Kinds of Articles Hard vs. soft Enterprise vs. spot Features Investigations Explanation/analysis Advancers (curtain-raisers) Second-day stories (folos, running stories) Multiple-elements stories

Models for Journalism Inverted pyramid is oldest “model.” Models give you a mold into which you can pour your reporting. Models become less useful as you become a better writer. Business models are just spin-offs of generic journalism structures. Use the right model for the story at hand.

The Old Inverted Pyramid Source: Newspapers in Education

Another View Source: Poynter Institute

The Generic Model The lead. A perspective section that may touch on history, impact, magnitude, consequences. In longer stories, includes foreshadowing of gut sections. The gut, organized into subtopics in the same order as foreshadowing. The ending, which often looks to the future.

The Spot Model What happened? Why? What are the consequences? What is the context? What’s next? Who, what, when, where high in story, but not as inverted pyramid. Elements rearranged as story develops. A strong, useful quote somewhere.

Context: What Is It? Does this fit or break a historical pattern? Does this compare with or to other, similar situations? Can you compare to an external standard? Is this like or dislike other cities, states, nations? Is this unprecedented? Who has supported and opposed? Who wins and loses? What’s at stake politically?

Using the Spot Model Lead often includes two elements of the five. Expand details on first five elements in gut of text. Order of elements fits your central point. Order of expanded elements in gut is exact mirror of brief elements at the top. Explain jargon. Cut the emotion in quotes, use substance. Make package no longer than necessary!

Purpose Determines Order One story What happened, why What happened Why Consequences Context What’s next (If necessary, expand in same order.) Another story What will happen, consequences What will happen Consequences Context Why What’s next (If necessary, expand in same order.)

Key Point-of-Entry Terms Main headline or “deck.” Underline or “second deck.” Bullet points. The opening paragraph or lead. Blurb or “pull quote.” Digest or blog entry. Tweet: Twitter entry. Quotes.

Review: Another story What happened and why. Details on what happened. Details on why. Quote. External context. Internal context. Consequences. What’s next. Quote. Expansion on what happened. Expansion of consequences. Quote.

Another Story What happened and consequences. Details on what happened. Details on consequences. External context. Internal context. Quote. What’s next. Expansion of internal context. Expansion of what’s next.

Advancer Model What will happen? Why? When? Where? What’s at stake, to be decided, to be experienced, celebrated? Good supporting quote. Additional detail on event, decision, etc. Additional quotes. Not necessarily in order. Sometimes takes a feature lead. At many pubs, advancer is bigger than spot coverage unless something unforeseen happens.

An Advancer Lead ROUND ROCK—City Council members will weigh in this month on $140 million in proposed projects as the city prepares for its largest-ever bond election in November. The project list, which was developed by department heads in January and has undergone recent scrutiny by a 20-member bond task force, includes $12 million for a municipal office complex, $5 million for a branch library and $4 million for a senior center.

Running Story Variation Lead contains latest development. Tie-back section quickly recounts previous developments to date. Gut includes balanced presentation of the developing conflict, process, effort. Ending looks forward in time to the next step in the running story line. Called folos, second-day stories.

Looking at a Folo ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters)—Ex-FBI agent Robert Hanssen, one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history, pleaded guilty Friday to selling secrets to Russia and promised to cooperate with prosecutors after they agreed not to seek the death penalty. Hanssen appeared in a packed, high-security courtroom in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Va., and, asked how he pleaded, said in a strong voice, “Guilty.” Sentencing was set for Jan. 11.

And the Tie-Back Section Hanssen, who worked in counter-intelligence, allegedly gave Moscow names of double agents and was also accused of compromising secrets related to satellites, early warning systems, defense systems and communications intelligence. His arrest prompted a re-evaluation of security within the FBI, including an order for 500 agency employees with access to intelligence information to undergo lie- detector tests.

A Supporting Quote Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson told reporters later: “Under this plea agreement, Hanssen will spend the rest of his life in federal prison, with no possibility of parole. Hanssen betrayed the trust of his country at the highest level imaginable.”

Generic Feature Model Lead illustrates point of story, often with a narrative passage. Nut section states story’s point, its relevance to readers, summarizes subtopics to come. Gut section often includes narrative passages as transition between subtopics. Ending often loops back to provide closure to opening vignette.

Nut Section Usually follows lead. States point, significance of story. Foreshadows coming sections of story, in order of appearance. Necessary in nearly all nonspot stories. Sometimes needed in spot stories. Best as a single graf, but sometimes several grafs long. Also called significance graf, kernel.

Gut Elements History: How did your issue develop over time? Scope: How widespread is your topic? Who is affected and to what extent? Relevance: Why do the story now? Tie to recent events. Impact: Who are the winners and losers? Conflict: Are contrary forces at work? Who opposes whom, and why?

Gut Elements II Futures: What happens if nothing changes? What changes might occur, and what happens then?

Profile Model Lead that illustrates essence of why you’re writing about a person. Nut section that establishes importance or relevance of person, foreshadows what’s to come. Gut has different elements from feature model. Strong ending that echoes the essential point you used in lead.

Profile Guts History: How has person’s past shaped today’s version of her? Qualities: Which ones make her different/similar? Why does she stand out? Values & standards: What are her beliefs and motivations? Why does she hold them? Impact: How is subject affecting the world? How is the world affecting her?

Profile Guts II Countermoves: How are others responding to her? Is there a dispute or struggle? Futures: What does she see for her own future? What do others see for her? NOTE: These sections aren’t in order, nor are they exclusive of other topics that fit the person.

Hints Always include an authoritative quote high in story that explicitly backs up theme. End gut sections with strong quotes that address the point of each section. Avoid mechanical transitions: Elsewhere, however, to be sure, on the other hand. Chronology is often useful in organizing gut.

Hints II Know your nut and lead before you attempt to pitch or write story. Remember that you’re writing for smart people with money—get to the point without becoming James Joyce. If you’re struggling with what should be the lead, consider sidebars, graphics or info boxes. Depart from the model if you’re in control.