Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Newswriting Assignments
Chapter 3: Basics of Writing
Assignment 1: What grabs you?
Description of Assignment: Basic news writing focuses on figuring out what is important and then giving that
information to your readers. It sounds simple and, with a lot of practice, it can be. Problems tend to crop up when
writers try to do too much, ignore some basic tenets of journalism, and generally don’t think about the audience
before writing.
Here’s your chance to rate your local newspaper or online news site. Find today’s edition, set aside 40 min, and
read it. Just read. Then, make a list of stories, then rank them from the story that interests you the most to that
which interests you the least.
Consider what it is about each story that caught your fancy. Was it the writing style? Was it the subject matter? Did
the story tell you something you didn’t know? Did it answer your questions?
And consider each story that you didn’t like. Was it poorly written or organized? Did it contain errors? Was it
useless to you? Did it leave you with more questions than when you started reading it? Could you even get through
it?
Be prepared to discuss these findings in class. Understanding what you value in a story will make it easier for you
to write and report your own stories.
Assignment 2: Spoiler alert! Learning the inverted pyramid
Description of Assignment: This drill will ask students to think of their three favorite movies or novels, and
report them as news stories using summary leads and an inverted pyramid style. Please write at least four
paragraphs per film or book. Don’t worry about giving away the ending! News stories generally require the writer
to give up the goods at the start of the story. That way, the reader doesn’t get bored and miss the point of the story
before moving on to the next one.
Ideas to try:
– Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
– State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett
– Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope
For example:
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Assignment 3: Birthday assignment
Description of Assignment: You may not remember it, but the day of your birth was very special for your parents.
Interview your mother or father (or both) and ask them to recall what they experienced on the day you came into
Assignment 4: Take note
Description of Assignment: Note-taking is an essential skill in reporting. There is no such thing (yet) as real-time
transcription of every conversation. Even if there were, it would only be a record of what was said. It would not tell
you anything about the way it was said. It would not remind you of the insights you had during the conversation.
Your notes represent your understanding of the material you are covering. Yes, it is important to get some colorful
quotes, but it’s also important to make a record of the surroundings, what you see, feel, hear, and understand.
Every writer must develop their own note-taking style. Try writing as concisely—and as fast—as you can while still
capturing information you will understand later. Take time after an interview or event to review your notes and
improve them while the memories are fresh in your mind.