New York City Day 17: Clem Richardson speaks

In 1964, he was convinced to enroll in an integrated school. It was an experience that shaped the man he is today. “I am a child of desegregation,” said New York Daily News reporter Clem Richardson.

            Richardson spoke to a group of interns enrolled in The Reid Group. It was there where students not only learned how to write a good news lead, but how to tell a story.

“When you’re reporting, you want to keep it simple,” said Richardson. “Approach each story as if you’re writing for someone who knows absolutely nothing about the story.”

He encouraged students to make their work conversational and to not write with the pressure of knowing that thousands of people will be reading their material. However, write as if they’re writing for one person. The pressure was on as Richards challenged the interns to a leadoff.

Each student was told to ask Richardson one question and form a lead from his response. It was during the challenge where Richardson pointed out that, amongst the questions, no one asked him ‘how old he was’ where he went to school ‘or where he worked.’ He said that journalist seem to forget the most basic aspect of an interview and that basic questions like that should be step number one.  

            Growing up, Richardson always knew he wanted to be a reporter. A graduate of Duke University, his career has complimented his childhood dream. The married father of two has worked with the Daily News since 1993. Before then, he worked with the Chicago Sun-Times, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Anderson Independent newspaper and the Miami Herald. The Miami Herald is the place where he said he wrote his best lead ever.

            He’s worked at several publications in his career and much like the interns at The Reid Group; he’s had a lot of trial and error moments where he had to be at unfamiliar locations at unfamiliar cities. Students asked how he dealt with it and he mentioned how you can’t help, but to find your way. He said, “The city will reveal itself to you.”

            Richardson continued that leads are the most important part of a story and how it’s important to realize that you’re not writing for you, but for the reader. “The lead is how you sell the story,” said Richardson. He said that it’s the deciding factor that either encourages the reader to continue reading or put the paper down.

            He also gave out a few tips for students. He had one student close her eyes and, based off her memory, tell a story about the room she was in. She described, in detail, everything that she saw and that made for a descriptive lead. “...Relax, let your senses do the work…” said Richardson. “You have to have the confidence to trust your instincts. Close your notes and do what you remember.”

            Besides being witty and creative in their leads, Richardson encouraged the interns to read everything they could get their hands on because it will diversify them as a writer and enhance their material.