The Art of a Breaking News Story

Normally, student journalism doesn't allow for much excitement. We tend to cover the same events again and again here at Asbury: Holy Emphasis Week, homecomings, student government elections. I could list a dozen things we have covered with a slightly different angle during all four of my years at the Collegian.

But every once in awhile, something big happens in Wilmore or in connection to Asbury. We at the Collegian have a chance to go head to head with local news stations to scoop a story. When you get a whiff of these stories, you recognize them immediately. They make your blood sing and heart pound: here's our chance, your body seems to say as adrenaline floods your veins. Here is our chance to take the best angle, to nab the exclusive interview, to be read by thousands of eyes. It's intoxicating.

This week, after I was swept up on one of these adventures, I decided to take you along with my to see firsthand how a breaking news story is made. I won't name the particular story in question, only say that it first made waves on LEX18 before we managed to write an exclusive-filled follow-up.

12:30 a.m, the night before the story goes live: Get text message with link to original story by LEX18. Frantically research to make sure it's legitimate. Scramble to make a game plan. First decision: Only a news story? Or opinion? Go with news. It's simpler to be dealing with only facts so early in the race.

12:45 a.m: Assign editor to story. Email faculty advisor for the green light on sensitive information. Write skeleton of story. Wait, because adults aren't awake and checking their email after midnight.

1:00 a.m: Go back and forth with editor on best way to cover it all. More details surface. Integrate them into the story.

1:30 a.m: First draft is complete. Copyedit.

2:00 a.m.: Go to bed. It will be an early morning.

9:00 a.m, the day the story breaks: Wake up to call from faculty advisor. Make sure he knows all the details. Give the editor the green light to pursue further official statements.

10:00 a.m: Get flood of text messages about story. Original LEX18 article has reached the rest of campus.

11:00 a.m: Wait while the PR representative tries to reach out to very important people who are traveling. Without their statements, the article could fall through.

12:00 p.m.: Obsessively check local news outlets to make sure you haven't been scooped. Not yet.

2:00 p.m: Finally obtain official statements from PR rep and very important people. Get notice that PR rep is in meetings until 6 p.m. He will answer the rest of your questions then.

2:05 p.m: Meet in person with faculty advisor. Hear about his fight for journalistic integrity and transparency. Get green light for the article to go live today.

4:00 p.m: Final draft, pending PR comments, is complete. Email it back and forth between three different people for copyediting. Rewrite the lede.

4:30 p.m: Decide on an SEO-approved headline in a group email. Shoot down an idea. Propose your own idea. Remove one word. Ready.

5:00 p.m: Assign photographer to get a picture of the office(s) of the person(s) involved in the story.

6:00 p.m: Get additional responses from PR rep. Add them to the story. Copyedit again.

6:30 p.m: Get frantic texts from photographer that the involved person(s) is in their office and could potentially obstruct the photo from being taken. She takes a clandestine photo and runs away.

6:45 p.m: Is the photo in focus? Yes, it's perfect. Upload it to the server.

6:50 p.m: Paste story into website. Add photo. Add pull quotes.

7:00 p.m: Publish story on the website and Facebook.

7:15 p.m: Wait. Watch views. Breathe.

7:30 p.m: Collectively celebrate that no one got to the story before us. Feel as if we have won a great victory for student journalists.

7:45 p.m: Go back to working on the production of the Collegian's weekly issue. Still check views and comments periodically. Laugh at some, nod at others. Let it fuel your energy.

10:00 a.m, the day after the story went live: Get text message about new developments in story. Start all over again.

To read The Asbury Collegian, go here. The Collegian's latest issue was published Friday, Feb. 3. The next issue will appear on the website this Friday.

JournalismHannah SchultzFebruary 6, 2017Student newspaper, Journalism, Asbury Collegian, Asbury University, breaking, news, story, Newspaper, Wilmore, Asbury, social media, controversy2 Comments

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Photography and Video, Life

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