ASSOSA UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF
JOURNALISM AND
COMMMUNICATION

L E C T U R E R : M U LU A L E M A
NEWS WRITING AND REPORTING FOR PRINT

UNIT ONE
1. INTRODUCTION
THE CONCEPT AND NATURE OF NEWS
• 1.1 Definition of News
• News has been defined by different people indifferent
ways. The most important definitions of news that will
help you to understand what news is are the
following:
• News is something new
• News is information about a break from the normal
flow of events, an interruption in the expected.
• It is helpful to remember the news isn’t news until
someone decides that it is: News is the report of an
event, not the event itself.
• News is information people need in order to make
rational decisions about their lives
• News must be factual, yet not all facts are news.
• News may be an opinion, especially that of a
prominent person or an authority on a particular
subject.
• News is not necessarily a report of a recent event.
• What is important news to one community or school
may be unimportant or have little or no new value in
another community or school.
• In its totality, news is the daily chronicle of mankind
people taking, arguing, fighting, trading, planning,
building and destroying, winning and, losing, making
love and making war.
• In general, news is a timely report of any accurate
facts or opinion that holds interest or importance or
both for a considerable number of people.
• 1.2 Types of News story
• There are various classifications of news stories.
News stories can be classified geographically
and thematically. And they are also classified
according to their focuses, significance and
timeliness.
• 1.2.1 Classification of news according to
geographical distribution
• Local News
• Regional News
• National News
• World News
• Local, regional and national news are under the
category of domestic (Home) news; where as
world news is foreign news.
• 1.2.2 Classification of news according to
subject matter or theme.
• - Political news - Sport news - Human right
• - Economical news - Crime news - Health news
• - Social news - Development news - Religion
• - Electrical news - Cultural news - Urbanization
• - War news - Historical news - Corruption
• Terrorism
• 1.2.3 Classification of news based on their
focus, significance and timeliness
• Despite the above two geographical and
thematically classifications, stories have been
fallen into four basic categories: Spot or Hard or
Straight news, Soft news, News Features and
Editorials.
• Spot or Hard or straight news
• Soft News
• Feature Stories
• Editorials
• A. Spot or Hard or Straight News
• Oftentimes, writers use these three words-spot,
straight and hard-interchangeably, you should not
be confuse with these words, because they refer
the nature of story hard, the ways the story
present to the audience straight, and the time
the story reported immediate or on the spot.
But, now, we shall use the word hard to deal will
this type of news.
• Hard news is a chronicle of (or to write about or to
show) timely events or incidents in order in which
they happened or occurs. It is important and
interesting factual information about current
events. It consists of six hundred words on
average.
• Hard news story has greater importance or
significant for relatively large number of audiences;
because it focuses on timely events that the people
need to know, and it tells the audiences (readers,
listeners and viewers) vital information’s quickly,
clearly and concisely.
• Hard news writer (reporter or other journalists)
should follow a fairly standard writing style. By
answering the five W’s and H the writer should put
the most important details in the beginning or lead
of the story. The rest of the story (body) will be
elaborate on it.
• Examples of hard news stories include reports on
crime, court cases, government’s
announcements, house fires, award
ceremonies, plane crashes, international
events, etc.
• C. News Feature
• News feature is usually not breaking news but a story related to
the news. Features are often interpretive, given background, play
up human interest elements of story; and they are journalism’s
shop center they are full of interesting people, ideas, colors,
comments, actions and energy. Unlike hard and soft news stories,
feature stories consists one thousand-five hundred words on
average.
• News feature story provides readers with greater mix of stories,
and writing style. And it can explain and interpret an ongoing
current process affecting people’s lives. It concerns itself with
current events but gave a different treatment.
• News features makes the paper more interesting while giving
reporters the opportunity to impress editors with their writing and
information-gathering skills. They play up an unusual angle or
interesting point of a story rather than to rely on a bare recitation
of the five W’s, the usual straight news approach, which might not
make the best use of odd unusual or interesting elements of a
story. Story telling is in its height. This makes feature story
effective to cover complex issues that can’t be fully covered in
hard news story. Many of these stories can be produced free of the
• D.Editorial
• Editorial: is the voice of the newspaper at large
and are not signed even though they are usually
written by one person. Editorial writers use the
first-person plural pronoun, the we voice. An
opinion column is signed and obviously
represents the thought of one person. Opinion
columnists use the first-person singular pronoun,
the I voice. The journalistic “license” to use the I
and we pronouns, restricted to editorials and
other forms of opinion writing. By using the we in
editorials and the I in opinion columns, the
writers are putting credibility of the paper and
their personal reputations on the line.
• Writing the Editorial
• For an editorial, the writer should select a topic
that is tied to some story that will be published in
the same issue of the paper in which the editorial
will appear or has some merit and the potential
for high reader interest. A local angle, even on a
national or international situation, or on a
widespread belief, is important to the success of
the editorial. Since it requires, the presentation of
some facts, some evidence, the writer needs to
do research.
• Writing the Opinion Column
• The editorial and the opinion column have one
major similarity: They are either opinion or
subjective analysis. They have some important
differences as we have seen above. Unlike
editorial, opinion columns are less formal than
most editorials; columnists have more freedom
and usually more space to present their ideas.
• Columns often are structured the same way as an
editorial, beginning with an introduction, followed
by the body and ending with a conclusion.
• 2. News Values and Components
• 2.1 Values of News Story
• Several factors make a story interesting enough to be
reported in newspaper or in the radio or on television as
news. Some of them are internal factors usually called
news elements: - timeliness, impact, proximity,
controversy, prominence, oddity or unusual,
currency, and emotions or instincts.
• 2.1.1 Timeliness
• News is always a timely matter. Timeliness is the first and
most important element of news. The name of the
profession-journalism expresses this characteristic of
news. The word journalism comes from the Latin word
diurnalis, meaning daily, and journalism has come to
mean the current and timely reporting of events.
•2.1.2 Impact

•Impact is another element of news. It refers the importance or significance of

the events to be news worthy. One way to judge impact is to figure out what
the results or consequences of a news story might be. The more people
affected the more important story. The following question will help the
reporter to decide to report the events. “Are many people affected or just a
few?” If many people affected by the event, the reporter will run it in the
papers or on the broadcast. Contamination in the water system that serves your
town’s 20,000 people has impact because it affects your audience directly.
•2.1.3 Proximity

•This element of news is always important, since people are more interested in
news of local events than in events that happen far away. Audiences are more
interested in what affects them personally, directly and locally than in events
happening in some distant location.

•Example; a plan crash in Chad will makes headlines in N. Djamena, but it’s unlikely
to be front-page news in Chile unless the plane was carrying Chilean passengers.

•Proximity refers not only to geographical nearness but also to interest nearness.
For example, the orthodoxies want to read about the activity of the Patriarch.
•2.1.4 Controversy

•The fourth element of news is controversy refers stories that involve

arguments, public debates, and charges, counterchanges and fights.

•Controversy is natural and it found in all sports stories; all news of the war,
crime, violence and domestic disputes. Much news of government’s bodies such
as: city councils, state legislature and congress; and all stories involving
different of opinion.

•Some writers use the word conflict for this news element. They refer conflict
between human and human, human and animal, human and nature, human and
environment, human and space or animal and animal. The conflict can be both
physical and mental.
•2.1.5 Prominence

•Prominence is another element, of news. It refers persons, places,

things and situations that are well known to the public. Prominent
persons involve public figures, holders of public offices, celebrities,
people in authority and people who have negative publicity.
• The more well-known a particular name, place, event or
situation the more attention the story will have. In other words
names make news. The story becomes more interested when a
reporter includes as many know names as possible in the story.
Ordinary activities can become news if they involve a prominent
person.
•2.1.6 Currency

•Currency refers to happenings that are on peoples’ minds at the present time.
It includes current affairs which are political events and problems in society.

•For example, the Ethiopian government declared to celebrate the Ethiopian

new Millennium last year in all parts of the country. (The media began
reporting the event since May 1999 as it was a big current issue of the time.
The media have had classified news called Millennium News. Drought,
election campaign, war and etc can be current issues for news media.
•2.1.7 Oddity

•Oddity is often news. The bizarre, the unusual, the unexpected

often makes news. An old journalistic cliché states that “it is not
news that if a dog bits a man, but it is news if a man bits a dog”.
That doesn’t happen every day. In a simpler way air plane crashes
are reported on news casts, but the thousands of safe flights every
day are not. The unusual event, the airplane crash, makes the news
cast.

•If something makes a reporter stop and store, wonder and exclaim,
then the reporter knows that what he/she is looking at is news
worthy.
•2.1.8 Emotions and Instincts
• These news elements involve the desire for food, clothing and
shelter. The universal interest in children and animals and the
elements of fear, jealousy, sympathy, love and generosity are
the major elements.
•2.2 Other Factors or External Factors

•We have discussed about internal factors which are common for all media to judge the news
worthiness of story or event. But all media didn’t report one story in the same way. Why news
papers or broadcast station are reports a story differently than another? Because, still there are
other factors which influence the news value. We can call them external factors.

 The policy of the news medium regarding news and its elements may increase or diminish
the importance of a story or kill it entirely.

 The political and religious belief of the news medium’s owners or management may alter
news value and the way a story is reported.

 A news source aligned with a particular political partly or other special interest groups
may also publish news and commentary in opposition to its own positions.

 The amount of space given to a story in a print or online medium or the amount of time
on radio or TV determines whether a story is told briefly or in detail.
•Generally we can additional factors as follow:

• Economic aspects-expenses to cover the beat

• Constitutional and legal aspects

• This consideration has the following advantages

a. Protection of individuals against libel

b. Protection of society against obscenity

• Advertisers and advertising agents: for most newspaper they are

source of income

• The status (capacity) of news media staff

• Audience nature
 • 2.3 Components/Rudiments of story

•Journalists, like other professional, abide by rules and customs

of their profession. These essentials of journalist practice include
Accuracy, Attribution, Background, Balance, Fairness,
Objectivity, Brevity, Clarity, News Point, Novelty,
Identification, Human Interests and Verification.
•2.3.1 Accuracy

•Accuracy means correctness in reporting facts, in spelling (punctuation) and

adherence to the rules of grammar. In short, the newspaper had better to be right
in every statement, every work, every figure, name and date, age and address, title
and occupation and quotation. All these should be verified and correctly spelt.
Keeping facts and quotation accurate will help news medium to be credible by its
audience. Without accuracy it is impossible to be credible. Readers read things in
the newspaper that they themselves are familiar with. If the newspaper misspells a
reader’s name; place a neighbor at the wrong address; places the wrong teacher in
the kindergarten class room, the reader recognizes the error.

•“If the daily news can’t even get my name right, how in thunder can I trust it to
get anything right?” The puzzled /confused/ reader might ask.
• Inaccuracy is caused by careless reporting or editing, laziness, missed facts,
distortions, the use of speculation and rumor, and putting speed on accuracy.
•There are some methods to ensure the materials are accurate:

 Check and double-check every fact with other sources or

documents. Use your newspapers library and public records.
Whenever possible call back sources to confirm statistics,
anecdotes and quotes. Make sure you always ask sources to spell
their names and tell you their correct titles, even when it seems
obvious.
 Read your copy very closely before turning it in many mistakes
can be caught by careful self-editing.
 Never guess: you may think something is obvious and be wrong.
•2.3.2 Attribution

•Attribution is the identification of the source of facts or of

quotations or generally of statements in a story that are not
directly observed or eye witnessed by the reporter. The
information might be second and third hand. However, the source
of the information should be the best possible one as much as
possible to establish the person’s (reporter’s) professionalism and
the medium’s impartiality and credibility.
•When a reporter attributes the sources of a story, the readers can identify that the reporter
got his/her facts from that source and the opinions expressed and explanations given are not
the reporter own opinions. As a result they can make their judgments on the story. A news
story is not the place for a reporter to express his or her opinion, but he/she can express
his/her opinion in an opinion column or editorial.

•Example

• “Homecoming was a success.” Wrong

• “Homecoming was a success.” Lisa Washington, Senior Class President, said. Correct

•Generally, when we speak to attribution, we refer to what is called sourcing quote or

statement. That is, responsibility for the materials is given to the sources. When there is not
attribution, the reporter, the newspaper or station is considered the source.

•By attributing the best possible sources to the story, the reporter can achieve two goals:

A. It identifies the source of all the information in the story as a reliable one,
B. It gives credibility to the only matter of opinion in the story.
•Attribution to the source does not guarantee that the statement is
true. But it does place responsibility for the assertion with the
source. When reporters doubt the reliability of a statement, they try
to verify it, ensuring that who ever made the statement is held
responsible.

•Too much attribution will clutter up a story; and too little can get
you in trouble. So using common sense you can eliminate or use
more attribution.

•All quotes or partial quotes must be attributed to a speaker. In

addition, you need to attribute information you paraphrase.

•Background information does not need to be attributed.

•2.3.2.1 Wording of Attribution
• Said: Is the preferred verb for all the attribution of all direct and indirect
quotes. The word says, the present tense form of said is used when the
quote is something a person repeatedly says. Use always the word said
when you are attribute quotes.
• Stated: the verb stated is very formal and should only be used if
someone in authority issues a formal statement, either in person or on
paper.

•Remarked: is also another possibility

• According to: use according to when you are referring to inanimate

objects “according to a study” even if it is acceptable to say
‘according to police”, it is not preferable.

• Note: Normal speaking order is preferable. That is, you should place said
after the name or pronoun. If the person has a long title, said can be
•2.3.2.2 Placement of Attribution

•Writer puts attributions at the end or middle of sentences

instead of at the beginning. When the source is more important
that what he/she is being said, the attribution put at the beginning
of sentences.
•2.3.2.3 Types of Attribution

•There are four types of attribution.

A. On the Record: all statements are directly quotable and attributable by name
and title, to the person who is making the statement.
B. On Background: all statements are directly quotable; but they can not be
attributed by name or specific title to the person commenting. The type of
attribution to be used should be spelled out in advance “A White House
Official,” “an Administration Spokesperson”
C. On Deep Background: any thing that is said in the interview is usable, but not
direct quotation and not for attribution. The reporter writes it on his or her own.
D. Off the Record: information is for the reporter’s knowledge only and is not to
be taken to another source in hopes of getting official confirmation. A good
journalist is willing to accept any information from any source, as long as it
remains nothing more than a tip that will lead to someone willing to go on the
•2.3.2.4 Anonymous sources

•Sources sometimes seek anonymity. They will offer an

information only if their names are not disclosed. Newspapers
and other news media are reluctant to run such martial because
anonymity absolves the source of responsibility for the material
when anonymity is promised to a source, the reporter may not
use the source name.

•Some editors demand to be told the names of sources. When this

is the case the sources must be informed that their names will be
given to the editor. We use anonymous sources only on matters of
fact, not on matters of opinion or judgment.
•2.3.3 Verification

•Verification is another component of news story following attribution.

Verification is the activity checking, double-checking and verifying
information to the accuracy of one’s reporting. Not all information needs
to be verified, however, there are some specific issues which are routinely
verified. Careful reporter check:

 Spellings, dates and figures with news sources

 Names address and telephone numbers with other sources and compare
their findings with written records-city directories, phone books, the
newspaper’s own library and legislative handbooks and state manuals.

 Their own notes

•“All names verified” should be put at the start of your copy.

•2.3.4 Background

•The additional material that a reporter digs up on his or her own

that helps the reader for listener get closer to the truth often takes
the form of background. Most often background material domes
from the reporters knowledge and from checking references and
clips. Background materials give readers explanations, trace the
development of the event and add facts that sources may not have
provided. Reporters spend much time back grounding their
stories.
•2.3.5 Objectivity
• Objectivity refers to the prevailing principle of news gathering and
reporting that emphasis eyewitness accounts of events, corroboration of
facts with multiple, most concerned and knowledgeable sources and
balance. A reporter should report news as impartially and honestly as
possible.
•Objectivity has two meaning:

1. The work itself: - a story is objective when it is balanced and impartial,

the reporter does not include (inject) his/her opinions, feelings, and
biases.
2. The tradition: journalism is the so called free world represents an
impartial third party the one that speaks for the general interest.
• Total objectivity is impossible. Reporters are human beings; therefore,
it may be difficult for them to be completely objective, but they can be
fair. Good reporters try to put aside personal biases and beliefs when
•2.3.6 Balance

•Both sides in a controversy are given their say. In a political

campaign, all candidates should be given enough space and time
to present their major points.

•Both sides of an argument are presented in a news story. When a

charge is made against a person, the accused is sought out and the
response is placed in the story close to the charge. If the accused
can’t be found or refuses to comment, the news writer says to in
the story.
•2.3.7 Fairness

•Fairness means all parties involved in the news are treated without
favoritism.

No story is fair if it omits facts of major importance or significance.

So fairness includes completeness.
No story is fair if it includes irrelevant information at the expense of
significant facts. So fairness includes relevance.
No story is fair if reporters hide their biases or emotions behind such
subtly pejorative words as “refused”, “despite”, “admit” and
“massive”. So fairness requires straight forwardness a head of
flashiness.
Reporters and editors should routinely ask themselves at the end of
every story “Have I been as fair as I can be?”
•2.3.8 Brevity

•Brevity refers to making of your points succinct and economic, using of action verbs
and concert nouns, and word choice-using strong words, phrases and sentences.

•By choosing a concrete nouns, that refers and actual person, place or thing good
writers avoid adjectives. By using action verbs that shout, writers can avoid using
adverbs. Good writers make their nouns and verbs work for them.

•Look at these sentences. The weak ones are the wordy sentences. The strong sentences
make their points succinctly by using action verbs.

• Weak- He was hardly able to walk

• Strong- he staggered. (He stumbled, He faltered)

• Weak- He left the room as quickly as possible.

• Strong- he ran out. (He rushed out, He dashed out)

• It is advisable to avoid using abstract noun except in direct quotes. Abstract nouns
have no physical reference: patriotism, feminism, freedom, and hope. These words
have different meanings to different people
 9. Clarity

•The key to clear writing is clear thinking. Clear thinking extends to the
writing as well as to the subject matter. That implies that the reporter
must be able to understand the event before he/she is going to write it.
This will help the reporter to explain the event clearly and succinctly.
The reporter can’t clarify what he/she doesn’t understand. Badly written
stories are the results of muddy thinking.

•To make your story clear and understandable:

- Follow subject-verb-object(S-V-O) pattern for a sentence.

- Avoid excess punctuation.
- Divide long sentences
- Stay away from adverbs and adjectives.
•2.3.13 Human Interest

•Human interest is an essential ingredient of news. A story that

lacks people is a lifeless as a photograph without a human form.
Most events affect people. That is why editors instruct reporters to
tell their stories to the audience in human terms.

•When readers see people in news stories they identifies with them,
sharing their problems, successes and defeats. The presence of
people in stories also makes the stories clear. We want to know
what people do under stress, what they think about when they have
problems what people do when their homes are flooded. Since the
human elements catch the readers’ interest, it should be put high in
the story.
 • Unit Two

• Gathering the News Story

• 2.1 Finding Story Ideas

Where we find Story ideas?

Reporting usually base on the universal themes
that are fundamental conflicts of life: birth and
death; triumph over human suffering; heroism
and cowardice; selflessness and greed; crime and
the quest for justice; honor and corruption;
freedom and oppression; one person’s fight
against the tyranny of the majority; scarify for the
greeter good; love against all odds; the action of
fate, or chance, in the world.
The above context can be base to find story ideas
 From where reporters get story ideas?
By Asking Him/herself: what are the major
problems in my community?
Then report on how the people on charged
with solving that problems are succeeding. If
the problems are not being solved, write a
story about why not.
By Looking For Watchdog Stories
 Are the people who govern you and your
readers successfully doing the job they to
were elected or assigned to do?
From News releases: News releases come
from public relations people who want to
publicize a cause or event. Generally biased
and often factually incorrect, news releases
should be reprinted verbatim, but they can
serve as an excellent source for story ideas
From Editors: Editors are the gatekeepers
who have the power to decide which stories
are newsworthy and which are not.
They often determine what angle reporters
should take, and even who they should
interview.
• what we do, during story
Meetings?
After you got your study ideas, there will be
story meetings. At story meetings, reporters
expected to present their story ideas and
discuss with their assigning editors about
them. Then the editors will offer suggestions
on angles to pursue and sources to contact.
Finally we can find Sources
Now that you have an idea, you’ll begin the
difficult task of reporting, gathering the
information you’ll need to write a balanced,
fair and accurate account of the issue, problem
or controversy.
Reporting entails collecting evidences-facts,
statistics, anecdotes and quotes from people
with different viewpoints- that support your
stories focus
To collect these evidences, first, you have to
identify or find your best possible sources.
The quality of the source is the primary
criteria to separate a good story from the
other.
Reporters use both primary and secondary
sources when reporting news stories
•Primary source
A primary source could be an interview
with a person who has direct experience of an
event or topic, or an original document
related to that topic.
It offers the best and most reliable
information on a topic, it could be an expert,
some one recognized as a leading authority
on a topic or a first hand information on a
topic
The journalist as eyewitness also is
considered a primary source.
• Secondary source
A secondary source might be a written
report based on the original document
It offers reliable second hand information on
a topic
It may be reference book and other media are
common secondary source
In the case of a fire, for example, the person
whose house burned down would be a
primary source. So would a firefighter who
had been involved in putting out the fire. But
the press release issued by the fire
department the next day would be a
secondary source.
• Basic Reporting
No matter how well you write, you will never be
able to compensate for a badly reported story.
Explaining an issue or a problem well requires
becoming an expert in it; becoming an expert
means mastering far more detail than your
readers need to know.
There are three ways to gather information for
your story: 1) Research
2) Observation and
3) Interviewing.
Of these, interviewing is clearly the most
important. It can be done in person, over the
phone, and now even by e-mail. It can be
extensive or just a few questions
Interviews
American reporter Kristin Gilger says,
"Skillful interviewing is the basis for all good
reporting and writing.“
An interview is defined as information,
opinion, or experience shared by a source in
conversation with a reporter.
What makes an interview a little different
from an ordinary conversation is that the
reporter determines the direction of the
questioning
Setting up an interview is not always easy,
People may not want to talk with a journalist,
especially if the story is controversial.
• When we conduct interview
During an interview, you have to get accurate
and complete information, interact in a polite
but relaxed manner with your source and do
it within a time limit
Take a deep breath.
 Remember that you are conducting the
interview.
You are setting the pace and leading the way
• Opening the interview
Open by introduce yourself
Thank your source for taking time for the
interview
Set up and test your tape recorder if you are
using one
Be friendly
Chat with your sources while setting up
Announce the purpose of your interview to
your source.
Then ask your questions in order in which
you have arranged them
During Interview
Throughout the interview, listen carefully. If
you don’t understand something, ask your
source to explain it again or in a different
way.
Let your source know you are listening. Nod
to show you understand . You may wish to
summarize each answer before moving in to
the next questions
Take note while listening-even if you are tape
recording
Be conversational, but let the source do most
of the talk
• Cont.
Never supply or suggest an answer.
Be patient and wait for it
Underline or place a checkmark next to all
names, numbers, words, idea you are unsure
of so you can check them
Don’t interrupt a source unless it’s
unavoidable. Then simply raise your index
finger to say “wait”. Allow your source to
complete his/her thought before continuing
 Listen for well-turned phrases and powerful
or lively sentences that would make good
quote
• Closing the interview
When you have covered all of your questions,
ask the source if he/she add anything add
Before closing the interview, look over your
notes. Check spelling, number, and other
detail
Close by thanking your source. Ask
permission to contact her/him again to verify
information if necessary
After the interview, try to list the main point
of the story. At the some time, jot down any
ideas you have for how you’ll write the story
A soon as possible after the interview, rewrite
your notes so they make sense to you.
•Ground Rules

•Most interviews are conducted "on the record,"

which means the reporter can use anything that is said
and attribute it directly to the person who is speaking. It
is important to make sure the source knows this,
especially when the reporter is dealing with ordinary
people who are not accustomed to being quoted in the
newspaper or on the air.
• If the information is not to be on the record,
both the reporter and the source must agree in
advance to the conditions under which the
information can be used. An interview "on
background" or "not for attribution"
generally means the information can be used
in a story and the source's words can be quoted
directly, although he or she cannot be named.
•One other ground rule that is important for journalists
to understand is the use of an "embargo" on
information provided by a source. That means the
information is provided on the condition that it is not to
be used until a specific time
Observation
On-the-scene observation is one of the
fundamentals of good reporting.
Journalists want to witness events for
themselves whenever possible so they can
describe them accurately to the audience.
Good reporters use all of their senses on the
scene. They look, listen, smell, taste, and feel
the story so the audience can, too.
To do this well, journalists need an accurate
record of their observations
A print reporter can do his or her job with a
notebook and a pencil or pen, but many also
carry audio recorders and cameras, especially
if they are expected to file stories for an
online edition as well
For radio, journalists need to capture sound,
and for television, both sound and video.
Using a recorder is one way of making sure
that any quotations you might use are
accurate. But electronics have been known to
fail, so it's important for all journalists to be
skilled note-takers.
Journalists tend to collect much more information
than they can put into a story, but that information
always helps them better understand the event or
issue they are covering
Journalists have more research tools available
today than ever before, thanks to computers and
the Internet. Many of them are just high-tech
versions of the basic tools of the trade: directories,
almanacs, encyclopedias, and maps.
Imagine that the former president of a
neighboring country has died. A reporter assigned
to write the story would want to know some basic
facts: age, cause of death, and where and when he
died. But the journalist would also want
information about his time in office, and how the
country has changed since he was president
•Research

•Journalists tend to collect much more information than they can

put into a story, but that information always helps them better
understand the event or issue they are covering. Sometimes,
background information is essential to give a story deeper meaning.

•Journalists have more research tools available today than ever

before, thanks to computers and the Internet. Many of them are just
high-tech versions of the basic tools of the trade: directories,
almanacs, encyclopedias, and maps. Others are databases and
reports that would have been much harder to find in the days before
the Internet, requiring a personal visit to a library or government
building.
• Further tips for news reporting
Finding story ideas
Keep your eyes and ears open; listen to what
your friends are talking about.
Read everything you can get your hands on;
get story ideas from other newspapers and
magazines.
Think of a youth angle to a current news
story.
Research a subject that interests you ask
yourself what you would like to know more
about.
Talk to people in a specific field to find out
what is important to them
• News gathering
Begin collecting articles on your subject.
Talk to friends and associates about the
subject.
Contact any agencies or associations with
interest or professional knowledge in the
area.
Create a list of people you want to interview;
cover both sides of the story by interviewing
people on both sides of the issue.
Collect government statistics and reports on
the subject get old press releases or reports
to use as background.
• Interviewing do's and don'ts
Be polite.
Explain the ground rules of the interview to
people unfamiliar with how the media works -
this means that you tell them the information
they give you can and will be published. If
they do not want any part of what they say
published, they need to tell you it is "off the
record."
Tape the interview (so if anyone comes back
at you, you have the proof of what was said).
Build a relationship with the person being
interviewed.
Start with easy questions; end with difficult
questions.
• Cont.
Read the body language of the person you're
interviewing and if they get defensive, back
away from the question you are asking and
return later.
Don't attack the source.
Keep control of the interview; don't let the
subject ramble or stray from the subject.
On the other hand, don't let your "opinion" of
what the story should be color the interview.
Always remember that the person you are
talking with knows more about the subject
than you do.
•Duties of the News Reporter

•There are many duties of the news reporter. Some

important duties during his/her reporting are given
below.

1. A reporter should make his/her copy pulsate with life

and full of interest for the reader.

2. Good reputation is very important for absolute

reliability. So that, a reporter should be fair in his/her
comments, punctual in his/her appointments and
careful in his/her inquiring facts to gain such quality.
• General Rules for a News Reporter

• Besides the above duties a reporter should also

remember the following points:

1. As already discussed above, a reporter should never

repeat a story which has been told to him/her
confidentially or in good faith, unless he/she takes the
prior permission of the person concerned to make it
public.

2. Use names for local news reporting, but spell

•The reporter’s skills

•Editors defined reporters in terms the skills needed to gather

information about a wide range of events and human activities:
reporters are people who get what they are sent for, and who know
how to dig out information, what ever the source and no matter
how hidden or obscure. The Reporting Skills Are:

 A nose for news: observation-listening and seeing

 Finding information

 Verifying information

 Asking questions

 Analyzing and interpreting information

 UNIT THREE:
WRITING THE STORY (BEGINNING THE STORY)
•3.1 Finding the Focus

• All news stories are made up of facts,

observations, quotations, and details.
Reporters almost always have more than they
can use, and because they've worked hard to
collect all of that information, their natural
impulse is to use as much of it as possible in
their stories. But cramming in all the facts that
will fit rarely results in a well-told story that
will engage the audience. It is harder to
understand stories that are overstuffed with
information.
•Good journalism involves selection, not
compression. Reporters must use their news
judgment to decide what is most important to
include in a story and in what order to put it. For
many reporters, the most difficult part of telling
a story is deciding what to leave out. One way to
make those decisions is to choose a central point
or a theme for the story, also called a focus.
•Focus

•The focus of a story is basically the answer to the

question, "What is this story really about?" To
determine the focus, Poynter Institute writing instructor
Chip Scanlan suggests asking five additional questions:
 What's the news?

 What's the story?

 What's the image?

 How can I tell it in six words?

 So what?
•Imagine that you're covering a fast-moving wildfire.
You've been out talking to people and observing the
damage all day. Now, you need to focus your story
before you begin writing. Here's how you might use
Scanlan's questions to find your focus:
 What's the news?
A fire destroyed two houses in the mountains east of the city,
but no one was injured and the city business district was
spared.
 What's the story?
Two families are homeless but grateful to be alive.

 What's the image?

Family members hug each other near the smoking
ruins of their house.

 How can I tell it in six words or less?

Fire destroys homes but not spirits.

 So what?
Property damage from a dangerous fire was limited.
•3.2 Writing the News

•Good news writing is concise, clear, and accurate. That

sounds simple enough, but it's actually quite
challenging. As we've already mentioned, reporters have
a tendency to want to include everything they have
learned in their stories. But stories that get to the point
are more likely to appeal to busy news consumers, and a
news organization that lets stories run on won't have
much space or time left to cover other news.
•Generally speaking, news stories have shorter
sentences and paragraphs than most other types
of writing. Each paragraph contains one main
idea. A new paragraph begins when a new idea,
character, or setting is introduced.
• Journalists use simple, direct language that is
easy to understand, with more nouns and verbs
than adjectives and adverbs.
•Well-written news stories are not vague, ambiguous, or
repetitious, because every word counts. As E.B. White notes in
his classic book, The Elements of Style, one of the basic rules of
writing is simply this: "Omit needless words."

•Good writers always make an effort to choose the most

appropriate word to convey what they mean. As the 19th-century
American writer Mark Twain said, "The difference between the
right word and almost the right word is the difference between
lightning and the lightning bug." Reporters routinely consult
dictionaries and reference books to make sure the words they
choose really mean what they think they do.
•Good writers always make an effort to choose
the most appropriate word to convey what they
mean. As the 19th-century American writer
Mark Twain said, "The difference between the
right word and almost the right word is the
difference between lightning and the lightning
bug." Reporters routinely consult dictionaries
and reference books to make sure the words they
choose really mean what they think they do.
• Main Elements of a News Article
 There are certain elements that are common to almost all
articles that you will read in the newspaper or find on the
Internet.

 Headline (Heading)

by definition, are short and catchy. A print

headline summarizes the story, gets the reader's
attention, helps to organize the news on the
printed page, and, through the use of different
sizes of type, indicates the relative importance of
each story. When writing a headline, the editor
simply does not compress the lead paragraph
•Unlike a newspaper headline, the broadcast tease is
written in complete sentences. It stands alone, separated
from the story by other news or advertising content. A
tease usually does not summarize the story the way a
headline would, since its goal is to make the viewer
want to stay tuned in order to learn more. Instead,
producers write teases that leave some questions
unanswered, or they may create anticipation by
promising to deliver a benefit to the viewer who keeps
watching.
 Byline
This line tells who is
writing the article.
It may also include the
address of the author and
the publication or news
source for which he or she
writes
  Lead Paragraph(s
The lead paragraph is found at
the beginning of the article.
The lead briefly answers the
questions “who”, “what”,
“when”, “why”, “where”, and
“how”. The ‘skeleton’ of the
story can be found here
Leads
The beginning of a news story is known as
the lead
It meant to capture attention and to draw the
reader, listener, or viewer into the story.
There are two basic types of leads: hard and
soft.
A hard lead summarizes the essential facts
of the story — the five Ws and H
while a soft lead may set the scene or
introduce a character.
Another way to look at the difference
between these types of leads is to consider a
hard lead the answer to the question,
•Either type of lead can be used for a hard-news
story. For example, a story about the election of
a new prime minister could be written one of
several different ways. A hard lead might read
like this:
•Former rebel leader Joshua Smith was elected prime
minister tonight, winning more than 80 percent of the
vote in the country's first democratic election since
1993.
•A soft lead would take a different approach:
•Growing up in Youngtown, Joshua Smith was a little
boy with big dreams. Always small for his age, he says
the bigger boys at school bullied him. When he told his
grammar school teacher he'd be prime minister some

day, she laughed.

No one is laughing now. Smith won yesterday's
election with more than 80 percent of the vote,
becoming the country's first democratically elected
leader since 1993.
• How to write a good summary lead?
Use few words(not more than 30,
preferably fewer)
Focus on the most important of the 5w’s
and h
Summarize the most news worthy facts
within the first 10 words
Begin with the subject of the most
newsworthy fact(usually the who and
what)
Clearly identify any named person(by
title, grade, and so on)
Cite the source of any opinion
Set the appropriate tone for the
• Photo captions Instead of summarizing
content the way a headline does, a caption helps
the reader appreciate what's inside the visual
frame. The photograph and caption together
form a small story that the reader can understand
without having to read the text of the story that
accompanies it.
•Graphics and Visuals

•Newspaper reporters sometimes resent the use of

graphics because they take up space, forcing stories to
be shorter. But good graphics add to the visual appeal of
the newspaper, attract readers' attention, and make
stories more understandable. They help reporters'
stories, rather than take away from them. As newspaper
designer Ron Reason puts it, graphics are "information,
not decoration."
Story Structure
Structure is essential for stories to be
understandable and meaningful, but not all
stories should be structured in the same way.
Good writers choose the most suitable shape
for the story they are telling.
INVERTED PYRAMID
•Cont.
Many news stories begin with the most
newsworthy information, following a
traditional story structure developed more
than 100 years ago.
The "inverted pyramid" form puts the most
important information at the top, followed by
other information in descending order of
importance.
This shape is useful when reporting important
or breaking news, when timeliness is of the
essence.
If you are the first to report a significant
development, you'll want to tell the audience
what has happened right at the top of your
story.
• HOURGLASS
A modified form of the inverted pyramid is
known as the "hourglass" structure.
It begins, in a similar fashion, with the most
important information — but after a few
paragraphs it takes a turn and becomes a
narrative, usually told in chronological order.
• DIAMOND
A reporter using this structure would begin
with an anecdote, introducing a character
whose experience illustrates what the story is
all about.
 This small story would then broaden out to
show its wider significance. Toward the end,
the reporter would return to the individual
character's story as a way of concluding the
narrative.
• Cont.
Reporters using this structure often use a
device known as a "nut" paragraph (or nut
graph) to explain why the story matters — the
word nut signifying the hard center of the
story
 The diamond form is frequently used in
television news and newspaper reports.