"People in the news"
"Man in the news/ Women in the news" (written your voice, but often anonymous). You can find many examples in newspapers, weeklies, trade press or consumer press. It is very often pegged to the news agenda for a particular set of readers/listeners.
These are "pen portraits" which concentrate on WHO the subject is (not what they think, especially) and HOW they got to be who they are.
How is it that somebody as patently ordinary as Geri Halliwell became so rich and famous. Where was she born, where did she go to school, what were the turning points in her career, who helped her, who are her enemies... etc. You don't need to interview her (though you SHOULD interview people who know/knew her). But much is already on the public record and in the press clipping.
DO NOT confuse with either "confessional" or "feature interview" (gonzo).
This format is Classic of Sunday newspaper journalism. Like an obituary - strictly factual and NOT based on an interview (in the first place) with the subject.
You can study the writing style by reading profiles as done by professional media. They all follow the same sort of structure and often have a feature cartoon/ caricature rather than a picture. This underlines the fact that the reader is getting a "portrait" of the subject and not an interview.
METHOD
Assemble press clips. Rough out the life story as it already known.
Check your word length. In features it is always essential to write to an exact length; edit sound to an exact time. These are given in advance, since in features you are filling up a pre-determined editorial "mould" for the newspaper or magazine. The FIXED LENGTH means you can use a more sophisticated story structure.
From the clips track down associates who are mentioned – school friends, people they work with, or work out/find out who these people are. (For legal reasons, however, avoid talking to close relatives or people like doctors. Basically you can't really use what they say anyway - law of confidentiality).
Speak to as many people who know the subject as possible - and as time allows.
There is little point in speaking to the subject themselves. They are not able to be impartial! If you have got an interview with the subject you really have a different format - the (gonzo) feature interview, and this is when you may mix the styles up.
But you MUST interview them once you have basically written the piece - to check facts and make sure everything is as fair and full as possible and maybe get one or two more good anecdotes and details. Sometimes they will not speak to you. This does NOT mean you can not still write the piece (if you have done a proper job from clips and secondary sources). But you MUST give them the chance to comment.
WRITING STYLE
You will see that the "classic profile" tends to have the following format:
1. Tell anecdote/ funny story which sums up your fair opinion about the person
2. (But DON'T COMMENT in your voice - just tell the facts)
3. Break into straight chronological summary. S/he was born... date, place, parents...
4. Balance is essential
5. Stick to facts – either this person is interesting to your readers or not (agenda). Comment from you, amateur psychoanalysis.
2. (But DON'T COMMENT in your voice - just tell the facts)
3. Break into straight chronological summary. S/he was born... date, place, parents...
4. Balance is essential
5. Stick to facts – either this person is interesting to your readers or not (agenda). Comment from you, amateur psychoanalysis.
There’re few examples of the Profile in The Financial Times in section "People in the News"
Sometimes profiles are done as "rogue’s gallery" set of mini-profiles.
Sometimes profiles are done as "rogue’s gallery" set of mini-profiles.
TV equivalent: "This is your life". Or a single documentary - "The life of..."
*From notes of Chris Horrie
