As I read through chapters 3 and 4 I think I caught on to the idea of what Murray was talking about when “reporting for surprise.” The way I look and took advice from Murray is simply by doing as he says. On page 34 Murray states “a writer should look for what isn’t there just as much what is. Hear the unsaid just as much as the said.” My understanding of this is to read between the lines and thoroughly look into the interview or project you are working on. Read the person for more than just their words. I have a good tendency to know if someone is lying. Its shown through the eye contact, hand motions, and breathing. Also to catch the “surprise” a “journalist who is effective trains themselves to listen.” (36) This statement is very true. If you compare a journalist to a new parent a journalist trains to listen a new parent trains to obtain patients. If someone wants something bad enough in life they will learn (train) to get there and figure out how to become on top.
There are the five main senses in which a journalist uses; hearing, sight, touch, smell, and sometimes even taste for a food critic as an example. To get a good surprise a journalist must be alert and have all senses ready to go. For example, have those ears and eyes ready because one never knows who they may see or what they might hear. It could be huge news and be a story of success. On 9-11-01 many reporters were out and about that day little did they know they would be writing history later on. Smell and touch are used in journalism quit often if you think about it. I know that people write stories on Decatur, IL and talk about the stench it has. Touch is something one does without thinking about it. For instance, runs their hand against a wall they are walking by in the area of their story. These are not the only sense’s a writer has according to Murray. Murray states that there are five more senses. These five would be change, effect, conflict, content, and self. I believe using these five senses would make the surprise stand out because the sense of changing it up or having change in a story would make readers interested in actually reading the article rather than it being the same as usual. Conflict is another huge action for a surprise. The climax in a movie is usually the main conflict and the best part of the movie. In which is normally a shock or “surprise.”
As I read on throughout chapters 3 and 4 a quote that caught my eye was “A good reporter is forever astonished at the obvious.” The obvious can be the surprise!
Think about it. It doesn’t necessarily matter the obvious story it is how it is written. The writer can use surprise to catch the eye of the reader to an obvious story. Does that make sense? It does to me. On page 51 it talks about writing old stories (obvious stories) in a new form and or voice. I think this statement will help back up my thoughts on obvious can be the surprise. By doing this a writer can write “stories that aren’t appearing in the papers or news.” Having an issue going on in ones area is obvious to the readers yet some people just ignore to write about it. Well someone needs to do it. Murray mentions the idea of changing the point of view for the surprise. He says one should pursue a new interest. I feel that all of the above are in consistent with one another for a good surprise.
