JEA: Journalism Eduation

Association
Alternative Story
Forms
Alternative? Huh?

● Stories don’t have to be all text.

● Draw in readers with other elements.
○ Pages need eye-catching elements.
○ Blurbs, quote blocks, photo captions, polls,
maps, text boxes and similar elements entice
readers to read your story.
● Sometimes, stories are best told with only photos
or graphics.
You’re cutting my story?

● No. But maybe!

● Ask yourself: Is there a better way to present
this information?
● Keep your readers! Readers retain 30 percent
more information with non-narrative
information presentation (Poynter Eye Track 3 Study,
2007)

● What follows are some basic story alternatives

or supplements for news stories.
Charticle or list

● Good for comparisons/parallel

construction
○ must have matching info
● Be selective
○ What is left out can be as important a
choice as what is left in
 Eagle Eye
El Estoque Details
Mountain Vista H.S.;
Monta Vista H.S.; Whitney H.S.;
Highlands Ranch,
Cupertino, Calif. Rocklin, Calif.
Colo.
Timeline

● multiple plot points

○ long period of time (years)
○ short period of time (minutes/seconds)
● bits of info presented in time
● key events are annotated in
chronological order along a line
North Star
Francis Howell North
H.S.;
Saint Charles, Mo.
Tonitrus
Rocklin H.S.;
Rocklin, Calif.
Info box, fast facts box

● List the 5W’s and H in bulleted list for a

quick look at what happened.
● Add info to stories.
○ Tell how to get there, where to find it
○ Tell more information about the subject of your
story (profiles, issues)
○ Highlight additional resources
○ Provide scores or schedules
○ Add related trivia or statistics
How to or step-by-step guide
● step-by-step
○ bulleted/numbered list
○ example: how to choose the right college
(key fields with short blurbs)
● put steps in a logical or chronological order
for readers (do this first, then this, then this,
then this next …)
North Star
Francis Howell North
H.S.;
Saint Charles, Mo.
Map
● eye scans looking for interesting info
● can be a little tricky to reproduce, so think
through how you are going to create the
map before you do it
● works better if it’s not a “normal” map
○ perspective
○ color
○ illustrations
North Star
Francis Howell North
H.S.;
Saint Charles, Mo.
Quote collection

● several people are quoted on the same

topic
● ask the same question of everyone, and
make sure it is an open-ended question
(one that takes a sentence to answer)
● another option is to sample one significant
person’s opinion on several topics
Details
Whitney H.S.;
Rocklin, Calif.
Annotated photo or diagram

● provide information about what’s in a

photograph
● example: cost of a prom outfit with photo of
a male and female student wearing
appropriate attire; price of each aspect from
head to toe (hair, makeup, dress, shoes,
flowers, tux or suit/tie, jewelry, etc.)
Assignment A

● Choose one alternative story form other

than a poll that goes with a story that
you are currently working on. (charticle,
timeline, map, fast facts box, how-to box,
quote collection, annotated diagram)
● Create it to go with your story.
Whatever it takes

● Don’t let your story be limited because it

won’t fit within a prescribed format.
● Mix and match to present information in
the friendliest way for your readers.
Polling: an excellent news tool

● get the reader involved

● could refer to a web poll
○ getting to know readers is important
to maintain and improve readership
● fun to make, fun to take, fun to read
● but ... you have to do it right
● not all polls are equal
 Polls: four elements

● the sample
● the questionnaire
● the interviewers
● the findings

*Source: How to Conduct a High School Poll, adapted from guidelines

developed by Dr. George H. Gallup
Polls: the sample

● A representative sample includes each

major group in proportion to its size and
number in the overall population.
● Male/female. Grade level. Race/ethnic
breakdown. Honor student/regular ed.
● Choose your sample groups based on
what you want to know in your poll.
A warning about online polling

● If you are doing an online poll, your

sample will be self-chosen and therefore
unscientific. This is OK for reader
interaction, but you cannot draw any
factual conclusion from a web poll.
● (You might, however, be able to spot a
trend or find a source to help illuminate a
point in your story.)
 Polls: the sample procedure
● select students alphabetically (every fifth name
on the list of all students)
● every student with English in third period (with
permission of teachers/principal)
● a selection of homerooms (or equivalent) from
each grade level
● a selection of classrooms in one period in
which teachers have given you permission to
poll (might require follow-up)
Polls: the sample size

● In smaller schools, maybe you can survey

everyone, or almost everyone.
● In larger schools, the sample size will affect
the accuracy. Aim for about 10 percent of
the total. If your sample reflects the
population of the school, you’ll have a
reasonable result. The more people
surveyed, the more accurate the results.
Polls: the questionnaire
Questions should be interesting and related to the
topic of your news story.

● close-ended (easy to ask, but not much info):

Should a salad bar be added in the cafeteria?
● open-ended (more variety in answers): What
improvement would you like to see in theschool
cafeteria?
● intensity scale: If there were a salad bar in the
cafeteria, I would eat it at least once a week.
(Strongly agree, Agree, No Opinion, Disagree,
Strongly Disagree)
Polls: the questionnaire
Ask clear, concrete questions that have
measurable answers.

● NOT: Have you ever used drugs?

● INSTEAD: In the past week, have you smoked
or eaten marijuana? If yes, how many times?
● Be as specific as possible as to what you are
asking, or else you will get false results.
Polls: the questionnaire
● Include questions regarding the background
characteristics of your respondents so you can
check whether your sample is representative
(gender and grade level, at least).
● Pre-test your questionnaire with at least a dozen
students who will not be included in the sample.
This pre-test will reveal questions that are difficult
to understand or are biased.
● Ask your pre-testers for feedback on how the
question is asked.
Polls: the interviews

● Ask questions as written or have

respondents write their answers on paper.
● Explain that “cute” or “clever” answers will
be discarded, not counted.
● If conducting the poll as an interview, do it
in a place where others are not listening,
as that may affect answers.
Polls: processing, analyzing

● Separate forms by grade and count by

gender in each grade level.
● Divide again by any other background
data you have collected (such as ethnicity,
honors program enrollment or where
students live).
● Make sure your reporting on the data is
fully supported.
Polls: the final report

● Always include the sample size, the

exact wording of each question and the
survey methodology (how and when you
collected the information).
● Be careful not to make a conclusion that
is not supported by your data.
Assignment B

● Working in teams of three, create and

conduct a poll according to the steps
outlined in this presentation.
● Using Excel or another program, create
a chart of your findings.
● Write a news story reporting your
findings.