Anne Hull: Stories of "New Journalism"

Anne Hull operates on a model of “new journalism.” This is a method of journalism that doesn’t involve sitting at a desk. It doesn’t involve making dozens upon dozens of phone calls, or conferencing with other reporters and editors day in and day out. No, while all of these things play a role, Hull describes new journalism simply as where you “get the hell out of the office and go live with somebody.”

Hull has operated using these methods for a wide variety of stories in her career, including her Pulitzer Prize winning investigative piece on the neglect of war-wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. And while it is a somewhat unconventional strategy, it’s hardly surprising coming from someone who describes her own path as an “unconventional way of growing up as a journalist.” Hull dropped out of college at Florida State University after only one year and landed her first job working at the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times. Since early on, she says, “I knew that writing was something I wanted to do.” In St. Petersburg, she was given “hard-hitting, intense, gritty feature stories” and this formed a foundation for her writing later in her career. Largely due to this somewhat unconventional entry into journalism, she found herself taking risks and going places journalists hadn’t gone before with their writing, using a very intimate form of reporting.

Speaking in a communications class at American University on Monday, Hull described her unique career path and discussed multiple examples of her writing in depth. The piece that garnered the most focus in the discussion was “The Strawberry Girls,” published in The New Yorker in August. Set in Plant City, Fla., where Hull grew up, the story is focused on a small southern town getting “eaten up by development,” facing its racist, old-fashioned traditions and sociological quirks, all in the context of an annual beauty pageant. Hull explained how she asked to spend two weeks with the girls participating in the pageant, and how she was almost forced to just sit back and observe at times, so as to get adjusted to their culture and be more productive in her reporting. She described the experience as being “almost like a documentary photographer instead of a journalist,” because of the observational nature of the work.

The conversation between Hull and the communications students weaved back and forth between different articles and strategies in reporting. She explained techniques such as writing extremely quickly – instead of shorthand, a laptop, or a recording device – and having to “pick your soldiers,” in regards to being selective when choosing characters to focus on in a story. Hull even described how she tries to keep her work and personal relationships separate, and how her writing style was forced to adapt to the style of The New Yorker, as opposed to other publications.

Hull’s experiences reporting are unique indeed, and have led to some amazing successes. Despite her lack of formal post-secondary education, she uses her “unconventional” path into journalism and her “new journalism” style to her advantage, making the most of every opportunity she wanders in to. Her experiential pieces are her hallmark, and, given her past accomplishments, definitely worth keeping your eyes open for.

Clarity Over Creativity: A Meeting with a Web Expert

The Internet has had a dramatic affect on everything from entertainment to shopping. And it has almost indisputably caused a revolution in the news media, and the way your average person consumes information. In an interview Tuesday, web expert Amy Eisman spoke with us about the effects of the Internet not on the consumer of information, but on the creator, particularly in terms of maximizing the potential of online writing.

Eisman is a professor of communications at American University in Washington, D.C. Her career has led her from work at USA Today to AOL. In addition to her teaching, she currently does training on writing for the Web all over the world, and is a well-known expert on the subject. We had a chance to speak with her about her work and she provided us with a brief presentation on what she considers most important to know about Web writing today.

She began with a list of reader expectations in online news. As readers, she said, we expect certain features from online media, such as visual extensions into pictures and video, user-generated content, frequent updates, social networking, niche-fulfilling sites, and easy usability and navigation, to name just a few. In addition, she identified a few trends in online media. For example, new concepts like mash-ups such as Footnote (http://www.footnote.com), which combines data from the national archives with digital photographs of the Vietnam War Memorial to create a searchable, viewable virtual wall, complete with biographies and extra information of the fallen soldiers. In addition, she mentioned trends like new formats for storytelling, such as through video and multimedia, as well as citizen journals, like OhmyNews International (http://english.ohmynews.com), described as an online newspaper with the motto “every citizen is a reporter.”

After that introduction, Eisman identified what she believed was key to online writing – clarity. In headlines, she said, “clarity trumps creativity.” In navigation, she said, “Pages need to look readable.” Regarding writing formatting and styling, she explains, “When you look at a website, you don’t want to think about where to go on it.” And in every example she provided, clarity and ease of use were crucial.

Eisman explained that in Web writing, as in all writing, one has a tendency to overwrite, getting too wordy and taking too much of the readers’ time to get to the point of a story. “It’s not dumbing down information,” she warned, however, it’s just that “anybody can write long.” It’s difficult to write simply, she said, because there’s always a feeling that it is necessary to explain everything, and to lead up too much to a point. Eisman also mentioned that research has proven “people actually look more deeply into content online” than they do in print media. What this means, she emphasized, is that again “pages need to look readable,” and that you should put in “things you can’t get on television or in print newspapers.” Online media is a unique source of information, she explained, and because of that it should provide unique ways of presenting that information.

At the end of our interview, Eisman touched on the incredible impact of technology on the world around us. Despite the radical changes in technology and communication methods, she said, “we still need to communicate clearly and credibly with each other.” Unfortunately, not all online media truly meets this goal, but the goal is there, and people like Eisman, working tirelessly to train writers and adapt them to this new technology, are helping writers of online material fulfill its true potential.

Not Your Average Weatherman: From Meteorologist to PR Pro

Chris Vaccaro is not your average weatherman.

A major in meteorology in college, Vaccaro quickly realized that there was much more to being a weatherman than simply being on TV. Gradually he turned his focus to communications and began a unique career path towards public relations. After a journey stretching from interning and working at USA Today to receiving a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, to working with the public affairs office at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), he has finally landed in the position of director of public affairs for the National Weather Service. Speaking to a communications class at American University Monday, Vaccaro described his journey in detail, as well as some key guidelines and aspects of public relations writing.

After interning at USA Today during college, they offered him his first communications job immediately out of college during the dot com boom. Hired for work on graphics and stories for weather, he eventually wound up doing a substantial amount of content for USA Today’s web site and working on USA Today “Live,” a short television broadcast for Gannett TV stations. His first real work in public relations, however, didn’t start until he moved to working at NOAA, with the public affairs office. Four years ago, he joined the National Weather Service as a public affairs specialist. With that, Vaccaro described enthusiastically, he got the chance to work on “high impact weather events” such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and Hurrican Katrina in 2005. Two years ago, he was transferred to NOAA headquarters to run communications campaigns for all aspects of the agency, in effect, completing his transition from weather to public relations. Just last week, Vaccaro was promoted to director of public affairs at the National Weather Service.

At the NOAA, Vaccaro described, public relations are “not very political,” and “really just focused on getting the word out.” In other words, there is very little so-called “spin” often seen in other public relations – Vaccaro focuses on releasing climate reports, news releases, online content, teleconferences, and more, in hopes that the media will pick them up and spread the word. Because NOAA is the “official government source,” Vaccaro explained, generally they don’t have to struggle to get press coverage. In addition, NOAA’s news has a direct impact on everyone – it is always important for people to hear. Some of Vaccaro’s reports have been extremely successful, such as his report on climate change and its impact on extreme weather. It was covered on all the major news wires, and on two out of three major evening news programs. Other reports, while they may not exactly saturate the news, still have significance, such as NOAA’s hurricane outlooks. Released twice a year, these consist of forecasts and warnings for the upcoming hurricane season.

Working in public relations, Vaccaro emphasized, is largely about working with the client to write press releases and get their news out. Unfortunately, there are often stylistic differences between the client and the public relations staff. What many clients don’t understand – whether they are scientists or executives – is that press releases have to be written for the media, with the purpose of spreading the news, not just making the news yourself. He explained that, for example, scientists tend to get very wordy and descriptive in releases, which simply isn’t necessary for the media, and could overwhelm readers in the public who just want to get to the point of the story. “What’s new and why should I care?” is the question you should ask yourself, Vaccaro said.

Vaccaro concluded his presentation to the students by describing several other key aspects of public relations writing. With quotes, for example, he how it is “very rewarding” to write a quote in a press release and then have the media use it verbatim. It’s all about learning to “weave some of the news into the quote” and keeping it “short and concise,” he said. In terms of the length of the press release, Vaccaro explained it should be short, usually no more than 400 to 500 words. Giving an example of bad press releases, he pointedly remarked that the Smithsonian Institute is often “extraordinarily excessive” with press releases of up to four to five pages. In press releases, he explained, you’re only planting the seed, “helping to direct and set the tone of what your agency’s messages are.”

Despite Vaccaro’s unique and winding path to public relations, he makes it clear that he knows his material. With his background in meteorology, his master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma – where he says he learned the “essence of PR,” – and his passion for the news he is spreading, he is supremely qualified for his new position, and seems to take pride in what he does. He is a weatherman in a new sense of the word, one who doesn’t so much forecast the weather or speak on TV but instead builds the foundation for the news of weather, spreading the news with public relations.

How to Write Like a PR Pro

Although being memorable, consistent, colorful, purposeful, and using bite-sized language in writing might "sound so PR," they are essential aspects of public relations writing. These are just a few characteristics of this unique writing style discussed by a public relations professional at a recent guest appearance at American University in Washington, D.C.

Jeffrey Weintraub, co-leader of Fleishman-Hillard’s public affairs group in Washington, D.C., spoke to a communications class on Thursday about how to write clearly, how to convey messages in public relations writing, and how he used these techniques in specific examples of his writing.

On clear writing, Weintraub emphasized the use of simple words. More specifically, he said to examine carefully any words that were “more than three syllables, even more than two syllables.” Beyond just simple words, he also mentioned the use of simple sentences, encouraging students to ask themselves, “How do I break up those ideas?” In speeches, specifically, he cautioned against using complicated clauses, as they are not only difficult to understand, but difficult to deliver as well.

One of the major focuses of conversation was Weintraub’s “pet peeve” of the use of “jargon” in public relations writing. He referred to it as “shorthand within the context of our world” that simply didn’t belong in public relations writing. It’s a “question of accessibility,” he said, telling the students to put themselves in the place of the audience and keep in mind who that audience is. And don’t even get him started on acronyms – they “drive me crazy,” he said.

In his presentation he focused on three main characteristics of public relations writing to remember: memorable, purposeful, and consistent. He presented in a list format, emphasizing that the students’ should make their writing colorful (yet civil) and use “bite-sized language.” He said public relations writing should accomplish goals, making sense of the world and answering the question “Why should I care?” And finally insisted upon consistency in public relations writing, both across all communications and among all messengers. It’s very important to avoid conflicting messages, he said.

Which brought him to the final part of his writing presentation, discussing how to best convey messages in public relations writing, and how to use supporting evidence to make your case. Messages should be “no more than three, maybe four, key thoughts,” he said, and should be reiterated frequently. “What’s the quote you want to give them?” he asked the class, illustrating his point that there should be a key goal for the message, something the press can quote that you want the public to know. For supporting evidence he discussed the use of flagging key points, headlining by making the most important point your first point, and even using op-eds to your advantage as a public relations writer. They provide credibility and a fresh take on the topic, reinforcing the message, and never seem like promotion.

At the end of his presentation on writing, a fire alarm threatened to derail his guest appearance, forcing the class to move outside. Luckily they were met with sunny weather and only a light breeze, making it entirely bearable to continue the conversation.

Outside the discussion was more informal, focusing on Weintraub’s public relations strategy with clients, and their methods of conveying the message through a variety of media. He called it an “integrated campaign,” how they use various different tools working together to get an organization’s point across. Whether it is using e-mail, search engine marketing and optimization, speeches, op-eds, events, or just finding credible independent sources, he clearly showed that there were a myriad of options for the public relations specialists, and he encouraged using as many as possible to “hit audiences in all the different ways within their line of sight.”

He ended his guest appearance by discussing several articles and press releases, some written by
him, and others written by the media as a result of press releases he had put out. He discussed the wide variety of clients he worked for, including the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, a yet to be built university in Saudi Arabia.

At the end of his talk, many of the students said they felt they had gained a great deal of insight into the public relations field. Weintraub’s presentation and examples from his own experience in the field seemed to serve as an excellent introduction into the subject for the communications class.