Specialty columns are those that follow the personal interest of the writer.
This is one place where the writer must have a personal background in the subject. A tech writer, such as myself, must also be a tech enthusiast. Likewise, travel writers must be willing to globe trot.
There are many different specialty fields to choose from, so writer's should stick to what they know.
Columnists should also remember that here "He said, she said" will not carry commentary. The readers of specialty sections are often experts on the subject. So the writer must know what they are talking about. And more importantly, his or her opinions must be based on logical, visible facts.
Then there is the story. Writers always need engaging leads. A specialty writers should be able to define conflicts and problems, present solutions and exit through anecdotes or situations that he or she think may come of it.
The writer's reputation is at stake here, but so is the media's. Writers must remember to temper their work with preparation and the knowledge that there is no "single truth" as the author puts it.
The writer's opinion must focus on the here and now and not just on reputations built up in the past. For instance, a tech writer who gave a new Apple product a rave review simply because he or she likes Apple might cost readers money on something that is not right for them.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Chapter nine summary
Arts writing has several questions a columnist must know the answers to to give justice to the critscism.
Who is the writer loyal to, the artist, his or herself, or the audience? Who is the writer writing for, insiders or everyday newspaper and magazine readers? And lastly, how can I be fair?
Loyalty in the art world is not always the cut and dry reader-first mentality.
Some editors demand that of their critics, such as Dennis Britten when he replaced his movie reviewers at the Denver Post.
Others, such as Harold C. Shonberg of the New York Times openly admit that they write for themselves.
Then there are those who write for the artist world. The chapter mentions Walter Kerr as a critic who was beloved by the theater world, and whose opinions greatly influenced the performances.
Art critics must determine what their editors want, and what will work best for them. If the have no readers, they are wasted space in and industry where space is money.
The second challenge is in the writing. A writer must know when to clarify his or her language to engage as large an audience as possible, and when to focus on the just the 10 percent of readers who really "get it."
Finally, the writer must determine his or her goal in criticism. The must know how to be fair by balancing their opinion on the art itself, avoiding cheap shots and most of all steering clear of manipulation by the art world itself.
Not everything the writer reviews will be to his or her personal tastes. So he or she must know if the readers hold their personal opinion in high regard or if they want an explanation of what they saw or heard. The writer must avoid being superficial in either case.
Last there is the arts world. Every journalist faces influence by his or her beat, and arts is no different. Critics must avoid giving rave reviews just for early passes to a movie.
Who is the writer loyal to, the artist, his or herself, or the audience? Who is the writer writing for, insiders or everyday newspaper and magazine readers? And lastly, how can I be fair?
Loyalty in the art world is not always the cut and dry reader-first mentality.
Some editors demand that of their critics, such as Dennis Britten when he replaced his movie reviewers at the Denver Post.
Others, such as Harold C. Shonberg of the New York Times openly admit that they write for themselves.
Then there are those who write for the artist world. The chapter mentions Walter Kerr as a critic who was beloved by the theater world, and whose opinions greatly influenced the performances.
Art critics must determine what their editors want, and what will work best for them. If the have no readers, they are wasted space in and industry where space is money.
The second challenge is in the writing. A writer must know when to clarify his or her language to engage as large an audience as possible, and when to focus on the just the 10 percent of readers who really "get it."
Finally, the writer must determine his or her goal in criticism. The must know how to be fair by balancing their opinion on the art itself, avoiding cheap shots and most of all steering clear of manipulation by the art world itself.
Not everything the writer reviews will be to his or her personal tastes. So he or she must know if the readers hold their personal opinion in high regard or if they want an explanation of what they saw or heard. The writer must avoid being superficial in either case.
Last there is the arts world. Every journalist faces influence by his or her beat, and arts is no different. Critics must avoid giving rave reviews just for early passes to a movie.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Chapter eight Summary
Chapter eight focuses on sports writing.
The sports section is one of the most heavily read in newspapers. Around 74 percent of men and 45 percent of women read sports, according to the chapter. Sports is also one of the most popular topics for new magazines.
Sports writers have a unique job because of the relationships they have with their readers, and the format they are expected to write in.
Sports is a very casual topic, people want to read a story that discusses their favorite players both on and off the field. But the writer must look beyond the scoreboard to be truly successful. Sports is a business. Contracts, sponsors and player trades are as meaningful--if not more so--as a play by play of last night's game.
The vocabulary the writer uses is also a delicate balance.
Sports, according to the chapter, is one of the only sections of the newspaper where the writer is expected to use jargon. Meanwhile even the Wall Street Journal regularly explains even simple terms.
A sports writer must know the terms. It's as simple as that. Sports readers have an inside knowledge of the games, and expect the writers to as well.
The flip side of this coin is that the writer must be aware of where his or her story is going to appear in a paper. That same jargon cannot appear in an article on the front page since the readers may not share the same inside knowledge.
The sports columnists has yet another duty. He or she must know when to uplift a team or player and when to point out flaws. Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune wrote a column condemning the actions of both basketball player Dennis Rodman and his fans.
"There was only one incident last week worse than Dennis Rodman assaulting a courtside cameraman in Minneapolis," Smith wrote. "It was the the standing ovation Rodman got from the Chicago crowd for his 10,000th rebound."
Smith goes on to enumerate Rodman's character flaws and the dangers of parents uplifting such a person to their children as a potential role-model.
Finally, there is the bigger story. Unlike broadcast news, the columnist can give the readers a 'what happens next' take either before or after a match.
A good columnist will get inside the head of the competitors. He or she can show the readers the challenges they face and give the hero's a more three-dimensional feel. These writers invite their readers to come in and discuss favorite teams and players.
That is what gives a sports columnist their own marketability.
The sports section is one of the most heavily read in newspapers. Around 74 percent of men and 45 percent of women read sports, according to the chapter. Sports is also one of the most popular topics for new magazines.
Sports writers have a unique job because of the relationships they have with their readers, and the format they are expected to write in.
Sports is a very casual topic, people want to read a story that discusses their favorite players both on and off the field. But the writer must look beyond the scoreboard to be truly successful. Sports is a business. Contracts, sponsors and player trades are as meaningful--if not more so--as a play by play of last night's game.
The vocabulary the writer uses is also a delicate balance.
Sports, according to the chapter, is one of the only sections of the newspaper where the writer is expected to use jargon. Meanwhile even the Wall Street Journal regularly explains even simple terms.
A sports writer must know the terms. It's as simple as that. Sports readers have an inside knowledge of the games, and expect the writers to as well.
The flip side of this coin is that the writer must be aware of where his or her story is going to appear in a paper. That same jargon cannot appear in an article on the front page since the readers may not share the same inside knowledge.
The sports columnists has yet another duty. He or she must know when to uplift a team or player and when to point out flaws. Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune wrote a column condemning the actions of both basketball player Dennis Rodman and his fans.
"There was only one incident last week worse than Dennis Rodman assaulting a courtside cameraman in Minneapolis," Smith wrote. "It was the the standing ovation Rodman got from the Chicago crowd for his 10,000th rebound."
Smith goes on to enumerate Rodman's character flaws and the dangers of parents uplifting such a person to their children as a potential role-model.
Finally, there is the bigger story. Unlike broadcast news, the columnist can give the readers a 'what happens next' take either before or after a match.
A good columnist will get inside the head of the competitors. He or she can show the readers the challenges they face and give the hero's a more three-dimensional feel. These writers invite their readers to come in and discuss favorite teams and players.
That is what gives a sports columnist their own marketability.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Chapter seven summary
Chapter seven focuses on humor writing.
Humor writing can include funny columns, slap-stick, satire and more. However, it is often one of the most stressful jobs in journalism.
Hal Boyle, of the Associate Press, often worried about his columns having to block everything else out.
Being funny on a daily or weekly basis is hard because one must find a topic that both speaks to readers and can be shown in a humorous way sucsessfully. Andy Rooney mentions humor as one of the few topics that can never be discussed rationally because there is no standard measurement of humor and people react to it differently.
One way of doing humor is through vignettes and personal stories columnists write about their own lives. The columnist will often try to write a "goat" story in which the bumbling character--usually his or herself can do nothing right.
Another technique is to use imaginary friends such as the late Mike Royko's Slats Grobknick or Lewis Grizzard's Cathy Sue Loudermilk.
Satire and slapstick are tools that need to be used carefully. Good humor is to the point and original.
Satire is best used to turn something that is all over the news into something entertaining i.e. a story about NASA sending a space probe to Mars could be spun as Earth invading Mars.
Slapstick such as pies in the face joke are easily overdone. It can however be used to lighten the mood of an audience when heavier news is flooding papers.
Regardless of the type of humor used, columnists need to remember they are not paid to write by the yard. Space is important in newspapers, magazines and even on line. Beyond that, jokes are at their most effective when they are swiftly delivered and not overly complicated.
Humor columnists are like any other writer. They have to listen to their readers, and they have to write and edit their work continuously in order to improve and be effective.
Humor writing can include funny columns, slap-stick, satire and more. However, it is often one of the most stressful jobs in journalism.
Hal Boyle, of the Associate Press, often worried about his columns having to block everything else out.
Being funny on a daily or weekly basis is hard because one must find a topic that both speaks to readers and can be shown in a humorous way sucsessfully. Andy Rooney mentions humor as one of the few topics that can never be discussed rationally because there is no standard measurement of humor and people react to it differently.
One way of doing humor is through vignettes and personal stories columnists write about their own lives. The columnist will often try to write a "goat" story in which the bumbling character--usually his or herself can do nothing right.
Another technique is to use imaginary friends such as the late Mike Royko's Slats Grobknick or Lewis Grizzard's Cathy Sue Loudermilk.
Satire and slapstick are tools that need to be used carefully. Good humor is to the point and original.
Satire is best used to turn something that is all over the news into something entertaining i.e. a story about NASA sending a space probe to Mars could be spun as Earth invading Mars.
Slapstick such as pies in the face joke are easily overdone. It can however be used to lighten the mood of an audience when heavier news is flooding papers.
Regardless of the type of humor used, columnists need to remember they are not paid to write by the yard. Space is important in newspapers, magazines and even on line. Beyond that, jokes are at their most effective when they are swiftly delivered and not overly complicated.
Humor columnists are like any other writer. They have to listen to their readers, and they have to write and edit their work continuously in order to improve and be effective.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)