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Tom Willard 51 How to Write Like a Hearing Reporter It’s interesting to observe the way hearing reporters write about deaf people. Over the years I’ve learned a few things and would like to offer this tongue-in-cheek guide to Writing About the Deaf for Hearing Reporters Only. Let’s start with the headline. There are two words that must appear in every headline . One is “silence” (or “silent”). For example: Sounds of Silence Silent Courage The Silent World of Joe Jordan The other word is “signs”: Signs of Confusion A Good Sign Theater Signs If you want to go all the way, you can combine the two: Signs of Silence Another popular approach, keeping in mind that deafness is a disability that must be overcome: Deafness Can’t Stop Jordache Jameson Conquers Deafness When you write your headlines you may use the terms “deaf,” “hard of hearing” and “hearing impaired” interchangeably. The important thing is that the headline fits the space. Once you’ve written your headline, you may proceed with the article. Here is a classic lead: Jane Jetson gets up in the morning, eats breakfast, gets in her car and drives to work. But Jane is different from you and me. Jane is deaf. Reprinted with permission from Lois Bragg, ed., Deaf World: A Historical Reader and Primary Sourcebook (New York: New York University Press, 2001). Main_Pgs_1-330.indd 51 3/28/2012 10:24:49 AM 52 Tom Willard That three word sentence, “So-and-so is deaf,” should always appear by itself in a single paragraph. It is guaranteed to shock your readers after first reading how normal the person seems. There is another kind of lead used when writing about deaf athletes. It goes: Jack Jones cannot hear the cheers . . . The variation for theater reviews is: Jill Johnson cannot hear the applause . . . Don’t let it bother you that scores of reporters have already used this lead. Who ever said journalists had to be original? When writing about deaf people, be sure to talk with everyone around them: their parents, teachers and employers. You will be able to communicate easily with these people. If you are forced to actually talk with the deaf person you are writing about, make sure you include the phrase “through an interpreter” when you quote them, as follows: “I like my job,” said Jack through an interpreter. This will enable your readers to see that you are illiterate in sign language. Another tip: Newspapers traditionally use last names when identifying adults, but first names when referring to children. For example: Jackson said his daughter Jamie loves her cochlear implant. But when writing about deaf people, it is permissible to refer to them by their first name throughout the article, as if they were children. One last tip on writing about deaf people. Don’t do it too often. Your community may be filled with interesting deaf people doing newsworthy things, but who cares? Once a year is often enough. Reading/Discussion Questions 1. What does this article imply about “hearing society”? 2. What does this article imply about the journalism field? Is the kind of phrasing Willard points out something that sells papers? Why? 3. Follow Willard’s technique: If you were to write an article about writing like a deaf reporter (writing about hearing people), what would be some ground rules? 4. Is this article satirical? Why or why not? 5. If you were to write an article about hearing or deaf people in general, what would you write, and how would you inject a similar kind of humor into your piece? Main_Pgs_1-330.indd 52 3/28/2012 10:24:49 AM ...

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