Writing Principles: Before the story starts
Picking a story
How significant is a story? Does it involve a prominent person, is it a crime of outstanding brutality, or is this a matter of national or ‘big-city’ interest? Go with something that appeals to a wide range of people – we should only write stories we think are totally ‘essential’ for the South African newsreader.
Proposed changes to SA lockdown laws ‘will limit Dlamini-Zuma’s power’ – Everyone in South Africa is impacted by lockdown laws. Dlamini-Zuma is a very well-known, almost infamous figure
Motorists, beware: Toll fees increase next week – here’s what you’ll now pay – We have toll roads all across the country, with many concentrated in areas like KZN and Gauteng
Defining ‘essential’
It’s a broad term, so let’s go into it: Essential, for TheSouthAfrican, constitutes stories that are; interesting, informative, shocking, educational, explanatory, entertaining, relevant (to everyday life), or trending (online). You must write about developments that impact people, or piques their attention.
- Educational: Here’s what you need to know about June’s Strawberry Moon
- Explanatory: Will SASSA cards be valid beyond 31 March? Here’s what you need to know
- Entertaining: SONA Debate: Why is Cyril Ramaphosa being compared to the Cookie Monster
- Relevant to everyday life: Check Wednesday’s load shedding schedules for Gauteng, Cape Town, & Durban here
- Trending online: Brackenfell violence: Julius Malema Tweets 10-word warning
Get thinking about your angle
Settled on a story? Great! Now you’ve got to consider HOW you want to report this story: If it’s a big breaking development, don’t worry about creativity too much. But if it’s something that has been covered elsewhere, or has dominated the news cycle recently, think outside the box – is there a way to report the facts AND bring something new to the table?
Story | Original story | Alternative angle |
Gqeberha: Cape Town amongst list of places that ‘could be renamed next’ | Port Elizabeth changing its name to Gqeberha | Assessing the reaction, and seeing what other suggestions have been made – in the past 12-18 months, how many other places have been rumoured for a renaming? |
Ramaphosa bribed judges to win elections: Zuma hits back in Zondo row | Jacob Zuma responding to the Zondo Commission’s efforts to have him jailed | More than just the Zuma vs Zondo story at play here – JZ’s contempt for Ramaphosa was buried at the end of his official response – two duelling presidents takes priority |
Writing ‘differently’ from others
So, how does the process of ‘finding a story within a story’ work? Here’s a few tips:
- Get to grips with the content – is there something lurking that you could lead with, that our competitors have missed / failed to explore?
- Sometimes, it’s worth treating a story like a listicle AT FIRST – this will help you identify key factors when planning the write-up. While going through four or five different points, one may leap out at you as the REAL heart of the story, and you can run with that instead.
- Identify the standout factor – whether it’s a press release, a quote from a prominent person, or even a major Tweet, pick out key words or context to shape your story.
- Would I read this? – It sounds so simple but this is a great way of choosing what you do and don’t go for. If you can’t entertain yourself, it’s hard to get others interested.
Can you get a good headline out of the topic?
Obviously, there is more to a story than your headline – but half the battle is won here. Can a major quote relating the story be compressed into a three or four-word prefix? How easy is it to sum up? (Malema warning… Ramaphosa reveals… Back to school latest…). And, most importantly, are you able to give an 6-to-12 word overview of a story that is likely to catch the eye? These are some of the big questions you should ask before typing your first word.
Who am I writing for?
Adaptability is key, and this is what can really set you on your way to producing engaging stories bursting with individuality: You should always consider how your audience will FEEL reading the article you are about to write: If it’s another round of load shedding, people are going to be angry – therefore, you can show little flashes of anger yourself (‘here we go again’, ‘surprise surprise’, ‘another Eskom masterclass’…). If it’s the ANC promising to clamp down on corruption, it’s likely to draw cynicism. Again, feel free to be sporadically cynical yourself – without editorialising. If a viral video is drawing laughter online, don’t be afraid to put a comedic spin on things. The bottom line is this -be the voice that reflects the reader.
Use of PR releases and government media statements
Writers are bombarded with press releases from marketers, PR practitioners and government spin doctors who want to further their ends or narratives using news media. We don’t want to be their mouthpieces so please be careful when turning these into articles for The South African. It’s easy to inadvertently write an advertorial while trying to write a news piece. To avoid that:
- Find the essence or main topic of the press release and determine your angle.
- Avoid a quote soup – excessively using a press statement’s words verbatim – and paraphrase, rewrite and use synonyms. Make the article your own.
- Find additional information from different sources to fatten up your article.
Company press release addresses
The South African has email addresses meant for the receipt of press releases from various stakeholders/news sources.
- lifestylepr@thesouthafrican.com
- newspr@thesouthafrican.com
- sportspr@thesouthafrican.com
- soccerpr@thesouthafrican.com
- cricketpr@thesouthafrican.com
- rugbypr@thesouthafrican.com
Content producers should add these addresses to the relevant databases and disseminate them to public relations practitioners and/or spokespersons.
The mailboxes are also connected to their corresponding Slack channels.