Poynter. » Newsgathering & Storytelling

For writers, ‘plans aren’t worth a damn, but planning is essential’

Julie Moos — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:52:41 +0000

Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago Tribune writer Julia Keller is leaving the paper in June to teach at Ohio University and write novels, reports Robert Feder today. Keller’s Pulitzer in feature writing was awarded for a series of three stories… Read more

10 tips for using audio more effectively in multimedia stories

Casey Frechette — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:55:13 +0000

Sound can make or break a multimedia production, whether it’s an audio slideshow, a documentary video or an interactive narrative. Unfortunately, audio often gets short shrift. Visuals and interactive elements tend to command our attention, and just getting the story… Read more

How reporters can mine political ad spending records

Mallary Jean Tenore — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:30:19 +0000

The Federal Communications Commission stirred debate last week when it voted to require some broadcast television stations to post their political ad spending records online. The four largest broadcasters in the top 50 markets soon will be required to… Read more

6 ways journalists can clean their copy, commit fewer errors

George Edmonson — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:56:01 +0000

Recently, I became so upset by the number of easily avoidable mistakes I was encountering in respected online and print outlets that I got in touch with Poynter, eager to write something making clear the risk these organizations were taking… Read more

What journalists, prose writers can learn from poetry

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:30:16 +0000

I have been reading more poetry lately, and not just because April was National Poetry Month. For reasons I can’t explain, I have not found poetry; rather it has re-discovered me. Perhaps the re-connection was a natural result of my… Read more

How to make your writing stronger by mixing ‘hard’ & ‘soft’ words

Roy Peter Clark — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:18:17 +0000

In January 1967, I began my first serious study of poetry under the tutelage of a brilliant young professor named Rene Fortin.

The poetry was 20th century, described as Modern, and took us from William Carlos Williams to Sylvia Plath.… Read more

5 types of photos that make for strong photo essays, audio slideshows

Keith Jenkins — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:54:25 +0000

In photography’s equivalent of the after-life, “no one can hear you scream.”

At least let’s hope that’s the case because, if not, W. Eugene Smith – the 20th century’s master of the photo story — would be creating a… Read more

5 ways journalists can overcome shyness during interviews

Beth Winegarner — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:59:04 +0000

When I was a kid, I was the walking definition of “painfully shy.” I was so shy, I couldn’t read out loud when teachers called on me, even though I could read at a higher grade level than my classmates.… Read more

What can writers do to build the public’s trust in the media?

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:30:36 +0000

My friend Jay Rosen has posted another useful essay on his blog Pressthink and asks provocative questions with important implications for every writer.

Rosen begins with a graphic that shows the steady decline in news media credibility… Read more

What makes a story have staying power?

Roy Peter Clark — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:30:40 +0000

I assume that the Sept. 11 attacks will have an effect on people for decades to come. I often associate this effect with the assassination of JFK, another story that keeps evolving.

And now, once again, on the 100th anniversary… Read more