Do you like it hard? Or soft?
The term ‘hard news’ refers to a style of writing that is factual and to the point. It does not take on a personal tone and it is not open to interpretation by its readers. It is not so much the content of a hard news story that is difficult to write but more so the constraints within which it has to written.
Soft news, by comparison, is a completely different style of writing. It is characterised by the authors personal tone and point of view, as well as its lack of factual provision. Personally, I find soft news more engaging and often entertaining. There’s always something for everyone. It is very apt to my personality and writing style. However, on my ‘journey’ (ha-ha) to becoming a successful journalist, I believe that mastering both styles of writing are necessary for me cater to a broader or varying audience (medium).
From the listed readings provided to us over the Easter break, the two hard news stories were RBA’s ‘Stevens warns against housing speculation’ and ‘Push to end underquoting as market stays hot.’ They follow the structure of a proper hard news story; opening with a precise summary of the story to follow and working down to the least important piece of information. Also, like any good, strong factual piece of news; it provided facts, figures and quotes throughout the story to back it up.
The three soft news stories were: ‘Flying in the face of convention, Naan Violent Protest, and 2010 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.’ All three appeal to a range of readers; its genres covering a current affair, a film and an event blog. The ‘diary-like entry,’ of the ‘Melbourne Gastronome,’ was very appealing and didn’t initially strike me as a journalistic piece. The use of elegant and simplistic images to enhance her piece was effectively enticing.
