1. Unit 5: Building the Story
5-3 “to ‘Invert the Pyramid’ or Not… that is the Question”

2. Setting the Stage… What is the job of the journalist? To Whom?
For what purpose… what do they do with the journalist’s info?
Where does the journalist get the info they provide?
In Places like where?
To get better search results, what should they use?
After they research, how do they “fill the GAPS in their knowledge?
With who?
What do the experts provide to the journalist?
U have your topic, the length, you’ve done research, and filled your gaps with interview info… now what?!?
How many parts?
Ist Part?
2nd Part?

3. Time to Write! You’ve done it all…
Time for 1st pass at writing!
Common Sense would say to write the story chronologically
In order of events based on time
However…
The most important part of the story is…
the Result; the Outcome
That’s where a journalist starts…
The story begins with the way the story ends…

4. 2 Types of Stories BREAKING NEWS / HARD NEWS / “NEWS”
Tells about current events that affect the reader
Timely and concise
FEATURE NEWS / SOFT NEWS / Information
Appeals to the emotional side
Is not necessarily timely

5. THEY ARE WRITTEN DIFFERENTLY!!
Breaking News –
best written in inverted pyramid
no emotional involvement… just the facts
the reader can stop reading any time
STILL know the outcome of the story because THE LEDE is the outcome.
Feature News –
various styles depending on the author’s “voice”
inverted pyramid is useless
emotional involvement comes from the reader
usually a withholding of information for effect

6. 2 Kinds of News “News” / Breaking News / HARD News
“Information” / Feature News / SOFT News
Tell the story in the order of importance
Overall (Final) Result
Specific Details
“What’s Next?”
Tell the story in the order of chronology
Background
Ordered Details
Use the “INVERTED PYRAMID”
Use a “PYRAMID”

7. The Inverted Pyramid MOST NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION SPECIFIC DETAILS
Overall Result, Who, What, When, Where
SPECIFIC DETAILS
The Story Details, Why, How, Quotes, Evidence, Remaining Major Details
What’s Next?
Final results, extra content, etc.
THE LEDE - The opening graf of the story containing the most important info
Journalists don’t tell breaking news stories in chronological order…
They tell stories in order of importance!!!

8. WHEN TO USE… The INVERTED PYRAMID
Breaking News Stories
News that is happening now or has just happened
Accidents
Crime
Fires
Election results
Verdicts in court
Sports events
Business events
Straight hardline news
Etc.

9. The Story Details, Why, How, Quotes, Evidence, Remaining Major Details
The Normal Pyramid
Final Results
Overall Result
SPECIFIC DETAILS
The Story Details, Why, How, Quotes, Evidence, Remaining Major Details
Background Info
Who, What, Where, When
THE LEDE - The opening graf of the story containing the most important info
Journalists don’t tell feature stories in order of importance…
They tell stories Chronologically!!!

10. WHEN TO USE… The Normal PYRAMID
Feature News Stories
News that is telling a story
various styles depending on the author’s “voice”
emotional involvement comes from the reader
usually a withholding of information for effect

11. Only Use if Have Room (Inches) or Time (Seg. Length)
“Stat Sheets”
In order to write your story (hard or soft) more efficiently
Journalists will create a stat sheet
To Make…
Use Research and Interview Transcripts to create
Read and organize info into 1 page document for quick reference
Stat Sheet Components
Necessary Facts
Important Facts
Necessary Quotes
Important Quotes
Only Use if Have Room (Inches) or Time (Seg. Length)

12. APPLY… THE INVERTED PYRAMID
Let’s suppose the City Police Department reports that an accident occurred at 2:30 a.m. today.
This is the information the police provided to the press:
A car driven by Joe White, 29 years old,
Hit a curb on Main Street & smashed into a tree and overturned.
Police say White was speeding and lost control of his car.
He was hospitalized for minor injuries.
A passenger in White’s car was killed.
The passenger was Amanda Smith, 22 years old.
She was pronounced dead at 2:45 a.m.
“We are conducting toxicology tests to determine if alcohol was involved,” Police Chief Jack Russell said.

13. APPLY… THE INVERTED PYRAMID
Most important outcome: A woman died
This Fact is even more important than the accident itself
5 W’s
Who: Joe White & passenger
What: Fatal car accident
When: 2:30 a.m. today
Where: On Main Street
Why: The driver, Joe White was speeding and lost control
How: The car hit a curb, smashed into a tree and overturned
Source
Where did the information come from?
All of the information must be tied directly to the source where it came from: THE POLICE.
This is called attribution

14. The Inverted Pyramid MOST NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION SPECIFIC DETAILS
Overall Result, Who, What, When, Where
SPECIFIC DETAILS
The Story Details, Why, How, Quotes, Evidence, Remaining Major Details
What’s Next?
Final results, extra content, etc.
Put it all together to make a LEDE
1st Step-
Choose a Hook
(Punch Hook)
A 22-year-old woman (who)was killed (what)early this morning (when) in a car accident on Main Street. (where)

15. The Inverted Pyramid MOST NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION SPECIFIC DETAILS
Overall Result, Who, What, When, Where
SPECIFIC DETAILS
The Story Details, Why, How, Quotes, Evidence, Remaining Major Details
What’s Next?
Final results, extra content, etc.
2nd Step-
Insert Other Important Details
According to the City Police Department, the driver, Joe White, 29, was speeding and lost control of his car, causing the death of Amanda Smith, 22. (Why the news happened and who was the source)

16. The Inverted Pyramid MOST NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION SPECIFIC DETAILS
Overall Result, Who, What, When, Where
SPECIFIC DETAILS
The Story Details, Why, How, Quotes, Evidence, Remaining Major Details
What’s Next?
Final results, extra content, etc.
3rd Step-
Insert General Information & Other Details
White was hospitalized for minor injuries. He has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and awaits trial. (This covers an additional provided fact.) “We are conducting toxicology tests to determine if alcohol was involved,” Police Chief Jack Russell said. (This includes a quote from a source and attribution)

17. The Inverted Pyramid
A 22-year-old woman (who)was killed (what)early this morning (when) in a car accident on Main Street. (where)
According to the City Police Department, the driver, Joe White, 29, was speeding and lost control of his car, causing the death of Amanda Smith, 22. (Why the news happened and who was the source)
White was hospitalized for minor injuries. He has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and awaits trial.
“We are conducting toxicology tests to determine if alcohol was involved,” Police Chief Jack Russell said.

18. Apply… The Inverted Pyramid
MOST NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION
Result, Who? What? When? Where?
Specific DETAILS
What’s Next?
Stat Sheet
The police have shared these
facts with you, a journalist:
Around 4:35am this morning,
a robbery was reported at a local bank
in Charlotte, NC (Bank USA)
Over $5,000,000 in cash was stolen, along
with at least $3,000,000 in valuables from security deposit boxes was also stolen (valuable jewelry, antiques, bonds, art, etc.)
The suspect, Kenneth Moore, 46,
was taken into custody in Rock Hill, SC around 7:15am by local police
Moore has been handed over to Charlotte Mecklenburg police
-Moore’s lawyer provided a statement by Moore after his arrest: “I did it for the money—I did it for my family.”

19. Helpful Hints From a Vet…

20. Your Turn… You and your partner Take a Stat Sheet
Day 1- Sunday
Day 2- Monday
Day 3- Tuesday
Identify and Label Facts and Quotes
Necessary
Important
Use Stat Sheet to write Breaking News Story
Must Follow Inverted Pyramid Format