September 7, 2007 Archives

A few sentences, following soon after the lead, that explains the newsworthiness of the article. Sometimes called the "nut graph" (short for "paragraph") or simply the "nut."  Why should the reader bother to care about what follows? How do the events in this story relate to recent trends or events, national or international issues, or unusual human interest?

A story that leads with an account of a mugging might have a nut that notes this was the third mugging this week, or that it happened the night the mayor gave a medal to the police.

When writing a nut, never say, "This story is important because...", and don't try to address every single possible way that a story might be considered newsworthy. Instead, write a paragraph that flows naturally from the news you have just reported, and links these specific details to the greater community of readers, answering the question "who cares?"

In traditional journalism, reporters are invisible observers. They should not emphasize their own participation in the events they describe.

Structure of a News Story

• Lead
• Quotes/Key Details
  
• Nut
• News (run through all kinds of newsworthiness)
  
• Background (connect to previous events to show significance of developments)
  
• Other Details
  

Developing News / Writing to Deadline

An ongoing story can twist suddenly. Sago Mine; Duke Lacrosse party; see this soft story on the grieving parents of a missing preschooler; then, the preschooler's mother "fears charges" and was recently named a suspect.

Invisible Observer