Journalism Primer 4

[Mike Gange]

The kids always want to know how much to write. First story: 200 w. I suggest no more than that till they get their skills together. The story is often told about the young reporter, a cub, who was asked to get an update on the scores. He came back with a 700 w. piece.

Follow instructions.

200 w. maybe 220.

Anything else is too long.

Second story: 400 w.

Editorials: 500 w. 700 is too much.

Sports story: results of a game? 400 w. explanation of upcoming? 700 w, unless its a feature.

Music review? 700 w.

Movie review? 700 w.

Magazine piece? you have some latitude. Most readers won't stay with it past 2,000 w. however.

A broadsheet, such as the New York Times, has about 3 000 w. on it. Cut one page in half, that is a magazine length. Look at your local papers. hardly any take up one whole page and spill onto the next. Yes, they use jumps (as in 'see more page 12') but 1,500 is magazine length. The National Enquirer is in a tabloid style. Tabloids is a style of lay out, but it has become almost a journalistic swear word. "He is writing for the tabs" is just dripping with derision. "Its tabloid journalism" is almost a curse, an admission of something not being any good. But really, tabloid is just a lay out format. Tabloid style papers are excellent for our modern urban travel styles, by the way. It is hard to hold a broadsheet on the subway, while holding on to the strap with one hand and the briefcase with another. Broadsheets are made for table top or easy chair reading. Tabloids are easy to carry around. You can almost read them on your bicycle.

One page in a tabloid: 1,500 w. Tear it in half: 700 w. Half of that again? 350. You should share that info with your kids. They will then understand, write short. write brief. write tight.