How can you effectively tell your story?
Telling your story
There are three main components of making a detailed and informative article: identifying a development or issue, researching the topic, and finally using what you have learned to write the final story. Here, we will delve into the details of each of the three stages.
Crafting your story
How do I create a story?
Identifying a Story
While identifying, you should also think about the type of article your final story will be, of which there are two major types:
Enterprise stories are deeper and go beyond simply reporting news, focusing on investigations and analyzing the causes and forces shaping a development.
Breaking news stories are created to report a story immediately and often lack in-depth analysis, sacrificing explanations for the sake of time.
Finding issues or developments that interest you is the most crucial part of journalism. If you treat journalism like a chore or find your topic boring, you will inevitably slow down, and the final product will generally not be interesting for others either.
Besides personal interest, you should also consider the importance of your topic as well as the location of the development, or where it is centered.
Finding a topic that is relevant in your community, county, or state will enhance your story by making it easier to find people directly affected by it.
Furthermore, you will likely have a better understanding of it due to your first-hand experience related to the issue.
Doing Research
After you find a topic, it’s time to learn more about it! Using browsers for supplementary research during your development is always beneficial. Still, you can also look at news websites that have covered your issue in the past for information that is generally more relevant and trustworthy (e.g., The New York Times, BBC, CNN).
Listen to our podcast with Rebecca Snyder, executive director of the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association on how to approach interviews and research.
Interviews are also a great way to gain new perspectives and information about your topic, as well as make your article more engaging for the reader. Use Google to find the contact information for people you want to reach out to, and send them an email explaining your intentions. If doing so, you should ideally interview two or more people, so that both sides have support in your article (unless the story is an opinion piece or you’re focusing on a single perspective or campaign). Always make sure to be respectful and thank the person at the end!
Putting It All Together
The first paragraph is the most important: this is where the 5 “W”s (who, what, where, when, why) of your story should go. First, start with the hook: statistics, anecdotes, questions, and quotes all work well to engage the reader and pique their interest in the story you are trying to tell, but the best get them emotionally invested. It’s been said that a good journalist only utilizes a quote hook once in their lifetime- seeing as quotes are often overused, and it is mandatory that the quote be intentional for it to be considered as a hook. Here are some examples:
When Mr. Li opened his convenience store on Tuesday morning, the last thing he expected was a flood of protestors at his door.
Every 11 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies by suicide - and teens are among the fastest-growing group.
Most good articles follow a similar structure, starting with a hook, introducing a nut graph, and then delving into the topic in depth. Incorporating both with the “inverted pyramid” structure, which journalists and writers use to organize information (essentially, the most important information should come first, followed by more details, and finally, minor things) ensures your story is engaging and allows readers to understand it even if they haven’t read all of it.
After the hook, the nut graph is where you describe and summarize the story, focusing on the most essential details. Here, you should answer the questions on:
The importance - so what, and why are you telling me this?
The significance - what is the bigger picture?
However, ensure that you keep it concise and to the point: write as if you are almost out of room.
Once your introduction is complete, proceed to the body paragraphs and expand on your nut graph with additional information, reasoning, and connections. Many times, you will be tempted to add quotes to decrease your workload or add “detail” to the story, whether as a hook or in the main story. However, this proves a double-edged sword: while good quotes that have genuine emotion or strengthen an argument make your article more engaging and powerful, adding generic words will do you no good. Be meticulous with your quotes and always consider their purpose.
A good quote: “For once in my life, I felt like I was making an impact: that I had a voice,” said student Jared Portman, eyes filled with tears.
A terrible quote: “The event was fun,” said Jared.
When you have finished your first draft, always make sure to look over it for errors or parts that could be improved on:
Try reading your article out loud to see if it has smooth transitions from one section to another and is engaging.
Use spelling and grammar-checking software, such as Grammarly, to identify any areas with mistakes.
Share your article with a family member or friend and ask for their feedback. Peer editing is one of the most effective ways of review.
Getting the Story Out
Once you have your content, it’s time to share it with the world! Social media will be your best friend for spreading the word about your article, video, or creation: chances are, you probably already have an existing account on apps like Instagram or YouTube. This will allow you to capitalize on the existing follower “base” that you have; make sure to post information about your story there and allow others to see it! Here are some things to do at this stage:
You can always contact close friends and ask them to review your story; they may even share it if you've done a good job writing it!
Feedback constantly improves a story, so always ask for critiques and comments. After all, journalism is a continuous process of improvement.
Celebrate your hard work and congratulate yourself for finishing!