Tangible news stories get remembered People remember concrete news stories 60% better than abstract ones, according to a study by a professor at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. Adding photos to news stories increased recall by 65%. For the study, professor Prabu David had 24 journalism students review 32 100-word news … [Read more...] about Cast in concrete
Creativity
‘Sundays at the Shelter’
Make the photo the story You don’t have to know me for long to know that the crazy cat lady inside of me is just the tiniest nudge away from getting out. And, were it not for geography, “Sundays at the Shelter” would be that nudge. “Sundays at the Shelter” is my favorite e-zine. (You can also follow the blog.) I forward it, archive it, respond to its every call to action, … [Read more...] about ‘Sundays at the Shelter’
Table for two
Pit dueling ideas in columns and rows Are you writing a face-off between your technology and the alternative? Juxtaposing competing information and ideas? Comparing and contrasting products or services? If so, a table is probably the best format for your article. I’ve been enjoying webifying magazine articles for EADS Key Touch magazine’s website this year. I often find … [Read more...] about Table for two
End of story? | June 2010
"The internet has evolved a new species of magpie reader, gathering bright little buttons of knowledge, before hopping on to the next shiny thing." — Ben Macintyre, writer at large for The Times End of story? The news of storytelling’s death has been greatly exaggerated “Brothers and sisters, we are gathered here today to mourn the death of Story. As you may have heard, … [Read more...] about End of story? | June 2010
Readers want less | December 2009
"Brevity is the sister of talent." — Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright Readers want less Establish copy length limits Size does matter. All things else being equal, your readers would rather read a short piece than a long piece. In writing — as in eating, imbibing, reality TV viewing and so much else in life — it's good to set limits. In other words, establish an … [Read more...] about Readers want less | December 2009