CCNY Introduction To Journalism
Truth Matters
Currently
Due to
Prior to
In an effort to
For the purpose of
In order to
Is of the opinion that
Due to the fact that
In the near future
At this point in time
During my time
Subsequent
Affinity For
Am Willing
A pitch describes the story you want to tell. You need to write a few short paragraphs that get attention and explain what you plan to do. Avoid writing in generalities like, I want to do a story about gentrification in Washington Heights. You want to focus on a specific angle. Are you reporting from the perspective of business and developers? Or, are you looking from the ground level up and the perspective of people who feel that their homes are threatened.
Your pitch might read like this:
Many Dominicans settled in Washington Heights during the 1970s and the neighborhood quickly filled with Dominican restaurants, bodegas and the sounds of Bachata. Multi-generational families filled the spacious apartments from Dyckman Street to 155th Street. But a study by the CUNY Dominican Institute found that the number of Dominican households shrunk by 21% in fifteen years. Rising rents forced many families to move to the suburbs or elsewhere.
I’ll talk to Melissa Suero and her family who have lived in the neighborhood since the 1970s. They worry about whether they can continue to live there. The rents are going up in the building and a developer just bought the building next door. I will also talk to the owner of the Mi Esfuerzo bodega. He opened his store in 1971 and has seen many changes. I’ll talk to other people in the neighborhood, and reach out to the developer who bought the building next door to where Melissa’s family lives. I’ll also try to talk to someone who has moved into the neighborhood more recently.
I’ll also take photographs to help illustrate the story.
Or
The “nut graf (graph) tells readers what your story is about and where it is going. It sums up things and transitions from the lead to the rest of your story.
If you start with something interesting instead of the inverted pyramid, it helps explain what you are talking about. It gives the reader, viewer and listener the big picture.
It clearly states the point that you are making and gives the angle of the story.
The nut graf has several purposes, according to Poynter an organization that provides training for journalists.
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To figure out what your story is about, write a one-sentence walkaway. That’s the one sentence you want your reader to — you got it! — walk away with after reading your piece. Then craft that so tightly that it will fit on the back of a business card:
Your walkaway sentence should answer the readers’ two most burning questions:
Stuck? Try telling a friend who knows nothing about the story what it’s about. Then capture that summary for your nut graph.
Some people want to talk and others don’t. You must try your best to get people to talk to you and tell you what you want to know.
All interviews require the same basic skills. You need to prepare. You want to research and find out everything you can about the subject before you ask a question.
Breaking News Challenge
If you head to a breaking news story, you want to find out whatever facts are available before you get there. When you arrive at the scene of the story, you want to quickly assess the situation and decide who can give you the best information.
You want to pause for a minute or two to think about what you learned and decide who you need to interview.
Then you want to calmly approach the person, introduce yourself and try to make a human connection. That will help you talk to the interview subject and get the best answers.
Sit-down Interviews
In a sit-down interview preparation is key. You want to make sure that you know everything about your subject. Celebrities, politicians and athletes will tell you what they want to tell you. So you must think about what you and your readers, viewers or listeners want to know. Look for the unusual, something others haven’t covered before.
Whether you interview someone in person, via video chat, or phone, the principles for a good interview remain the same.
You will not be graded on this.
Reorganize the facts here and write an inverted pyramid or pyramid lede. Make sure you have a nut graf. That’s the paragraph that tells us what the story is about and where it is going.
Make sure you write in the active voice and feel free to change sentences.
The story starts here:
Since May more than 11,000 immigrants have entered New York City’s shelter system.
Mayor Adams said the shelter system is near the breaking point.
José Aponte got off the a bus at the Port Authority and look around dazed.
At least nine busloads arrived from the Texas border to the Port Authority by mid-afternoon on Sunday, one bus more than last week’s previous apparent record of eight in a single day.
Typically, between 40 and 50 migrants are on each bus before they are dropped off and assisted by the city and non-profits.
Sunday’s record bus number comes as Texas officials angry over President Biden’s border policies have been ramping up the amount of migrants they’ve been transporting to “progressive” cities such as New York.
On Friday, an aid worker at the Port Authority said, “Before, it used to be one or two [buses] a day, three days a week.
Mayor Adams said, “It’s outrageous that he governor of Texas is sending people to New York, but we will find places for them to stay.”
Some immigrants have relatives in other cities and immigrant advocacy groups are working to help them connect. Carlos Sosa said, “We are trying to find people who can help those arriving including relatives in other cities.
José Aponte said in Spanish, “I left everything in Venezuela to make a new life here for me and my family. I hope that I can stay. I am willing to work at any job. I just need a chance.”
Immigrant advocates say that the Adams administration is not doing enough to help.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday that Republican governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida have created a “humanitarian crisis” by sending migrants from the U.S.–Mexico border up north.
Abbott began busing migrants from Texas to New York City and Washington, D.C., in the spring. DeSantis sent 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard last week.
Adams called on the governors to coordinate with the federal government and the blue states where they are sending migrants.
Abbott began busing migrants from Texas to New York City and Washington, D.C., in the spring. DeSantis sent 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard last week.
Adams argued that it is an easier transition for migrants when they have sponsors.
“We have Venezuelan communities in America, let’s coordinate in that fashion like we’ve done with other large communities we have in New York City where we’re able to coordinate, get sponsors, work with our non-government organizations,” Mayor Adams said. “That is what crisis calls for — it calls for coordination.”
From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:
Emergency repairs on a crumbling section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway will mean closing most of the busy highway between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street during three weekends and an unspecified number of nights between March and October of 2023.
From Complex News:
By now, you’ve likely heard the NBA pregame tunnel be compared to a fashion runway. Sure, it’s become a bit of a cliché when it comes to discussing the relationship between basketball and fashion and it’s probably hard to find many similarities between the Oratoire du Louvre and the inner workings of Capital One Arena, but the point is hard to argue when you see some of the eye-catching looks being shown off across an 82-game season. And one of the NBA pregame tunnel’s most talked-about models is Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma.
From Jezebel:
As Britain continues to mourn their late monarch Queen Elizabeth II—and grapple with her, er, complicated legacy—two women have reportedly been sexually assaulted while standing in a now 24-hours-long line to pay their respects, according to the Mirror UK.
After declaring an official, last-minute bank holiday for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, UK citizens were invited to view Lizzie’s coffin at Westminster Hall, on display until the funeral procession begins. But as thousands of mourners waited in the queue at Victoria Tower Gardens on Wednesday night, 19-year-old Adio Adeshine allegedly took the opportunity to expose himself and press his genitals against at least two women from behind.
From Bleacher Report:
The Golden State Warriors don’t want to envision a scenario in which Draymond Green suits up for another team.
Green can opt out of the final year of his deal and hit free agency in 2023. Speaking with The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami, Warriors general manager Bob Myers said the four-time All-Star is “not a guy we look at and say he’s not going to be around.”
From the New York Daily News:
At least three people were killed Saturday when two small planes collided mid-air over Boulder County, Colo.
A single-engine Cessna 172 and a Sonex Xenos crashed into each other in flight near Vance Brand Airport in Longmon just before 9 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
from the Washington Post
An op-ed is an opinion piece by a guest writer that makes a clear argument about a topic usually (but not always) in the news. The name is derived from the traditional placement of these pieces opposite the editorial page of the printed newspaper.
Op-eds should be focused: 750 to 800 words is ideal. Op-eds can incorporate charts, photos, audio or even comics.
Personal essays that do not make an argument are generally not op-eds. Even if the op-ed includes a personal story, it should have a point to make — something readers can engage with and think about.
Journalistic investigations without an argument are not op-eds. Poems and works of fiction usually are not op-eds either. Neither are reviews of books, movies, television shows or other media. We only rarely accept op-eds that are written as open letters.
Timing is to an op-ed as location is to real estate, especially if you are writing on a breaking-news topic. That means an op-ed submitted on the day after an event will have an advantage over one submitted a week later, when the conversation has slowed.
Not every op-ed will be about the news of the day, but it should always have an original angle — something readers might not have thought of before and will find interesting.
Your op-ed can be about any topic in the news and does not need to reference a specific Washington Post article.
Yes, this can be included in the comments field of this form, or after a piece is accepted. Supporting documents and citations are very helpful during the editing process.
The format of your op-ed helps the reader understand your argument. Here is a classic structure that does this effectively:
There are many other ways of presenting ideas that work, but any successful op-ed needs structure and a logical flow that makes the reader’s life easier, not harder.
A lede (rhymes with “deed”) is the opening sentence or sentences of your op-ed, and it is very important.
A good lede will draw in readers and persuade them to keep reading. It can be your thesis, but it does not have to be. In any event, make sure to get to the crux of your argument fast — that means in the first couple of paragraphs. Remember, you have only 750 words, so make each of them count.
A kicker is the last sentence of your article. It should leave readers satisfied that they knew what the piece was about and that it was worth getting through. Sometimes circling back to the beginning does the trick.
What do we call people in prison or jail?
http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia
Said and Stated
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/keep-it-simple-keys-to-realistic-dialogue-part-ii
From the Associated Press Style Guide
Numbers
In general, spell out one through nine: The Yankees finished second. He had nine months to go. Use figures for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measure or referring to ages of people, animals, events or things. Also in all tabular matter, and in statistical and sequential forms.
Use figures for:
ACADEMIC COURSE NUMBERS: History 6, Philosophy 209.
ADDRESSES: 210 Main St. Spell out numbered streets nine and under: 5 Sixth Ave.; 3012 50th St.; No. 10 Downing St. Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Spell them out and capitalize without a number: Pennsylvania Avenue.See addresses.
AGES: a 6-year-old girl; an 8-year-old law; the 7-year-old house. Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun. A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old. The boy, 5, has a sister, 10. The race is for 3-year-olds. The woman is in her 30s. 30-something, but Thirty-something to start a sentence.
CENTURIES: Use figures for numbers 10 or higher: 21st century. Spell out for numbers nine and lower: fifth century. (Note lowercase.) For proper names, follow the organization’s usage.
COURT DECISIONS: The Supreme Court ruled 5-4, a 5-4 decision. The word to is not needed, except in quotations: “The court ruled 5 to 4.”
DATES, YEARS AND DECADES: Feb. 8, 2007, Class of ’66, the 1950s. For the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 9/11 is acceptable in all references. (Note comma to set off the year when the phrase refers to a month, date and year.)
MILLIONS, BILLIONS, TRILLIONS: Use a figure-word combination. 1 million people; $2 billion, NOT one million/two billion. (Also note no hyphen linking numerals and the word million, billion or trillion.)See millions, billions, trillions; dollars.MONETARY UNITS: 5 cents, $5 bill, 8 euros, 4 pounds.
SCHOOL GRADES: Use figures for grades 10 and above: 10th grade. Spell out for first through ninth grades: fourth grade, fifth grader.
SEQUENTIAL DESIGNATIONS: Page 1, Page 20A. They were out of sizes 4 and 5; magnitude 6 earthquake; Rooms 3 and 4; Chapter 2; line 1 but first line; Act 3, Scene 4, but third act, fourth scene; Game 1, but best of seven.See act numbers; chapters; earthquakes; line numbers; page numbers; scene numbers.
POLITICAL DISTRICTS: Ward 9, 9th Precinct, 3rd Congressional District.See congressional districts; political divisions.–
Recipes: 2 tablespoons of sugar to 1 cup of milk.See recipes.SPEEDS: 7 mph, winds of 5 to 10 mph, winds of 7 to 9 knots.