1. Definition of journalism.

Journalism is the process of gathering, assessing information, editing and distributing the story
to the mass audience.

2. The difference of Journalism with others communication elements.

News story from journalism activity is considered as more valuable other than information
communicated through online medium. This is because news story gathered by journalist
usually undergo verification process to ensure its objective, validity, and authentication. This
sustains the trustworthiness of the news story.

3. Purpose of journalism.

Provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their
lives, communities, societies and government.

4. What does journalist do?

• Reading press release
• Research articles
• Establish and maintaining contact
• Interview sources
• Writing, editing and submitting copies
• Attending events
• Proofreading
• Verify statements and facts
• Staying up to date privacy
• Liase with editors, designers and photographers

5. Employers of journalists
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Newswires
• Press agencies
• Websites
• Radio stations
• TV companies
6. State skills for journalists.
• Enthusiasm
• Stamina
• Determination
• Preseverance
• Excellent oral and written skills
• Interpersonal skills

7. List types of journalism.

Hard news:

Investigative Journalism - Uncovering hidden truth or facts of a given matter, person, topic
of interest/event.

Political Journalism - The journalist must have in-depth knowledge of political event, figure,
election, policies, impact and unbiased manners.

Crime Journalism - Write and research about criminal event for media outlets like newspapers,
TV, magazine or other platform.

Business Journalism - Deliver information on business news.

Soft news:

Art Journalism - Cover various form of arts like music, dance, films, literature, drama etc.

Celebrity Journalism - Also known as “paparazzi”. To gather information on celebrities about

their personal lives/movies/shows/appearance.

Education Journalism - Increase awareness about education system.

Sports Journalism - Related sports series, event and sportperson.

Lifestyle Journalism - Delivery message related to leisure, music, cooking, travel, gardening,
fashion, deo etc.
8. Medium of journalism.
• Cyber/Online/Digital
• Printed
• Broadcast/TV/Radio

9. History of journalism.

Rome: the Acta Diurna – recorded important daily news such as public speech

China during the Tang Dynasty: “bao” – recorded government officials

German, Antwerp, 1609 - first regularly published newspaper appeared

10. Newspaper element.

• Masthead
• Incentives
• Date and edition
• Secondary story
• Images
• Headline
• Byline
• Splash

11. Differences of print news reporting and TV Radio news.

• Daily delivery (Once a day)
• Helps communicate complex information
• Reader can reread the news story.
• Print news is written and undergo process of editing from bottom up and have fixed
space.
• The basic structure of a print media report consists of three main elements: Headline,
Lead and Body
12. Types of leads.
Summary Lead - A summary lead is the most common and traditional lead in journalism.
It is meant to give a quick summary in as few words as possible and is usually one sentence.
It contains most of the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, why) and the H (how).

Single-Item Lead - This lead focuses on just one or two elements of a summary lead. The
purpose is to pack a bigger punch than a summary lead.

Delayed Identification Lead - The "who" is not identified right away in this lead because
it not considered important (for example, a member on the school board punched the
president). Instead a descriptive pronoun is used to describe the person and his title and
specific name is revealed in a later paragraph.

Creative Lead - The purpose of the creative lead is to capture the interest of readers where
a summary lead might not.

Short Sentence Lead - A short sentence lead uses one word or a short phrase as a teaser
with the rest of the lead appearing later. This is often considered gimmicky 噱头, so only
use it now and then.

Analogy Lead - This lead makes a comparison between and issue or event and something
else a reader may be more familiar with.

13. Explain web journalism issues.

Spiral of Silence Theory

Theory was proposed by Elizabeth Noelle Neumann in 1974. Spiral of silent theory explain
how the people with the minority view’s silent themselves for the fear of isolation in society.
Those individual with different view from the majority, will experience unwillingness to speak
out as they felt that their opinion would trigger negative implication. Mass media with it
enormous power, have a lasting and profound effect on public opinion (the core of theory).
Silent the minority view and belief. Online Journalism and breaking in Spiral of Silence. The
changes of Media Power. No more fear of isolation to express opinion.
Two-step Flow Communication

Two-step of Communication as an advantage for online journalism. This compared to

traditional media (one way communication). Provide opportunities for the people to share ideas
and opinion among each other. Medoff and Kaye (2005: p.102) asserted that “Blog are the
places where online intellectuals, the digital and politically elite, and everyday people meet to
exchange ideas, discuss the latest development about war, and peace, and myriad of others
topic without the interference of traditional media”.

Magic Bullet Theory

Magic Bullet Theory or Hypodermic Needle Theory that suggests the media has a direct and
powerful influence on audiences. Dominant of Mainstream media (shaping people perception).
However, news delivered in the same pattern and failed to meet transparency. New media
(online journalism) provide people with choices and variety of news that might not published
in traditional media (news paper). More people shifted to online journalism to get news and
information.

Media during 12th Malaysia General Elections

Media appears to be significant indicator in general election due to the political variations for
12th Malaysia General Election in 2008. Mass media is assumed to be one of the key
opportunities for consumers to achieve information about the up-to-date political conditions.
Online media played the great role in demonstrating as a rotary topic in the 12th Malaysian
General Elections while mainstream media’s role has been plain 平淡 in each voting.

14. The effect of Spiral of Silence, Two –Step Flow Communication, Magic Bullet Theory
during 12th Malaysian General Election. (讲到很中二 完全不知道在公三小)

The existence of hard core group - embodies a group of individuals who know that there is a
price to pay for their forcefulness. In addition, they try to blame the leading way of thinking
and are ready to openly oppose anyone who gets in their way or who declines to tolerate their
voices to be perceived.

Opinion leader can be potted as a frontrunner for a certain group who gives information
and facts to minor active person in the group and usually, this opinion leader is laid as political
leader in the public.
Media turns as a penetration gears - media inserts its message straight into unreceptive
audience and they instantaneously affected by these messages and the message turns as a bullet,
piercing the audiences’ brain.

15. Definition of journalism ethics.

Journalism ethics can be defined as the code of conduct to which journalist is held accountable
to and lives by when performing duties.

16. The importance of journalism ethics.

• Create guidelines for journalist that help people from feeling unequal and outcasted.
• Making sure that media stays true and further helps journalist maintain sense of unequality.

17. What does journalist do?

• Honest- seek out the truth and report accurately.
• Independence- avoid taking political sides special group
• Fairness- impartial and balance
• Public accountability- listen to the audience
• Harm minimization- not every facts can be published
• Avoiding libel- can‘t print false statement that damage person's reputation

• Proper attribution- never plaglarise.

18. Why TV and radio is different writing for print?

• Have less space and time to present news - Must prioritize and summarize information
• Your listener cannot reread sentences - Keep writing simple and clear
• Writing for “the ear and eye” - Must paint the word pictures with the words you use for
radio so that people can see images through verbal.

19. TV and radio news stories must have these attributions:

• Writing style must be conversational - write the way you talk.
• Each sentence should be brief and contain only 1 idea -not too long
 • Be simple and direct - choose words that familiar.
• Read the story out loud - it will give feeling, timing and information flow.

20. TV and Radio News Writing Structure.

• Be brief
• Use correct grammar
• Put important information first
• Write good leads – fit for 30,60 or 90 seconds
• Stick to short sentences words or less
• Write the way people talk
• Use contraction – use do not instead don’t
• Use simple subject verb-object
• Use present tense – past tense if necessary
• Write with visual imagery

21. TV and Radio Writing Techniques.

• Use a person’s name (first and last name) in the first reference.
• Use phonetic spelling or unfamiliar – difficult to pronounce （？很奇怪）

• Omit obscure names and places if they are not meaningful stories
• Avoid appositives - “Tom Smith, mayor of Smallville, said today….” Instead, write,
“Smallville mayor Tom Smith said today….”
• In age reference, presede the name and age - The victim, 21-year-old Rob Roy…
• Avoid writing direct questions into script
• Avoid all abbreviations even on second reference -U-N instead of UN for United Nation
• Avoid symbols when you write - example $ for dollar sign
• Use correct punctuation – do not use semicolon/double dash
• Use numbers correctly – spell the number

22. Narrating TV and Radio News Stories.

• Position the microphone properly.
• Remove noise making distraction (pen, paper clip)
• Narrate the news stories.
• Articulate words correctly.
• Think the thought – depend on the news if happy or sad
• Talk at natural speed
• Breathe properly
• Use your body language
• Time the story