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.