Well Done, Everyone; Now Keep Writing

What color are your ideas?

Our course may be through officially, but I hope your interest in writing is blooming like a hundred fields of flowers.

Feel free to continue posting links along with your thoughtful ideas in this space. We’ll keep this blog alive (as long as WordPress allows it) so you can use it as a place to write and analyze — and also as a repository of your good works that you would like to share with a prospective employer.

Here’s another boost for you all to get involved in student media activities. See me if you’d like an introduction.

New and Shocking Prototype Space Aged Basics for this Generation: Reading and Writing.

If this essay were a newspaper article, the headline would read, “Good Writing is the Key to Success.”  Well, that headline probably would have gotten scrapped but the message is clear, to be a good writer you have to write well.  It seems pretty obvious but nearly everyone questioned preached that fact.  In college, a writer can learn every bit of AP style and be able to distinguish every lead from the others, but if the writer can’t produce a basic understanding of good writing then they have learned it all for nothing.

As an aspiring film or TV writer, rather than anything directly news based, this news seems like good news to me (news doesn’t have a lot of synonyms, sorry for the confusion).  Perhaps it seems that way because I am naïve.  And it probably does.  But it eases my nerves to know that if I learn good grammar, punctuation, verb agreement and a couple (laundry lists) of other things I can be a good writer for just about anyone doing just about anything.

Another point I took away from the interviews was reading.  Reading was emphasized in two ways.  The first was to expand your mind and to soak up knowledge like a sponge. The second was to read to use other people’s ideas to further your own (and obviously not to plagiarize). 

I like to read a lot but I am busy a lot.  I could compare reading a good book to drinking a glass of milk for a poor college student.  The student would love to drink milk more often but even though it is rich in calcium and vitamin D, it falls off the grocery list and is replaced by Funyons.  However, like the first chapter of an exhilarating book, the first sip of a cold glass of whole milk makes you wonder why you don’t do that every single day.  Longwinded example? Maybe.  But reading the Hitchcock script was awesome to me.  That’s because I have wanted to write for some time and I have day dreamed about the day I grab my typewriter and bang out the next great American Western.  It didn’t work out how I planned because, yeah, Scripts seem so easy when you sit down and write:

Jimmy: “Yo, Tiffany am I going to see you at the dance tonight?”

Tiffany: “Get real Jimmy, you know I won’t go out with you until you get a new car!”

Jimmy: “How about you, Stephanie”

Stephanie: “You’re poor and this is a bad teen comedy.”

High School Principal Mr. Marshall: “Jimmy, if you keep asking girls out at that rate you’ll be going to the dance with Tommy’s Mommy!”

(And cut to uproarious laughter)

Shockingly, reading the Hitchcock script I realized that I have a long way to go.  Scripts are more than terrible dialogue followed by no set description.  I know that reading books can show me what I am missing, like most of the skills it takes to be a writer. 

There is nothing better than asking real life writers what they think and how they think and why they think.  Their answers aren’t always the best but I looked deeper to try and see what they meant.  And yes, I think that the basics of writing are the most necessary thing to know because without them you don’t have a foundation to build on.  Without a basis in good writing, fancy double negatives and contractions are nearly impossible.  So, the moral of this story is this, all I need to work on to become a good writer is spelling and maybe a comma splice here and there.  Other than that I am a regular Sam Clemmons (except more rugged).

Advice from the Pros

Steven Morris          June 28, 2009

 

            When given the opportunity to talk with a professional, there are many questions that I would love to ask. This is especially true when the said individual is an expert in a field that I am considering majoring in. Unfortunately, it is not possible to reach through the screen and have a sit-down interview, so I have to make due with what is available. I think that this assignment was extremely helpful and eye-opening in many ways, and I learned a lot about those is media and what their advice is for aspiring journalists, reporters, etc. Some of these tips, of course, stand out more than others.

            One such example is what Cary Darling of the Fort Worth Star – Telegram said about college training and preparation. I think that this question is the most important one that can be asked because, of course, we are currently at Elon trying to figure out what we want to do with our lives and how to get there. Many of us, including myself, do not yet even know what we want to major in, much less how to prepare now to have a successful career in the future.

Ms. Darling talked a great deal about finding a place to specialize in because the journalism field is “overcrowded and underpaid.” I hear this a lot from many different people and so it is definitely something that concerns me. I would rather not major in communications only to be forced to go back to school in the future because I could not find a job that pays well or is personally satisfying. Ms. Darling discusses how an individual who speaks a foreign language or who has a certain specialty in something such as the medical field will stand out, and will immensely increase their chances of having a great career. While I already knew much of this, it helps to have this reminder.

Ms. Darling’s advice leads into the next point I found helpful: Keren Rivas of the Burlington Times – News, answering a question about how to prepare in college for a career in media in the area of technology. She noted that the field has changed a great deal because of advances in technology, and that colleges are starting to realize this, thereby integrating it into their curriculums. Her biggest piece of advice was to be “versatile.” While specializing in something is very important, that does not mean we have to be exclusive in what we know. Having knowledge about a variety of topics in a field can only help, and familiarizing one’s self with various forms of technology is proving to be a necessity.    

I think a big problem with many students is that a lot of them go through college focusing on what makes them happy, and others focus on what will make them money. I believe that you need a combination of the two. Both of these journalists, in addition to the others who were interviewed, gave great advice that I think will help all of us in our quest to create a bright future in the industry.

The Keys to Success in Writing and Life

Matt Rodgers

Glenn Scott

Media Writing

28 June 2009

The Keys to Success in Writing and Life

If there is one thing that I have learned about writing through both this course and these letters from the professionals, it is that writing fundamentals and truthful reporting are two of the most important parts of being a successful writer. Both give readers the urge to read your story. Also, the professional writers make some very good points about how important it is to write about something you love. Good fundamentals prove that the writer knows what they are doing, and being truthful in all that one writes helps to establish long term credibility, but without passion, there is no depth to the story.

If there is one point that all of the professional writers agree on, it is that established fundamentals are the key long-term success. Even the best ideas and stories, when written poorly, will not be worth reading. I feel that as a young and developing writer that I have a lot to learn. I also feel that I need to practice my fundamentals if I ever want to pursue writing.

Another major point that some of the professionals wrote to us about is truth. It is astonishing how many people will believe whatever they read in the papers or see on TV.  I once saw a film, based on a true story, called Shattered Glass and it was about an up and coming news reporter who fabricated over a dozen stories, and it was years before anyone ever found out. I feel that it is so much more important to tell a story that is true and meaningful, rather than a story that was just made up or exaggerated to sell papers. Without integrity, what is the purpose of writing and reporting the news in the first place?

Lastly, I agree 100 percent with these professionals that it is more important to write about what you love, rather than the size of your paycheck. I think that it would be incredibly exciting to go to sporting events and write about the outcome, or even report it live as it is happening. To me, doing these things would be much more interesting than reporting stock prices each evening. Sure I could be making more money, but what is money without passion?

Regardless of what profession I end up going into, these writing tips from the professionals hold true in every aspect of life. I need to do something I love, in a truthful manner, and as fundamentally sound as possible to put me on the path towards long-term success.

The Pros Words of Wisdom

Throughout our course we’ve spent a lot of time exploring the various areas of the media.  Our in depth lessons have provided us with the kind of knowledge that we need to write and write well.  Though who better to answer our questions about what it takes to “make it” than those who have already experienced the journey we’re just beginning.  There were a few pieces of advice that particularly stuck out to me in our “Learn from the Pros” activity.

The first was from my interviewee, Jim Hatchett, the news director of CBS 19 in my hometown.  When asked about best responding to the rapid changes happening in media technologies every day he responded by suggesting reading broadly. 

Since I’ve started my internship and lacked access to Facebook and the other social networking sites our generation seems to thrive on, I’ve spent an obscene amount of time on news websites.  It’s amazing how valuable reading others’ work both in print and online can pay off.  Not only am I more informed but I also take notice of AP Style and the way writers bring countless sources together to create a news story and one that is interesting.  There’s so much to be learned simply by reading and I definitely agree that it gives you a leg up.

Another piece of advice I liked came from Cary Darling, a reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  His advice to “specialize” definitely hit home for me.  My boss recently arranged a phone conference for me with one of the major associates in PR at Comcast.  She highly advised me to go into what I’m most interested in but at the same time, find a field that I can become knowledgeable in. 

One of the big points she highlighted to me was being a stand out because there are a lot of people in the field.  I think it’s important to have something unique about yourself that you can sell to potential employers.

Finally, I also connected to the advice from Ben Volin, the sports writer for The Palm Beach post.  His words were “The only way to become a great writer is to write, a lot! I know it can be tedious at times, but in the long run it will pay off.” I feel this might be the most valuable piece of advice for us college students, especially while in this course. 

I feel that throughout our class, it has been the continuation of activities and exercises that build one upon the other that really develop our skills.  Of course the feedback helps but the more you do something, the more you can develop your talent in it and find your own style.

At this point, I’m pretty sure I’m going to follow the path of strategic communications rather than journalism.  I’ve come to realize that I really like working hands-on with people and I want to do more than just write and report.  The advice from the pros was definitely helpful.  They truly have a lot of valuable knowledge to pass on so we’re beyond fortunate in having the means to reach out to them and listen.

Advice of the Masters

Over the course of our Media Writing class, we’ve been introduced to a lot of different opinions and ideas about the best way to improve our skills in writing for the media world. With so many different avenues in the industry that we can go down, it helps to be exposed to a little bit of everything in order to help solidify future decisions. But that’s not to say we can’t get a little help on the matter. In our queries of professional media writers, we have been given invaluable advice about working in the industry. My favorite advice came from Cary Darling of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Keren Rivas of the Burlington Times-News. Both offered what I considered to be the clearest advice on writing in the media.

Darling’s advice amounted to the following: read constantly, keep yourself updated on the latest trends, find a way to specialize your writing and develop a distinct voice. Rivas suggested practice through developing a writing routine and reading a lot, focusing on accuracy over popularity, and learning to dig deep to find the truth at a story instead of reporting at face value.

I very much agree with the point on reading a lot, because one of the best ways to find good writing is to read it. By seeing examples, you can take ideas and techniques from the work of others and use them in your own work, improving your own skills. This also ties in to finding a voice for your writing. By exposing yourself to a lot of different styles of writing, you can develop your own voice by seeing the way that people who interest you write. We must always be careful to not let these influences become a total aping of someone’s style, however, because plagiarism, even of the way someone writes, is still unforgivable in the media world.

One difference of opinion that I noticed was that while Rivas said that “your job is not to be liked by your readers,” Darling suggested that it’s quite possible to be liked and be successful, citing Washington Post reporter Hank Stuever as an example of someone who “walks a tightrope between journalism and literature and (mostly) succeeds.” While it is true that a journalist’s focus should be on factual reporting, it’s not too bad to make sure that your writing is lively and likable so that readers don’t have to slog through endless robotic-sounding writing all the time. Don’t sacrifice all of your originality just to be totally truthful, because the two ideas can have a happy marriage and not be at odds with each other.

While I am personally planning to travel down the cinema route, I’ve learned much through asking questions of media writers from all walks of life, and will certainly keep the tips provided by Darling, Rivas, and others in mind as I work my way up in the industry.

A Word from the Pros

The three following comments seemed to speak strongest to me, not only in regards to the world of reporters and media writers, but also to being successful in life overall.
“You need to possess a wide range of skills.” – Alex Kreitman, Burlington Times-News.
Possessing a wise range of skill or being a well rounded individual has been a part of my education since I first entered grade school and even through my time at Elon and it has served me well. However at times it has also given me so many options making some decisions very difficult. But this concept it has far more positive than negative aspects. If you possess the skills for multiple jobs you are worth more to the company you work for (or are looking to work for) and you will always the option to go to plan B when plan A just isn’t working out so well.
“Don’t be afraid to borrow ideas from other writers. Just make sure you make it your own, practice makes perfect” -Keren Rivas, Burlington Times-News.
Keren has noted two very important concepts here.  First, borrowing ideas from the professionals (especially when you are new in the field) is an excellent way to learn. We learn almost everything as humans by first copying what we see or hear (for example learning to write and even to speak) and only after we have observed, copied and learned can we begin to create and reproduce our own works. There is no reason to not do the same in the professional world. Look up to those who have more practice and try to produce materials as good as theirs.
Practice makes perfect is oh so cliché, but also oh so true in all walks of life, and media writing is no different.

“The one thing I want to stress to you is fundamentals! The only way to become a great writer is to write, a lot! I know it can be tedious at times, but in the long run it will pay off.” – Ben Volin, Palm Beach Post.
“Fundamentals” is a word I have often associated with sports. Be it dribbling a basketball, practicing foul shots or tennis ground strokes. And even though this idea comes from a sports writer, he makes a good point that in writing, especially when working on a new style such as media writing it’s important to remember the basics. Generally the way to learn fundamentals is to practice, which we all know- makes perfect!

Teen Kills 4-Year-Old Sister?

This video found on cnn.com talks about an 18-year-old who murdered his four-year-old half sister.  The lede of this story is a hard lede as it jumps directly to the point and spares no detail saying that he “slit the throat” of his sister.  These words immediately grab any listeners’ attention.

What’s most interesting about this story is that the 18-year old called for help and admitted to the crime.  He claimed to have killed her in an attempt to protect her.  It appeared that someone had been sexually harassing her and because he couldn’t manage to get a gun to kill her abuser, he felt the need to protect the four year old from him. The entire situation is completely baffling to law enforcement and officials.

A majority of the story is told in the past tense.  The beginning offers typical background information while the end focuses on an interview with a psychologist.  A large portion of the end of the story is discussed in the future tense.  A lot of hypotheses are discussed as reason for why the boy may have murdered his sister and what necessarily is the truth.  Potential punishments and consequences are also discussed briefly.  The final words of the story continue to discuss the boy’s mental state and if insanity may be his defense.

Fat Reducing Surgery with No Scars?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2009/06/19/fn.gupta.toga.surgery.cnn

I chose this story for the simple reason that it is an issue the vast majority of Americans would probably notice and pay attention to. Obviously, there are more important things going on in the world today, but the topic of weight loss is one that is obsessed over by many in our society. 

It is difficult to pin a specific type of lede on this story. I would say that it fits into the category of a “Single-Item Lede” because it makes a single statement about the issue that is meant to catch a person’s attention and encourage them to watch the rest of the video. One can get a good idea of what they will be discussing by hearing the lede, but not enough to know exactly what topic they are talking about. 

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is, from everything I have heard (although I have not done a ton of research), a very well-respected doctor and regular on CNN. He often appears on the channel with all kinds of medical-related news. In this segment, he is discussing a new technology that can potentially staple stomachs using instruments inserted through the mouth, thereby eliminating the need to costly, painful, and ugly surgery to the stomach itself. 

Dr. Gupta also covers several other procedures that are just being researched more now. I was able to pay attention throughout the video without losing interest because it included easy to understand visuals which clearly showed what they were talking about. This is how most people learn best, and especially with a topic like medicine that is often confusing, visuals are necessary.

The story was presented in an easy to understand manner and I actually learned a lot in that short minute and a half.

Adoption

http://www.adoptuskids.org/

I chose this campaign by the Ad Council because of my personal connection to it: I was adopted as a child, as were both of my younger brothers. This gives me a unique perspective on the issue, and I think that I am able to analyze it differently than some.

This, of course, is one way in which ads are sometimes designed to appeal to potential readers: by establishing a personal connection. Even if I am not looking to adopt a child (not something I would want to even consider for a very long time), I will still be interested in reading what the Ad Council has to say on the topic.

I do think that this ad is appealing in many ways. First and foremost, it invokes compassion by displaying photographs of children who we can assume from the text are waiting to be adopted. Included are family stories about adoptions that have already taken place or may take place in the future. 

One big problem in this country, in my opinion as someone who was adopted, is that the process to adopt a child is ridiculously long, unnecessarily burdensome, and too much for many loving, caring, capable people to endure. This fact is highlighted by the numbers that are presented on the Ad Council’s own adoption page which reports the number of kids who are in foster care and waiting to be adopted. 

The actual website for the adoption campaign is very thorough and even has a tab that will bring you to a page where you can fill out a search form to see children who fit your specifications in your area. When it comes to adoption, that personal connection is key and it is done fairly well here.