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Discussion QuestionsExercises and AssignmentsOnline Media Writing ExamplesInstructor ResourcesWriting The Opening
 Writing Across the MediaCh1. Writing with Clarity and CoherenceCh2. Writing with ResponsibilityCh3. Writing for AudiencesCh4. Writing and Gathering InformationCh5. Writing the OpeningCh6. Writing Basic StoriesCh7. Writing with Visual and Audio ImagesCh8. Writing Complex Stories

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Discussion Questions

1. Read the section titled "Capturing the Audience's Attention" on pp. 99-101. Select a story from the day's newspaper, or a magazine, or from a news story you watched on television last night. Think about how you would describe what you saw or read in a very few words. Write a complete sentence — no more — about the story. Show it to a friend. Does the sentence make the friend want to watch or read the entire piece? What does the sentence say about the piece? Is it factual? Is it sensational? Is it the most important point? Think about the original story, and see if your sentence bears any relation to the attention-getting statement in it.

2. This chapter discusses "attention-getting statements as leads" as used in media writing (see pages 101-102). Quickly list all the advertising slogans you can remember. Then talk about why these statements — such as the "Where's the Beef?" opening mentioned on page 102 — get the audience's attention. What about the phrasing and word choice makes the opening memorable? Why?

3. Read the section titled "Using Lead-Ins With Images" (pp. 102-103). Select a picture from a magazine. After examining the picture carefully, describe what you see in one word. Is it a noun? A verb? Describe what you see in two words. Keep adding words until something approaching a complete sentence is formed. Which words came first? Which words came later? Why was each chosen when it was? Are the most powerful descriptive words those which came early?

4. According to page 104, six elements are common to summary leads. Use a videotape of a recent television newscast and the front page of a current newspaper to isolate and identify each of the six elements. Discuss which elements are featured most prominently in the story's opening, and consider why one or more of the six elements might have been eliminated from the opening.

5. The "Writing Tips" box on page 104 discusses six traditional news values. Which of these news values do you think are most important to your local newspaper in deciding which stories to place on its front page? Why? By contrast, which of these news values do you think are most important to your local television station in deciding which stories lead off its evening newscast? Why? Further, use a copy of today's newspaper to identify and discuss which of the news values are present in the stories the newspaper runs on its front page.

6. Discuss the "prominence" value discussed on page 104. How and when is prominence an appropriate guide for deciding whether something is news? Do some media overemphasize prominence at the expense of other news values?

7. Refer again to the six traditional news values (p. 104). Consider how any of these values might be present in advertising writing. For instance, can you identify ads that incorporate timeliness, proximity or novelty as a way to get the audience's attention?

 
Sample SyllabiMedia Writing Links