Dear Teen Journalists
Words of wisdom every NewsHound can use.
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Dear teen journalist: Do not start your article with any of these phrases:
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) February 14, 2019
Throughout society
Everybody knows
In today's era
Most of us have probably
Imagine [fill in the blank]
It's a key to the reader you haven't done original reporting and/or that a generalization will follow
Dear Teen Journalist: Don't use opinion as filler in news stories. It's not a place to use judgmental words or to editorialize.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 30, 2019
Dear Teen Journalist: Generalizations don't make good journalism. Use specifics and details in your writing to make your sentences come alive for the reader.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) September 26, 2018
Dear teen journalist: It's👌🏽to go back to a source w/follow-ups. They won't 😡. They will be 🙂 that u want to get details of their life right
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) April 6, 2017
Dear teen journalist: "She didn't give her last name" is not a reason for a source not to have her last name in your article. She didn't "give it" because you didn't ask. Ask. That's your job.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) February 6, 2019
Dear Teen Journalist: This is what fact-checking looks like. 👇🏿👇🏼👇🏾👇🏽 https://t.co/DPgVZ8kbpX
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) October 8, 2018
Dear teen journalist: Don't tell readers what "seems" to be happening tell them what "is" happening. If you don't know, do more reporting.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) February 24, 2017
Dear teen journalists:
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) November 27, 2018
What's the *news* of the story?
What's *new* about the issue?
These should be the first questions an editor asks an assignment pitch and the first questions a writer answers in the piece.
Dear Teen Journalist: This is what fact-checking looks like. 👇🏿👇🏼👇🏾👇🏽 https://t.co/DPgVZ8kbpX
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) October 8, 2018
Dear Teen Journalist: Generalizations don't make good journalism. Use specifics and details in your writing to make your sentences come alive for the reader.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) September 26, 2018
Dear teen journalist: Be a reporter in the field but a storyteller on the page.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) September 14, 2018
Don't just write what you report but try to engage the reader by telling a story.
Dear teen journalists: Advice for YOU from the pros! 👇🏾👇🏽👇🏿👇🏼 https://t.co/JuPPGjS4nI
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) September 3, 2018
Dear teen journalist: The problem with using generalizations in your lede is that it is too easy for the reader to point out exceptions, consider your article flawed and stop reading. Don't give your audience a reason to stop reading/listening/watching.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) July 15, 2018
Dear teen journalist: Read this thread for some great advice on pitching. 👇🏽👇🏿👇🏼👇🏽👇🏾 https://t.co/IlzEiQMGbo
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) March 14, 2018
Dear teen journalists: You want the humanity of the story to come through in the quotes you choose to use.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) February 5, 2018
Dear teen journalists: Don't be discouraged by getting a lot of notes on your drafts. Editors aren't pointing out what you did wrong; they are helping you make the piece better. Think of it as a team effort.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 22, 2018
Dear teen journalists: A mini-editing checklist from @PaulaLaRocque @spj_tweets:
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) March 29, 2018
=>Are key words used <1x per sentence/graf?
=>Does the story use simple words?
=>Do sentences average 25 wds or <?
=>Are sentences cluttered w/prepositions/numbers/symbols? (max. of 3 per sentence.)
Dear teen journalists: Readers like quotes. They give the piece personality. That is why you want your first quote as high up in the article as possible. Not halfway through the piece.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 29, 2018
Dear teen journalists: Your lede should not be the longest paragraph of your article. One thought per paragraph. If it takes you more than 3 sentences to get to your point in your lede, rewrite.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 29, 2018
Dear teen journalists: When you introduce a new source in an article, write a set-up that tells the reader what the source has to offer to the conversation. It’s like introducing 2 people at a party. You say why they might like this new person, not just their name & affiliation.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 4, 2018
Dear teen journalists: Don't steal photos, images, graphics, art from the internet. It's not nice. Or legal. 👇🏼👇🏿👇🏾👇🏽 https://t.co/iYQejrDDNM
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 29, 2018
Dear teen journalists: Kudos if you manage a one-sentence lede. BUT if your reader gets lost in the sentence, what's the win? Rewrite long one-sentence ledes into 2 or more short sentences.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) December 6, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Put the attribution after the interesting research finding not before it. You don't want to lose the reader in a jumble of university names and affiliations.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 3, 2018
Dear teen journalists: If a celebrity makes a surprise appearance at a school performance, chance are you should lead with that.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 23, 2018
Dear Teen Journalists: Thank you for giving your best and working hard to honor your sources and the subject of your articles. It's not all about the byline and you know that. ❤️🎈❤️
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 3, 2018
Dear teen journalists: If you can cut 10 words from a paragraph. You win.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 30, 2018
Heck, if you cut one word from a sentence you win, too.
Dear teen journalists: When editors ask for clips, they are looking for url to published work or a pdf of the published story. Pls don't send pdf of text documents.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) December 19, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Don't use the same word twice in your lede. Or in any sentence if you avoid it. Rewrite the sentence.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 22, 2018
Dear teen journalists: Please don't quote @MerriamWebster or @OxfordWords in your pitch or your article. The one-size-all approach is amateurish and not creative. No offense, dictionaries!!
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) December 12, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Don't be discouraged by getting a lot of notes on your drafts. Editors aren't pointing out what you did wrong; they are helping you make the piece better. Think of it as a team effort.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 22, 2018
Dear teen journalists: When you introduce a new source in an article, write a set-up that tells the reader what the source has to offer to the conversation. It’s like introducing 2 people at a party. You say why they might like this new person, not just their name & affiliation.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 4, 2018
Dear teen journalists: Have you seen the Diversity Style Guide? https://t.co/KI8mUXYPqZ @SFSU
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) November 16, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Tell a story. Paint a scene. Yes, report the news, but make it readable and human by uses these writing devices.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) November 15, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Put the attribution after the interesting research finding not before it. You don't want to lose the reader in a jumble of university names and affiliations.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 3, 2018
Dear teen journalists: Don’t be afraid of carving out a piece of a larger issue and writing about that.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) November 7, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Resist the urge to write a conclusion to your news stories.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) October 27, 2017
Dear teen journalists: When covering a mtg/speech, don't lead w/a statement that the event happened. Lead w/the that happened at the event.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) October 12, 2017
Dear teen journalists: It's completely normal to gets tons of edits on your story! Learn from the comments & don't be discouraged! 👇👇🏾👇🏼👇🏿 https://t.co/lx0DOhyFt5
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) September 25, 2017
(Dear teen journalists: Don't write "when asked" in an article. Instead write the response as a transition into the next quote. pic.twitter.com/aaxlCliZh1
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) October 11, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Opinion pieces and editorials shouldn't be rants. They should move the conversation forward in a thoughtful way.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) October 11, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Please don't use the word "plethora" in articles or essays. It often reads like an SAT term you just learned.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) October 10, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Do not make up names for your sources who wish to be anonymous without telling your editor and your readers.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) June 20, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Only start a paragraph w/ someone's name if it's your principal or @Beyoncé. Readers stop 👀 w/o name recognition.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) April 4, 2017
Dear teen journalists: When a news story abt research, underlines "study"/"paper," it's probably hyperlinked. Click word for original source
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) August 18, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Nothing is "clear," "obvious" or a "surprise" to readers. So don't tell them that it is.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) February 27, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Think abt what part of yr article each source represents. Use transitions btwn sources to connect quotes to nut graph
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) August 14, 2017
Dear teen journalists: A good quote is something interesting or said in an interesting way.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) March 9, 2017
Dear teen journalists: You should follow @APStylebook. How else would you hear about groundbreaking decisions like this one? 👇🏽👇🏾👇🏼👇🏿👇 https://t.co/pMjney087J
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) August 23, 2017
PB&J is acceptable in all references to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) August 22, 2017
Dear teen journalists: You should follow @APStylebook. How else would you hear about groundbreaking decisions like this one? 👇🏽👇🏾👇🏼👇🏿👇 https://t.co/pMjney087J
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) August 23, 2017
PB&J is acceptable in all references to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) August 22, 2017
PB&J is acceptable in all references to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
— AP Stylebook (@APStylebook) August 22, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Use "said" or "says" in 99.5% of the time. It is neutral and unobtrusive. @youthjournalism @schoolnewspaper
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 26, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Use "said" or "says" in 99.5% of the time. It is neutral and unobtrusive. @youthjournalism @schoolnewspaper
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) January 26, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Please keep your subjects and verbs close together. Doing this helps your reader understand the sentence better.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) February 24, 2017
Dear teen journalists: You don't know what your sources believe. You only know what they tell you they believe.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) August 10, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Your sources won't like everything you write but they shouldn't have any qualms over the accuracy of your reporting.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) March 6, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Be more specific. Details will help you tell a better, more accurate story. @schoolnewspaper @nationalJEA
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) July 5, 2017
Dear teen journalists: "a very wise woman" is not a qualification for a Voice of Authority. Find someone w/professional expertise on topic.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) June 7, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Your story will be better if you focus on teens' experiences, not on their opinions.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) August 7, 2017
Dear teen journalists: Please do not turn in drafts that use "&" in the text. Rewrite "&" to "and." Thank you.
— Katina Paron, MJE (@KatinaParon) August 7, 2017
