PRINT

JOURNALISM 1
 UNIT 3
STRUCTURE OF A NEWS ROOM

 NEWSROOM DEFINITION:
 The newsroom is the hub of the entire activity in a newspaper, news agency or a news
channel.
 It is usually called by different names, the editorial desk, editorial department or copy
desk or news desk, it is the nerve center of the newsroom.
 The newsroom is where the stories are gathered, written, put together, edited and
assembled for the news broadcast, telecast or newspaper.

 NEWSPAPER:
 Newspapers provide information at a relatively low cost on a daily basis.
 Until the expansion of the Internet, newspapers were the primary source for in-depth
daily news.

 WHO IS IN THE NEWSROOM?

 The number of jobs and people working in the newsroom vary depending on the media
outlet.
 In smaller media outlets, at suburban weekly newspapers for example the newsroom will
probably feature only a couple of journalists and a photographer.
 Sometimes the editor will be there, although in many suburban newspapers the editor
has a roving role overseeing a number of newspapers in different offices.
 In larger media outlets, such as metropolitan newspapers, radio or television, the
newsroom is much bigger, with a larger staff of people, They can include:
 Journalists/reporters.
 Photographers.
 Camera operators.
 Sound and lighting technicians.
 Editing room staff (where television and radio stories are cut and compiled).
 Sub-editors (who edit newspaper journalists' stories and check them for any legal,
factual or other problems before publication).
 Receptionists and News Desk coordinators.
 Archive or Library staff (sometimes).
 Graphic designers.
 Editors or chiefs of staff - either in charge of sections of the media's coverage, or of its
overall coverage.
 HOW THE NEWSROOM WORKS:
 Each newsroom has differences - they can be slight or significant.
 Not only are there differences between newsrooms of similar media outlets (for example,
different newspapers) but there are larger differences between, say, television and
newspaper newsrooms.

 A NEWSROOM WORKS ALONG THESE LINES:

 Stories come into the newsroom - this can occur in a number of ways, some of which are:
 Through tip-offs from contacts, or press releases.
 Through coverage of newsworthy events, activities and occasions.
 From story leads followed-up by journalists.
 From issues or stories the editors, producers or chiefs-of-staff themselves want covered.
 From calls by journalists chasing up new angles on current stories.
 WHAT IS NEWS DESK?
 The News Desk usually operates in shifts and a chief sub editor heads each shift.
 Ideally, in a newspaper, it is the News Editor who plans editing and directs page making.
 But it is the chief sub editor who helps him/ her to implement his decisions.
 So while news editors head the newsrooms, chief sub editors head the news desk.
 HOW A NEWS DESK WORKS:
 Stories come to the news desk after an “assignment” editor or the news editor selects
them.
 There are three basic methods of handling news copy once it gets to the desk.
 In the traditional method, the chief sub editor or acting chief assigns these news stories to
various sub editors on the basis of their expertise.
 This method works like a self-regulating system.
 The sub editors try to edit and empty the "in" basket (normally these days this is an
electronic file, queue, and folder).
 This makes for more efficient flow.
 But it also intensifies the workload inequity between the faster people and the slower
people.
 At the news desk the sub editor needs to learn what size of headline the story will get;
whether the story needs to be trimmed etc.
 If there are photos, there will be captions to be written.
 There might be some graphics to be created, edited, or at least proofread.

 STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED IN NEWS DESK:

 First the text matter of news stories or the body copy is edited and composed.
 Next the headline and other display matter like sub headlines; blurbs, info graphics, etc.,
are decided by the sub editors.
 These are then composed and designed by the layout person, or "page Designer."
 Layout or arrangement of the textual and visual matter on newspaper pages is
traditionally the job of the news desk.
 The news editor or deputy editors or assistant editors supervise the page make up
process.
 The editorial staff is responsible for the news judgment behind the lay out.
 These days, especially at newspapers using advanced designing software Packages, there
is a “design desk”.
 The news desk is a subset of the newsroom, meaning the news editor outranks the new
desk chief.

 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF NEWSPAPERS:

 DEPARTMENTS IN NEWSPAPER DEPARTMENT:
 EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:
 This department is headed by Chief Editor or Editor-in-Chief or Editor and is divided
into several sections like News Section, Views Section, Photo Section, Computer Section
etc.
 The News Section is further divided into News Room and Reporter’s Room.
 News Editor heads the News Room and it consists of many other staff like Deputy News
Editors, Chief Sub Editors, Senior Sub Editors and Sub Editors.
 They are all mainly responsible for editing news under the leadership of News Editor.
 ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT:
 The department is the most important source of revenue on which the economy of the
newspaper falls back on.
 This department looks after the collection and publication of advertisements.
 CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT:
 The main job of Circulation Department is to raise the circulation and readership of the
newspaper, timely delivery of the newspapers to the readers and collection from them.
 PRINTING DEPARTMENT:
 This department is responsible for good and attractive printing including installation of
machines, plant layout, composing, processing, loading, scheduling, maintenance of old
machines and hiring of latest printing technologies.
 ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT:
 The main task of this department is to administer the different types of work relating to
training, promotion, distribution, liaison with government departments and all those
activities, which facilitate the working of other departments.
 ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT:
 The primary job of this department is to monitor the accounting work like maintaining
books of accounts, preparing balance sheet and other financial statements, payment,
receipt, preparation of budget, financial management, etc.

 PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT:
 In this department takes care of all personnel functions from hiring to firing like
selection, training, promotion, compensation, employee welfare, performance appraisal,
retirement, etc.
 LEGAL DEPARTMENT:
 In small and medium newspapers, generally the legal issues are looked after by the
Administrative Department.
 But mostly a separate Legal Department exists in a full fledged big newspaper.

 PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT:

 Like separate Legal Department this department is found mostly in big newspapers.
 This department looks after maintaining harmonious internal and external relations.
 NEWS BUREAU

 DEFINITION:
 It provide a common source of local and breaking news and is also used by as a training
ground for new reporters.
 Hundreds of reporters have "graduated" from the City News Bureau into newspaper
dailies - both local and national - or other avenues of writing.
 The News Bureau had reporters in all important news sites, courthouses, City Hall, the
County Building, Criminal Courts, as well as having police reporters on duty.
 A news bureau chief is an experienced reporter or correspondent who holds a
management position in the newsroom and is responsible for coordinating the efforts of
the reporting staff to investigate and cover stories, often for dissemination to other media
outlets.
 It operated around the clock and all year round.
 The reporters, though young, worked in competition with some of the best reporters in
the country, working on the same stories as all the others, questioning politicians and
police, and fighting for scoops.
 They covered every single death reported, every important meeting, every news
conference, every court case, and news stories which are newsworthy.
 BUREAU CHIEF

 DEFINITION:
 The bureau chief may perform many of the same tasks as members of the reporting team.
 They investigate leads and tips, conduct interviews, research stories, write and edit news,
update Web content, meet publication or broadcast deadlines and report on newsworthy
events.
 Bureau chiefs often have experience working with relevant production and technical
equipment as well.

 ROLES OF CHIEF BUREAU:

 In their capacity as newsroom managers, bureau chiefs coordinate and assign news
coverage to reporters, photographers and videographers, editors, producers and other
members of the news team.
 They may also serve as administrators, working with other newsroom managers or
directors to set budgets and fulfill human resources functions related to training, hiring
and managing staff.
 News bureau chiefs use their judgment and experience to set the news agenda according
to publication, station or media conglomerate guidelines, and maintain journalistic
integrity, accuracy and fairness.
 A bureau may focus on local, national or international news coverage, or it may have a
subject-specific focus, such as government affairs, politics or economics.
 NOTE:
 Some journalism organizations refer to the newsroom as the city room.

 IMPORTANT TERMS:

 BREAKING NEWS:
 Reporters cover events that make the news.
 A news editor makes decisions about the importance of breaking stories and assigns
reporters to cover the event.
 The source of the story could be a press release, breaking news over the wire service or a
tipoff from a contact.
 Reporters travel to the scene, gather information and quotes from official sources such as
police or fire crews or witnesses, and put together a story.
 BACKGROUND:
 To add depth to news stories, reporters do background research.
 They check the accuracy of facts and contact experts or witnesses to obtain more detailed
information.
 They also confer with the legal team to ensure that sensitive stories are not breaking any
laws.
 PRESENTATION:
 Reporters working in radio or television may also be responsible for presenting all or part
of their stories.
 They may present the story in the studio or do a live link to a news anchor, giving an
overview of the story and introducing the interviews they recorded on site.

 EVENTS:
 News reporters cover regular, scheduled events in addition to breaking news.
 Reporters covering local government issues attend official meetings and community
events.
 FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A NEWS
EDITOR, SUB-EDITOR AND CHIEF SUB-EDITOR

 Editors take many different roles in publishing and broadcasting.

 They may be copy editors or acquisitions editors in a book publishing company, news
editors at a television or radio station, or features editor at a magazine or newspaper.
 They may also work in academic publishing dealing with conference papers or
contributions to journals.
 Whatever their role, editors share many of the same duties and responsibilities.

 NEWS EDITOR:
 It is one of the most important person who plans a daily newspaper.
 His role in a newspaper office is supreme.
 He/ she is an intelligent person who knows how to give the newspaper a new look.
 He/ she is responsible for a steady and continuous inflow of news in the newsroom.
 The news editor keeps a careful eye on the routine side of his/her news collection as also
on the other side of his/her work on the news desks which calls for more imaginative
approach.
 FUNCTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
NEWS EDITOR
 SELECTION OF NEWS STORIES:
 An ideal news editor manages to get all the obvious stories into his paper with a good
proportion of them as exclusives.
 His/her motivation and direction with his team members can result in the generation of
many exclusive stories.
 His/her Knows the area that your newspaper covers, Take an interest in the subject
matter.
 Do his/her homework and find out as much as he can about the area that his newspaper
covers.
 The more you know, the better prepared you are to serve the reader.
 Read your newspaper, Pick it up everyday and look at it to see what you did and also read
other newspapers as well, to familiarize yourself with the current issues.
 The scoops and investigative stories need to be given weightage by the news editor if
he/she want to give a distinct identity to his/her newspaper and enhance its credibility
and reputation.
 The news editor uses his/her discretion and imagination in reading the public mind and
select the stories which have real news value and can be called important by his/her
readers.
 He is also responsible for final scrutiny of important news stories submitted by different
correspondents, stringers and outstation correspondents.
 He/she gives special attention to the facts and figures included in the write-ups and
where ever he/she is in doubt, he/she takes pains to check up their accuracy from the
authentic sources.

 MANAGING AFFAIRS IN NEWS ROOM:

 The hurry of daily routine makes heavy demands upon the managerial skills of the news
editor and his decisions, specially when time is short, yet there has to be accuracy.
 He must have an infinite amount of patience and keen interest in varied kind of news.
 He must have a good general educational background with a fair amount of historical,
political and economic knowledge.
 He issues necessary instructions to the chief sub-editors and sub editors and ensures that
his/her decisions are carried.
 The responsibility of enforcing the rules and regulations in the newsroom lies on the
news editor.
 MONITORING THE REPORTING:
 Usually there is an editorial meeting every morning which is presided over by the editor
and is attended by the news editor, chief of bureau, chief reporter, photo editor and
sometimes chief sub editor.
 It begins with a post mortem of the day’s paper, discussing gains and losses, credits and
blame.
 Then follow up action is decided on stories missed which are then assigned for the day.
 The editor look out for a major outbreak and to make preparations for it.
 Though the activity of the news room is editing, it also has to organize news collection.
 The most important and constant guideline for the newspaper is the paper’s policy.
 When in doubt in a new situation, the news editor must get it cleared or make
arrangements to tackle it.
 The news editor has direct hold on the city or local reporting.
 The news editor also asks the reporters to follow up stories where ever he/she finds a
possibilities.
 The news editor must mark the dairy and assign the reporters the coverage which needs
to be specially done and not to be left to news agencies.
 The sole aim is to reach the readers before any other newspaper is out.

 COORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT:

 The news editor maintains close cooperation with other departments particularly
circulations, advertising and production.
 For better coordination, he/she holds regular meeting with circulation manager,
advertising manager and production manager.
 The news editor has to make sure of the observance of deadlines in the newsroom and in
case of any delay has to request the production people for necessary adjustments.
 Any lapse in the newsroom is bound to disturb the production activity.
 Coordination with the production department is all the more necessary as the efficiency
of the editorial staff has a direct bearing on the production activity.
 CHIEF SUB EDITOR
 He is in charge of a news desk.
 He is considered a senior person on the copy desk and occupies an important position in
the newsroom.
 The news editor relies the most on his/her chief sub editor as they are the people who
give the coverage and presentation of the newspaper the final shape.
 FUNCTIONS OF CHIEF SUB EDITOR:
 GATEKEEPING:
 He is the person who examines every bit of information and decides what is really news.
 This calls for great skill and what all say a sixth sense.
 It is also known as having nose for news.
 The golden rule in both reporting and editing is to go by the reader’s interest.
 His sharp sense of observation may help him gather amusing sidelights of interest to his
readers and develop an exciting news story.
 He may suggest greater importance to some news items and ask that some other items be
played down.
 SELECTION OF NEWS ITEMS:
 It is the chief sub-editor who is responsible for the selection of news on a particular desk.
 All the copies that go to the press pass through the chief sub editor,who holds back a lot
of material that is reeived because to print all that pours into the newsroom is impossible.
 ASSIGNING WORK TO SUBORDINATES:
 He performs the job of editing of main stories.
 He is assigned in the editing job by the sub editors working on his/her desk.
 He remembers who has handled what stories and distributes copies in a manner that
certain stories go to a person who would have handeled parent stories.
 This helps in improving the quality of editing.
 MONITORING AND PAGE-MAKING:
 He monitors and supervises the work on his/her desk.
 He is not only responsible for the selection and editing of stories but layouting and page-
making as well.
 He may take up the job himself or instruct any of the senior subs or sub-editors to do the
same.
 DEVELOPING CONTACTS:
 A friendly and affable nature helps develop sources that could provide precious
information, clues, or other material for both the reporter and the editorial staff member.
 The ability to win the confidence and respect of the potential sources is an asset of the
newsman.
 BE OBJECTIVE AND FAIR:
 The editorial staff member must be a sharp observer of events, presenting the facts in a
balanced and objective manner.
 Ensure that the information one presents is true by counter checking.

 SUB EDITOR:
 COPY EDITING:
 Copy editing is the process by which an editor makes formatting changes and other
improvements to text.
 A person who performs the task of copy editing is called a Copy editor.
 The copy editor's job may be summarized in the 5 Cs: to make the copy clear, correct,
concise, comprehensible, and consistent.

 PRESS SUB-EDITORS ARE JOURNALISTS WHO WORK FOR:

 National daily or weekly newspapers,
 Local and regional newspapers,
 Magazines.
 ROLE OF SUB EDITOR:
 They are responsible for ensuring that the tone, style and layout of final copy match the
publication's house style and target market.
 The role involves processing all the copy before it is published to ensure that it is
accurate, makes sense and reads well.
 They also lay out the story on the page and may also be involved with overall page design.
 A quick-thinking sub editor can give the news editor valuable information that makes the
difference between an average newspaper and a great newspaper.
 RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUB EDITOR:
 Editing copy to remove spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
 Rewriting material so that it flows or reads better and adheres to the house style of a
particular publication.
 Ensuring that a story fits a particular word count by cutting or expanding material as
necessary.
 Writing headlines that capture the essence of the story or are clever or amusing.
 Editing press releases or reports.
 Compiling routine information, such as tables of sports results or financial data.
 Checking stories to ensure they are accurate, do not break the law or go against the
publication's policy.
 Cropping photos and deciding where to use them for best effect.
 Writing the captions for pictures.
 Discussing concerns with editors.
 Proofreading complete pages produced by other sub-editors.
 Working to a page plan to ensure that the right stories appear in the correct place on each
page.
 Laying out pages and, depending on the nature of the role, playing a part in page design.
 Adding last minute news stories.
 Keeping up to date with sector issues, e.g. by reading related publications.
 His sound general education and training will help him edit easily and efficiently all
kinds of copy full of technical terms and complicated issues.
 The copy editor is also expected to ensure the text flows well, that it makes sense and is
fair and accurate, and that it will cause no legal problems for the publisher.
 Newspaper copy editors are sometimes responsible for choosing which wire copy the
newspaper will use, and for rewriting it according to their house style.
 Treat each story with respect and care.
 Always maintains a good taste.
 Ensures balance and fairness and objectivity in the stories.
 Rewrites and restructures stories extensively when necessary
 The copyeditor will also query you when your meaning seems unclear or when
information is missing.
 The copyeditor will also query you when your meaning seems unclear or when
information is missing.

 QUALITIES OF GOOD SUB EDITOR:

 PASSION FOR WORK:
 You should have a lot of passion for your work.
 Always committed to job.
 You must immerse yourself in it.
 Always ready to work at any time.
 A SOLID EDUCATION IN THE BASICS:
 It involves basics mean copyediting, reporting, grammar, style, spelling, headline writing,
and news decision making.
 It will help if you have some design or computer skills, or at least know some design
concepts.
 EXPERIENCE:
 Whether it's an internship, or a stint with a local newspaper, there is no substitute for
prior experience when you look out for a job.
 ATTENTION TO DETAIL:
 Most covering letters and resumes are casually written.
 These are often full of errors in terms of style and grammar.

 CURIOSITY:
 Curiosity will lead you on an information search.
 With increased information level and higher awareness, you will get better jobs and faster
promotions.
 COMMON SENSE:
 This is the tricky characteristic that usually separates good journalists from average
journalists in the copy desk world.
 Common sense the ability to think better and think faster, so that you Can make
informed decisions.
 EDITORIAL WRITING AND ITS
IMPORTANCE

 DEFINITION:
 An Editorial is a statement or article by a news organization, newspaper or magazine that
expresses the opinion of the editor, editorial board, or publisher.
 EDITORIAL WRITING GUIDELINES:
 Editorials are generally printed either on their own page of a newspaper or in a clearly
marked-off column, and are always labeled as editorials to avoid confusion with news
coverage.
 They often address current events or public controversies.
 Remember, Editorials fall into four broad types: news, policy, social, and special.
 Most editorial pieces take the form of an essay or thesis, using arguments to promote a
point of view.

 IMPORTANT NOTE: An average editorial is 750 words or less.

 IMPORTANT FACTORS IN EDITORIALS:
 Always have an Introduction, body and conclusion like other news stories.
 An objective explanation of the issue, especially complex issues.
 It’s a timely news angle.
 Opinions from the opposing viewpoint that refute directly the same issue the writer
addresses.
 The opinions of the writer delivered in a professional manner.
 A solid and concise conclusion that powerfully summarizes the writer‘s opinion.

 FUNCTIONS OF EDITORIALS:
 EXPLAIN:
 Editors often use these editorials to explain the way the newspaper covered a sensitive or
controversial subject.
 CRITICIZE:
 These editorials constructively criticize actions, decisions or situations while providing
solutions to the problem identified.
 Immediate purpose is to get readers to see the problem.
 PERSUADE:
 Editorials of persuasion aim to immediately see the solution.
 From the first paragraph, readers will be encouraged to take a specific, positive action.
 PRAISE:
 These editorials commend people and organizations for something done well.
 They are not as common as the other three.

 IMPORTANT THINGS WHILE WRITING EDITORIAL:

 It’s a personal experience, the thesis statement.
 Always Explain the other side of the issue.
 Give Examples to support your point of view.
 Give Reasons for your point of view.
 The last paragraph should restate your thesis statement and end on a positive note.
 WRITING LETTER TO EDITOR

 DEFINITION:
 It’s a unique opportunity to discuss issues or frame the debate on an issue in your own
words.
 For every comment a news outlet receives, they assume there are hundreds, if not
thousands of readers, who feel the same way.
 A few quality letters can carry real weight and make a critical difference.
 A written way of talking to readers of a regularly printed publication.
 Generally found in the first section of the publication or on the editorial page.
 It Can be for or against an issue, or simply to inform.
 IMPORTANT NOTE :Usually less than 300 words.

 WHEN SHOULD WE WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?

 Any time you want to shape public opinion, tell others how you feel about something, or
just inform the public on an issue.
 When we want to start a community conversation about an issue.
 WHY SHOULD WE WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?
 When we are annoyed about something and want others to know.
 An issue is so important that you must speak out.
 To persuade others to take a specific action.
 To suggest an idea to others.
 To influence public opinion and policymakers.
 To educate the public.

 IMPORTANT POINTS:
 Many letters to editors are badly presented, in spite of being written with an eye to
publication.
 Editing should, however, be restricted to removing intemperate statements or examples
of bad taste.
 Spelling mistakes should be corrected but the grammar should not be changed unless the
writer’s point is unclear.
 Letters should be published as soon as possible after receipt and, except in rare cases,
they should be signed.
 Letters to the editor rarely need to be refereed.

 POINTS TO NOTE IN WRITING THE LETTER:

 One opinion or argument in one paragraph.
 Be polite and reasonable.
 Read the instructions carefully– Are you writing comments on a new issue or replying to a
given letter?
 Be sure to include your name, email and phone number with the letter to allow the
editorial staff to contact you if they have questions.
 Do not exceed your newspaper’s word count.
 Most letters to the editor are about 200 words, but can vary.
 Always remember to Underline the heading of you letter.
 BOOK REVIEW

 DEFINITION:
 A written opinion of what you think of a certain book as well as an accompanying
summary.
 Every newspaper has a panel of book reviewers, usually specialists on the subjects, to do
book reviewing for their book review feature.
 The most important qualification of a book reviewer is knowledge on the subject and
general ability to assess the utility of the book from the reader’s point of view.
 The reviewer conveys the comments about the book in a readable and acceptable manner.
 A small review of a book is generally of three to five paragraphs.
 The review usually starts with the name of the book, the name of the publisher, the
number of pages and the price.

 WHAT DOES A BOOK REVIEW CONSIST OF?

▪ It has three parts which includes facts and opinions supported by reasons.
▪ Introduction.
▪ Body.
▪ Conclusion.
 TIPS ABOUT BOOK REVIEWING ARE IMPORTANT:
 A brief description of the objectives of the book.
 Something about the author if the work involves original research or the author has a
standing and status.
 A brief account of what the book tries to highlight.
 A comparison of the book with other important books in the same field.
 An appraisal preferably indirect through description and exposition in terms of the aims
and purposes of the author.

 REVIEWER’S JOB:
 The book reviewer’s function is to tell the readers in short and readably whether the book
is worth reading and if so, why.
 This is an expert’s job and is done by an authority on the subject matter of the book.
 He must take an unbiased view and guide the readers about the utility or otherwise of the
book.
 The main task of the book reviewer is to bring out the main points of the book in a few
sentences.
 The reviewer apprise the readers of what the author has tried to say and bring out in this
respect the reviewer analysis can be a brief capsule of the book, making the review self
sufficient by way of its giving a brief summary both of the contents and argument
contained in the book.
 The skills of the reviewer lies in his ability to hit off his points in a pithy, arresting
opening sentence or paragraph which at once sums up the objectives of the book and give
a glimpse of the nature and content of the publication.
 A good review is generally self-contained and takes the reader along on the journey
through the book.
 By reading the review the reader should get to know what the book is about, what is new
or innovating in it, what is the quality of the writing and such other details.
 An ideal reviewer should convey to its readers a sense of what the book is about, its plot,
characters, whether or not the author has accomplished what he intended to and some
evaluation based upon the reviewer’s standard of writing, taste and experience.
 The reviewer’s task is to give the reader enough information to enable him to decide
whether or not he wants to read the volume under discussion.
 SOME IMPORTANT QUESTION :
 WHY WE WRITE A BOOK REVIEW?
 It’s an easy way to let other people know if you enjoyed a book, or not, and why.
 We could help them to make a choice at the bookshop or in the library.
 IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO INCLUDE:
 THE TITLE:
 If someone wants to read the book, they know what to ask for at the library or the book
shop.
 THE AUTHOR:
 This will also help people to search.

 SUMMARISE THE STORY:

 Give a summary of the main parts of the story.
 Don’t give away any plot twists, or the ending.
 Make the book sound as exciting and interesting as possible.
 WRITING FILM REVIEW

 DEFINITION:
 A film review is written to help you decide whether you would like to see a particular film.
 It should contain information on the story, characters, actors, special effects and
opinions.
 Film review writing is not an easy job as many would think.
 We need patience to watch a film with a critical eye, perceive all the information about it
and then write a detailed film review.
 NOTE:
 A good review is not just a summary of a film, but a critical analysis that examines why
and how a movie works and whether the film succeeds in its presentation.
 WHAT DOES A FILM REVIEW CONSIST OF?
 The kind (Genre) of film.
 The plot.
 The characters.
 Photography.
 Direction.
 Soundtrack.
 Impact on: you personally, other people, young people.
 In it Recommendations are based on: film critics, awards/participation in film festivals.

 REVIEWER’S JOB:
 When writing a film review, always consider who the intended audience is for the film
and the audience you are writing for.
 You should focus your review around a larger argument, such as why the film works or
fails to work and what are both the successful and unsuccessful elements.
 A good review focuses on whether and how a movie works and whether the reviewer
recommends it.
 A good reviewer shows how a film works both psychologically, emotionally, intellectually,
and even spiritually.

 NOTE:
 A good film review uses scenes and dialogue from the film to support its larger argument.
 PRINCIPLES OF FILM REVIEW:
 ALWAYS BE OBJECTIVE:
 When watching a movie, be it a cartoon or an epic, remain objective.
 Pay no attention to the director.
 Ignore any stories or rumors you might have heard about the filming of it.
 Be completely absorbed in the movie, concentrating on the events unfolding onscreen.
 Make your opinions count and do so in a way that’s forceful.
 COMPARE MOVIES:
 To compare the current movie you’re reviewing to one that is already on video/cable or
has been around for dozens of years is a very common practice.
 This shows that you know about movies and allows people who have seen the earlier
movie to know what you’re writing about.

 ASSUME NOTHING:
 Depending on your audience, whether it’s a college newspaper, a local daily, weekly or
monthly publication or an Internet website, use your clearest style of writing.
 You never know who’ll happen to read your review.
 THE STORY:
 After assigning a category such as drama, action/adventure, horror, comedy, etc, we must
give a brief summary of it.

 THE ACTORS & ACTRESSES:

 Analyze their performance in relation to the story.
 Mention past films if appropriate, as this gives the reader an opportunity to explore their
earlier works.
 Don’t get their personal lives mixed up with what they do onscreen.
 THE DIRECTOR:
 Analyze the big director as the same way as you would Judge the average one.
 Keep in mind that this person has a huge undertaking but oftentimes not the complete
power over the project that he/she would like to have.
 THE SCREENWRITER:
 More invisible than the director and usually under-appreciated, the writer is finally
getting a little more recognition for their screenplays.
 The screenwriter has to be able to write dialogue that moves the story along and also
sounds realistic.
 THE PRODUCER:
 This is the persons who gets the movie made, has all the money contacts and ranges from
hands off to being involved in all facets from preproduction to post-production and even
publicity.
 GENRE:
 It means that the film could be action/adventure, comedy, drama, horror, romantic
comedy, science fiction, tragedy, religious.

 RATING SYSTEM:
 You’ve seen those number ratings, the stars, and the thumbs up or down, letter grades.
 You need to come up with something unique, something that represents your love of
movies as well as your own style.
STYLE SHEET: DEFINITION, PURPOSE AND
RELEVANCE

 DEFINITION:
 It is a document that prescribes editorial instruction for editorial staff in a newspaper or
magazine.
 It details the guidelines which the editorial staff need to follow while undertaking
editorial assignments or performing editorial responsibilities.
 It carries guidelines or instruction for both sub editors and reporters.
 It tells them the precautions which are to be taken while writing the copy or editing it.

 PURPOSE:
 It is useful in order to ensure uniformity and harmony in the working of the editorial staff
and in the overall quality of the newspaper.
 It guides the editorial staff whenever they are stuck somewhere, motivates them to
improve the copy and produce a presentable newspaper which is complete and perfect in
every respect.
 NOTE: A Style sheet is a form of separation of presentation and content in desktop
publishing programs that store and apply formatting to text.
 RELEVANCE :
 Style sheets are a common feature in most popular desktop publishing and word
processing programs, including Adobe In Design, PageMaker, QuarkXPress and
Microsoft Word, though they may be referred to using slightly different terminology.
 To apply a style to a portion of text, most programs allow users to select the text with
their mouse and then click on the desired style in the style sheet window.
 The program than applies the stored formatting instantly.
 Style sheets help publications maintain consistency, so common elements such as story
text, headlines and bylines always appear the same.
 Style sheets also help save time allowing a design to click once rather than having to
apply each element one at a time and risking using an incorrect value.
 Style sheets are also useful if a publication decides to make changes to a design - say,
make the story text slightly smaller.
 A user with proper administrative access can make the change to the master style sheet
and then "send" the revised style sheets to all users and the change is automatically
reflected.
 Each newspaper has its set of rules that generally are strictly enforced.
 These are contained in something called a Stylebook.
 At some smaller newspapers, this may be no more than a sheet of paper.
 At larger newspapers, the stylebook may consist of up to two hundred pages and
resemble a dictionary.

 NOTE:
 The style sheet will list the grammatical choices, characters, made-up words, unusual
words, treatment of words, etc. and keep you consistent when making changes.
 Style sheets can be created by the writer, but if they are not, then they are the
responsibility of the copyeditor.
 THANKS
RAHUL JOSHI