Speech Story

Speeches are a regular part of civic discourse in a democratic society and a routine element of news coverage. The subject matter may be of national, state and local interest, or may be geared to niche audiences. The assignment remains the same: report what was said with accuracy and clarity and attempt to include reactions from listeners to provide context. Background reporting is critical as speakers may be addressing topics that require explanation and amplification. That someone gave a speech is not news, but the significance of what was said merits attention.

Sample 1

Oprah tells class of 2023 to follow ‘still, small voice’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Oprah Winfrey delighted graduates at her alma mater Tennessee State University on Saturday, telling the story of how she fell one credit short of graduating as she launched the media career that would make her a household name.

Giving the commencement address at the historically Black university, Winfrey recalled that she was living with her father in East Nashville while attending college, helping out in his store, and presenting the weekend news at a Black radio station. That’s where the lead anchor of the local CBS television affiliate heard her voice. He called her at school to ask if she wanted a job.

“I said, ‘No sir. TV? Not really, sir, because my father says I have to finish school, and school is just too important,’” Winfrey recalled.

She then went back to class and related the conversation to her scene design professor who “looked at me as if I didn’t have the brains that God gave lettuce,” Winfrey said.

He spoke to her father, and Winfrey took the job. Beginning the second semester of her sophomore year, Winfrey arranged to finish her classes by 2 p.m. so she could work at the television station from 2:30 to 10:30 and be home by her father’s 11:00 p.m. curfew.

By the end of her senior year in 1975, Winfrey’s career was in full swing. So she wasn’t terribly distressed to learn that she was one credit short and would not be able to graduate. But her father would not let go of the topic, asking her for years, “‘When you going to get that degree?’” she said.

Finally in 1988, she was allowed to write a paper and submit some of her shows for the final credit.

“So, I got my degree from Tennessee State, right around the time I got my third Emmy,” Winfrey said.

Her success in life has come from God’s grace and from listening to what she called the “still, small voice” inside while filtering out the noise of the world. That way “you begin to know your own heart and figure out what matters most,” Winfrey said. “Every right move I’ve made has come from listening deeply and following that still, small voice.”

Winfrey told the class of 2023 they are living in a difficult time in many ways.

“Unfortunately, you are going to encounter people who insist that it’s not actually possible to make any difference,” she said. But she held up the examples of Tennessee state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson who are “using their lives to prove the cynics wrong.”

The Republican majority expelled the two young Black Democratic lawmakers last month after they breached decorum by protesting for stricter gun laws from the House floor. They were reinstated on a interim basis by their local city councils within days and now face a special election to regain their seats.

The United States is “not a finished product,” she said. “Anything is possible. The wheels are still in spin. Saints walk among us. And as Nelson Mandela so brilliantly demonstrated, it’s better to be hopeful than fearful, if for no other reason than that hope brings us one step closer to joy.”

Sample 2

In address, Newsom hints at cuts to come

Repeatedly proclaiming "the days of ever-expanding government are over," Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed Wednesday to cut state spending by $750 million, shut eight state agencies and eliminate 2,000 unfilled government positions.

"These reductions will not be easy, but these reductions are necessary," he said in his first State of the State speech, delivered to a joint session of the two houses of the Legislature.

Reporters covering speech stories face a daunting challenge: zeroing in on the most newsworthy elements when confronted on deadline with a torrent of words. This story begins with a concise and vigorous lead that summarizes what the journalist has decided is the most timely, important and interesting information. Critical thinking is on display. The lead’s energy relies on three active, action verbs. It departs from the subject-verb-object structure, but the opening dependent clause conveys important information and a powerful quote that sums up the tenor of the governor’s speech. It’s an effective demonstration that there is no one way to write a lead. The second paragraph reports a related quote, and the location and context of the speech. The figures reflect AP style.

Newsom provided few details in the 26-minute speech and did not name the eight state agencies he plans to eliminate.

Details of the proposed cuts will likely emerge today with the release of his budget recommendation.

The third paragraph contains analysis, not opinion, by reporting the observation that the speech contained few details and omitted relevant information. The second paragraph qualifies the previous one. Speech coverage requires close attention to accuracy and balance.

He did say he'll ask the Legislature to pass a spending-freeze bill by the end of the month that would allow the state to bank $35 million.

He also pledged to work toward "resetting the tax code" with an eye on reducing income tax rates — although he didn't say whose or by how much. He also said he wants to allow businesses to immediately deduct a higher percentage of the cost of an investment.

And he vowed to target "corporate tax subsidies that are enjoyed by only a few," again without naming specifics.

The governor indicated a hope that the state can grow its way out of the current economic slump through some targeted investments.

Newsom said he will protect Wichita's Fair Fares program, which subsidizes low-cost air service to Mid-Continent Airport through $5 million from the state, which he called a "critical economic growth initiative" in south-central Kansas.

He also announced a three-year, $105 million program of support to universities to enhance job growth in major economic sectors such as aviation, cancer research, animal health and engineering. Universities will provide 50 percent of that funding through shifting expenses internally or raising money from the private sector, he said.

This six-paragraph section goes into specifics. The story follows an inverted pyramid structure that weighs facts according to newsworthiness based on the journalist’s judgment. Good speech stories don’t just regurgitate the speaker’s words; they analyze, summarize and give relevant details, including statistical data. They require a solid grasp of background so readers have the context to understand what lies behind the speaker’s words. Using “And” in the third paragraph adds energy to what could be a laundry list of information.

Reaction

When he welcomed representatives to the chamber Monday, House Speaker Rep. Mike O'Neal, R-Hutchinson, lauded "the permanent reset of state government."

After the speech Wednesday, O'Neal said, "I've been waiting a long time for a governor like this who is going to take the bull by the horns and do the types of things that we need to grow ourselves out of this problem."

Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said that over time the state has developed so many different agencies, each operating in its own "silo," that there probably are duplicate services.

"If they can go into different agencies and be more efficient and effective, I think that is a good idea," she said.

The three-fourths of a billion dollars in cuts is in the $13.6 billion "all funds" budget, which includes federal dollars and exceeds the state general fund budget of about $5 billion.

Disappearing federal stimulus dollars will account for a $492 million decrease in the state's budget.

"Overall, the all-funds budget is being reduced because the federal dollars are being reduced," McGinn said.

"The big snafu for us are the (social service) case loads; it could mean a slight increase in the state general fund even though there is a drop in the all funds," cautioned Rep. Marc Rhoades, R-Newton, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Rep. Jim Ward, D-Wichita, said the Democratic administrations of Mark Parkinson and Kathleen Sebelius had already cut more than $1 billion out of the state budget.

He said he thinks Republicans will need to find a balance to their passion for cutting expenditures "while still delivering expected services in a quality way."

The story wisely uses subheadings as an organizing feature. These help readers understand what’s coming next and give journalists the opportunity to put similar material together rather than write a disorganized account. Good journalists take charge of their stories. The section quotes supporters and critics of the governor’s proposals, giving them an adequate forum for their views. Major speeches are usually televised. Advance or post-speech transcripts are made available. The journalist must be alert to deviations from the script. Print journalists should use a recorder to make sure their quotes are precise, accurate and relayed in context. Notebooks serve as backup and a repository for observations about crowd size, audience reaction and other descriptions. The sources are identified using AP style. Chronological observations—“When he welcomed” and “After the speech”—are effective modifiers in speech stories. Statistics are an important feature in this section and they are clearly and fully described. The word “said” is the attributive verb of choice in news stories. In this case, “cautioned” is justified given the sense of the quote.

Education

Newsom also challenged the Legislature to define the elusive term "suitable" education funding, which the state is constitutionally required to provide.

In the past, that definition has been left to courts, leading to rancorous lawsuits by school districts against the Legislature.

"Let the Legislature resolve school finance, not the courts, so we can send more money to the classroom, not the courtroom," Newsom said.

He said his budget will "provide school districts with more overall state funding and stabilize state support for higher education for the first time since the Great Recession began."

A new subhead launches a section about education. It summarizes the governor’s comments and then amplifies it with a quote from the speech. The story assumes that the reader knows the history of the “Great Recession.” Is that a correct assumption, or should the story provide more background than the governor’s words?

But with those districts facing the loss of $200 million in federal stimulus funds, Newsom didn't say how much of it he'll replace—leading Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley to declare that districts will face cuts or raising local property taxes.

"Can we shirk our constitutional responsibility to fund public education while passing the buck to local school boards?" Hensley said in the Democratic response to the governor's address. "At a time when so many families are struggling to make ends meet, the governor and the Legislature should not shift the burden onto local property taxpayers."

Hensley also said Democrats would oppose tax cuts for large corporations and their chief executives to attract businesses, which Hensley said would shift the burden to individual and small businesses.

"Kansas can continue to be business-friendly, but we also need to be family-friendly," he said.

Hensley also called on the Republican governor to work toward consensus solutions to the state's problems.

This section provides an important counterpoint, one delivered in the opposing political party’s response to the governor’s speech. This is common when speeches focus on matters of national and state interest. This is a story about two speeches, and the response is given a full airing, but the governor’s address is the most newsworthy. The story does demand balance and an accurate reflection of the day’s events, however. This section ensures that responsibility is met.

Abortion

On abortion, long the engine of Kansas conservative politics, Newsom drew a standing and stomping ovation from almost all Republicans—and some Democrats—when he asked the Legislature to "bring to my desk legislation that protects the unborn and establishes a culture of life in Kansas."

The third subhead tops the concluding section of the story. The phrase “long the engine of Kansas conservative politics” is an observation drawn from the kind of background knowledge that effective journalists bring to their assignments. The sentence describes audience reaction using two present participle verbs—“standing and stomping”—as adjectives to describe the response to the speech. Although static, the description provides a vivid description of a powerful moment of action.

Trust Women, a new group supporting abortion rights in place of slain abortion provider George Tiller's Pro Kan Do Political Action Committee, immediately fired back.

"This evening, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that 'the days of ever-expanding government are over,' except he wants to expand government to dictate what women do with their own bodies," the group said in a statement.

"It's disappointing and hypocritical at best," said Julie Burkhart, a former Pro Kan Do chief who is founder and director of Trust Women.

Ward said he sees the abortion choice issue as important to the Republicans' base, but hopes the Legislature "doesn't get distracted" by that and other social issues.

"The voters have spoken loud and clear that the No. 1 issue is jobs and the economy," he said.

The final paragraphs report the reaction of abortion rights supporters, giving readers more voices and opinions to consider. The first group is identified in a way that provides important context about a deadly incident in the abortion wars. Their comments are attributed to a statement, a distinction that must be made.

The last two paragraphs, quoting a member of the opposing party, bring the story full circle by highlighting the need for economic action by the legislature. It returns the reader to the lead that reports the governor’s fiscal proposals. The story ends with a strong quote. It’s possible that readers may have forgotten who the last speaker is. It could be argued that further identification would enhance comprehension and lessen reader confusion. Editors and reporters often assume that readers know as much as journalists do.

Summary: This story about a significant speech illustrates the demands of the assignment: attentive reporting, clear writing, insightful news judgment, commitment to accuracy and balance and background knowledge that enable journalists to deliver news that is timely, important and interesting. Speeches don’t always make news as major as a State of the State or City address, but the requirements are the same. Working under deadline pressure, reporters produced an excellent story that reveals the assignment’s challenges and the variety of reporting and writing methods to effectively meet them.

Oxford University Press, News Writing and Reporting