Journalism 101 with Charles Paolino, an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University. Assignment #1: write a news story. "Put the most important facts first," he said. The entire story was maybe two paragraphs long. This was in the era long before "word processing," so his comments were typewritten on a separate piece of paper.
He underlined the first sentence and wrote: "If there's one thing this story is not about, it's this." Sentence number two was underlined similarly: "This is another." Sentence three: "This is another." I remember the fourth sentence particularly well: "This isn't even true."
He wrote that in 1977. That's 33 years ago for those of you keeping score. There was no letter grade affixed to my assignment, but even as a young cub reporter, I knew a mercy killing when I saw one.
Though his comments stung, Paolino was oh so right about writing. Put the important stuff first. It's true in a news article, a letter, a memo and in phone conversations. It's true in tweets, too, but oddly enough, some things that are only 146 characters long still tend to wander.
The goal is to let the reader know that if you stop anywhere, anytime, you still have what you need to know. This is high art in USA Today. There are those who dismiss McPaper as the chicken mcnugget of journalism. I disagree.
Too much of today's reporting makes the facts get in line behind a blathering attempt at style. Put the important stuff first. If there's one thing this blog post is about, it's that.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Most local newspaper writers would do well to follow this advice. There's a common saying at our breakfast table when we discuss what's in the morning paper: "that would be useful information, so it's not in the article."
ReplyDeletePaolino is a local newspaper guy. For many years, I had that first assignment -- and his edits -- framed on my office wall. Good advice sticks. Thanks for your comment.
ReplyDelete