Here's the audio file (MP3/18.5MB/1:20:58) for this Friday, October 17, 2008, session: Download C2_Craft
As a freelance writer, it is critical to get a top story. Not only must a freelancer have a well-written story for it to be published, they also have to be able to give a good story pitch.
The panel gave several tips to the session’s many attendees. Having good, well coordinated visuals with an article is a good way to make the reader think about the environment. Journalists should look for new ideas and new innovations to get the attention of mass audiences, as most companies are not particularly looking for articles that have already been extensively covered. High quality writers find different approaches to make their angle on a story important to readers. As panelist Peter Aldhous stated, “Impatient audiences do not wonder what’s going to be on National Geographic websites, instead they go to Google news or the main website of National Geographic to find links to other pages.” Unique stories presented with an interesting headline and good pitch is what grabs the reader’s attention to actually click links.
When journalists presented their story pitches to the panel, most often their topics were criticized as being too broad. The panel also encouraged freelancers to seek topics with global effects to make their stories more marketable. Often, target audiences reside in different countries, so stories should include the “wide angle view,” tying in issues of international concern. Panelist Ted Chamberlain suggested that freelancers ask themselves “What would my article look like in a magazine” to get the best results.
Moderator: Sharon Guynup, Freelance Journalist and Editor, State of the Wild: A Global Portrait of Wildlife, Wildlands, and Oceans
Panelists:
Peter Aldhous, San Francisco Bureau Chief, New Scientist
Ted Chamberlain, Managing Editor, National Geographic News
Dennis Dimick, Executive Editor, National Geographic Magazine
Nicole Dyer, Senior Editor, Popular Science
Louise Lief, Deputy Director, International Reporting Project
Tara Rae Miner, Managing Editor, Orion
Mark Spellun, Editor, Plenty
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