Writing an Event/Speech Story

Writing an Event/Speech Story

The lede is the most important part of the event story. Make sure it focuses on either (1) the most important or (2) the most interesting thing that was said or that happened at the event.

BAD EXAMPLE: Daisy Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, addressed students in the McCormick Tribune Forum on Thursday night as part of Islam Awareness Week.

Explanation: It’s easy to fall into this trap, so don’t let it happen to you! The news is NEVER that so-and-so came to speak about such-and-such topic, but rather what the speaker said, or what happened at the event.

GOOD EXAMPLE: Neoconservative David Frum said American politics are unusually right-wing — in a “sane” country, anyone more conservative than him would be institutionalized.

Explanation: Woah! This is really interesting — David Frum is generally pretty moderate — and gives me a sense of what actually happened at the event.

After the lede, segue quickly into a direct quote or supporting details. Consider how that David Frum story continued:

Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, spoke to about 30 people at a Branford master’s tea in the first on-campus event in the William F. Buckley Jr. Speakers Series, which will bring prominent conservatives to Yale for the remainder of the semester. He talked about the state of America, elite education, and the role of conservative ideology in shaping national discourse.

Alternately, it’s OK to include a quote right after your lede. If you do, supporting details will come right after that.

Next, see if you can address the 2-5 most interesting or most important points about the event or the speech. Include plenty of quotes as appropriate.

Depending on how much space you have, end with a catchy quote or interesting fact, or just end when you’ve covered everything you intended. Avoid clichéd, moralistic endings or cheesy efforts to be cute like you often hear on the local news.

Good examples of event stories:

Frum talks conservatism, anti-elitism (Yale Daily News)

DeStefano proposes city budget (Yale Daily News)

MIT psychology professor talks about new book (Harvard Crimson)

‘One Book’ author Tracy Kidder discusses the life of a humanitarian – includes video (The Daily Northwestern) *Note typo in headline