News gathering is the art of collecting information for developing News

Stories and news features.

ž In ancient time news were transmitted through many traditional ways but
with the development of technology news gathering involved many sources
ž News gathering is also an art which use various communication techniques
such as interviews, symposium, questionnaire and conferences.
ž News gathering in present time also utilized modern technologies such as
google search, social media etc.
ž In today’s world, we can see there are totally different news sources. Such as televisions,
radio, press release, press conference, newspapers, press interviews, institutions such as
hospitals, schools, colleges, police stations etc.
ž News sources which are prominent in today’s time:
Radio: It is an audio medium used by many in today’s time. We can see people are relying on
Radio as a source of information. Radio is prominent and seen in both rural and urban areas.
People in rural who cannot afford television rely on radio as it is cheap. If we talk about
urban areas where we do not see many using radio at their houses instead they listen in their
cars. Over decades radio has gained popularity and is said is a good source of news.
Television: telecasts their news on television through which other newspaper takes their
sources. It is said to be the most authentic source of news as it has visuals to establish the
authenticity. Television helps and provides newspapers to give detailed information to the
audience but television news just doesn’t act as the source to the newspaper but also the
audience itself.
Newspapers and magazines: these two also act as a good source of news. Newspaper on
both the levels national and international provides the best information in details. The
newspaper has 5W’s and 1H which gives all the significant information at the starting of the
news and further deals with the minor details and same is done in the magazines.
Press Releases : are generally used for the release of a particular news. The Press Release
should contain worthwhile material which has some news value. A Press Release should be
written in a journalistic style and provide facts and information of interest to readers and
should cover all aspects of a specific subject. The release should be on current subject and a
piece of clear writing without any ambiguity, colour or ornamentation but it should at the
same time not be generally lengthy.
Press notes: The press notes are less formal in character. These are also issued on important
official matters e.g. raising or lowering of tariff rates, price fixation of food grains, subsidy
announcement of seeds, fertilizer etc. Apart from the name of department, place and date, a
press note mentions headings. Unlike the press communiqué, the newspaper can edit or
condense the press notes.
Handouts: The handouts are issued on a variety of subjects like the day-to-day activities of
the ministry or departments, VIP speeches, question and answers in Parliament or legislature
and the developmental programmes of government departments. It covers the name of the
PIB (press information bureau) or information department. No official handout is issued, if
the minister or a government official has spoken in his personal capacity.
Press statement: the statements are usually given by known people, then he shares his
statement with media and later this becomes press statement.
Police station: every event which is of big concern to the police station would be firstly found
in the police station. If the reporter wants to know about a crime scene he would get first
-hand information from there.
The four most commonly used methods in news gathering are:
observation, telephone conversations, research and interviews.
1. Observation consists of your actually seeing an event take place and then reporting what
you have seen in the form of a news story.
The difference between a good story and a poor one is often in the skill of the observer.
Skilled observers use their eyes, ears, mind, notebooks and tape recorders.
They make sure they get the concrete facts, specific figures and accurate information.
They look for the colorful, the dramatic or the unusual in any situation.
Skilled observers always try to get more information than they actually need.
They know it is easier to discard excess material than to retrace their steps after the story is
cold.
Developing your powers of observation can come only through experience.
You cannot become a skilled observer by simply reading a book.
The key to becoming a good observer is to look for more than you see on the surface.
2. The telephone plays an important role in your daily work .
It saves you time, legwork and it often enables you to reach people who are ordinarily too
busy to see you in person.

Telephone conversations may range from full-scale interviews to brief queries to verify or
amplify information.
3.Research Research is nothing more than digging out information from files and reference
works.
Research is used to verify or amplify facts in news stories and to give depth to feature stories and
magazine articles.
4. Interview About 90 percent of everything in a news story is based on some form of
interviewing - either in person, by telephone, or occasionally, by correspondence.

It is must to learn who to get information from and how to record facts.
One must learn techniques for handling different kinds of people - how to draw some out, how to
keep others on the topic and how to evaluate the motives or honesty of others.

One must learn how to get along with people and how to treat them with tact and understanding
A report is a brief account of an event that has already taken place.

It helps in recording events of importance that occurs in our day to day life and attempts to
present the first hand information of an incident or event.

It includes one’s ideas, opinions and impressions on the event.

Key Elements in News Paper Report Writing
ž Headline: It should catch the attention of the reader and it may even sum up the story.
ž By-line: It should include the name and the specialty of the writer. For example: Food, sports,
current events, crime, politics, science etc;
ž Place Line: It is the name of the place where the story begins.
ž Lead Sentence: It is the opening section of the paragraph which gives important information
and it should answer most of the 5W’s.
ž Body: Include the most important details first followed by an explanation.
ž Facts and quotations can also be used
Types of news:
There are 2 types of news – hard news and soft news.
Hard news generally concerns issues, politics, economics, international relations, welfare, and
scientific developments, whereas soft news focuses on human-interest stories and celebrity
Hard news: Hard news refers to the news stories that have a big impact on the society as a whole
and need to be reported urgently. They are factual stories with data, concerning events that are
potentially available to analysis. Examples include news on politics, crime, economics,
international affairs, natural calamities, riots etc. Hard news stories are supposed to be strictly
objective- the journalist need not give his or her opinion on the story, but should provide facts as
they are. A reporter covering a hard news story is given a much tighter deadline, owing to the
urgency of the coverage.
Soft news: Soft news on the other hand refers to the stories that provide other background
information about world events, human interest stories or entertainment news. Since these do not
deal with serious subjects, they are labelled as “soft”. Examples include sports news, celebrity
news, or human-interest stories that deal with emotions. The purpose of this type of news is not to
provide information at first hand, its main objective is to entertain the masses. Soft stories can be,
and are editorialised. They can be subjective, and can include opinions of the reporter/journalist.
Soft news does not have timelines like that of hard news, and can even be timeless feature articles
– e.g., ‘Tips for healthy skin’, ‘Benefits of Yoga’, and so on.
Broadcasting in Mass Communication
• The sharing of information to large segments of the population is the purpose of mass
communication.
• Mass communication uses multiple mediums that are available to people and/or organizations
in wide geographic regions.
• The mediums include television social billboards, newspapers, magazines, social media
platforms and the Internet.
• The purposes of mass communication varies. It can be used to engender interest in a product or
service. Influence an opinion or decision. Communicate important or new information.
• Broadcasting is the distribution of content, either audio or video, to a large dispersed audience
by means of any medium of electronic mass communications.
• Typically, the mass communications medium is one that uses the electromagnetic spectrum, i.e.
radio waves, in a one-to-many model.
• Broadcasting companies create original content or buy the rights to broadcast local and
national content, such as news, music programs, talk shows, movies and advertisements.
AESTHETICS refers to the beauty or the pleasing appearance of things.
• Communication by means of aesthetic forms of expression is used to influence cultural and
social development.
• Aesthetic communication enhances the ability to understand and interpret messages conveyed
in cultural life, the media and between people.
• how to interact with other people using aesthetic forms of expression contributing to physical
and intellectual activities, as well as to interact with other individuals.
• Aesthetics have the power to make your message memorable. Incorporating relevant visuals or
well-designed layouts can significantly enhance information recall. By crafting aesthetically
pleasing communication, you can increase your message's longevity in the minds of your
audience.
• Attention should be put on the relationship between the intention to reach out to, touch and be
understood on the one hand, and the audience's interpretation and understanding on the other.
• Communication should use both different art forms and verbal expressions to explore
techniques and methods for creativity and creation.
• Visual communication is the use of visual elements to convey ideas and information which
include (but are not limited to) signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration,
industrial design, advertising, animation, and electronic resources.
With the inception of new technology, the media-landscape is constantly changing.
• The technological advancements in generation and dissemination of content and images have
revolutionized and redefined the relationship between digital media and the public.
• The emergence of interactive media has drastically changed the media environment both
within and outside the newsroom.
• Digital media, a blend of technology and content, has turned media more engaging,
interactive
and easy-to-use.
• The latest new media technology has made newsgathering, production and distribution
process easier, faster, interactive and cost-effective.
• New methods of generating content and visuals in real time have been devised. Almost all
news publications, agencies and channels today use internet facilities to distribute and
disseminate news and other related content.
• Adoption of technology has led to strong integration of audience with news generation
process
The advent of the internet has had a profound impact on the field of mass
communication
• With the rise of the digital age, the traditional ways of disseminating news and information
have been disrupted, paving the way for a more democratized and decentralized media
landscape.
• One of the most significant impacts of the internet is the ability to reach a global audience.
• With the rise of digital media, news organizations can now reach people all over the world,
regardless of geographic location. This has led to a more diverse and inclusive media
landscape, as people from all walks of life can now access news and information from a
variety of sources.
• the internet has allowed for real-time reporting, making it possible to report on events as
they happen, rather than waiting for a print publication to come out.
• With the rise of digital media, many newspapers and magazines have struggled to adapt to
the new digital landscape, leading to a decline in print sales and advertising revenue. This
has forced many media organizations to shift their focus to online advertising and digital
subscriptions in order to stay afloat.