The art of boxing
When to use breakout boxes, charts, maps or other visuals
WHY?
It’s pretty simple, really: Readers are visual animals. They’re drawn to the stuff that catches their eye.
It’s a proven fact that readers will consistently check out a story that has accoutrements more often than ones that don’t, no matter how compellingly written the story.
Did that last part catch your attention? That’s right … all the time you spent crafting that oh-so-perfect lede could go to waste unless you’ve also spent some time mulling visual ways to draw a reader into your tale. Got photo? Locator map? Schematics? Illustration? Those will be handled in the graphics best practice.
But there’s a simple and effective way to get visual with your story and do it all by yourself! Breakout boxes are one of the easiest ways to add a visual element to even the most run-of-the-mill story.
WHAT?
Breakout boxes can do three things:
- Add information that might otherwise bog down a story.
- Distill information for folks who don’t want to read the full story.
- Include key information, like important dates and deadlines.
WHEN?
Virtually every story can - and should — have a breakout box with it. We should strive to get the reader the information he needs in as many different formats as possible. If we only provide an 8-inch story, it’s easier for him to pass over it and miss the information within. Add a breakout box, the odds tilt a little more in our favor. Add a blurb on the Web or a photo or map, and it’s almost certain the reader will at least stop in.
Types of stories that should come with breakout boxes:
1. Budget stories (total revenue versus spending, tax rate, increase to average assessment, percentage increase year over year by department)
2. Event stories (when, where will it be held? How much will it cost? Who’ll be there?)
3. Profiles (biographical information is a must whether it’s a person or business, even a building)
4. Council stories (What’s the measure say? How did the vote come out?)
5. Public service stories (What does the new law say? What does it mean?)
6. Analysis stories (What happens next?)
7. Trend stories (Where can I read more about this topic?)
WHERE?
Breakout boxes should always be a separate file, slugged the same as the story except add “.box” Breakout boxes must also be edited, so treat them as you would your story - read them twice before sending and CQ the information therein.
It’s a fallacy that if you put information in a breakout box, you don’t need it in the story.
So, what happens if the copy desk runs out of space and must cut the box?
HOW?
There are some good templates in Prestige. If you can’t find a template that works, keep in mind these hints when creating your own box:
1. All good breakout boxes have a headline
2. Keep it short
3. Make it interesting (writing a breakout is no different than a story; you need to draw readers in)
4. Give it meat (make sure that it contains the critical “What does it mean to me?” information
5. Source it (put your source on the bottom, just like you would a graphic)
SOME EXAMPLES
CLIFTON REFERENDUM
What: Voters will decide whether to construct a new $400 million school bext City Hall.
When: Nov. 12
Where: Polls open at 8 a.m. See wheretovote.com for poll locations. Results online at northjersey.com starting at 8 p.m.
Why: Overcrowding has plagued the district for years. Projections show that 30 percent more students will attend in the district in the next 5 years.
How: As in how much will it cost? $246 for the average Clifton home.
WHO IS JOE BLOW?
Name: Joe Blow
Age: 105
Family: Wife, Shelly; four children
Education: High School
Occupation: Retired teacher
Quote: “Since when did they have indoor bathrooms in school?”
ABOUT PBI
Address: 1 Sick Folks Lane
Web site: PBI.com
Employees: 900
Revenue: $5 million
Bonds: $400 million
CEO: Hank Wells
Board: Hank Wells, and all the others
ROLLING STONES
When: Saturday, Dec. 23
Where: Madison Square Garden
Time: 7 p.m. (opening band)
Cost: $250
To buy, go to Ticketmaster.com
CURFEW ORDINANCE
What: An ordinance establishing a 9 p.m. curfew in Paterson
Who: Proposed by councilor Aslon Goow
When: The council will vote on the ordinance at its Dec. 12 meeting
Cost: Police say the extra manpower will cost at least two patrolmen a day off the streets
DID PATERSON GET A CURFEW?
Council vote
Yes: 5
No: 4
- Jaci Smith, Herald News, Dec. 2006
