ALTERNATIVE
STORY FORMS
Easy devices to make your news more
accessible and grab readers’ attention
By Chris Lusk, Orange County Register news designer
What is an ASF?
• Alternative story forms allow you flexibility
• You determine the best way to tell the story
• Bite-size chunks of information
• An effective way to maximize readers’ time
Why use ASFs?
• The typical reader gives us fewer than 25 minutes a day
• You only get a few seconds to hook them, if you’re lucky
• How do you get their time and attention?
• You need to be creative, quick and informative.
• Show them — don’t tell them
ASFs are everywhere
• Lists, Q&As, timelines, how to, charts, pro/cons, calendars
• They open the door for creative presentations
• Allow readers to scan and digest information quickly
How do we know they work?
• Poynter’s EyeTrack project in 2007 shows us they do
• ASFs help readers remember facts
• Even simple ASFs draw more visual attention
BEYOND
THE INVERTED
PYRAMID
How they are different
Inverted pyramid
Alternative story form
• Most important info
• Overview, central point
• Next most important
• Sub-point No. 1
• Less important
• Sub-point No. 2
• Less important
• Sub-point No. 3
• Least important
• Maybe an end
An example
You’re publishing a story to preview
a series of charity events hosted by
student organizations this semester.
The normal approach
A simple ASF
What would you do?
• Here’s the news:
“The campus blood drive is over. We finished
fourth out of 11 schools in the competition.”
What we typically do
• A 15-inch story with quotes from the organizers about how
happy they were with the turnout, how pleased they are to
be a part of such a great event, and blah blah blah blah.
• Why? This is just more PR. And will anyone even read it?
What we should do
HOW TO BUILD
ASFs INTO
YOUR DESIGN
How to do it
• Brainstorm, sketch, report, edit, execute
• Who should be involved?
• Reporter
• Designer
• Photographer
• Edtior
How to do it
Reporting
Editing
Execution
• Edit ideas
• Content is king
• Plan
• Edit, edit, edit
• Write first
• Hierarchy
• Determine
the best way
to tell the story
• Organize
• Storyboard
• Consider
templates
Templates: Q&A, Overview
Templates: 5 things, Profile
So … always use ASFs?
• No. Use the right tools for the right story.
• Narrative: Best for telling compelling stories about people.
• Photos: Capturing moments and emotion.
• Q&As, timelines, breakouts: Information at a glance.
• Explanatory graphics: Giving readers an in-depth look.
Readers want to consume
information at different
speeds. They want variety.
It makes the reading
experience so much
more enjoyable.
STAY CONNECTED
Chris Lusk
[email protected]
chrislusk.me/blog
@chrismlusk