One way to keep viewers engaged in a story from beginning to end is to write it as seamlessly as possible. What that means, in my mind, is making sure that every line connects to the next, whether it's all narration or a mix of …
If blogging is just writing, why is it so hard to do well? Maybe because it's not just writing, or at least it shouldn't be. Journalists who ought to know the basics seem to struggle with blogging as much as anyone else. They aren't sure …
by John Larson, correspondent, PBS Note taking for me has always been defined by deadline -- the tighter it is, the more my notes tend to reflect immediate needs: the in/out cues of the best potential quotes, the most important facts/statistics that I'll need RIGHT NOW. …
Some things rarely change. TV news writing is one of them, unfortunately. More than a decade ago, I noticed something about both network and local newscasts that drove me nuts and wrote a column about it. This morning, I got a message from Rick Tillery, …
"Leave the notebook at home." That's what one journalism site recommended when reviewing Evernote, a digital service that stores notes, pictures and Web clips online so users can access them anywhere from any device. It's a cool tool but it hasn't replaced my reporter's notebook and …
I've always been a huge Robert Krulwich fan. His stories on NPR and ABC News break through the standard news blather thanks in part to his memorable delivery. Unlike so many reporters who tend to "announce" their scripts, Krulwich just talks, or at least that's …
Every writer knows the KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid! But too many writers forget to apply it, loading their stories with so much information that the viewers' eyes glaze over. KGO reporter Wayne Freedman compares the way writers over-stuff stories to the way travelers cram …
Writing is tough. Anybody who has sweated over a keyboard or notebook knows great writing doesn't come easily. And Lee Powell of the Associated Press says writing for online video is even tougher, with always-now deadlines and an audience whose attention span is notoriously short. Powell usually …
What are the key steps to effective video storytelling? For Jason Lamb of KTUU in Anchorage, focus and observation, combined with meticulous logging of video, add up to a winning formula. This year, Lamb won a Murrow award for writing and an SPJ award for …
The Murrow Award for writing "demonstrates excellence in writing that conveys the feeling and significance of events to the listener or viewer." That's the goal of great storytelling, isn't it? To help make the news matter. Last year's national winner in the small market TV category …
The problem with many news stories is that they're not really stories at all. They're a jumble of facts, often in no apparent logical order. What stories need is a focus and structure: beginning, middle and end. That sounds simple enough, but when you've gathered a …
Forgive me for tooting my own horn, but I'm pleased to announce the publication of the second edition of my book, Advancing the Story: Broadcast Journalism in a Multimedia World, co-authored with Deb Wenger. It's available now from CQ Press or Amazon, and we hope you'll …
