Len Shapiro: 3 things

GRADED EXERCISE: In the comments section below, add the three things you learned from Len Shapiro‘s presentation. Deadline is 30 minutes before class on Tuesday April 22.



17 Responses to “Len Shapiro: 3 things”

  1.   ssokler Says:

    Three things I learned from Lenny Shapiro:

    1. Lots has changed since he begain covering the Redskins for the Washington Post in the 1970s. Without the internet, there was much less rush to release stories, so you could work on them longer. It was harder to get in touch with people–there were no cellphones. In the 1970s, Shapiro figured out that the Redskins had the highest payroll in the NFL, and the story ran on the front page of the front section–now the NFL releases contracts on-line.

    2. Long term assignments are fun to have and good to write. If you have a long term assignment, you have time to find an angle to make the story interesting.

    3. A good resource on writing and word usage is “On Language” by William Safire. Safire writes for the New York Times, but used to be Richard Nixon’s pr man.

  2.   josh Says:

    Len Shapiro 3 things:

    1. Go rent “All the President’s Men”

    2. Read William Safire in The New York Times Magazine.

    3. Have a knowledge base. Find angles – person, player, coach. A flash lead is two paragraphs.

  3.   Eric Says:

    Three things I learned from Len Shapiro:

    1. When writing about an uncertain finish and having to complete the assignment on deadline. It becomes important to have many ledes prepared before hand in the event of a change at the last moment.

    2. In certain instances you can make your lede about a particular issue or person, even if they are not the winner. Journalist write for their readers and that is where the focus should be placed.

    3. In 1976 the NFL salary cap was only $3.5 million, $110 million currently, and soon there will not be a salary cap. In addition, Shapiro emphasized, the importance of breaking the story first and how this can reap great benefits if done properly.

  4.   Dechele Says:

    Three things I learned from Lenny Shapiro:

    1) If you write something that someone is bot going to like, you better have enough guts to show up the next day after you write it.

    2) A running story is when you write everytime something goes on. What your writing is usually considered B material.

    3) Always look for an angle and put it in the first three paragraphs.

  5.   Robert Says:

    What I learned from Len Shapiro:

    1. A “running game” story means that the reporter is writing about the game while it is occurring.

    2. Developing relationships is an important skill; it can be further developed by conducting interviews after other media have left the scene.

    3. The inverted pyramid was developed in part because the stories needed to be physically set. If the the story did not fit, the last two paragraphs would be deleted.

  6.   DannyU Says:

    Len Shapiro 3 things

    1. If you write about someone and insult them or degrade them in anyway, you better have the brass to go inot work the next day and get right back in their face.
    2. That he believes the Redskins name should be changed and is undefenseable.
    3. When writing a story on a sporting event such as the Masters. You need to come up with many different angles and ledes before the event is over.

  7.   Nadia Says:

    3 Things

    I was unable to make it to class on thursday but from reading everyone comments I learned that.

    1)A “running game” story means that the reporter is writing about the game while it is occurring.

    2)If you write something that someone is not going to like, you better have enough brass to show up the next day after you write it.

    3)You need to come up with many different angles and leeds before the event is over.

  8.   matt Says:

    1. I learned about how important knowledge on a certain topic is before you write a story.

    2. I learned that if I want to be a journalist, I need to watch the movie “All the Presidents Men.

    3. I learned about how he covers the Masters, which I found interesting, as far as walking with the players and how he starts writing.

  9.   Phil Murphy Says:

    Three things I learned from Len Shapiro:

    1. Have a good knowledge base. It will help you develop unique ledes.

    2. The inverted pyramid structure was originally developed for physical print alignment. If a story ran long, the ending could simply be cut off. Now it is a widely-used model for story development.

    3. The Internet has completely revolutionized coverage, especially with breaking news. Rather than stressing to make sure you’re the only one reporting a story until the paper is released, a writer can now know he was the first to get the story.

    More importantly, his readership knows.

  10.   Latonya Says:

    Three things from Len Shapiro:

    1) Take the lead a step further with an angle, don’t just write an AP style AM lead, always look for an angle.

    2) You have to work to get relationships with people — you have to stand out.

    3)The inverted pyramid was not only created to get the readers interested, it was also created because of the physical limitations of the actual newspaper.

  11.   Jeremy Says:

    Three things i learned from Len Shapiro:

    1. The industry is not what it used to be, which is not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. A lot has changed in terms of how news is gathered and disseminated, so the key is to take advantage of the innovations.

    2. Even though you want to write something no one else is running, sometimes you just have to find a way to take a different angle on the same story.

    3. It’s important to make connections with people, because you never know where a big lead on a story might come from.

  12.   Will Says:

    1. At some point in your career you are probably going to write something that someone is not going to like and you are just going to have to deal with it.

    2. It is important to know a lot of information on a topic before you cover it.

    3. “All the President’s Men” shows a realistic portrayal of how newsrooms used to be.

  13.   Carlos Says:

    Three things I learned from Len Shapiro:

    1. It’s important to stick to what you wrote, and show up in the clubhouse the day after you’ve written a story that might upset some people. Confront the situation face-to-face, and deal with criticism that might come your way.

    2. Watch “All the President’s Men” and read William Safire.

    3. Having a good knowledge base will help you come up with good angles for your story, and hence good reporting. There’s always a bigger picture that needs to be shown.

  14.   Dylan Cavalheri-Gaiteri Says:

    Len Shapiro three things:

    1. Always have your ledes prepared so you can meet the deadline

    2. People are not going to like everything you write, deal with it

    3. Always look for angles in you stories

  15.   Elliot Says:

    Three things I learned from Len Shapiro:

    1. You must build connections with whom you are writing about. Find an angle and build from it.

    2. The newspaper industry has cut down tremendously and it is now a more internet based world when it comes to getting news. People don’t look to pick their paper of the front steps anymore.

    3. A running story is writing a story as the event is occurring.

  16.   Mike Coppinger Says:

    1. If you write something somebody isn’t going to like, show up and show your face.

    2. Give them more than just the score and what happened. Ask questions. Make angles.

    3. Details, beyond the score. Develop sources.

  17.   stephen ball Says:

    I learned quite a bit from Len Shapiro last week.

    1. That a good editor will always back the writer as long as the writer is right.

    2.New forms of jouralism have many advantages and disadvantages but aren’t worth comparing because new journalism has taken over.

    3. You’re not always going to write good things about athletes, but if you write something bad, you’d better show up to their locker room the next day.

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