Overview: Excellence in storytelling
We’re all fans of polished, beautiful storytelling. But is the quality of our work an ethical matter? Yes. Our aspirations to excellence are an important element of our ethical decision-making. We...
View ArticleStrive for the “signature story.”
What are the characteristics of a “signature story” on NPR’s airwaves or website? The bullet points in this 2004 memo1 offer valuable guidance about producing in the field and how to put together the...
View ArticleEmotion is a powerful component of storytelling, wield it carefully.
Engaging, clear and genuinely human storytelling is a hallmark of NPR journalism. But our audience’s perceptions of what we report can be influenced not only by the information we present but also by...
View ArticleChoking up in Haiti: a genuine moment.
While covering the devastation in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake, NPR’s Jason Beaubien was recording a two-way with All Things Considered host Melissa Block from outside a medical tent. As...
View ArticleOverview: Excellence in news judgment.
Some things are givens: NPR will be on top of the news. We make sure our listeners and online users have the latest information. NPR will break news. We take great pride in telling people things they...
View ArticleOur story selection reflects the many aspects of our mission.
Recall NPR’s mission: “to create a more informed public, one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.” As an NPR editor once wrote, “Our...
View ArticleSocial media are excellent tools when handled correctly.
Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter have become an integral part of everyday life for millions of people around the world. As NPR grows to serve an audience that extends well beyond...
View ArticleOur work depends on artifice, but how much is too much?
From Sound Reporting by Jonathan Kern: Unlike newspapers, which use ellipses to show that quotes have been compressed, or TV interviews, which sometimes include visible video dissolves, radio...
View ArticleA few resources.
– Sound Reporting, by Jonathan Kern. (University of Chicago Press) – We Gotta Be Great!, a memo by Margaret Low Smith. (Posted here) – Zen of Booking, a memo by Jay Kernis. (Posted here)
View ArticleExcellent questions.
Does the story have the potential to be great, or just OK? Have I done everything I could to make it great? (While keeping all our other principles in mind, of course.) Will readers and listeners...
View ArticleWeak language is sometimes a symptom of weak journalism.
In his “Editor’s Manifesto,” Jonathan Kern reminds us of some of the most common mistakes we make in our writing. Be wary of pitfalls like the ones Jonathan cites here; they sometimes indicate that our...
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