Story pitches are how we sell our stories, and ourselves, to employers. This means that pitches need to be strong and convincing. Before pitching a story, you need to know what you want to write about and have at least done the groundwork for the story including finding and talking to sources and finding information. It is vitally important to have a clear goal and a strong angle for your story, especially if it has been covered before.
Here are some of the things that need to be considered when creating a pitch:
Publication - who do you want to publish this story? Are they the most relevant publication? Do you think that the publication has the best medium to tell your story?
Length - How long is the story going to be?
News values - Why should the public care about the story?
Sources - Are your sources appropriate for your story? Will they give you the best information? Do they have any sort of agenda that could impact upon your story? Are they happy to be credited or do they want anonymity? If they do want anonymity, is there somebody else that you can talk to who will give you the information who is fine with being credit?
And most importantly:
The actual story that you will be writing - What is it about? Who is it about? When did it happen? Where did it happen? What is the angle? Are there similar stories in existence? If so, is your story different enough to matter? Why is it important for people to read this story?
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Ethics
Let's talk ethics, folks.
We, as journalists, wield an extraordinary amount of power over other people and their opinions. Naturally, this places us in an awkward position because what we say and what we write can have huge implications. What is to stop the abuse of this power? Ethics. Well, ethics and legislation (but let's not get into that right now).
Ethics can be described in many ways but I like Edward Spence's definition "A set of prescriptive rules, principles, values and virtues of character that inform and guide interpersonal and intrapersonal conduct: that is the conduct of people toward each other and the conduct of people toward themselves."Essentially, ethics are the guiding principles that we all have inside of us. Ethics are a subjective sense of right and wrong and as such, can vary from person to person.
How does this relate to journalism?
Every time that we write a story, we need to evaluate who it will have an effect on and how profound that effect is. If something will cause somebody to lose their job but is in the greater public interest, should it be published? If something will result in the injury or death, is it still worth publishing? Is it wrong to report on somebody who has died? Is it wrong to photograph somebody attempting suicide instead of helping them? To what extent are we responsible for the actions of people affected by our stories? To what extent do we directly influence other people? Should we uphold confidentiality and anonymity even if doing so will result in justice being subverted? Why should we have this control? How can we ensure that it is not abused?
I want to say that morality is consistent and that good people are always good and that their decisions are always just... But I can't. Morality is tricky. Everybody feels it to a greater or lesser degree and it is guaranteed that people won't always agree with a decision. Yes, we all have to answer to an authority figure; the legal system, the MEAA, the APC, etc., and we have to answer to the public, but most importantly, we have to answer to ourselves. We have to ensure that, at the end of the day, we can live with the decisions that we make. That is, in my opinion, what ethics are all about. Being able to live with ourselves and the repercussions of our actions.
We, as journalists, wield an extraordinary amount of power over other people and their opinions. Naturally, this places us in an awkward position because what we say and what we write can have huge implications. What is to stop the abuse of this power? Ethics. Well, ethics and legislation (but let's not get into that right now).
Ethics can be described in many ways but I like Edward Spence's definition "A set of prescriptive rules, principles, values and virtues of character that inform and guide interpersonal and intrapersonal conduct: that is the conduct of people toward each other and the conduct of people toward themselves."Essentially, ethics are the guiding principles that we all have inside of us. Ethics are a subjective sense of right and wrong and as such, can vary from person to person.
How does this relate to journalism?
Every time that we write a story, we need to evaluate who it will have an effect on and how profound that effect is. If something will cause somebody to lose their job but is in the greater public interest, should it be published? If something will result in the injury or death, is it still worth publishing? Is it wrong to report on somebody who has died? Is it wrong to photograph somebody attempting suicide instead of helping them? To what extent are we responsible for the actions of people affected by our stories? To what extent do we directly influence other people? Should we uphold confidentiality and anonymity even if doing so will result in justice being subverted? Why should we have this control? How can we ensure that it is not abused?
I want to say that morality is consistent and that good people are always good and that their decisions are always just... But I can't. Morality is tricky. Everybody feels it to a greater or lesser degree and it is guaranteed that people won't always agree with a decision. Yes, we all have to answer to an authority figure; the legal system, the MEAA, the APC, etc., and we have to answer to the public, but most importantly, we have to answer to ourselves. We have to ensure that, at the end of the day, we can live with the decisions that we make. That is, in my opinion, what ethics are all about. Being able to live with ourselves and the repercussions of our actions.
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Dengue Fever Outbreak Prevents Blood Donation
Another outbreak of dengue fever in North Queensland has forced the Australian Red Cross Blood Service to turn away potential blood donors.
Due to the high risk of infection to recipients of blood transfusions, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service is currently unwilling to take the risk of accepting whole blood donations that could potentially carry the dengue virus.
However, plasma donations are still being accepted by viable candidates as the dengue virus does not affect plasma cells, and whole blood donations will hopefully be accepted again by late June.
Blood Service Queensland Manager Tony Bourke said "If you have been in a Dengue Fever affected area and would like to donate, we encourage you to come in and be assessed for a plasma only donation.
"Plasma is crucial to the health and wellbeing of many people and is widely used in products that treat a variety of life-threatening conditions."
Plasma is used to treat burn victims, patients with clotting problems, and can be manufactured into a variety of immunisations.
If you wish to donate please contact the Australian Red Cross Blood Service on 13 14 95 or via their website.
Due to the high risk of infection to recipients of blood transfusions, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service is currently unwilling to take the risk of accepting whole blood donations that could potentially carry the dengue virus.
However, plasma donations are still being accepted by viable candidates as the dengue virus does not affect plasma cells, and whole blood donations will hopefully be accepted again by late June.
Blood Service Queensland Manager Tony Bourke said "If you have been in a Dengue Fever affected area and would like to donate, we encourage you to come in and be assessed for a plasma only donation.
"Plasma is crucial to the health and wellbeing of many people and is widely used in products that treat a variety of life-threatening conditions."
Plasma is used to treat burn victims, patients with clotting problems, and can be manufactured into a variety of immunisations.
If you wish to donate please contact the Australian Red Cross Blood Service on 13 14 95 or via their website.
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Contempt
Let's take a quick look at contempt and the five types of contempt that journalists are most likely to encounter while working.
Contempt can be defined as disobeying or disrespecting the rules, orders and customs of a court or legislative body. Contempt can be sentenced in the middle of a hearing and does not necessarily require a separate hearing.
5. Sub-judice contempt
Sub-judice contempt consists of the publication of material that could create prejudice in an on-going trial. In the event of criminal case, journalists are restricted from publishing any information other than the "bare facts" of a case after an arrest has been made. In a civil case, this restriction is in place after the issue of a writ, statement of claim or summons.
4. Scandalising the court
Scandalising the court is the publication of allegations that can be seen to undermine the public's confidence in the justice system.
3. Revealing the deliberations of jurors
Fairly self explanatory, this is just revealing the deliberations of the jury.
2. Contempt in the face of court
Contempt in the face of court consists of misbehaving, or acting inappropriately, in a courtroom while it is in session.
1. Disobedience contempt
Disobedience contempt can be boiled down to refusing to comply with a court order. This includes refusing to answer questions, and refusing to deliver notes or other materials to a court or quasi-judicial body.
It is important to study contempt, what it means and the effect that it has on journalists so that we can avoid breaking the law while reporting.
Contempt can be defined as disobeying or disrespecting the rules, orders and customs of a court or legislative body. Contempt can be sentenced in the middle of a hearing and does not necessarily require a separate hearing.
5. Sub-judice contempt
Sub-judice contempt consists of the publication of material that could create prejudice in an on-going trial. In the event of criminal case, journalists are restricted from publishing any information other than the "bare facts" of a case after an arrest has been made. In a civil case, this restriction is in place after the issue of a writ, statement of claim or summons.
4. Scandalising the court
Scandalising the court is the publication of allegations that can be seen to undermine the public's confidence in the justice system.
3. Revealing the deliberations of jurors
Fairly self explanatory, this is just revealing the deliberations of the jury.
2. Contempt in the face of court
Contempt in the face of court consists of misbehaving, or acting inappropriately, in a courtroom while it is in session.
1. Disobedience contempt
Disobedience contempt can be boiled down to refusing to comply with a court order. This includes refusing to answer questions, and refusing to deliver notes or other materials to a court or quasi-judicial body.
It is important to study contempt, what it means and the effect that it has on journalists so that we can avoid breaking the law while reporting.
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Iqon 2013 - Sydney International Dragway, Sydney.
Iqon 2013.
What a day.
A day full of music, drinking, dancing, fence jumpers, "pingers"*, police officers, rain, mud, sound problems and most of all extraordinary fun.
Iqon 2013 marks the launch of a brand new Australian event for Dutch dance organisation Q-dance. With wildly successful events such as Qlimax, Q-Base and Defqon.1 in both the Netherlands and Australia, and a fantastic lineup, expectations for Iqon 2013 were high and I, for one, was not disappointed.
It was a day typical of Sydney in late April; overcast, windy, and cold as hell. But nothing could dampen the spirits of the many festival goers arriving in throngs to the Sydney International Raceway though. Many people were dressed up (and dressed down) in spite of the rain and the cold and Q-dance also provided ponchos to the masses, free of charge, to combat the rainy weather.
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The performances started with a strong set by Swedish producer, Stana, in his first Australian performance. Although the weather was against him, and he was not one of the bigger names on the list, the crowd were more than happy to party with the 23 year old newcomer.
Up next was Aussie hardstyle DJ, Code Black, who has been making waves in the scene since the release of his debut album "Visions". The crowd were basically in a frenzy as they danced to the music, including tracks such as "Brighter Day" and "Can't Hold Me Back" featuring NitrouZ. Code Black actually made two appearances in the day, stepping in later to perform with one of the other DJs.
Following Code Black was the sensational Australian duo, Toneshifterz. They absolutely nailed their set, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. The exuberance of the pair was clearly conveyed to the crowd who danced ecstatically to their favourite Toneshifterz tunes.
Dutch producer, DJ Coone, performed after Toneshifterz and his set went off. The crowd went wild while he performed and the atmosphere was palpable. It was during this set that Q-dance handed out a variety of signs to the crowd which is something that they regularly do at their events. Some of the slogans include "Never Go Home", "Lost For Words (Hence This Sign)" and the theme for this year's Defqon. 1 - "Scrap the System".
DJ Isaac and The Prophet were up consecutively after DJ Coone and rocked their sets, much to the enjoyment of the audience. It was during these performers that a group of young people attempted to sneak into the venue by jumping the fence. While it was a valiant attempt at cheating the system, the fence jumpers were chased through the crowd by police officers before being removed from the venue.
As the sun set, the big name European hardstyle producers came out in force and they were magnificent. Brennan Heart, Headhunterz, Zatox and Noisecontrollers. All four performers are major and regular players in the shows organised by Q-dance. I can say little more than that they were all fantastic performers. They knew exactly what the crowd wanted and they gave it to them. That being said, minor sound problems that had plagued the day became less minor during Headhunterz set. The sound dropped out at least five times, alternating between a few seconds and a couple of minutes at a time. As the sound kept playing up, some members of the crowd became restless but each time they started to grumble Headhunterz managed to get the sound back up and running. Eventually, the sound problems were sorted out and the show finished spectacularly.
My personal opinion is that, even with the sound problems, Q-dance should be proud of Iqon 2013 and the performers that were there. All in all, it was a wonderful event and a great launch of a new festival.
* A "pinger" is somebody who takes takes drugs, predominantly "uppers", particularly at concerts/festivals/raves.
Update - May 21st, 2013
Here is the Q-dance official after movie for Iqon 2013!
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The performances started with a strong set by Swedish producer, Stana, in his first Australian performance. Although the weather was against him, and he was not one of the bigger names on the list, the crowd were more than happy to party with the 23 year old newcomer.
Up next was Aussie hardstyle DJ, Code Black, who has been making waves in the scene since the release of his debut album "Visions". The crowd were basically in a frenzy as they danced to the music, including tracks such as "Brighter Day" and "Can't Hold Me Back" featuring NitrouZ. Code Black actually made two appearances in the day, stepping in later to perform with one of the other DJs.
Following Code Black was the sensational Australian duo, Toneshifterz. They absolutely nailed their set, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. The exuberance of the pair was clearly conveyed to the crowd who danced ecstatically to their favourite Toneshifterz tunes.
Toneshifterz. Photographer: B. Austin
Dutch producer, DJ Coone, performed after Toneshifterz and his set went off. The crowd went wild while he performed and the atmosphere was palpable. It was during this set that Q-dance handed out a variety of signs to the crowd which is something that they regularly do at their events. Some of the slogans include "Never Go Home", "Lost For Words (Hence This Sign)" and the theme for this year's Defqon. 1 - "Scrap the System".
DJ Isaac and The Prophet were up consecutively after DJ Coone and rocked their sets, much to the enjoyment of the audience. It was during these performers that a group of young people attempted to sneak into the venue by jumping the fence. While it was a valiant attempt at cheating the system, the fence jumpers were chased through the crowd by police officers before being removed from the venue.
As the sun set, the big name European hardstyle producers came out in force and they were magnificent. Brennan Heart, Headhunterz, Zatox and Noisecontrollers. All four performers are major and regular players in the shows organised by Q-dance. I can say little more than that they were all fantastic performers. They knew exactly what the crowd wanted and they gave it to them. That being said, minor sound problems that had plagued the day became less minor during Headhunterz set. The sound dropped out at least five times, alternating between a few seconds and a couple of minutes at a time. As the sound kept playing up, some members of the crowd became restless but each time they started to grumble Headhunterz managed to get the sound back up and running. Eventually, the sound problems were sorted out and the show finished spectacularly.
Q-dance official endshow for Iqon 2013.
My personal opinion is that, even with the sound problems, Q-dance should be proud of Iqon 2013 and the performers that were there. All in all, it was a wonderful event and a great launch of a new festival.
* A "pinger" is somebody who takes takes drugs, predominantly "uppers", particularly at concerts/festivals/raves.
Update - May 21st, 2013
Here is the Q-dance official after movie for Iqon 2013!
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