Chap3 Flashcards
2 important parts of prewriting
central point and outlines
central point:
one- or two- sentence summary of what the story is about and why it is newsworthy
where would you find your central point?
can occur in the lead or nut graf of your story
purpose of story outlines
help form the skeleton of an article
T/F stories should be all short sentences
f: Stores should have a mixture of long and short sentences.
Sentences in publications for the general public average ___ to ___ words.
15 to 20
Using [subject> verb> direct object] structure creates less clutter
SVO
words that are almost always unnecessary
“that”, “then”, “currently”, “now” and “presently”
Examples of redundant phrases, give two
dead body, exactly identical
redundancy often arises because writers _____, then _______. Usually, the more specific information will suffice.
intro a topic, present some specific info about it
resist temptation to become _____ _____ with your _____
too comfortable with your subject
assume the audience members are intelligent enough to…
draw their own conclusions about issues in the news
rules on racism
RACISM: omit race/religion of subject unless absolutely pertinent to the understanding of the story
rules on sexism
SEXISM: avoid occupational terms that exclude woman, ex: fireman
examples of ageism
Examples of ageism in stories: surprise that an older person has fallen in love, bought a sports car, remains alert, healthy, innovative and productive.
