One Thing... from Class April 15, 2014

 

 

                I've learned a lot from this class these pasts couple of months, knowing finally how to write a solid news story or news lead. Coming into the class I never would have thought that I would be learning to write a news story or lead and putting together my own writings that I always just picture that they'll be in the newspaper or online. When I write my stories, I write like I'm writing for the Erie newspaper, not just like I'm writing an essay for a class. The material and content and grammar may not be the highest of levels, but you have to be willing to put yourself in that mindset that you can write for an audience, or write like you are the one who is going to have to read that later. When I read the news, I never found myself paying any attention to what grabs my attention in what order, or who wrote the piece, or what information they were actually given and had to find the rest on their own. Now after this class I definitely read the news in a new way. I am always thinking about how the article is set up, and what went into writing it. When I read leads I think to myself, "Is that catching my attention?" "Are they telling me the most important information that I should be reading or knowing about?"

 

                There was never any thoughts in my mind about what went into writing the news. I thought that it was just writing a quick summary of what you are told to report on. While some of that may be true, there is a lot more to it than that. People are always reading and wondering about the news, and if you are that person that is supplying them with the information, then you should make sure that it is correct and accurate, and written well that it will capture the audiences attention long enough to get through the whole news story.

       

              This class shed a whole new light on news writing and the news in general, which I am very thankful for. I never would have known this type of writing was out there, because I never saw it as any different than just regular essay writing. Now that I know, it is very helpful and keeps broadens my horizon of choices and opportunities for jobs and careers, and know how to correctly write news story and such, maybe one day there is the possibility of getting into something like that, knowing that I can properly do it.