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Resources
for Newspaper Students
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Lectures and Visiting Artist Presentations Preparation Learn something about the subject or the presenter beforehand. You may find that it is hard to follow the talk without some familiarity with the subject. So, for example, if you are covering James Meyer’s lecture "Maximum Impact: The Legacy of Minimalism," you might consult an encyclopedia, Grove Dictionary of Art, art history textbook on "minimalism" or Lexis-Nexis or Ebsco Host for articles on the author, perhaps reviews of his published books. (You could also consult the NY Times Book Review for any published author–the book review has free access to its entire archive). Check Flaxman’s on-line resources. Look in Flaxman’s art journals (indexed on-line in in the Art Index, for example) and go to the reference desk and ask for suggestions. If you are covering a visiting artist presentation, be aware that the critics will be easier to write about than artists, who will project or broadcast samples of their work. If you cover an artist, you need to describe the work and quote the comments. At
the event
Take careful notes. Use abbreviations–develop your own "shorthand" abbreviations for frequently used words. Be sure you get the spelling of the speaker’s name right–and the spelling of any organizational affiliations, other names mentioned. If you are unsure, ask someone or get contact information so you can follow up. In taking notes, don’t get bogged down trying to write down everything. Focus on the important points–don’t write mechanically, listen carefully. Be sure to get some good quotes and concentrate on getting down a few good quotes accurately. If you don’t write fast enough, you might try taping the event. In that case, use a tape recorder with a counter, set it at zero before beginning, and note the number at a moment in the talk you think you will want to quote directly or go back to. Use fresh batteries and test the recorder, and be aware the recorder might not pick up the comments clearly, or that the speaker may object to your recording them. Be sure to cover a question and answer period as well as the talk itself. Why not talk to the speaker after the event? Tell the speaker you’re covering the event for the school newspaper, get a few good quotes of your own, check any details you are unsure of, get contact info in case you have to follow up either from the speaker or from the event’s sponsor. After
the Event
Be sure your story has the basic information–that you can identify the speaker by background correctly in a few sentences, the correct names of books, art works, publishers, galleries, correct dates, places, any other details. Don’t write a chronological narrative of the event. Evaluate your notes, see what is most important. Remember that when you do reporting, you are telling a story; ask, what is the best way to tell the story? Beginning with unimportant details is a mistake. You can, for examle, begin with a lead summarizing what was most important in what the speaker said or the significance of the event or the nature of the controversy or subject of discussion. Or just with something that happened or was said that was interesting or unexpected or fun. As with any news story, you want to have some good, accurate direct quotes. You want to get quotes not just from the speaker but also from the audience in the discussion period. Contextualize the comments of the speaker. Use the quotes you’ve recorded, but also your personal knowledge and background research to explain, interpret, give background, and intersperse your comments with the speaker’s. Remember, you are writing a narrative, doing story-telling; story-tellers don’t just narrate, they describe, they explain, they interpret. Be sure you identify the speaker, make clear why he/she is interesting or important, why the subject is interesting or important or relevant to your readers. Editing
Be sure you go over your story before turning it in. You want to make sure that all the comments are clear, and if the quotes are not clear in themselves, that you make them clear in the context you provide. If you are very familiar with the subject matter, be sure you don’t assume your readers are. Write for someone who knows nothing about the speaker. |