What I've Learned Working on a Weekly Newspaper

Writing for a weekly newspaper provides valuable lessons for writers of all genres.

My first writing break came when I was in high school. The local weekly newspaper asked if I would write a first-person sports feature about a Univeristy of Nebraska football player who was friends with my family.

I was 16 years old, determined to go to law school and eventually, write the Great American Novel.

Fast forward four decades. I'm a full-time freelancer, working the regional beat for the area's daily  newspaper. I write for other publications, too, but when you write from the comforts of your home office, you develop your own rhythm.

In July, the local weekly (which owns three weekly papers covering four communities) asked if I could cover a few stories. In November, I was named managing news editor of the Clearwater Record-Ewing News. Now, these two towns are separated by approximately eight miles on the highway. One has a population of approximately 387; the other, 419, based on 2010 census records.

Working on this weekly newspaper has taught and reminded me of several key lessons that are pertinent to writers of any genre.

• Know and use the stylebook. No matter what publication I write for, they use a specific stylebook (AP, CMS, etc.) and some take it to another level and have their own stylebook based on the original. If you are unsure of a writing rule, use the stylebook. It will make the proofreader's job so much easier!
• Determine your audience. The weekly has a wide age range of readers. We cover school events of all sorts, we cover town news stories (think human interest), and we cover what I consider breaking news items - fires, accidents, etc. Since a locally-owned weekly paper is the core news source representing the town, it's important to include a wide variety of coverage.
• Build your online presence. Have a website, update it frequently, and use social media to promote your work.
• Network, network, network. Since I live near both communities, I knew a number of "officials" from the area, like town clerks, police and fire chiefs, school officials. Now, I talk with school officials weekly to receive updates. I know who to call for information if there's a fire on Thanksgiving Day or if the town is holding a special election. Keeping those communication lines is important, not only for the current story, but for future reporting.
• Be accurate. It's a basic rule of Journalism 101: Check and double check facts. 
• Creativity counts. Even if you're covering the city council meeting, you can use creative lede to draw reader attention.
• Localize a national news story. Application of journalism at its finest. Look for a local angle to national headlines. When you personalize reporting, you increase readership. And trust me, there's been a lot of national news lately that affects everyone. 

Writing for a weekly has made me a better writer. Perhaps it's the perfectionist in me, but I used to agonize over a story's lede, let it simmer for an hour - or even a day - before I'd commit to the details of the story.

Not any more. Writing for a newspaper has forced me to focus on the immediate story, collect my thoughts, and prioritize. It's a good push for any writer.

You don't have to work at a newspaper to put into practice the lessons I've learned. Apply these principles to your writing and writing career, and you'll notice a difference.

by LuAnn Schindler 

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4 comments accuracy in reporting, audience, Creativity, localize, LuAnn Schindler, networking, newspaper industry, online presence, social media, stylebook, weekly newspapers

Movies for Writers: State of Play

I just finished watching State of Play (2009) on DVD and found it to be an interesting study on the craft of newspaper journalism. Yes, the movie is "Big Hollywood" and full of the usual kick-butt action scenes you'd expect from screenwriter Tony Gilroy, who is best known for the Borne movies, but it goes much deeper than the typical crime and suspense thriller.

What impressed me most about the movie was the timeliness of the topics. The film touched on the dying newspaper industry and how many of them are turning to tabloid (gossip-style) reporting to sell paper. It also shed light on how online media and blogs are changing the industry. And yet another strong theme of the film was the tight relationship between politicians and the media, and the ability to slant and even dilute stories.

The editor of The Washington Post, R.B. Brenner, consulted for the film and added to its authenticity. The director, Kevin Macdonald, who has a background in documentaries, contracted Brenner to find out all the details of journalism. His questions included what journalists wear and what types of pens they use! Brenner even led a "boot camp" for extras, teaching them how to conduct phone interviews and type on their computers. The star actors who worked for the paper in the film--Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, and Helen Mirren--grilled Brenner on the details and ethics of reporting.

I'm not going to tell you the detailed plot or give away any spoilers--you can watch it or read the description on Amazon. But I will say that Russell Crowe does an excellent job as a seasoned old-school D.C. reporter, Rachel McAdams (love her!) plays the up-and-coming blogger for the paper, and Helen Mirren is great as the hard-nosed editor who is trying to keep her paper afloat after a recent takeover by a media conglomerate.

If you're a writer and are curious about how reporters get their scoops, this film is a good model. It shows the steps reporters take to research a story, how they develop their content, follow leads, verify information, and obtain permission from sources. Of course, not all scoops are this big, but it's a movie, after all.

Now, I want to know: What are some of your favorite movies for writers?

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4 comments Eric Friedeim National Journalism Library, movies for writers, newspaper industry, reporting, State of Play