Qualities of In-Depth Reporting
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Transcript Qualities of In-Depth Reporting
In-Depth
Reporting
What is In-Depth
Reporting?
In-Depth Reporting =
longer, more thoroughly
researched stories that
report a trend or interpret a
complicated topic.
Qualities of In-Depth
Reporting
Space = these tend to be much
longer pieces so they should not be
given a space limitation.
Deadline = Flexible deadline, simply
print when it is ready.
Research = observe, interview, and
consult print and other sources.
Usually require more research.
Qualities of In-Depth
Reporting Continued
Staff = In-depths can be their own
staff or they can be part of one of
the four main sections (sports,
features, editorials, entertainment)
Planning = More time to plan.
Planning includes design,
infographics, artwork, and
photography.
Creating the In-Depth Story
Similar to a research paper except . .
.
Topic should be based on reader’s
interests, not your own personal
interest.
Research focuses more on
interview sources and less on print
sources.
Creating the In-Depth Story
Writing style is journalistic, not
academic.
Presentation is more than
words on a page and should
include graphics, sidebars,
boxes, artwork, and
photographs.
Topic Choice
Usually expands from a story in
the news that a writer feels
could be expanded upon.
How to Develop the Topic
Scrutinize national news
Brainstorm
Pay attention to personal concerns
Get inspired by the school calendar
Get some tips from faculty and staff.
Research
Research your ideas, but base
them in local events.
Examples:
• Anorexia – find local students with the
problems, interview school health officials.
• College Admissions – Narrow it to
subdivisions –most popular colleges in your
senior class, what college freshman from
your school wish they had known.
Surveys and Polls
Do not survey your lunch table,
be sure to include a variety of
perspectives. By definition, a
survey polls strangers, not
people you know.
Tips for Surveys
Poll about 10% of the student body for a good
sample.
Create neutral questions that avoid nudging
respondents away from the truth.
Ask a few opinion questions in addition to your
factual ones – these can be your quotes in your
story.
Decide whether you are polling anonymously or
whether you intend to include sources names.
Let the sources know which it is!
Tips for Surveys
Wandering randomly is not the
best idea. Pick a number (4) and
phone the 4th person on the list
and then every 10th after (14, 24,
34, etc).
When you publish the results, be
sure to explain how the poll was
conducted.
Writing the Story
• Examine the dimensions of the story
What sources seem most valid?
Are there any holes that need to be
filled in?
• Outline the story
• Check the story for tone, balance, and
fairness
Presenting the Story
3 Options:
• Run it as one long story
• Divide the story into a
series.
• Pack it into a spread, spread
out over several pages.
Types of In-depth Stories
• The Investigative Story
Think Watergate
Premise: something is wrong. Points out
injustice, dishonesty, hypocrisy, criminal
behavior, etc.
• The Trend Story
• The Interpretive or Analytic Story
Explains a topic by breaking it into smaller
sections and interpreting them.