the importance of fact-checking and navigating both misinformation and disinformation. We next wanted to highlight the key elements of a written news story, which even in this era of video and social media remains a fundamental way for reporters to tell stories and inform people about what is happening in the world. We have included an activity at the end. Thanks to my colleagues Bill Ruthhart and Sara Aridi for helping put this newsletter together. What Goes Into a StoryCrafting a news story is far different from drafting an academic paper, a personal essay or any other type of writing. News stories need to get to the point fast, as well as convey factual information clearly, concisely and with context. This is particularly important in a time of short attention spans. To understand how to write a news story, we first need to understand the news gathering process. There are seven main steps:
While this newsletter is about writing, the process above makes clear that good writing starts with both a good idea and solid information. Without gathering and verifying facts and details, we won’t have the material necessary to write a strong story. The Most Important Stuff FirstOnce you have finished your reporting, it’s time to write. But where to start? Most often, journalists don’t tell a story in the order in which events actually unfolded. Instead, they prioritize what readers need to know first. For example, if a train crashed, a journalist would not start the story with the train leaving the station. They would start with the most critical information: What happened? Was anyone injured? Where, when and how did the crash happen? This style of writing is often called the “inverted pyramid.” The writer starts with the who, what, when, where, why and how. Those are followed by other important details, such as a description or analysis from sources that can clarify what happened, as well as more background information and historical context. Together, this material works to inform the reader in the clearest and most efficient way possible.
Now, it’s time to write your first sentences — the lead, or “lede” as it’s often spelled in the news business. Stating the obvious, the lede is what leads off or begins your story. There are many types. We will focus on two. The most common is the straight news lede, which gets right to the point, conveying the most important information immediately. This type of opening is often used to cover urgent, breaking news. Here’s a recent example: Rare tornadoes struck New York City and Long Island on Thursday evening, as severe weather drenched parts of the Mid-Atlantic, flooded streets and subway stations, and disrupted traffic on some highways. The second type is called an anecdotal lede, which starts with a concise anecdote or story that illustrates what an article is about. It’s more commonly used in news stories that are not quite as urgent. Here’s an example from a story about construction workers discovering gold under an old building. When the police chief learned what workers had found, sealed inside a small brick cellar as they drilled below a defunct brewery, he was sure someone had interrupted his Tuesday meeting with a prank. Notice that, in both examples, the writers provide the reader with the most important information high up. The Importance of ContextOnce you have crafted your lede, it's time to explain what the story is about and why it’s important to read. This is the “So what?” of the piece, often referred to as the “nut graf” or “nut graph” because it’s the kernel that holds everything together. Here’s an example from a recent Business story about the price of diesel fuel. First, here’s the lede: When Randy Madden saw the way diesel prices were rising, he decided to delay purchasing the fuel that powers his 3,000-acre farm in Iowa. The reporter, Aruni Soni, chose an anecdotal lede. She then wrote a nut graf that summed up the news: The average price of diesel in the United States was $5.62 a gallon on Wednesday, 53 percent higher than a year earlier, according to the AAA motor club. Because fuel supplies were disrupted after the United States and Israel went to war with Iran, diesel prices are now hovering close to a record high and could drive up prices of many other goods and services. The best stories use a lede to draw in the reader, then follow it quickly with context meant to answer the question, “So what?” Sources of InformationExplaining to readers how you got your information, often called attribution, is critical to building trust. We can attribute key facts to eyewitnesses, experts, organizations, legal documents and many other sources. For example, in the severe weather story, the reporters explained how they knew that two tornadoes touched down. Two waterspouts — columns of air and moisture that spin over water — appeared off southern Queens in New York City and Nassau County on Long Island before moving onshore as tornadoes, said John Murray, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. The same is true of the diesel fuel piece. The average price of diesel in the United States was $5.62 a gallon on Wednesday, 53 percent higher than a year earlier, according to the AAA motor club. A final word about attribution: You don’t need to provide a source for every fact. If you are stating information that a majority of people would already know, then attribution is not needed (e.g., that the Statue of Liberty is in New York). The EndingOnce you have woven in the facts, context and attribution in order of importance, it’s time to end your piece. In most cases, a story can just conclude with the last information worth including. Sometimes, though, writers like to wrap things up with a flourish. Journalists call the last line of a story the “kicker,” because it’s designed to pack a punch or “kick.” Some pieces end on a final anecdote. Others leave the reader with a strong quote. Here’s an example from a story about Rob Martin, a California climber rescued from a jagged ledge: After reaching the ground, Mr. Martin, who was not injured, found a hotel and took a shower. In total, Mr. Martin clung to the ledge for more than nine hours. Here’s a Suggested ActivityPick a recent news story and identify the following:
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