Conforting Obituaries

What makes a good obituary? Why do readers/ viewers read and watch them? In order to write a good obituary, there is a long list of things that the writer should be careful not to forget. An obituary should include the name of the person, the time and place of birth and death, cause of the death, where he or she died, the names of the relatives, time and place of the funeral. Then, the writer usually includes personal achievements of the deceased, where he or she lived, the occupation, any hobbies or talents and more often than not a picture. A picture allows the reader to connect with person in question. The writer should be careful not to include any information that family or friends of the person would find offending. An example would be not to include details or explanations as to how the person died especially if it is related to illegal practices. People like reading obituaries because they are a sign of respect and they are moral support for the relatives. Good obituaries will portray the person in a sincere and favorable light and that will give a sense of comfort to the people who knew the deceased.

Inspiring Speeches

What makes a speech or meeting story interesting? How can a writer prepare? Speeches are interesting for numerous reasons. First of all speeches are meant to convey a message to a group of people. Whether, the speech is political, personal or about a social phenomenon, it has to follow certain criteria that are required to produce an excellent speech. All of them must begin with a strong opening statement that introduces the topic. Language must be clear and easy to comprehend. Most importantly, speeches must show passion in order to really touch the audience. There are many speeches over the course of history made by presidents or prominent social figures that have made a difference in the world or at least in a nation. These include Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech or Eleanor Roosevelt’s speech On United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. A writer needs to take all these aspects in consideration in order to prepare for a good speech. It is important that both the writer of the speech and the speaker take time to work on the speech together because the speaker must feel the emotion and believe in the ideas conveyed by the written piece. Otherwise the speech will not be successful.

What type of reader is it for?

What makes a news story different than a feature story?

A news story gives straight facts about something that has just happened whereas a feature story does not have to be about something that just happened. A feature story sometimes includes a profile, or a story within a story, and is typically much longer than a news story.

A news story gives you the facts of what happened and then it is done. A feature does not have to give all of the information up front and does not typically utilize inverted pyramid style like a hard news story does; it gives you important and interesting information throughout the piece.

News stories are made for the reader to quickly be able read and get a lot of information out of a little amount of words. In a news story you should be able to simply read the lede and get the story. A feature is written for the reader who is more interested in the topic and wants to read the whole article to learn more.

Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die

A good obituary does a couple of things. The first thing a good obituary does is inform the reader of all basic information about the person, including name, age, date and cause of death, etc. A good obituary also gives us the who cares factor, explaining why this person should be remembered. It tells you what the person did to make them a prominent person, proving why they should be remembered.

But an obituary is much more than stating facts and accolades. In the obituary you must communicate to the reader the emotions and actions of the person who you are writing about. Have the obituary turn the person into a character that you can forever see and remember in your mind.

People like to look at obituaries because they like to know what people did throughout their lives and how they will be remembered. They also watch to see if there are any people that they know of that have died.

Add Some Flair To It

Writing is a very powerful tool that can bring the most ordinary and boring subjects to life. With that being said, how can a journalist bring life to a story about a meeting or a speech? The simplest way to bring these stories to life is to add some flair to the piece. The best way to do this would be to have a specific angle on the story, whether it is using the speech to communicate a product they are introducing or showing people how a new budget for their state could affect them.

The best way for a journalist to prepare for one of these stories is simple. First the journalist should thoroughly research what the speech or meeting will be about. Nothing is more embarrassing than showing up to a speech with no idea on what the speaker’s speech is about.

The other big thing to prepare you for writing one of these pieces is to have an idea on how you want to angle your story. It will be much easier to take quotes and begin the writing process if you already know what you want to write about specifically.

What Makes a Speech or Meeting Story Interesting? How can a writer prepare?

To make a speech or meeting story interesting, the first thing the writer wants to do is write a good lede to get the reader hooked. A good writer also knows how to make boring topics interesting, they can do this by making the topic relatable and relevant to readers, making it a story the reader actually wants to read.

Writers also have to thoroughly prepare to write a speech or meeting story. A writer can prepare for a speech by getting a sufficient amount of background information on the speaker. It is important to make sure the speaker is identified correctly. Also, the writer should contact the sponsoring organization in advance to attempt to get a copy of the speech and identify the speaker’s topic. The writer may also want to contact the reader ahead of time to interview them if necessary.

For meeting stories, the writer should get the meeting agenda in advance. It’s also important to answer questions such as: who are the people holding the meeting? What kind of organization is it? Who are the key figures? What are the main issues being discussed? Etc.

Taking all these factors into consideration will help the writer to create the most interesting and accurate story; two factors that are extremely important to the success of both the story and the writer.

Obits

Ideas for a good obituary

For the obituary story, i was thinking of many people, but i am still unable to decide on one person at this time.

For the first person i thought of was Brian Daubach. He is alive, he used to play for the Red Sox, and he is one of my favorite athletes of all time.

Another icon that comes to mind is Bill Belichick. He is so intelligent, and so mysterious. Obviously, the man is alive, and will be around for some time. Belichick just interested me, so i thought of him as a potential choice.

The last person i was thinking of was Edgar Allan Poe. He died some time ago, but i always got into his works as a poet, and enjoy reading about his relation to the cities of Boston and Baltimore.

For my obitiaury, i have considered many people, and i have now mentioend three potential candidates that i would select to write about for the assignment. I am not at all close to deciding, but will do so by wednesday.

I hope you enjoy the people i mentioned, and i look forward to your comments.

Be careful what you include and do not

What makes a good obituary? Why do readers/viewers read and watch them?

A good obituary contains the name, address, occupation, age, cause, date, place of death, names of relatives, time/place of the funeral, the burial site, and the biographical information of the deceased. Typically a picture is also included so that the readers feel like they knew the person, even if they didn't and if they did then they enjoy seeing who exactly it was that died. Obituaries are difficult to write because if you get information wrong people will be very upset with you, and you have to be careful about the information that you include, even if it is right. For example people do not want you to include that it was a suicide, or that it had to do with illegal drugs, they are still too sensitive for that.

People read them because they are typically in local papers and locals want to know who died because they may know them or have a connection to them. Family and friends of the deceased also want to have to obituary as a sign of respect and something they can keep of their loved one.

Speak N' Spell

What makes a speech or meeting story interest? How can a writer prepare?

A speech is always interesting because it can change how an audience feels about a certain topic like the Gettysburg address. That speech had so much content in so few words. It can motivate a group to go out and win something, like Herb Brooks’ speech before the 1980 USA Hockey team went out and beat the almost unbeatable Russians in the Olympics. A speech can bring a country together like President FDR’s speech after the bombing of Pearl Harbor just two days after the bombing on December 7,1945 to adjust to war time and slip out of an economic depression.

Speeches can do so much in so little time. A few words can really affect its listeners and change the world around them. A writer can only prepare by a few things. They need to look at the topic they are speaking on. When President Obama is having is speeches written for him, you would think he would have glance once or twice on the topic. Another thing a writer can do is writing from your heart. Don’t beat around the bush and talk about what you think your audience wants to hear. Just say what you feel, and hope that you are getting your message out clearly.

Speeches are made interesting by how they are done. You need to have passion in your speech. They are given interest to the prominence of the topic like President Obama speaking on the Middle East as the crisis over there is happening and not a few months after. People want to hear what people in power think of the subject. In addition, the words of the speech mean a lot to how you can persuade or not persuade the audience. Lastly, they are important if you enjoy the person or topic. You would care more about a speech President Obama is giving if you are into politics and would not care as much if Celtics coach Doc Rivers was giving a speech on the team if you are not much of a basketball fan.

In conclusion, speeches are interesting because it gives the people a chance to hear what the actual person speaking has to say.

The Main Event-What Makes a Good Feature?

A feature is much more than a simple news story. You are looking to do more than just inform your audience, but interest them and give them multiple angles on a story. Music magazines are a great example of having features. They oftentimes will profile a band with the intention of not only telling you about the band, but giving you a little insight into the band and how they operate. They also give you information on how the band sounds, and controversy or any other positive or negative feedback involving the band, and a variety of other informative pieces.

But the best features are the ones that connect the audience to the story. It’s great that this band or person is becoming a big deal, but why does it matter to the audience? That’s the biggest thing your reader is going to want to know. When someone reads any sort of story, it could be one of the best written stories, but if it does connect to them or interest them, they aren’t going to want to finish reading it.

So if you ever have the desire to write or have to write a feature in your future, just remember to keep it full of information and multiple viewpoints, and also make it interesting so that your audience can connect to it.

What makes a good profile?

When a reporter decides to write a profile on someone it means that they are going to basically to a biographical story on a certain person. The first step if you were going to write a profile on someone would be to set up an interview with that person. The most important part of this process is the reporters preparation. A good profile is made by strong hard interesting facts and that can only be done with research and preparation. You most likely will have a deadline when writing a profile so the problem is you may not have as much time as you would like to do your research. So therefore preparation is very important and makes up what a good profile on someone entails.

Why are journalists tempted to plagiarize and make up stories?

There would be many reasons why journalists would be tempted to plagiarize and make up stories. A journalist can very easily plagiarize a story and make up something that may not be entirely true and get it published. A single story could make a journalist become very famous if it is on a very interesting topic or on a famous person. They could also destroy the reputation of someone they weren't fond of with a few words published in the right places. However, all journalists know the most important aspect of any story is accuracy. If a story isn't accurate and someone finds out the journalist either lied or plagiarized that journalist could be facing some serious problems from a judicial standpoint. However untrue stories get published all the time and that is probably why journalists think they can get away with making up stories or stretching the truth.

What do Journalists do?

Journalists work for the people. Journalists all have certain obligations such as reporting the news. Reporters cover things like congress and council meetings, accidents and disasters, and highlights of sports games. This is the most important function of journalists. Another important job of journalists is to monitor power. This applies not only to monitoring the government but also monitoring the power of private sources as well. When people abuse their power it is the job of journalists to report on it. Journalists are also important for uncovering injustices that would go completely unnoticed if not for the journalists. Journalists also tell compelling stories but also tell us stories that might upset us or require an emotional response too. In some places journalists are the sole source of communication for the public. Not everywhere has internet and television to report the news so they must resort to listening to the journalists.

The Feature

A feature is not similar to a breaking news story. The techniques are different and the style of writing is different. A feature's style of writing has to be soft and playful for people that have the time to read a feature while hard news stories are more likely to have very direct and to the point writing. A feature should use discriptive language with many adjectives and should be entertaining to some degree.

Yet, as any news story, a feature should contain accurate facts and detailed information for the reader to understand fully. The reporter can write on a profile or an event in his feature but the importance in writing a good feature is that the reporter must be very well informed of whatever he or she is writing about. The introduction is also significant in a good feature because you want to be sure to attract your audience. 

Descriptive story makes for happy audience

What makes a speech or meeting story interesting? How can a writer prepare?

In a speech or a meeting story you can take a narrative approach to writing the story. You can describe what happened and mix in dialog so it makes the reader feel like they were their. In a television news story the speech or meeting can be recorded so viewers can actually see everything and feel like they are there.

A writer can prepare by bringing a tape recorder or a video camera so that they can here exactly what was said later and even see what everyone's expressions were. However, sometimes you are not allowed to bring a video camera, so then a tape recorder is second best. A reporter should still bring a pad of paper so they can write important things about the speech or meeting.

They can also look up the person speaking or the people in the meeting in order to prepare so that if they do get the chance to ask questions they can, and they will know which information is the most important.

Without The Lede You Have Nothing

What’s the easiest way to get people to read my article? This is a question that many journalists ask themselves, but can’t always answer. The truth of the matter is that without a good lede, most people won’t want to read your story. A lede is the first sentence or paragraph that you read in a story and is crucial to the development of the story. But what makes a good lede?

The best ledes are the ones that are short and convey the information that everyone wants to know right off. This is generally the who, what, when, where, why and how of the storyline. It sounds very daunting to put all of that into a paragraph, let alone a sentence, but believe it or not this is the easy part. The hard part is to make this information readable. The lede should not only be informative, but interesting as well. Instead of just rambling off all the facts, add some flow and originality to it. Don’t just write what you think everyone else is, try to branch out and make it your own. If there is a lot of good quality information and originality in you’re lede, it is sure to captivate your readers and get them to read more.

Fee Chore me something c00L

What makes a good feature?

Well, many features are so good because they are so intriguing. They get the audience interested first in what they are talking about. Secondly, a feature has to be well written, or put together in a video because if it is not pull together professionally, people will just stop reading it and will never read the point the author is trying to make. Last, a good feature needs to have a point to it. People don’t want to watch a story about how cool you think silly bands are for a half hour. They want to know what you think is specifically so cool about them, or why they impact your life.

First off, interesting topics are always a good starting point. For example, a feature on a local dance club in Providence that our class guest Erin Kennedy did was successful because it was something people could sit down and listen to. Also, the topic was intriguing enough that people would be interested to join, spread the word to friends, and overall, it was well put together. Next, we have the dilemma of putting it all together in a professional way. Another example would be if you wrote a feature on how social media affects the world today. When the feature is all done, and you forget to interview experts, and the quotes you had written down and used are no good, that is something a feature needs: substance, and clarity. Last but not least, there needs to be a point. When you sit down on your couch on Sundays, and ESPN’s SportsCenter does their “Sunday Conversation” piece, they talk to coaches and players who are relevant at that time. For example, just a few weeks ago they did a story on Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson. They talked to him about his career as a coach, recent struggles, and his plan for retirement at the conclusion of the season. These are things people want to know, the piece was put together well, so the audience understands it, and it had a point to ask if the Lakers can get one more championship before Jackson hangs up his clipboard for good.

Features are always good because they spic e up your regular news. It divvies from the regular news stories run about robberies, burning houses, and dead people. It takes a deeper look into society, and always draws attention from the world.

What makes a good feature?

A good feature should be both captivating and interesting. It should be appealing to the audience and spark interest of the reader. It should be a story people want to read, and something that will relate to their individual lives. A good feature should include an expert on the topic, as well as a profile on that person, and someone who is directly involved with the subject. A feature story is also more a story rather than a report, its longer and more detailed, and generally doesn’t qualify as hard news. It contains a sufficient balance between both entertainment and information, usually touching the reader on a more personal level, with relatable elements that convince the reader of the stories importance. A good feature can be targeted towards a general audience, or it can be geared towards a certain gender, age group, or type of person. For example, a feature on a new make-up product would generally be geared towards females age 15-25; typically somebody interested in cosmetics, and would most likely include a profile on the creator of the product, and an outside expert on the topic.