These stories
illustrate the value of finding a story focus early in the reporting process.
The first version of this story depends heavily on meeting video and includes a
range of issues. The second version is more focused on one central issue.
Knowing in advance what the hearing was about allowed the crew to shoot better
video, develop a central character, and structure the finished report so it is
more understandable.
The Story: Development Hearing
The
Changes
The Fairfax County planning commission is holding a public
hearing tonight about a development issue: what to do
with 3,200 acres that are about to revert to the county's
control. The land had been
Restructured story to focus on a
central character who has a stake in the commission's decision.
Shot interview before the meeting with that central
character, on location at
a huge prison complex,
operated by the District of Columbia. This package is
for the late newscast the night of the hearing.
Reporter: Jed Duvall, for NewsLab. (These stories were
produced by NewsLab and did not air.)
The Issues
Most of the sound and video are
from the meeting, including the opening and closing shots.
The only B-roll is file tape of
the prison.
The story lacks context.
Soundbites are from people whose interest in and connection to the story is not
made clear.
The story lacks structure. It
jumps from issue to issue, much as the meeting did.
Lorton, as well as fresh B-roll
to show the area under discussion.
The reporter does a stand-up on
location.
Opening and closing shots are of
the Lorton location, not the meeting, so the focus is less on the meeting itself
but on what the meeting is about. focused on the biggest difference between the
two candidates: whether to allow a vote in Northern Virginia to raise the sales
tax to fund transportation projects.
Story includes poll results from
Northern Virginia showing support for the tax vote.
Video is fresh and focused on the
central topic of commuting.
The central character is the
expert in the story, as she comments on the realities of her own
life.
For Discussion
How does the use of meeting
B-roll help viewers understand the issue under discussion?
Does the addition of personal
detail in introducing a soundbite change the way a viewer perceives the value or
importance of that person's comments?
How can you find a central
character to build a meeting story around?
What did the reporter have to do
before the meeting in order to produce the second version of this story? Was the
difference worth the additional time?
Is a more tightly focused story
that leaves out some of what happened at the meeting easier to understand? What
is the cost of leaving out those additional elements of the discussion?
