Using Quotations and Paraphrasing in Journalistic Writing/Activities/Activity
These in-class activities are designed to complement those you completed in the pre-class set and should give you more practice in writing a good story. The main themes will again focus on the effective use of quotations and on paraphrasing interview material in an interesting and succinct way.
You will be working with an unedited interview transcript produced after a reporter (Thomas Deane) spoke to a researcher (VLiwen Xiao) who was part of a team that made a discovery with implications for protecting aquatic species near forested areas. By the end of this class, you should have:
- Written an effective introduction (two to three short paragraphs)
- Chosen a number of quotes to boost the interest of your story
- Paraphrased other material effectively to further develop the story
The 5 Ws and the Inverted Pyramid of Information
Whenever you write a news story, it is a good rule of thumb to include as much information about the coming article in the first paragraph. Do not worry about depth, but do concern yourself with breadth. Try to incorporate at least a good proportion of the ‘5 Ws’ (who, what, where, when, why) in that first sentence/paragraph. For example, consider this opening to a fictional news story:
Bad moods could be a thing of the past after a research team led by Professor Shevski at the University of Whitby recently discovered a gene that can be ‘switched on’ in all humans to increase the level of mood-lightening endorphins in the blood.
In just 45 words in this example, we have learned exactly what the article is going to develop (who = Professor Shevski, what = a gene of interest, where = the University of Whitby, when = recently, why = interesting because this gene might make us all better tempered individuals).
Once you have told the basics that are going to be developed in the story, it is time to increase the depth that surrounds the most interesting of these. In the above fictional example, it would probably be a smart plan to write a bit more about the gene itself, how it was discovered, and to what extent it could lighten moods when switched on. Only then would it be useful to incorporate some quotes, ideally from Prof. Shevski, one of his/her team members, and/or an expert in the field of genetics (remember the importance of quoting a relevant source). After you have done this, you can include more specific information if it is appropriate, but remember to work down that pyramid of information (from good breadth and narrow depth to narrow breadth and good depth).
Activity 1 (work alone, 10 minutes)
- Working alone, read the complete transcript of the interview between Thomas Deane and Liwen Xiao. As you read through the transcript, try to decide what the most newsworthy part(s) of the interview are. This is an important skill to develop, as you will sometimes find that the most interesting element of the story is not what you thought it would be initially.
- As you are reading through the transcript, annotate it to indicate parts that contain the important elements that will need to be developed in your article. Remember to look out for the following (of which there might be more than one):
1. Who = 2. What = 3. Where = 4. When = 5. Why =
*** Please note there will be a brief class discussion to share answers before you attempt Activity 2 ***
Activity 2 (work alone, and then together, 15 minutes)
Find a partner or work in a group of three to make sure nobody is left out. Individually, try to write two to three introductory paragraphs to this story. These do not need to be long, but try to incorporate as many of the ‘5 Ws’ in the first one as you can (make sure all are incorporated in the first two paragraphs). Once you have written the opening paragraph, try to write the next one or two to expand on the fact that this discovery might have ecological and economic implications because it could protect salmon and freshwater mussels (explaining why this is interesting/important). Hint: You will need to paraphrase some information from the transcript to do this effectively.
- Once you have completed this task, swap your introductory paragraphs with another pair/group of three (so you will hand two/three different versions to another pair/group, and receive two/three back). Read these different versions as a pair/group, and then decide which one you will use for the final activity.
*** Please note there will be a brief class discussion and an example solution will be shown before you attempt Activity 3 ***
Activity 3 (work together, 10 minutes)
Working with the same partner/group members, try to incorporate at least two quotes from Liwen Xiao below the paragraphs written by the other pair/group that you have just chosen to work with.
Remember that you can re-order quotes and incorporate parts of a longer quote with paraphrased material, as long as you do not misrepresent the speaker. Also remember that the quotes you choose should be interesting, concise, and move the story forward. It is just as important to make sure that they do not include boring and/or redundant information.
*** Please note there will be a brief class discussion and an example solution will be shown before you leave ***
Activity 4/Optional Take Home Activity (work alone or together, 10 minutes)
The opening to the story you just composed focused on this story from the perspective that this discovery/research was interesting because it might have ecological and economic implications because it could protect salmon and freshwater mussels. There were other angles that could have been taken in this article, and, depending on the angle, certain quotes might have been more useful than others.
Imagine that in your article, you decided further down to mention that this was (1) the first time anyone had tested the effects of grass catchment areas in taking up nutrients and (2) that the existing plantations will likely be felled even though it is known how risky this action might be for species in nearby rivers. Using the transcript, decide:
A1: Which of these pieces of information should be accompanied with a direct quote
B1: Which of these pieces of information should be paraphrased from quotes
A2: Which quote(s) you would use
B2: How you would paraphrase this information