Feature Writing Preview: The Man with the Golden Voice
1) What is the difference between a hard news (lede) and the one you read above?
The difference between a piece of hard news and the features that we read is that the lede is written in a story-telling voice, which hooks readers.
2) What paragraph(s) did you learn the following information?
a. Who - 1
b. What - 2
c. Where - 1
d. When - 1
e. Why - 2
f. How - 7
3) Are there quotes in this story?
Yes, there are quotes in this story.
4) Are those quotes arranged in the "quote-transition" style we use in news writing?
While the lede is not in the 'quote-transition' style that we use in news writing, as the story progresses, it also transitions into an 'LTQT' format style.
5) Who is quoted in the story?
Individuals who were quoted include a local homeless assistance volunteer, a director of post-production films for the NFL, a WNCI program director, a Los Angeles voice agency owner, and Ted Williams himself.
6) What quote is the most powerful in the story, in your opinion?
In my opinion, the most powerful quote in the story is "
7) How many paragraphs is the story?
This story is 33 paragraphs.
8) How many words is the story (hint: you can copy and paste into Word and get a word count)?
This story is 758 words.
9) What is significant about the lead (lede) and the final paragraph of the story?
The significance of the lede and the final paragraph of the story is that they are both enticing and short, within one to two sentences.
10) Why do you think the writer did that with the lead (lede) and final paragraph?
I think that the writer wrote the lede and final paragraph how it is written as to pique the interest of readers but also to leave the story on a 'rounded' note.
11) Was the story interesting to read?
Yes, this story was interesting to read.
12) When you finished the story, but BEFORE you watched the video, did you want to hear the voice?
Yes, I did want to hear the voice before I watched the video.
13) Multimedia approaches are powerful tools, what impact did the video have when watched directly after reading the story?
The video gave life to the story. It shows the true reason that this man had a news story written about him, regardless of his living situation.
14) Would the story have lost its impact without the video?
I do believe that the story would have lost its impact without the video.
15) Did the writer try to come up with a way for you to hear the voice, i.e. did he try to describe the voice or give you a way to "hear" the voice without really hearing it?
Yes, the writer did come up with a way to give readers a way to 'hear' the voice without really hearing it.
16) How did the writer do that?
The writer inserted segments of voice-overs Williams did and used them as transition paragraphs, and the author also described Williams' voice as a smooth baritone.