grassroots communications

7/29/2019 Grassroots Communications

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Grassroots Communications

Journalism Basics

1

What is Journalism?2 News and News Worthiness

3 Basic story elements the 5 Ws and

1 H, and


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What is grassroots journalism?

Who is agrassroots

journalist?

What makes agrassroots

journalist

Where does agrassroots

journalist work?

Who works withgrassroots

journalists?

Which tools areused by

grassrootsjournalists?


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What makes news Man biting a dog

What is news?

What makes news?

Who makes news in our area?

When is news reported?


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What Makes news?

Frequency: Events which occur suddenly and fitwell with the news organization's schedule aremore likely to be reported than those whichoccur gradually or at inconvenient times of day or

night. Long-term trends are not likely to receivemuch coverage.

Negativity: Bad news is more newsworthy thangood news.

Unexpectedness: If an event is out of theordinary it will have a greater effect than

something which is an everyday occurrence.


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What makes news cont

Unambiguity: Events whose implications are clearmake for better copy than those

which are open to more than one interpretation, orwhere any understanding of the

implications depends on first understanding thecomplex background in which the events

take place.

Personalization: Events which can be portrayed as the

actions of individuals will be more attractive than one in which there is no such

"human interest."


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Basic Story Elements inverted

pyramid

Introduction

Body

Conclusion


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5 Ws and H what are these animals?

W

W

W

W

W

H


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Who?

Who is involved in this story?

Who is affected by it?

Who is the best person to tell the story?

Who is missing from this story? Who has moreinformation about this?

Who is in conflict in this story? Do they have anything incommon?

Who else should I talk to about this?


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What

What

happened?

What is

the point of

this story?

What am I

really trying

to say?

What does

the reader,

viewer, orlistener

need to

know to

understand

this story?

What

surprised

me? What

is the most

important

single fact I

learned?

What is

the history

here? Whathappens

next?

What can

people do

about it?


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Where?

Where did this

happen?

Where else

should I go to

get the full

story?

Where is this

story going

next? How

will it end?


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When?

When did

this happen?

When didthe turningpoints occur

in this story?

Whenshould Ireport this

story?


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Why?

Why is this happening? Is itan isolated case or part of a

trend?

Why are people behaving

the way they are? What aretheir motives?

Why does this story

matter? Why should anyone

watch, read, or listen to it?

Why am I sure I have thisstory right?


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How?

How did this

happen?

How willthings bedifferent

because of

what

happened?

How will thisstory help the

reader,listener, or

viewer? The

community?

How did I getthis

information?Is the

attribution

clear?

How wouldsomeone

describe this

story to a

friend?


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A story Example

In pairs go through the short stories you were

given and identify the 5Ws and H

What can be improved in the story?


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What Makes a Good Story

Short sentences

Simple language

Short paragraphs Full details

Logical

Good grammar Correct spellings


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Practical 1

Go through a story you will receive and

identify its weaknesses


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Practical 2

Real stuff

You are a grassroots communicator assigned towrite a story on how a borehole changed the life of

the community. How would you carry out theassignment? List the processes, equipment andpeople you will talk to. List the questions you willask each of the people you are to work with.

2) Write a 100 word imaginary story on a newclassroom block built by the community withassistance from World Vision.


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Feedback & Peer Review


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END

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