Good writing needs variety
by Zach Cook
C
hippewa
Herald
sports editor and
UW Oshkosh
alumnus Brandon Berg explained the difference between news, features and columns at his 2013 NEWSPA session on sports writing. “You need to be able to write long enough to tell a story,” Berg said. “Don’t write just for the sake of writing and make sure you address all questions so your reader is not left questioning themselves about what you wrote.” Berg said writers never know what they may find when writing a feature. “Everyone has a story to tell,” Berg said. “It may not always be the most interesting, but nonetheless they still have a story to tell.”
He stressed the importance of variation in writing and said writers should avoid using the same style or format for every story. “Variety is the most important thing I stress to my writers because I don’t want them to keep going to the same well,” Berg said. “Our most popular stories at times have not necessarily been football or basketball, but rather a little more off the beaten path.” Berg concluded by talking about column writing and gave students one last piece of advice. “Facts are your best friend when writing columns because it backs and validates your opinions,” he said. “Not all stories will appeal to everybody, but all stories appeal to somebody so don’t be afraid to express your thoughts.”
Session takes on interviewing problems
by Garrick Garvens
P
eople worry about how to get
the most out of life, but Trent Scott showed students at the 2013 NEWSPA conference that it was just as important to get the most out of every interview. Scott, English teacher at Oshkosh West High School and adviser for the Oshkosh West Index, said the session would be more interactive, rather than just another lecture. “This is going to be more like group therapy than a class,” Scott said. “It will work out better for all of you if you interact with the questions I ask.” Scott brought his senior managing editor Daphne Thompson, who has three years of writing and editing experience with the Oshkosh West Index, to help give students advice about holding interviews. Scott and Thompson asked the students many questions and gave feedback to the problems students said they had while conducting interviews. Thompson asked the class what kind of problems they ran into while conducting interviews. Students replied that some people they interview don’t always give them the information they ask for or they don’t get back to them after they have been contacted for an interview.
Photo by Denise Cakmak
Daphne Thompson (left) and Trent Scott address NEWSPA attendees about interviewing techniques. “Has anyone ever had trouble getting someone to talk to you for an interview?” Scott asked the class. A student raised his hand and replied: “Lunch ladies. I think they have some sort of secret they are hiding.” They also acted out a skit with Thompson showing the students how not to conduct an interview with a source. “Can anyone tell me what Daphne did wrong this time?” Scott asked. A student raised her hand and
said, “Her questions weren’t well constructed, and she didn’t follow them up with better questions.” “Yes! Did anyone happen to notice how Daphne didn’t have a very personable manner about her? This is also important to maintain during an interview,” Scott said. As time ran out, Scott reminded students that the best time to write is right after the interview, and to keep the information from the interview in context with the rest of the story. uwosh.edu/journalism/newspa 15