Writing for Media: Lede
You are to assume that these are the notes you have collected while covering a fire in New Brunswick. Your job is to take these notes and write the lede and nutgraph of a written news story that would appear the next day (just the lede and nutgraph! you do not need to write a whole story). You need to prioritize information, consider the five Ws, and think like your reader. What does the reader want and need to know?
*Make sure you follow AP style and use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Directions:
The following two pages contain a police reports and your notes. The fire in question is
fictional, but for our purposes, assume that it has indeed happened, that it is in New
Brunswick.
Take the report and notes and write a story on the fire. You will need to decide what
information should be included and left out and ensure that all information is accurate
(real street names are used). You will be judged on your writing – lede, organization,
general writing mechanics and your news and ethical judgments.
Any questions let me know.
Police incident report
City of New Brunswick
DATE: Tuesday, February 23, 2020
TIME: l:28AM
PERSON(S) REPORTING: Juan Olivaria
ADDRESS: 1516 Handy Ave.
RELATIONSHIP: Owner of Handy Hardware.
TYPE OF INCIDENT: Structure fire
ADDRESS OF INCIDENT: 1516 Handy Street
TYPE OF STRUCTURE: Three-story, multi-family home
OWNER: Perry Williams
ADDRESS: (if different): 222 Woodbridge Avenue, Highland Park
OFFICER’S REPORT:
Responding officer arrived at the scene at approximately 1:45 a.m. and observed fire
rising from the roof. Flames visible from second-story windows as well, with heavy
smoke billowing from the ground floor retail establishment. Met business owner Olivaria
on sidewalk and observed a woman, later identified as Rosaria Pena, screaming from
second-story window as firefighters arrived. Firefighters evacuated woman and
extinguished fire after it had burned for approximately three hours.
INJURIES: Rosaria Pena, 55, Apt. 4. Smoke; burns. Transported to Robert Wood
Johnson Hospital.
FATALITIES: Dawn Moss, 8 mos., Apt. 3; Mary Moss, 35, Apt. 3
SUMMONS ISSUED/ARRESTS MADE: Maintaining public hazard; no smoke
detectors. The fire is being investigated by the fire investigation unit.
REPORTING OFFICER: Patrolman Peter Kleinman
***
REPORTER INTERVIEW, HAROLD MOSS, HUSBAND OF MARY MOSS
Lived w/wife & daughter 4 months in 1 of 2 upstairs apts.
Wife pregnant w/second child.
Subject working 2nd job, 6-2 a.m. shift, @ warehouse in South Brunswick after working
PT as delivery driver during day.
"I was driving up Commercial when I heard sirens. When I turned onto my street all I
could see was firetrucks and smoke.”
Had to be restrained by cop, then sedated by EMTs.
Met wife 6 yrs ago in grad school @ Rutgers. She was currently a student finishing Ph.
D. in meteorology on Cook campus.
“Talk to Williams. He set the fire. He wants everybody out.”
Complained 2 landlord & called city last week – no smoke alarms.
“Williams won’t return calls.” Nothing from the city.
Didn’t know Pena.
***
REPORTER INTERVIEW WITH ROSARIA PENA
Interviewed @ hospital
Pena lived @ apt 5 yrs
Went 2 bed after Leno, but couldn’t sleep b/c bad back
Smelled smoke, tried 2 climb down stairs, but felt dizzy, had to sit. Trapped by flames &
passed out. Woke up outside, 1st-aiders giving oxygen.
Williams approached her last week for 3rd time asking her 2 break lease. She refused.
Bldg increasing in disrepair.
“It has deteriorated since he bought it. Never cuts the grass. Fire extinguishers are never
refilled.”
In stable condition at RWJ. Will stay w/family when released.
***
INTERVIEW WITH LANDLORD WILLIAMS
Interviewed by phone. Williams lives in Highland Park.
Bldg is converted house, 6 units, 2 on 3rd floor, 4 on 2nd. Business on ground floor.
Planned 2 sell house to university. Waiting 4 tenants to leave.
Said bldg had fire alarms on both floors. Must have been disabled by tenants.
Further questions directed to attorney.
***
INTERVIEW WITH OLIVARIA
Olivaria was doing inventory in store when he smelled smoke & called 911.
Met cop on sidewalk just as he heard Pena screaming. Knew Pena and Moss family to
say hello.
***
INTERVIEW WITH FIRE INSPECTOR
INSPECTOR JOHN LOGAN.
Preliminary investigation shows disconnected fire alarms. Will not be able 2 identify
cause of fire until further investigation. Would not comment on whether additional
charges would be filed.
Writing for Media
Student Full Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Full Title
Instructor Full Name
Due Date
Writing for Media
Lede
A deadly fire broke out on February 23, 2020, at 1:28 am in a three-story, multi-family home situated at 167 Oldline RD, Carlingford, New Brunswick. The structure fire claimed the lives of a woman and a child, Mary Moss (35) and her daughter Dawn Moss (8 months), living in the building and injured another elderly tenant, Rosaria Pena (55). Juan Olivaria, another tenant and the owner of Handy Hardware, was the first to report the fire. Olivaria was doing inventory in his ground-floor store when he smelled smoke and called 911. Mr Moss was away when the fire broke out, working a second job at a warehouse in South Brunswick. Her husband accused Perry Williams (the owner of the three-story, multi-family home) of setting the fire and wanting “everybody out”. He also stated that he had complained to the landlord and even called city officials about the lack of smoke alarms in the building. Mrs Pena noted that Mr Williams approached h...