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Lesson 1.

2 B: How to Tell a Good Story


PBS NewsHour Producer Anne Davenport explains how she tells the best possible story. WHAT ADVICE DO YO HAVE !O" ST DE#TS $A%I#G A #EWS "E&O"T !O" THE VE"Y !I"ST TI$E' Be passionate, have fun and fulfill a purpose larger than your own. Reporting the news always has been and remains a public service. So be clear about the reason you are doing what you are doing and then figure out the best approach to the actual story at hand. What is the story about? What voices are necessary and beneficial for telling the story i.e. whom to interview!? What are the other elements or "building bloc#s$ which compose a nicely told, visual, compelling %& story. %his is important to #eep your audience's a(ention. ) good video report is more than bites strung together. )re there some graphics you could ma#e? Some archival footage? Some footage of real people who represent larger trends you can film and maybe interview those people!. Run your ideas by your teacher and mentor, but also your peers. %he more contributing minds the be(er. %hat's how good ideas are born. *on't be afraid to shi+ gears, change courses if the story ta#es a turn. )d,ust to where the reporting ta#es you. -t's a ,ourney. not a finite path. /ood to have a plan but be ready to be 0e1ible and 0uid. Stories do have a beginning, middle and an end. )nd you still need to chec# on the Who, What, Where, When , Why23ven seasoned ,ournalists sometimes forget. HOW DO YO G"AB THE A DIE#CE(S ATTE#TIO#' 4pen with your strongest video -5 it is useful in telling an important editorial point. -n other words, don't start on a spea#er from a podium at a press conference if there's a way to show compelling video and maybe a story of a person a6ected by or instrumental in the issue at hand. %hen go to your 7e1perts' etc. as you broaden out the story. Strong S489* is also crucial. 9atural sound up the sound of a protest, #ids playing, the school bell! can grab people. :ore and more people "watching$ %& are actually busy doing other things and are listening and sometimes get a feed of programs li#e the 9ews;our on the radio. HOW DO YO DECIDE O# A ST" CT "E !O" YO " STO"Y' /ather your elements and then stop and really thin# about what ma#es the most sense before launching into write the piece. 3dit it and play around with moving elements and see what ,ibes best. <ieces are li#e a ,igsaw pu==le e1cept, in this case, there's no R-/;% or 49>? way to proceed. %here are ways that are more e6ective than others though.

?ou'll #now it when you see it@hear it2)s# others to review. *oes it convey to the viewer why he@she should care. HOW DO YO CHOOSE SO #D BITES' %ry to pic# sound that does not replicate the lead in line to it. %ry to pic# bites which convey 3:4%-49 or ):<>-5-A)%-49 or something that you wouldn't say in the correspondent trac#. -n other words, you don't need someone to say , "%he roads are going to be shut today at Bpm.$ %he narrator can say that in the trac#. -nstead use the sound bite from the interview that e1pands on the informationC "%he reason the roads are being shut is because we fear danger on the slippery side roads that haven't been plowed$ 2%hat would be amplification. 4r, emotion would be, "-'m really scared that when the roads are shut down, people won't be able to get home to loved ones.$ HOW DO YO $AI#TAI# BALA#CE' -nterview a variety of people on the phone 5-RS%. %hese "preDinterviews$ are essential so you are not surprised by what fol#s say when you show up and roll a camera. ?es, people may say something di6erent than they did on the phone in some cases but generally, what they say in person should hew to what they said on the phone. Balance can be sub,ective. ;ave lots of people view your wor# before airEa mini focus group. %here are shades of gray in some arguments so it's good to hear the whole spectrum to the e1tent you can accommodate that in your report.

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