BASIC STORIES
Meeting stories, speeches,
news conferences
PREPARATION:
Get an agenda
 Make sure you know the time and place of
the event
 Contact key figures
 Try to find out what the meeting is about
 Study and investigate issues before arriving

ADVANCE STORIES
State the purpose in an advance notice
 WEAK: The Student Senate will hold a
meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday in C-105 for
the purpose of discussing the question of
whether or not students should be allowed
to park cars in faculty parking lots.

OTHER WEAK OPENINGS
There will be a meeting . . .
 The purpose of the meeting . . .
 At 7:30 a.m. . . .
 The first meeting of the year . . .

NEEDED INFORMATION
Name of organization, name and number of
post or chapter, usual abbreviation
 Time and place
 Program, entertainment (election or
initiation), special committee report,
speaker, anniversary, names of musicians,
names of selections, casts, orchestras,
committee in charge
 Give highlights of program in order of
importance.

EMPHASIS ON PROGRAM
The American Legion Auxiliary’s 5th
District will meet at 8 p.m. Saturday in the
community club room to hear annual
reports by district chairmen.
 OR
 Annual reports by district chairmen will be
heard at 8 p.m. Saturday when the American
Legion Auxiliary’s 5th District meets in the
community club room.

EMPHASIS ON PROGRAM

Illinois law-enforcement officials gathered
here Monday to discuss ways of living up to
the new rule excluding illegally obtained
evidence from criminal trials.
THINK VISUALLY

Other than words, how else can you
illustrate your story.
Photos
 Charts
 Info boxes
 Logos
 Sidebars

NEWS JUDGEMENT
Learn how to recognize a story
 Know what to do when you get to the
meeting
 Cover the entire event – content; time, place
and circumstances; possible consequences

CONTENT
Get the content correct
 Quote accurately and in context
 Become a proficient note taker.
 Report, don’t record

DESCRIBE PARTICIPANTS
Watch for facial expressions and gestures.
 Measure the speaker’s words against his/her
background.
 Note the tone of questions
 Note the size of the audience

MORE TIPS
Arrive early. Think about the best place to
be located.
 Know the participants and where they are
seated.
 Prepare your questions
 Listen to others’ questions
 Pursue what is newsworthy
 Don’t rush off afterward.

Follow-up stories
Lead emphasizes the result.
 WEAK: Keystone Lodge No. 14, LOOF, on
Friday voted to build a new million dollar
lodge hall.
 BETTER: A new lodge hall costing $1
million will be erected by Keystone Lodge
No. 14, LOOF, as a result of Friday’s
meeting.

OTHER WEAK OPENINGS
The Student Senate met last evening . . .
 At a meeting of . . .
 There was a meeting of . . .
 The purpose of the meeting . . .
 One of the most interesting . . .
 The outcome of the meeting . .

MORE WRITING TIPS
From Curtis MacDougall, Interpretive
Reporting (231)
 Expressions such as “members are urged to
attend” and “the public is cordially invited”
should be avoided. If the purpose of the
meeting is stated correctly, the former
expression is superfluous. The latter
expression is poor because of the cordially.
If an invitation is not cordial it should not
be extended.

MORE MacDougall

Other expressions to avoid:
. . . Was the most important happening
 . . . Was the main business transacted
 . . . Was the topic of discussion.
 . .. .featured the meeting.
 . . .was the principal transaction.

WRITING THE STORY
Avoid chronological coverage
 Give background where needed
 Provide reactions where time and space
allow
 Write clearly and accurately\
 Be interesting

WRITING THE STORY
For each issue/topic discussed at a meeting,
open with outcome, what the group ended
up doing.
 DO REPORT: The Springfield City Council
approved . . . or The council also decided
 DON”T REPORT: Springfield City Council
member Wanda Epstein asked the council to
consider …..
The council finally decided . . .

WRITING THE STORY
Use order of importance
 DO NOT use the order discussions occurred
in the meeting.
