By Michael J. Jordan, Visiting Professor, Renmin University of China

Beyond my two decades as a Foreign Correspondent, I’ve taught various forms of International Journalism over the past 14 years – on four continents. And the same challenge I faced with this group of Chinese students, I experienced when teaching in New York, or Central Europe, or Southern Africa, or in Hong Kong.

To be fair, imagine yourself in their shoes: they’re young Chinese, living in their homeland, yet trying to portray it accurately as possible, for outsiders – the vast majority of whom have never been to China. This international audience, however, is curious about China, while generally smart, savvy and skeptical.

For the students, then, try to separate themselves from all that’s so familiar to them, yet unfamiliar to that foreign audience. Act as a bridge to that audience, though they themselves may not even really “know” this audience so well, for they have limited overseas-travel experience, if any. Quite a challenge, indeed!

That said, this skill is in ever-greater demand in China. For evidence, notice how every serious Chinese company, organization and government agency now has at least one English-language webpage, if not an entire English version. For whom is that written? In general, yes: for smart, curious, international readers.

My students, meanwhile, were plagued by similar issues, time and again. From grasping this “audience,” to so many other storytelling elements. I identified them as The Dirty Dozen … and share these lessons below.

Your Audience.

Always keep them in mind. Who are they? Not Chinese in China. Not foreigners living in China. Not fellow Renmin students. Yours is a smart, curious, international audience – though they may never have even been to China. Still, they’re open to learning something about your country. How to attract them? How to frame it, to make your story even weightier, even more significant? For example, Big Picture “hooks” like … the world’s most populous nation … the world’s second-largest economy … one of the world’s diplomatic and military heavyweights … one of humankind’s oldest and greatest civilizations, evolving and modernizing … and so on. Then, how to pull this audience into your story – and keep them there, until the very end? What information do they need, to follow you clearly and comfortably? What details do they not need, because they’re irrelevant? All this is so important to remember, yet so easy to forget once you’re deep into your story. If you confuse readers, you may lose them.

The Big Picture.

Above, I mentioned some broader “hooks” to help frame your story in a more globally significant way. But more specifically, and thinking deeply, what exactly IS your story about? Why exactly should your audience find it so interesting – and worth reading? What “window” does it open onto China? What can they learn from you about China today? What does your story “say” about the Chinese – and their fast-changing lives? Recall my three-step What-Why-How method, plus one-line filter: My audience would find this situation interesting, because … Why? Moreover, what “movement” is there within your story? Is this situation unique – or part of a broader trend? What, if anything, is being done about it? Be sure to “show us, not just tell us,” with credible evidence, transparently hyperlinked. In short, if the reader were to remember ONE thing from your story, what should that one MESSAGE be? Why that message? Work hard, intellectually, to mold a single, compelling argument-message for why readers should read.

The Curtain-Raiser.

The most important part of our story, unsurprisingly, is how we open and introduce it. Why? It’s a make-or-break moment. To begin with, let’s assume all our readers are “very busy,” with so much other online media competing for their eyeballs. If our first one, two, three sentences bore or confuse them, they’ll bounce elsewhere. We can’t force them to stay. We’re also impatient online readers, right? Sure. That’s why we must also “work hard” to pull them into our story. However, before we even write that first colorful word, we should first hammer out our Big Picture message. Otherwise, we won’t clearly grasp the most relevant way to open our story, to illuminate what it’s really Once we’ve done that, though, spotlight one of our subjects “on the frontlines” of the story, to bring it all to life. Then, follow my four steps for an effective “curtain-raiser”:

1. show someone immediately (to humanize);

2. doing something (for action, drama, movement);

3. whatever we show them doing, should be RELEVANT (clearly connected) to the Big Picture of our actual story;

4. A deep, meaningful quote from them, explaining why exactly they do what they do, why exactly they feel what they feel, etc.

From there, “connect the dots” to the Big Picture, explaining “This person is one of X” other examples. Meaning, make clear that our story is not about our opening character, specifically. Instead, they’re merely a literary-storytelling device: a typical example, a symbol, a microcosm, a representation. A “mini-story” to shed light onto our broader story.

Follow the Diamond.

Once you hammer out your Big Picture focus, ideally, you also map out an outline. To visualize your entire piece: the beginning, middle, and end. Please, review my Diamond-structure handout. From the curtain-raiser; to that human symbol’s deep quote; to connecting dots; to the Big Picture; to your Big Picture expert’s quote. Then, transition to relevant history: a brief overview of your story’s origins and evolution, explaining why it evolved the way it did. Up through the present, finishing with the where-do-we-go-from-here future spin. Conclude with the same person you opened with – come full circle. The end!

Big Picture Expert-Analyst-Observer.

We opened our story with a more “ordinary” person on the frontlines. Now we need someone who can take a step back, place that person on the spectrum, and connect dots for our audience. A respected authority on this situation, who’s studied it, or can speak credibly about it. You can ask: How would you explain to my international readers what all this says about China? Or about the Chinese themselves? Explore their thoughts, opinions, analysis. Why exactly do they think what they think?

Deep, Meaningful Quotes.

Quotes themselves are valuable real-estate in any story, as one of the most significant ways in which we differ from, say, academics who produce research. We interview real people, then provide a platform to speak in their real voice. That means we shouldn’t just quote them stating dull, dry facts. Nor should we settle for quoting only WHAT they say. Push them, politely, to dig deeper, beneath the surface, introspectively, to explain their actions, thoughts, ideas, feelings, emotions, opinions, passions, inspirations, motivations, etc. Not just what they do, but why exactly do they do what they do? Not just what they say, but why exactly do they say what they say? Not just what they think, but why exactly do they think what they think? Not just what they believe, but why exactly do they believe what they believe? Not just what they feel, but why exactly do they feel what they feel? This requires your time and patience – and for you to earn your subject’s trust. If they believe you care, they’ll willingly answer almost anything.

Fact-Based.

Write or say whatever you want, but always back it up with facts – as a rule of thumb to persuade any For our smart but skeptical readers, let’s also assume that we start with zero credibility – and should work to earn their trust. The best way to do so: be transparent with our evidence. Such “evidence” can take several forms. For example, don’t just write “The Chinese think X” – quote one saying so. Don’t just write “More Chinese are doing Y” – hyperlink to a credible source that shows this. Or, include an anecdote (concrete example) that we drew out of our subjects, or we ourselves witnessed.

We Are NOT Experts.

Speaking of fact-based, please show HUMILITY. Yes, we’ve immersed ourselves in this topic. Sure, we may be passionate about it, too. But all that we know at this point, we only recently learned. And it’s because we read it somewhere, heard it from someone, and so on. We ourselves aren’t doing the original research, the activism, etc. We’re not on the frontlines. Only visited it! So, we must NOT present this material as if it’s ours. Or so authoritatively, as if we KNOW it’s a fact. We don’t. That’s why we must attribute the source, give where credit is due: According to XXX, … Or … XXX is happening, experts say. Etc.

Numbers.

Number are so important, firstly as FACTS. But they mean little without context, perspective, comparison. For example, compare a number you find with the previous year’s, or five years ago, ten years ago, even twenty years ago – to show the upward or downward movement/trend. Then, quote a credible source to explain what the numbers actually mean. Also, when describing an amount in RMB, remember our foreign reader won’t immediately know the RMB’s value. So, include in parenthesis the equivalent in an international currency, like U.S. dollars. Also, when trying to explain, say, how expensive something is, or how low a salary is, compare it with what something else in China costs, or with someone else’s salary.

Relevant vs. Irrelevant.

In most forms of professional writing, you’ll have a word-limit of SOME kind. You can’t just go on and on. (Which is a good thing!) This means, you must pick and choose – wisely. The important first step, again, is to know who our AUDIENCE is. Then, the second step: what exactly is our message to that audience, why exactly that message, etc. Once we have a strong sense of both aspects, that should guide our selection of which information is more relevant, which is less relevant. Only include the most interesting, most important material – clearly connected to our actual story. As I explained in my PowerPoint, everything in our notes are essentially facts, details, anecdotes or quotes. But not EVERYTHING can fit into your story. Nor, should it. Recall my one-line filter, to determine what should go in, or not: This fact/detail/quote/anecdote is relevant/necessary for readers of my story to know because … Why? Finish that sentence. Defend your editorial decisions. And become a better writer, in the process!

Clear, Fluid, Logical Writing.

Also connected to “audience.” But ANY audience, really. You’ve all invested so much time and effort into researching your story, collecting facts, interviewing sources, structuring, writing, polishing. All this in a language that’s not even your mother-tongue! Very impressive, for sure. However, you’re not writing for yourself. It’s for others. Maybe your writing makes perfect sense, and is perfectly clear – to YOU. (Maybe!) However, will your readers be able to follow, clearly and comfortably, from beginning to end? Not just the words we string together, but our explanation of what’s happening – and why? One common mistake we writers make: We ourselves may still be confused about a larger issue or smaller point. Guess what happens? Then we write confusingly, too. And the confused reader quits on us. That’s why the first rule is: Never leave an interview without FULLY understanding what you’ve just heard. Double-check with your interviewee: If I understand you correctly, X is happening because XXX? … And you did Y because YYY? And so on. Minimally, don’t start WRITING without clearly understanding these things. Second, once you’ve written, please re-read, slowly, all the way through – now while imagining yourself, empathetically, in the shoes of your reader. In this case, a smart, curious foreigner who’s NOT a “China expert.” Will they CLEARLY understand what you write and explain? Third, until you gain more experience with such a great challenge, find a “test-audience” – a fellow classmate, or a smart, curious friend. Let THEM read your story. Then ask: Did you really understand every part of it, clearly? If not, explain to them, right then, as clearly as possible, what exactly you’re trying to say, what’s going on, etc. Once they shake their head, now grasping your intent, you immediately write down your explanation – just as clearly!

Proofreading As Professionalism.

Lastly, once you finish writing, but before you press the SEND button … As I say, you’re only 95% done: “The remaining 5% is about your professionalism.” In your stories, I see plenty of easy-to-catch mistakes. This is NOT a question of your English ability, but your attention to detail – or carelessness. As I wrote on my PPT, we don’t expect you to produce a “perfect” piece of writing. However, as aspiring professionals, please raise your standards, to display your work only in the best possible condition. I myself proofread this document. Why? My name, and reputation, are attached. The same for you and your writing. So, follow these three steps, EVERY TIME: 1. Spell-check: the bare minimum you can do. 2. Proofread with your eyes: read through, catch the easiest-to-catch typos, grammatical, punctuation and other mistakes. 3. Read it out loud: Slowly, to “hear” how it sounds. You all speak English so well; I’m sure you’d catch even more mistakes this way. (Then a fourth option, if you publish on your own website: Proofread on the page, before it goes “public.” Any glaring mistakes? Like formatting, alignment, etc.?)

Michael J. Jordan

Beijing, China

Emails: mjjordan23@earthlink.net, mjjordan2016@yahoo.com

Journalism Website: https://jordanink.wordpress.com