[DEVC 125] Lesson 2.4. Writing for print and online media

Print

The first, truly mass medium

Print

Provides a level of depth, context, and sheer information that radio and TV newscasts cannot supply. Population exposed to this media tend to have higher functional literacy vs those exposed to radio & TV (FLEMMS 2019).

63.3%

According to FLEMMS (2019), what is the percentage of Filipinos who are exposed to print newspapers?

73.2%

According to FLEMMS (2019), what is the percentage of Filipinos who are exposed to print magazines?

Considerations for print media

• Attentive, literate audience

• Non-sequential consumption of content

• Relatively formal language (compared with other media)

• Printed material is relatively permanent

• Pass-on readership

• Limited space on printed page

• Vigorous language: there is no visual, audio, or multimedia support, so the writing must stand for itself

  • Verbs that connote action vs static verbs of being

  • Active voice reads better than passive voice

  • Proper grammar and spelling are essential

  • More leeway to use figures of speech and clever but subtle play onwords

the internet

an explosion of information

the internet

• allowed people to access information instantly, 24/7

• Hypertext allows links to related articles and materials

• More interactivity and engagement vs print and broadcast

• Multimedia: allows incorporation of text, images, video, and audio

63.3%

According to FLEMMS (2019), what is the percentage of Filipinos who are exposed to the internet for emails/research?

73.9%

According to FLEMMS (2019), what is the percentage of Filipinos who are exposed to social media?

• Online users read in a different manner vs print readers: they snack on content, often just reading the headline, lead, first few paragraphs, then move on.

• Competition for attention

• Non-sequential consumption of content

• Incorporation of multimedia and interactive features

• Population exposed to internet tend to have higher functional literacy vs those exposed to radio & TV (FLEMMS 2019).

• Enables both “big” and “small” stories

big stories

conventional journalistic stories; information is comprehensive; narrative is logically organized

small stories

“imperfect sharing” of “life in the moment”; incorporates calls to action and interactivity

Tips for writing for online media

• Find the center of your story

• Organize information logically

• Outline before you write

• Remember clear & effective writing

• Writing should be tight, unnecessary words eliminated

• Short sentences, short paragraphs are best

• Be concise but thorough

• Focus only on the most relevant information & details

• Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly; focus on simple sentences with powerful nouns and verbs

• Use shorter, simpler words and sentences

• Avoid long blocks of text

  • Break up stories into “chunks” using short paragraphs

  • Use subheads to mark key points

  • Use bullet lists

• Include multimedia elements, links to related stories/pages

• Monitor engagement after posting the story