Discussion Question:

NUT GRAFS..... I been noticing in some of the stories folks have been sending me for review that NUT GRAFS, ie, focus grafs, ie, summary grafs, ie, CLOSING THE STORY TOP GRAFS --(create your own definition)—are sometimes giving people pause… or trouble… or avoidance syndrome…

Finally—CHECK OUT BETTINA’s ROOSTER, second picture under the water pic and heading of “Just Being There.” That is a great picture. Question: Why is it so strong? Why is it the photographic equivalent of a good nut graf? (This is not a trick question… just to get the party started):
Rooster is here:  http://bettinahansen.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/mamou-mardi-gras/

Deadline—Monday nite.

Mary Ann,

Thanks for the compliment.  Completely oblivious to how a good nut graf works, I put that photo second on my post because I felt like it was a good detail shot to show the spirit of the event.  From the first photo, you can see what is going on - a bunch of costumed men, climbing over each other to grab a hold of a chicken.  But in the second, you see the eyes of the chicken and you see the enthusiasm of the guy’s face.  This is an extremely traditional event, and underneath all of the beer drinking and crazy behavior is a deep commitment to preserving the culture of rural Louisiana.

I find this often in the events I cover - a facade of revelry and commercial tourism at the surface, but if you dig a little deeper, you find people who devote their lives to speaking french, cooking recipes passed down through generations, and organizing the things that keep a culture from dying out.

I think that I have become a stronger “lede and nut graf” shooter since I have been at this paper.  Forced to shoot for the one or two photos that will bear my name in the paper, I have really been trying to shoot concisely, and to create images that not only illustrate in subject the story, but also in subtle mood cues.

I don’t know how well I have been doing, but it’s a lofty goal! 

Bettina

Bettina Hansen - 06 March 2009 12:55 PM

Completely oblivious to how a good nut graf works, I put that photo second on my post because I felt like it was a good detail shot to show the spirit of the event.  From the first photo, you can see what is going on - a bunch of costumed men, climbing over each other to grab a hold of a chicken.  But in the second, you see the eyes of the chicken and you see the enthusiasm of the guy’s face.
This is an extremely traditional event, and underneath all of the beer drinking and crazy behavior is a deep commitment to preserving the culture of rural Louisiana.

B et al—fascinating. B, being “oblivious to how nut graf works,’ has in fact, in her description of her photo choices, created a nut graf!! (i.e., the bigger point,—that underneath the craziness is deep commitment to preserving culture....). 

Very cool. How can I get a print of Rooster for my cool fotos wall? 

[quote author="Mary Ann” date="1236357161Rooster is here:  http://bettinahansen.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/mamou-mardi-gras/

Deadline—Monday nite.

Re rooster: who else thinks the rooster and the guy look like they are singing the national anthem? (part of what makes the foto so great!!!!)

The nut graf is what the story is about. The lede is the sex appeal and the nut graph tells the ready why they should care, why they should read on and what makes the story important. The nut should also include context to why the story is important.
Nut grafs are more important now in the Web-posting era because the Web audience has limited time and will click on to the next story if they are not immediately captured by the words in the first two grafs. Thus, the lede and nut are the most important two grafs to get the reader interested, and perhaps make it though at least ¾ of the story before their attention span runs out and they click on to another story with a stronger nut graf.
Also, in newsrooms where reporters aren’t required to write a chatter line that pops up when a Web reader scrolls over a headline, the copy desk will take the nut and post it in that spot. So the first thing the Web reader sees is the headline followed by what pops up, the nut graf.
Here is the top of a story from my old beat at the Oregonian. (yes, I still follow that beat, two years later…)
HILLSBORO—As controversy over urban renewal swirls in Portland, Hillsboro planners hope their residents instead take a rosy view of creating a downtown urban renewal district, which could take effect in 2010.
A Hillsboro downtown advisory committee, composed of downtown business leaders and residents, sent a proposal Thursday to the City Council for further study.
In Portland, there has been some opposition to using urban renewal funding for PGE Park and a new baseball stadium, a plan approved in part last week.
Hillsboro is working to revitalize its historic downtown area, which has stately homes and a growing number of attractions, including a Pacific University campus and the Venetian Theatre, but also some of the city’s oldest buildings and lower-income areas. Urban renewal would fund capital improvements in the targeted area.
I really like this because it gives context and compares it to something all readers, including those who live far away from Hillsboro, can relate to—Portland.

also, wow bettiny!! great photos! I have it bookmarked on my work computer