Tricks of the trade

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The 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill was a story that oozed when it should have broken, as government officials misled reporters and the public, downplaying estimates of the amount of oil involved, Ben Raines writes in a look back at the calamity: "It is clear from the memo and video, and many other documents that have come to light since, that the government recognized almost immediately that the well was most likely disgorging about 4 million gallons of oil per day."

Whether it's cornering a wrongdoer or approaching a grieving relative, asking hard questions can be made easier via a combination of factors such as preparation, delivery, and followup, Steve Buttry writes: "Whatever the setting, the source absolutely controls what she will say. No one has to talk to you. Ever. Reporters don’t have subpoena power. But you absolutely control how you will write the story. Sources can blog their own stories, but they cannot dictate yours."

William Heisel offers advice from the recent Association of Health Care Journalists meeting, such as a warning about "the exaggeration of the size of the effect of drug, device, diet or other intervention. That can happen when writers only show relative numbers and not absolute numbers. It can happen when journalists use causal language to describe observational studies. And it can happen when stories fail to explain the limitations of surrogate markers and endpoints."

It might be tempting to use a song's lyrics in your story and not bother securing the rights, but Helen Sedwick warns that powerful music publishers can make you regret your actions: "This is one case where it is cheaper to get permission than to ask forgiveness. The cost of getting permission to use lyrics in self-published books is often affordable, typically between $10 and $50." Sedwick explains how to find out who to ask for rights — which is seldom the songwriter.

From the American Copy Editors Society annual meeting, Katie Antonsson covers a session led by copy editor Bill Walsh of the Washington Post, who discusses twenty "rookie mistakes that even veterans make" in their copy. An example: "'Hyphens are a contentious subject,' Walsh said, 'and I am more likely to use them than most people, but it’s perfectly reasonable to omit a hyphen.' A town hall meeting, a high school friend are perfectly sufficient without a hyphen."

Before you can spread your idea at a TED conference, you have to present it to some coaches. One of them, Gina Barnett, offers 11 tips for speakers at the high-profile meetings or any other event: "You may forget a word; someone may drop something backstage; there might be a technical difficulty. Take a moment, breathe deeply and just roll with it. As one TED speaker laughed today as her slides spiraled out of order in rehearsal: 'It’s just about having fun, right?'"

The veteran journalism trainer offers more than 4,000 words of advice on landing and conducting a successful interview, such as knowing when to shut up: "Don’t feel the need to fill the long, awkward pause. It’s a natural urge, and the subject is feeling the same thing. The pause may draw out the answer your question didn’t. You want thoughtful answers, so give the character time to think." Also, interview tips from two dozen other journalists.

Jackie Kennedy's pink suit. A police officer hosing blood into the gutter. Those are the things that make a vivid and lasting impression on readers, Butch Ward writes, and they're among the keys to writing a powerful story: "Details. More importantly, telling details. Details that give us insight into a character, a situation, an issue. Details that enable storytellers to elevate their work into sources of meaning for those who experience them."

Some writers think they're a valuable backstop; others think they're a nuisance. Either way, fact-checkers are a fact of life when you write for major magazines, and you might as well get ready for them by getting organized, Heather Pringle writes: "I still feel a little anxious every time a fact-checker calls. But I have learned over the years that a writer can keep a fact-checker’s queries to a minimum by making the best and most detailed annotated copy possible."

From ProPublica's data journalism shop, Sisi Wei and Jackie Kazil offer advice on where to get help with data processing questions. They explain the etiquette of formulating and posting your questions, and how to acknowledge, test and report on the answers: "It doesn’t matter if you’re chatting with an instructor, emailing a listserv like NICAR, posting on Stack Overflow, or even just tweeting out a question, there are ways to make sure your question gets answered."