Williams Leads Auburn Students
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? This combination of random but important questions give the reporter the most important information that must go into the lead of his or her story. According to Ed Williams, a member of the Auburn Journalism faculty since 1983, the lead is the first sentence or sentences of one's piece made to not only introduce a story, but grab the readers attention. Williams stressed the importance of first sentences or leads when he spoke to Auburn workshop students.
Williams handed advice to the students, stressing the importance of form in writing one's piece. He implored the use of the inverted pyramid while writing a story, always beginning with the most important information and then ending with the less important information. Students learned the importance of making sure one's beginning to a story is entertaining so the reader will read the rest of the piece. Williams further condemned the use of chronological writing, stating readers are turned off by this form of writing, and want the most important information first. According to Williams, whether this important information comes last chronologically in an event, for a writer, this information must go into the lead and be presented first.
Williams also touched on reporting, claiming everyone had a story to tell and the job of a reporter is to seek the truth, gather the facts, and write the story. The workshop students quickly learned that such reporting was troublesome, because according to Williams good reporting required nosy questions. In fact, Williams, who worked as a reporter for the South Alabamian and Montgomery Adviser, claimed his least favorite question for women was asking their age. In any case, the students learned the importance of getting nosy in order to gather the facts, which will lead to a good story. With the advice of Williams, he was already leading the Auburn workshop students to success in journalism.
Williams handed advice to the students, stressing the importance of form in writing one's piece. He implored the use of the inverted pyramid while writing a story, always beginning with the most important information and then ending with the less important information. Students learned the importance of making sure one's beginning to a story is entertaining so the reader will read the rest of the piece. Williams further condemned the use of chronological writing, stating readers are turned off by this form of writing, and want the most important information first. According to Williams, whether this important information comes last chronologically in an event, for a writer, this information must go into the lead and be presented first.
Williams also touched on reporting, claiming everyone had a story to tell and the job of a reporter is to seek the truth, gather the facts, and write the story. The workshop students quickly learned that such reporting was troublesome, because according to Williams good reporting required nosy questions. In fact, Williams, who worked as a reporter for the South Alabamian and Montgomery Adviser, claimed his least favorite question for women was asking their age. In any case, the students learned the importance of getting nosy in order to gather the facts, which will lead to a good story. With the advice of Williams, he was already leading the Auburn workshop students to success in journalism.