glossary: September 2007 Archives
A story that leads with an account of a mugging might have a nut that notes this was the third mugging this week, or that it happened the night the mayor gave a medal to the police.
When writing a nut, never say, "This story is important because...", and don't try to address every single possible way that a story might be considered newsworthy. Instead, write a paragraph that flows naturally from the news you have just reported, and links these specific details to the greater community of readers, answering the question "who cares?"
A news article (hard or soft) should have at least three sources,
and should mention each source at least once in the first half of the
story. (Don't leave "the opposing view" until the last paragraph.)
A movie or restaurant review might not have any interviews at all -- the whole article would be based on the reporter's direct observations.
If you feel that your reference to "a big dog" doesn't do the dog justice, instead of writing "a [very big / damn huge / friggen humongous] dog," a good journalist will ask questions so that the passage will read "130-pound Rottweiler named Bruiser."
If calling something "a disappointment" doesn't do it justice, calling it "a big disappointment" or "a very big disappointment"
or "a colossal disappointment" will be no better. Express intensity in
more direct, context-sensitive ways. A fourth-quarter loss might be "a
crushing disappointment," while an uninteresting movie might be "a
mind-numbing disappointment." Instead of "a big X" or "a very big X,"
consider "a crippling blow," "an unwieldy overcoat," or "a generous pie