[IMC-bristol] HARD NEWS FORMULA

[Tony Gosling]

Pru mentioned this a while ago - here it is for those of you who didn't see 
it - to media types it might be stating the obvious but to joe public it's 
likely to help the process of de-mystifying news and empowering people to 
have a go.

We mentioned the possibility putting this seven point list on the publish 
page to help people turn stories into news. Seems like a good idea.
I also (my prejudice!) believe in covering all the following questions in a 
story and explaining in the story why we don't have an answer to one or 
more of them.
A classic propaganda technique is to miss out the 'why'. For example to 
describe, in a news story, disruption caused by a strike but not explain 
the the reasons the strike is taking place.

Tony Gosling
0117 944 6219




HARD NEWS FORMULA
from Broadcast Journalism, techniques of radio and TV news
Andrew Boyd
Third Edition - 1994 - Focal Press p.54


There is a tried and tested hard news formula which is used in newspapers 
radio and TV. It constructs the storyby asking who what where when and how 
questions. Answers to these should give most of the information required.
    * What has happened?
    * Where did it happen?
    * When did it happen?
    * Who was involved?
    * How did it happen?
    * Why did it happen?
    * What does it mean?
Plus background/extra information if there is time.




-- 
EVN-UK MAILING LIST: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ecovillageuk
Subscribe (approx. 1 post/2wks.): ecovillageuk-subscribe at yahoogroups.com

ECOVILLAGE GUIDE BOOKS - available (postage included) from 
http://www.eco-logicbooks.com
Mulberry House, 19 Maple Grove, Bath, BA2 3AF - 01225 484472
UK > 'Diggers and Dreamers' - Annual directory of UK Communities - £6.00
EUROPE > 'Eurotopia' - Directory of Intentional Communities and Ecovillages 
in Europe - £15.00
COTTARS AND SQUATTERS > Reccommended: UK land rights history - £10.00

ECOVILLAGE NETWORK UK (that's us!) - 
http://europe.ecovillage.org/uk/network/index.htm
Populating the rhetoric of rural sustainability
Volunteers: Russ Curgenven, Tony Gosling, Pam Norris, Joyce Kallevick.
PO Box 1410, Bristol, BS99 3JP
Tel: 0117 373 0346
evnuk at gaia.org

CHAPTER 7 - http://www.tlio.org.uk/chapter7/
The UK's Rural Sustainable Settlement Planning Campaign
'Chapter 7 News' - 16-20pp. quarterly - £2.00 ea. £7.00 per annum sub. from
The Potato Store, Flaxdrayton Farm, South Petherton, Somerset, TA13
chapter7 at tlio.demon.co.uk
01460 249204

PERMACULTURE ASSOCIATION UK - http://www.permaculture.org.uk
Supports individuals, projects and groups working with permaculture in Britain
Third Floor Studios, 6 Carr Mills, 322 Meanwood Road, Leeds, West 
Yorkshire, LS7 2HY
office at permaculture.org.uk
Tel/Fax: 07041 390170 and 0113 262 1718

WWOOF - http://www.wwoof.org/wuk0.html
Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms
Join WWOOF, do some work, stay for free. Membership includes directory
PO Box 2675, Lewes, Sussex, BN7 1RB
fran at wwoof.org

DIGGERS AND DREAMERS - http://www.diggersanddreamers.org.uk
Diggers & Dreamers, a UK guide to communal living for more than 10 years
c/o Edge of Time Ltd, BCM Edge, London, WC1N 3XX, UK
info at diggersanddreamers.org.uk
07000 780536

LOW-IMPACT NEWS - http://www.lowimpactnews.org.uk
The seasonal magazine for and about UK ecovillages
Subscription: £5 unwaged - £10 low paid - £15 reasonable job/institution - 
per year
Cheque payable to Low Impact News, Dickie's meadow, New House Cottage, 
Sandy Lane, Accrington, BB5 2DH, UK
01324 222479

GROUNDSWELL - http://www.groundswell.org.uk
Promoting and developing self-help initiatives with the homeless

U.K. COHOUSING NETWORK - http://www.cohousing.co.uk/
Sharing expertise and experience amongst the U.K. cohousing groups.

FOREST SCHOOL CAMPS - http://www.fsc.org.uk/about.htm
Camps for kids to get back to nature with the minimum of authority.

EUROPEAN FUNDING - http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/funding/intro_en.htm

GLOBAL ECOVILLAGE NETWORK, EUROPEAN OFFICE - http://www.gen-europe.org/
Via Torri Superiore 5, 18039 Ventimiglia, Italy - info at gen-europe.org - 
0039 0184 2155 04
Minutes of meetings 
http://www.gen-europe.org/archives/meetings/council/index.html

Download free & easy to use PGP encryption at http://www.pgpi.com