54 CREATE THE STORY
Journalists are trained to distill complex ideas into specific
points, or takeaways. Read USA Today, America’s most popular
newspaper, and you will find that most articles condense main
points into groups of three. When Intel rolled out a faster chip
called Centrino 2, Michelle Kessler covered it for the newspa-
per. Kessler outlined three specific benefits and explained why
each was important—why they matter: Battery life. “The best laptop in the world isn’t worth much
when its battery dies. Intel’s new chip features an ultra low
power processor and other energy-saving tools.” Graphics. “Laptops traditionally use low-end graphics chips.
But now 26 percent have powerful stand-alone graphics chips
and more people watch movies, play games, and use graphics-
intensive programs.” Wireless Internet. “Intel’s new chip line features the latest
version of Wi-Fi, known as 802.11n. Later this year it plans to
roll out chips using a new wireless Internet standard, WiMax,
which can send a signal over several miles.”^4Kessler proves that you can take the most complex technology
—or idea—and describe it in three concise points.
Ed Baig also writes for USA Today, reviewing some of the
latest technology products. After testing Microsoft’s new
operating system (Windows 7) in its beta, or test mode, Baig
focused on three highlights: Getting around. “Icons on the task bar are bigger and you
can arrange them in any way you choose.” Security. “Windows 7 won’t constantly bog you down with
annoying security messages every time you try to load pro-
grams or change settings.” Compatibility. “Even as a beta, Windows 7 recognized my
printer and digital camera.”^5TheUSA Today Method