So during the day when I sit at the computer I slog through the links to news stories not just here but my home page etc.
During this surfing I have to admit that I am drawn to over dramatized headlines. Most of which I read the story and think, ummmmm where is the drama. Other times the links fall into other categories. One of these categories that annoys me is the unreadable or not followable ones. I do not write well. I did not go to school to write. In fact one of the funniest things I have ever heard was in grad school down in Florida (one of the big ones there that will not be named.) I was sitting in the computer drafting lab which also had the MFA design head's office inside it. I over heard Dr. D, the script analysis professor stomp into DJ's office.
Stomp, mumble, stomp. The sound of the door swinging open fills the air.
"Your designers can't write for shit.", grumbles Dr D.
"Yea but they can draw you a pretty picture.", replies DJ with a laugh.
"Well they can get an idea across, but the mechanics ........" "Hey you guys stop snickering out there. You should be ashamed of yourselves.", shouts Dr. D.
Like I have said in the past I was a designer. Our way of communication was in words occasionally, most of which was not written down but lengthy dialogs, and pictures. Heck half the time if I want to creative write I draw story boards first.
Now a days it seems that journalist and editors forget that they are paid to write. They are paid to write a story and impart information that an idiot like me can follow. I will give you an example.
I was reading about a murder of a young man visiting his sister over the holidays. I am still trying to figure out the whole slog. Most of which was like they cut and pasted from an original piece leaving plot holes so that they will not get sued. Finally I found the original BBC piece to get the whole of the story.
Another one of my peeves is that there is no big block letters telling me where the link leads. Yahoo likes to link the blaze when they list articles along the side of an article that I am reading. It burns my ass when I give the flameball a hit on his site.
Personally I love reading print news, op eds, human interest pieces.
Well written news stories that just lay out the facts without personal opinion or interpretation are lost these days. Leave yourself at the door journalist. Let the bloggers and others say what they want about the situation. Let your readers form their own opinion. Human interest stories are best served with a conversation style. Touchy, feely with a ambiance to them. I have a local free rag that is full of porn/massage ads that have wonderful in depth local human/place/animal interest stories. They are full of color and insight.
Many of the diaries I read hear have the second category of what I like Community Spotlight, how to diaries, etc...... These are the diaries I found myself in when politics gets me to the point where I need to put fist through plaster. They bring me down from that boiling point.
I guess my ramble has come to an end point, remember I am a designer not a writer.