What Makes a Great Broadcast Journalism Story?
Journalists don't just give information, they tell stories. There are certain elements to every story no matter what the subject matter. Al Tompkins writes in his book, "Aim for the Heart," when writing in a hurry he relied on a classic story telling frame. He describes it as follows:Once upon a time... (the setting)
Suddenly... (the complication)
Fortunately... (the resolution)
As it turns out... (the closing/summary)
This system works great especially on deadline, and Tompkins is definitely a master story teller. However, when more time is available, there are a few extra elements I like to consider. The difference between an ordinary broadcast story and an extraordinary one is just that, something extra. To help me remember what makes a great broadcast journalism story I made an acronym. A great journalist doesn't just tell stories, a great journalist uncovers.
A Great Journalist's Story UNCOVERS
U – Universal AppealN – New Information
C – Characters
O – Opposites (meaning tension and conflict)
V – Visual variety (Wide, Medium, Tight, Tight, Tight)
E – Ending/closure to the story
R – Research
S – Surprises, Sequences and Sound
Universal Appeal: People have to be able to relate to your story or they won't care about it. The story must convey an emotion they are familiar with. The story could be about struggle, loss, triumph, pain, relationships, etc. but it must produce an emotion in the viewers when they see it.
New Information: A great story has new, current, fresh information. The story must tell viewers something they don't know, even if they were "there." Great journalists explain why the story matters early in the story, if not before the story starts.
Characters: People are more important than property, meaning when something happens, tell us who was affected before what happened. If you are going to tell a story in 70 seconds or less, you will probably only have time to introduce one character.
Opposites and Tension: When it comes to video, boring is bad. Get to the conflict or tension of the story as quickly as possible. This is important.
Visual Variety: Don't be boring. Make sure your video is interesting. Edit your stories in sequences, meaning two or three shots from each scene. Avoid pans, pulls and zooms that don't have a purpose. Also make sure there is variety in the shots you use. Remember to shoot shots that are wide, medium, tight, tight, tight.
End, Beginning and Middle: Every great story needs a beginning, middle and end. Think of a creative way to start and end the story and the middle will take care of itself. Start by jumping into the action of the story. End the story with a feeling of closure.
Research: Do your homework. Know your stuff. Don't waste people's time. Tell them something they don't know. It will pay off in the end because they will keep coming back to you.
Surprises, Sequences, Sound: Surprises are an important part of story telling. People love to be surprised so try to work them in as often as you can in unexpected places. Sequences are important, edit your video using sequences of two or three shots per scene. Sound is also an important "s" word. Sound will give viewers a feeling of being part of the action. Try to work in natural sound pops as often as you can. It will take your story to the next level.
