Think the two-hour deadline article you had to report and write got the adrenaline pumping? How about being on deadline almost 24-7?
Journalists learn to thrive on deadlines. Sometimes they even win awards for their deadline writing. The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a winner of a deadline reporting and writing award from the American Society of News Editors for its coverage of corruption arrests that were unprecedented even for New Jersey standards.
A police investigation resulted in arrests of 44, including numerous local officials and religious leaders. Take a look at one of the stories
. How do you think the story could have been different with more time for the reporters to investigate on their own?
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Having that 2 hour deadline in class the other day was tough, but exhilarating! The deadline meant there was no time for procrastination (which is so often a problem for me) and that as a reporter, the story needed to be found with as much detail as possible very quickly. I really enjoyed the exercise, and it proved that even during the summer, there is tons to investigate and report about on this campus!
This article specifically is well written considering the tight deadline. I am impressed that they obtained as much detail as they did! If the reporter were able to investigate on their own, I’m sure they would have added more specifics and more quotes, which always adds to a story. Overall though, this article really is an excellent example of successful deadline writing.