By
Jonathan Dube
Publisher, CyberJournalist.net
(Also published on Poynter.org and
in the book "Shop Talk and War Stories")
Publisher, CyberJournalist.net
(Also published on Poynter.org and
in the book "Shop Talk and War Stories")
1. KNOW YOUR
AUDIENCE
Write and edit with online readers� needs and habits in mind. Web
usability studies show that readers tend to skim over sites rather than read
them intently. They also tend to be more proactive than print readers or TV
viewers, hunting for information rather than passively taking in what you
present to them.
Think about your target audience.
Because your readers are getting their news online, chances are they are more
interested in Internet-related stories than TV viewers or newspaper readers, so
it may make sense to put greater emphasis on such stories. Also, your site
potentially has a global reach, so consider whether you want to make it
understandable to a local, national or international audience, and write and
edit with that in mind.
2. THINK FIRST � AND THINK DIFFERENT
Before you start reporting and
writing, ask yourself: What is the essence of the story I am trying to tell?
Then think about what the best way is to convey that story, whether through
audio, video, clickable graphics, text, links, etc. � or some combination. Collaborate
with audio, video and interactive producers. Develop a plan and let that guide
you throughout the news gathering and production process, rather than just
reporting a story and then adding various elements later as an
afterthought.
Look for stories that lend
themselves to the Web �
stories that you can tell or differently from or better than in any other
medium.
3. TAILOR YOUR NEWS
GATHERING
Just as print and TV reporters
interview differently because they are looking for different things, so must
online journalists tailor their interviewing and information gathering
specifically to their needs.
Print reporters tend to look for
information. TV reporters look for emotion on camera, sound bites and pictures
to go with words. Online journalists must constantly think in terms of
different elements and how they complement and supplement each other: Look for
words to go with images, audio and video to go with words, data that will lend
itself to interactives, etc. . .
Remember that photos look better
online when shot or cropped narrowly, and streaming video is easier to watch
when backgrounds are plain and zooming minimal. Tape interviews whenever
possible in case someone says something that would make a powerful clip. Look
for personalities who could be interesting chat guests. And always keep an eye
out for information that can be conveyed more effectively using interactive
tools.
4. WRITE LIVELY AND
TIGHT
Writing for the Web should be a
cross between broadcast and print � tighter and punchier than print, but more literate and
detailed than broadcast writing. Write actively, not passively.
Good broadcast writing uses
primarily tight, simple declarative sentences and sticks to one idea per
sentence. It avoids the long clauses and passive writing of print. Every
expressed idea flows logically into the next. Using these concepts in online
writing makes the writing easier to understand and better holds readers� attention.
Strive for lively prose, leaning on
strong verbs and sharp nouns. Inject your writing with a distinctive voice to
help differentiate it from the multitude of content on the Web. Use humor. Try
writing in a breezy style or with attitude. Conversational styles work
particularly well on the Web. Online audiences are more accepting of
unconventional writing styles.
At the same time, don�t forget that the traditional rules
of writing apply online. Unfortunately, writing quality is inconsistent
throughout most online news sites. Stories suffer from passive verbs, run-on
sentences, mixed metaphors and cliches. This is a result of fast-paced news
gathering, short staffing and inexperienced journalists. This is also a big
mistake. Readers notice sloppy writing and they don�t forgive. They�ll stop reading a story and they won�t come back for more. Unlike local
newspaper readers, online readers have options.
5. EXPLAIN
Don�t let yourself get caught up in the 24/7 wire-service
mentality and think all that matters is that you have the latest news as fast
as possible. Speed is important online. But people want to know not just what
happened, but why it matters. And with all the information sources out there
now, in the end it will be the sites that explain the news the best that
succeed. Write and edit all your stories with this in mind.
6. NEVER BURY THE LEAD
6. NEVER BURY THE LEAD
You can�t afford to bury the lead online
because if you do, few readers will get to it. When writing online, it�s essential to tell the reader
quickly what the story is about and why they should keep reading � or else they won�t.
One solution is to use a "Model
T" story structure. In this model, a story�s lead � the horizontal line of the T � summarizes the story and, ideally, tells why it matters.
The lead doesn't need to give away the ending, just give someone a reason to
read on. Then, the rest of the story � the vertical line of the T � can take the form of just about any structure: the writer
can tell the story narratively; provide an anecdote and then follow with the
rest of the story; jump from one idea to another, in a �stack of blocks� form; or simply continue into an
inverted pyramid.
This enables the writer to quickly
telegraph the most important information � and a reason to keep reading � and yet still retain the freedom to write the story in the
way he or she wants to.
7. DON�T PILE ON
Another story structure that has
evolved online, mostly by accident, is what I call The Pile-On.
A common problem with online writing
occurs in breaking news stories. In an effort to seem as current as possible,
sites will often put the latest development in a story at the top � no matter how incremental the
development. Then, they�ll
pile the next development on the top, and then the next � creating an ugly mish-mash of a
story that makes sense only to someone who has been following the story closely
all day. Unfortunately, the only people who are usually doing so are the
journalists. Few readers visit a site more than once a day. Remember this when
updating stories, and always keep the most important news in the lead.
8. SHORT BUT SWEET
Most stories online are too long for
a Web audience, and few readers finish them. Roy Peter Clark has written a
wonderful essay arguing that any story can be told in 800 words � a good guideline for online
writing.
But let that be a guideline, not a
rule. Readers will stick with longer stories online if there is a
compelling reason for a story to be that long � and if it continues to captivate their attention.
Making readers scroll to get to the
rest of a story is generally preferable to making them click. Online news users
do scroll. If someone has clicked to get to a page, it's generally because they
want to read the story, and thus chances are high that they will. The Poynter
eyetrack study showed that about 75 percent of article text was read
online �
far more than in print, where 20 to 25 percent of an article's text gets read,
on average. Print readers have less vested in any given story, because they
haven't done anything proactive to get the article.
9. BREAK IT UP
9. BREAK IT UP
Larger blocks of text make reading
on screens difficult, and you're more likely to lose readers. Using more
subheads and bullets to separate text and ideas helps. Writing should be snappy
and fast to read. Keep paragraphs and sentences short. Like this.
Try reading sentences aloud to see
if they�re
too long. You should be able to read an entire sentence without pausing for a
breath.
It also helps to extract information
into charts, tables, bulleted lists and interactive graphics. Even a simple box
with a definition or summary can help break up text and convey information in
an easy-to-read format.
10. ELIMINATE THE
GUESSWORK
People often don�t know what they�re going to get when they click on
stuff. And people are not going to click on something unless they know what
they�re
getting. When they click on something that�s not worth it, they lose trust in you as a source and are
less likely to come back and click on things in the future. So make sure you tell
people what they�re
going to get.
Studies show online news users
preferred straightforward headlines to funny or cute ones. Cute headlines
didn't do as good a job of quickly explaining what a story is about and thus
discouraged online users from clicking through.
11. DO NOT FEAR THE
LINK
Don�t be afraid to link. Many sites have a paranoid fear that if
they include links to other sites, readers will surf away and never return. Not
true! People prefer to go to sites that do a good job of compiling click-worthy
links �
witness Yahoo!�s
success. If people know they can trust your site, they will come back for
more.
At the same time, journalists have a
responsibility to apply news judgment and editorial standards to the links they
choose. Avoid linking to sites with blatantly false information or offensive
content. Select links that enhance the value of the story by helping readers
get additional information from the people behind the news.
And of course, link to related
stories on your site, past and present. This is truly one of the advantages of
the Web. By linking to other stories to provide context and background, writers
have more freedom to focus on the news of the day without bogging stories down
with old information.
12. TAKE RISKS . . .
BUT REMEMBER THE BASICS
Online journalism is a new and
evolving industry and we are writing the rules as we go along. Challenge
yourself and your colleagues to question the way things are being done and to
stretch the boundaries of what can be done. There are no rules, only ideas.
Take risks. Try something different.
But don�t forget the fundamentals of
journalism. Facts still have to be double- and triple-checked; writing still
needs to be sharp, lively and to the point; stories should include context; and
ethical practices must be followed. Don�t let the 24/7 speed trap and the new tools distract you
from these basics.
With so many alternative news
sources now at everyone�s
fingertips thanks to the Web, it is now more important than ever that we
stick to the fundamentals of journalism to produce news people can trust,
because in the end that�s
what will keep people coming back for more
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