What is News?

News is an account of what is happening around us. It may involve current events, new initiatives, or ongoing projects or issues.

STEP #1: Choose what you will write about.

Select your story based on its importance to you and your community, its emotional impact, its timeliness and its interest.

Note: all of these factors do NOT have to coincide in every story!

STEP #2: Identify What Kind of Story It Is

Hard News

(+/-600 words) This is how journalists refer to news of the day. It is a chronicle of current events / incidents and is the most common news style on the front page of your typical newspaper.

Soft News

(+/-600 words) This is a term for all the news that isn't time-sensitive. Soft news includes profiles of people, programs, or organizations.

Features

(+/-1500 words) A news feature takes one step back from the headlines. It explores an issue. News features are less time-sensitive than hard news, but no less newsworthy. They can be an effective way to write about complex issues too large for the terse style of a hard news item.

For further information on the different Kinds of News Stories see: "Write 4 Us" @ www.ypp.net

STEP #3: Newsgathering

• Begin collecting articles on your subject
• Talk to friends and associates about the subject
• Contact any agencies or associations with interest or expertise in the area
• Create a list of people you want to interview; cover both sides of the story by interviewing people on both sides of the issue
• Collect government statistics and reports on the subject
• Get old press releases or reports to use as background

STEP #4: Interviewing Techniques

Develop a positive, polite, but still objective, relationship with the person you are interviewing.

Explain the ground rules of the interview, and mind your subject's reactions to your questions. Pace the difficulty of your questions according to your subject's responsiveness.

Maintain control over the interview. Don't let them stray away from the topic.

Tape record the interview for your records.

Don't try to predetermine what quotes or information you will come away with. Remember: your subject is the expert on your topic, not you.

For further information on Interviewing Techniques, see "Write 4 Us" @ www.ypp.net

STEP #5: Organizing the Information

• Gather your notes interviews and research into a file
• Review your notes
• Look for a common theme
• Search your notes for good quotes or interesting facts
• Develop a focus
• Write the focus of the article down in two or three sentences

STEP #6: Structuring Your Article

The structure of a news story (hard & soft news, & features) is simple:

1. The lead
2. The body

The Lead

Among the most important elements of news writing are the opening paragraphs of the story. Journalists refer to this as the "lead". Its function is to summarize the story AND/OR to draw the reader in. Its function differs depending on whether it is a "hard" or "soft" news story.

(See below for the difference between these two genres of news story.)

Hard News Lead

In a hard news story, the lead should be a full summary of what is to follow. It should incorporate as many of the 5 "W's" and 1 "H" (who, what, where, when, why, how) as possible.

Sample Hard News Lead

At the height of this Ontario provincial election, Toronto's Latin American youth have found themselves at the centre of a public and controversial advertising campaign sponsored by the Toronto Police Association (TPA). The ad, on display in the Yonge and Bloor subway station, shows a picture of five Latin American 'gang' members from East Los Angeles next to the caption, "There's only one thing these guys fear. Your vote."

Soft News Lead

In a soft news story, the lead should present the subject of the story by allusion. This type of opening is somewhat literary. Like a novelist, the role of writer is to grab the attention of the reader.

Sample Soft News Lead

After a few moments of conversation, you can see that twelve-year-old Binita still has a child-like exuberance. Yet she is burdened by an existence that most children her age in Canada would find difficult to imagine living.

Once the reader is drawn in, the 5 W's, etc. should be incorporated into the body of the story. They may, but need not, appear in the opening paragraphs.

The Body

The body of the story involves combining the opinions of the people you interview, some factual data, and a narrative which helps the story flow. A word of caution-In this style of writing you are not allowed to "editorialize" (state your own opinion) in any way.

There is no great difference in structure between the body of a hard news story, and the body of a soft news story.

The contents of a news story, however, dictates how it will be told. For example, an organizational profile will almost necessarily be descriptive, while the reporting of a timely event will likely be reactive in tone and detail.

Stick to one particular theme throughout the story. You may add different details, but they all have to relate to the original idea of the piece. You can test the relevance of a detail by measuring it against the topic of the paragraph. For example: The purpose of the paragraph is to demonstrate that some newly arrived Kosovar refugees are living in poverty. Is it relevant that the telephone rings twice during your interview? Probably not, unless the phone calls are coming from debtors. Is it relevant that the shoes she wears have holes in the toes? Definitely.

As a reporter, you are the eyes and ears for the readers. You should try to provide some visual details to bring the story to life. (This is difficult if you have conducted only phone interviews, which is why face-to-face is best.)

Sample (Soft) News Story: Lead

Daniel Ikpeba, 20, knows what it's like to be terrified. The former student activist fled Nigeria a year ago and spent his first night in Toronto in a shelter.

Sample (Soft) News Story: Body

After being caught sleeping, Ikpeba was handcuffed by police and later released at Kipling station.

"I called Covenant House [a youth shelter] and was fortunate to have someone give me money for the subway," he remembers. "I ended up staying there [at Covenant House] for a while."

Despite his many hardships, the new Canadian considers himself "lucky" to be living in a free country. "CultureLink and Covenant House have helped me a lot since I came to live here," he said. "They have helped me get settled into my new life, and my new home."

Ikpeba and three other immigrant youth recounted their experiences during "Immigrant Youth Speak Out," a series of events celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Toronto-based settlement agency CultureLink. The gathering brought together dedicated individuals who are making a difference in the lives of many newcomers.

Representatives from Canadian Heritage, the Youth Presenters theatre group, the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, and Youth Assisting Youth gathered at Flamingo's Restaurant to acknowledge the many accomplishments the agency has achieved in its decade long history of community service.

"I have learned a lot from the people here [at CultureLink]," said Myron Kanagalingiam, 18. "The support services and special groups, like the theatre group that I am involved in, are phenomenal. They help a lot with getting accustomed to your new surroundings."

Kanagalingiam came to Canada in 1994 to escape the civil war in Sri Lanka. "I had a lot of trouble with school when I first came to Canada," he said. "All the subjects, with the exception of math, were very difficult for me to follow and understand."

Like many immigrant youth, Kanagalingiam had to learn English for the first time and he says it is a major factor for newcomers. "The language barrier keeps many immigrant students from fully participating in school."

Maryam Golabgir, 18, agrees. "I came to Canada three years ago and could not speak the language. I used to sit in class and feel like I was yelling at the top of my lungs but no one could hear me. It was quite frustrating."

Golabgir feels that many immigrant students get into trouble at school because they do not understand the rules and policies of the school that they are attending.

"There is no one to sit with them and explain what procedures they have to follow," she said. "Not knowing the language interferes with the academic and social progress of many students who are immigrants."

Karen Chan, 22, also sees the language barrier as being a major problem for young immigrants. She believes that this communication barrier can also be tough on parents who are stuck in the ways of the "old country."

Chan came to Canada from Hong Kong at the age of eleven and now works with gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens in the Toronto area. "In my culture, homosexuality is not openly talked about," she said. "I don't even think that there is a Chinese word for dyke."

"I have tried to get older people from my culture who are very queer positive to talk to my mother and tell her that it's okay that I'm a lesbian," Chan said, "I don't know how well that worked though. It's very difficult to change someone's opinion, especially when it's a traditional one."

"It's hard to start your life all over," Ikpeba said, "and I am fortunate to have come across CultureLink. They have helped me to realize that I am not alone even though it sometimes feels like it."