Tomorrow night is election night and if all goes according to plan, it won’t, leaving reporters across the country facing quick turnarounds for their stories.
Multiple Emmy’d KGO reporter Wayne Freedman writes on the RTDNA website how to do good work in a short time.
“Set a scene,” says the reporter for the San Francisco ABC-owned station. “Write to a theme. Tell the viewer what you know. Return to that theme at the end.”
Freedman shows an example of story he wrote in 10 minutes that changed twice before airing, with one update happening one minute before air.
“While the news is not always pleasant or glamorous, try to be efficient in your writing,” says Freedman. “Use settings, scenes, contrasts and contexts to tell a story.”
Here’s the story:
Sonoma State University/Rohnert Park
AFTER THE LONGEST OF NIGHTS… A GRIM TASK ON WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF FALL MORNINGS…(SOT) Alexis Collins/Student
“My only thought is that schools are supposed to be safe places, right?”A LANDSCAPER FOUND THE BODY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, SOME 200 YARDS FROM A BUSY PARKING LOT ON THE CAMPUS OF SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY.
AS INVESTIGATORS SIFTED FOR THE MOST MINUTE OF CLUES, SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES WOULD NOT IDENTIFY THE VICTIM’S SEX OR AGE….
THEY SAID ONLY THAT THE BODY IS RELATIVELY FRESH, AND PARTIALLY BURIED NEAR A CREEK.(SOT 1347) Sgt. Spencer Crum/Sonoma County Sheriff’s Dept
Part of the body is sticking up.”
WHAT IS STICKING UP?
A portion of the head…”THE SHERIFF’S DEPARMENT REPORTS NO MISSING PERSONS FROM SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, SO NOW IT’S LOOKING AT A BROADER AREA.
AT LEAST ONE ON THE PEOPLE STANDING BY HERE EXPRESSED CONCERN FOR A MISSING LOCAL FRIEND… BUT DID NOT WANT TO COMMENT ON CAMERA.
(SOT 1233) Sgt. Crum
What we will do is check the missing person data base and then go match a physical description to missing person reports…”SO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IS STARKEST OF CONTRASTS…
A PEACEFUL COLLEGE CAMPUS THAT FELT SO SAFE UNTIL IT DIDN’T, ANYMORE.
Click here to see the story on the RTDNA website.