Investigative Journalism

You got a Promotion!!

Now, you get to investigate issues that matter to you!

We are going to look at a piece of writing that is focused on an issue........from Rick Reilly.

Back to Rick Reilly

• Worth the Wait
• Extreme Measures
• A Tale of Two Little Leaguers

Let's read the article and discover the issue that Reilly is fired up about-

Reilly is passionate about the effect of overly legalistic people- he illustrates this issue using an example from little league baseball.

What issues are

Issues that matter

• Mentally flip through your experiences and other's experiences.
• What are the pressures, difficulties, and hardships of being a teenager?
• Can you identify a few issues that matter to you?

Writing about issues opens up your research- you are not limited to a single event or moment- you can go look for stories that highlight the issue you choose.

Finding and Telling news stories that Matter

• Focus on issues that are significant to the writer and the community.
• Gather words around an issue- say it in different ways to cast a net.
• Seek stories that illustrate that issue.

Check out our issue wall, and be thinking of additional issues- by Monday, you will need to choose an issue that will be the focus of your investigation and your writing piece.

Newscast Summative Writing Piece

• Engaging Lead or Hook- narrative feel
• Issue- Informational feel.....What is it?
• What causes it? Why does it matter?
• 2 facts- quotes, statisitcs, about your issue- cited from two legit/reputable websites
• Call to action- satisfying conclusion
• Due on Monday, October 16th.
• Class time allotted- but, at home work necessary.

Narrative Non-Fiction
A blend of two writing styles

Narrative = contains storytelling elements such as action, dialogue, setting, tension, and empathy.

Non-fiction= informative and true

Upfront articles are exactly the balance we are aiming for-

Find elements of both types of writing

• What narrative elements do you see?
• What informational elements do you see?

Now, that we have topics, I want to remind you that we are writing non-fiction that both tells a story and teaches.

We are going to organize our investigate piece into parts, so we can lead our reader- like a tour guide-through our issue.

Part 1- Narrative- Anecdotal Lead

Part 2- Background and Explanation of your Issue

Part 3- Conclusion- Prevention/Solution/Call to Action

Part 4- Bibliography- Cite your Sources

Writing Anecdotes

• Tell about one experience- most anecdotes capture a little moment in time.
• Choose a moment that will illustrate the point of the essay.
• Set the scene by using descriptive language and details.
• Include a snippet of dialogue to give it a fiction-like style.
• Describe a moment that has some action- involved a problem- to create drama.

While waiting for our blueberry pancakes and omelettes to arrive, my little sister decided to pick up one of her crayons and toss it at me. Instead of hitting me, it flew past the side of my head and hit a man sitting behind us at another table at our local
IHOP.

My sister’s blue eyes flew open. “Oh my God,” she mouthed at me, her hand covering her mouth. Fortunately, the man didn’t seem to notice, but we both doubled over laughing. We had to bury our faces in our sleeves so no one would hear. I had a feeling that we would be laughing about this moment for years to come.

Transition into the Issue and the Informational Part 2
Unfortunately, these days it seems that teens are less likely to enjoy free time and meals with family because of the crazy over scheduled lives that they lead. Who has time to share a laugh with a sister these days? Teens have homework and activities that rule their every waking moment.

Spend 10 minutes crafting an anecdotal lead for your topic.
Then, transition into the informational part of the paper by introducing your topic.

Part 2 is all informational- Begin with the 5 W's of your topic- educate your reader on the basic facts surrounding your topic....for example, learning cursive handwriting is a misuse of time.