Clarity and succinctness should punctuate a journalist’s work, said a national reporter for the Associated Press to students as he spoke to journalism students today at the University of Georgia. “You have to say to yourself,” he suggested, “‘why not try this little, snappy, four-word lede?’”
Journalism is a rapidly-changing field, said Erin McClam, so clear, concise writing has become that much more important. Morning and night versions of a story, he said, have been consolidated into an on-the-spot piece of journalism, publishable immediately.
With this evolution, he said, must come an appreciation of the full value of multi-media news presentation. “If it’s not interesting, you’re just going to jump to another thing,” said McClam.
To cultivate interest in readers, he said, observation of the reporting environment is the most important skill to master. He emphasized that a small detail, or a quote
not widely-overheard can convey the mood. Observation can make your story.