NEWS PAPER BY NGETICH- DIP,BACS, MA

Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information.
It is also the product of these activities.

NATURE OF NEWS

• Impact. The potential impact of a story is another way of measuring its relevance and
usefulness. How many people are affected by an event or idea? How seriously does it affect
them? The wider and heavier the impact, the better the story. Sometimes, of course, impact isn’t
immediately obvious. Sometimes it isn’t very exciting. The challenge for good journalism is
making such dull but important stories lively and interesting. That may require relying on the
next three elements.

• Conflict. Conflict is a recurring theme in all storytelling, whether the stories told are
journalism, literature or drama. Struggles between people, among nations or with natural forces
make fascinating reading and viewing. Conflict is such a basic element of life that journalists
must resist the temptation to overdramatize or oversimplify it.

• Novelty. Novelty is another element common to journalism and other kinds of stories. People
or events may be interesting and therefore newsworthy just because they are unusual or bizarre. •
Prominence. Names make news. The bigger the name, the bigger the news. Ordinary people have
always been intrigued by the doings of the rich and famous. Both prominence and novelty can
be, and often are, exaggerated to produce “news” that lacks real relevance and usefulness. For
example, in the days following his death, pop star Michael Jackson received more coverage on
network television than did the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Proximity. Generally, people are more interested in and concerned about what happens close to
home. When they read or listen to national or international news, they often want to know how it
relates to their own community. Some news organizations are turning to hyperlocal coverage as
they seek to reconnect with readers by reporting at the neighborhood level, sometimes by
soliciting contributions from residents or citizen journalists. Independent websites devoted to this
kind of extremely local coverage are springing up across the country. Increasingly, however,
journalists scholars are recognizing that communities organized around a particular interest — a
sport, a hobby or an issue — are at least as important as geographic communities.

• Timeliness. News is supposed to be new. With the Internet and cable and satellite television,
“new” means instantaneous. Events are reported as they happen, and this poses a challenge for
journalists. Speed conflicts with thoughtfulness and thoroughness. Opportunities for error
multiply. Perspective and context are needed today more than ever, but both are more difficult to
supply with little time for thinking. Despite the drawbacks of 24/7 news coverage, it’s clear that
for news to be relevant and useful, it must be timely. For example, it is much more useful to
write about an issue facing the city council before the issue is decided than afterward. Timely
reporting can give people a chance to be participants in public affairs rather than remaining mere
spectators

g) Audience—Who is the audience? The answer to that question helps determine whether an
event is news at all, and if it is, where it will be played in the paper.

ROLES OF NEWS

• Informing the audience: news helps in informing people of what is going around them in
the world. It covers the entire serious topic that every individual has right to know for the
better living. Here topics like politics, business, education, foreign affairs, weather
forecasts etc all are covered. News helps us to inform complicated processes in a simple
way.

• Educating the audience: as discussed above news is used to inform people it is also used
to educate them on the matter which is directly or indirectly related to them. For instance,
there is a happening going on GST in India but many are not aware of exactly what is it so
news helps us to educate on such topics and how it will affect us and others. Editorials and
columns help us to educate ourselves on those topics which we might not acquire easily.

• Guiding the audience: As we all know now from the above points that it helps people
inform and educate there comes guidance through the news. Once the audience is
informed, educated on certain issues then it helps people in guiding but is right and what is
wrong with them. It is a great source of influence on people. Once the audience is
 influenced and start to follow and believe whatever is said by the news is right then the
mission guidance is achieved.

• Interpreting facts and news: people have the tendency to believe written things as it is
believed that anything in written form as more authenticity. Every reporter must keep in
mind to collect their information from different sources before conveying it to the
audience. Before informing it to the audience reporter must go through all the facts
required in the story and interpret them accordingly. The facts must be interpreted
carefully to influence audience rightly and persuade them in the right direction. A good
news means every fact and figure must be looked after keenly and presented in the news
appropriately.

• Source of entertainment: People who have little knowledge of news would think it
carries only serious topics but to balance out its serious nature it tends to also serve as an
entertainment source. This news is usually read, heard and seen in the leisure time. It
covers that news which is light in nature news on fashion, movie reviews, hobby columns,
sports news etc. Entertaining news is gaining a great number of audience as it is attractive
in nature.

• Forming opinions: once the news is published in a newspaper or broadcasted on

television then it acts as the agent of forming opinions. News helps people to build their
opinion on the information given by the news. For example after the incident of 11
September people were influenced by the media and started to have a kind of
Islamophobia and started believing that all Muslims are terrorists. Also during elections
media displays each party in such a way that it creates an image of each party differently
and affect people’s opinions. One more example would be if repetitively we view one
product we tend to form an opinion about it and then take action according to our opinions.

• Spreading Awareness: it helps in spreading awareness regarding what is going on around

the world on serious topics. Politics, health, business and other people-oriented matters.
For say if there is a disease spreading all over a nation then the news plays important role
spread awareness on it and how to prevent ourselves from it. To provide a good news
reporter must look into the matter keenly and increase people’s awareness on such issues.
 • Advertising: At times it happens many news channel show one thing in a repetitive mode.
Therefore it is easy to understand that it is an advertisement of certain things as it is
commercially oriented. Many times there are messages conveyed which are of public
service and for public awareness such as the message on family planning, safety while
driving, blood donation etc but at times the advertisement is commercially oriented
meaning on some products. The advertisement is disliked by many as people believe when
news channels start to show more advertisement they lose their value and forget what their
actual duties are.

ROLES OF JOURNALIST N SOCIETY

Upholding the Truth through Verification

A journalist is responsible for reporting the truth, not because he is inherently unbiased but
because he upholds the importance of objective verification. This means that he should
consistently test every fact used in his story, including researching all information shared with
him by his sources, according to the Pew Research Journalism Project. A strict adherence to
verification ensures that personal and cultural biases don't sneak in and take over reporting.

Unbiased Reporting

A journalist's report should be unbiased, according to Pew's Principles of Journalism. This means
that if he has a financial interest in his subject, he should give the report to someone else. If the
company that owns a news agency has a financial interest in a story, the agency should take extra
care to ensure its reporting is not affected. A journalist's report should present all sides and all
viewpoints on a matter. He should seek more than one source for a story to ensure that multiple
sides are represented. If someone comments on a person, he should seek to get the other person's
response.

Serving the Public as a Watchdog

The journalist's duty is to the public, not the government. Journalists are sometimes referred to as
the fourth branch of the U.S. government for this very reason. They should hold the government
and others in power accountable to the citizens. By being independent from the government, they
can monitor power and serve as an information source and not a propaganda mouth. Journalists
serve as a watchdog to balance government power and hold it accountable to its citizens.

Forum for Public Comment

The journalist provides a forum for public comment, according to Pew. It allows an avenue for
criticizing the government and corporations. Journalists help stir up discussions that might later
lead to change and problem solving. But by serving as a point of public discussion, journalists
must strive to represent all sides of the discussion, not only the richest or loudest voices.

Comprehensive Reporting

As Pew Research states, journalists create a type of map of events, making it easier for citizens
to navigate through the important research. They must strive for proportion in reporting, not
overly sensationalizing entertaining stories or neglecting important issues for the purpose of
getting more viewers. A news agency that hires a diverse staff can more easily achieve such
diverse reporting.

Making Important News Interesting

A news agency must engage its audience to get them to tune in. But it also must find ways to
make significant stories interesting, so that readers and viewers don't miss out on what they need
to know, the Pew Research project states. It should frame important world events in ways that
will be relevant to its audience, while still getting the most important messages across.

Personal Conscience in Reporting

The overarching ethics of journalism should not override each individual journalist's personal
ethics and conscience. A good news agency should allow reporters to have differences of
opinion, as this can lead to more diverse reporting, according to Pew Research. Individuals
should be able to voice their concerns in the newsroom and be governed by their personal
conscience. Diversity should be sought in this way without simply trying to get higher ratings
from day to day.

voice of the voiceless.

Education

SOURCES OF NEWS STORIES

• 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: television telecasts their news on television through which other newspaper
takes there 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 release: 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, color 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 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.

TECHNIQUES OF WRITING NEWS

Write a Great Lede

The lede is your best shot to get readers' attention. Write a great introduction and they're likely to
read on; write a boring one and they'll turn the page. The lede must convey the main points of the
story in 35 to 40 words and be interesting enough to make readers want more.
Write Tight

You've probably heard an editor say that when it comes to news writing, keep it short, sweet, and
to the point. Some editors call this "writing tight." It means conveying as much information as
possible in as few words as possible. It sounds easy, but if you've spent years writing research
papers, where the emphasis is often on being long-winded, it can be difficult. How do you do it?
Find your focus, avoid too many clauses, and use a model called S-V-O, or subject-verb-
object.1:22
Structure It Right
The inverted pyramid is the basic structure for news writing. It simply means that the most
important information should be at the top of your story, and the least important information
should go at the bottom. As you move from top to bottom, the information should gradually
become less important, mostly supporting what came before. The format might seem odd at first,
but it's easy to pick up, and there are practical reasons why reporters have used it for decades.
For one, if your story has to be cut quickly, the editor will go first to the bottom, so that's where
your least vital information should be.
Use the Best Quotes

You’ve done a long interview with a great source and have pages of notes, but chances are you’ll
only be able to fit a few quotes into your article. Which ones should you use? Reporters often
talk about using only “good” quotes for their stories. Basically, a good quote is one in which
someone says something interesting in an interesting way. If it's not interesting in both aspects,
paraphrase it.

Use Verbs and Adjectives Well

There's an old rule in the writing business: show, don't tell. The problem with adjectives is that
they don't always show us anything worthwhile. Ordinary adjectives rarely evoke visual images
in readers' minds and are often a lazy substitute for writing compelling, effective description.
While editors like verbs—they convey action and give a story momentum—too often writers use
tired, overused verbs. Use words that count: Instead of writing that "the fleeing bank robbers
drove quickly through town," write that they "raced down deserted streets."
Practice, Practice, Practice

News writing is like anything else: The more you practice, the better you'll get. While there's no
substitute for having a real story to report and then bang out on a real deadline, you can use news
writing exercises to hone your skills. You can improve your writing speed by forcing yourself to
pound out these stories in an hour or less.

CHAPTER 2 ELEMENTS AND VALUES OF NEWS

News Judgement. This is the process journalists use to determine what is newsworthy based
on eight factors or news values. Consequence. A news value that determines the importance of
a story, also known as "impact.
Nature of news judgement

novelty (oddity, rarity), timeliness, proximity, prominence, conflict, consequence (impact),

currency and human interest.

Values of news-News values are the elements of story that journalists have used for decades to
quickly assess and determine whether an idea or event is worth sharing — and if so, how
prominently.

Timeliness

An event is more newsworthy the sooner it is reported.

Proximity

Events are more newsworthy the closer they are to the community reading about them.

Impact

Events are more newsworthy when they affect a greater number of people.

Prominence

Events are more newsworthy when they involve public figures.

Oddity

Events are more newsworthy the more out of the ordinary they are.

Relevance

Events are more newsworthy when they involve an issue that is top of mind in the public.

Conflict

Events are more newsworthy when they involve disagreement.

Importance of elements /values of news

news values are the somewhat “mythical” criteria set by journalist to judge the newsworthiness of
an event so that our stories can appeal to our “target audience” This makes it easier for journalist to
identify what stories to report.

News values function as guidelines for decision-making and are invoked, unconsciously or
explicitly, at every step of the news process.

Journalists are always on the look-out for strong stories that are in the public interest. Their
knowledge of news values will enable them to select stories that can boost their circulation or
media ratings.

It reflects the style, ethos and ideology of each media outlet and the target audience they wish to
attract. Newspapers, for instance, tend to have a political persuasion that reflects the their
proprietors’ views.

A knowledge of news values also helps public relations professionals to maximise media
coverage of their events. As a result, they can be more effective in boosting their clients’ profile.

A broadly agreed set of criteria or news values enables journalists to spot a newsworthy
story. They provide journalists with a useful tool to quickly sort, process and select news from a
vast amount of available information.

Principles of news

1. Lead Writing

Since readers may not have time to read an entire article, the lead of a story, typically the first
full paragraph, should contain all pertinent information in the article. By reading the lead
paragraph the reader should find the basic who, what, where, when of a story. In short, if the
audience does not have the time to read every article in its entirety, the lead will give them a
summary of the story. This goes along with the inverted pyramid model of an article, in which
the most important information comes first, with the body of the article providing more detailed
facts and analysis as well as secondary facts that may be cut out if necessary. A lead may begin
with a snappy intro to capture the reader’s attention, but a simple opening providing basic facts
can be just as effective. Don’t write a lead paragraph as you would write an introductory
paragraph to an essay. There are differences in style and content. Here is an example of a typical
lead:

A rabid dog attacked Greensburg resident Samuel Miller last Thursday, May 4. Miller was
running near his Fort Allen home when a large Doberman bit his forearm and nearly mauled
him before a passer-by intervened. The dog, which was not wearing a collar, was later caught by
Animal Control.
2. Interviewing

- Research your article subject as well as the person you are going to interview beforehand so
you can be prepared. Thorough research isn’t required but a basic knowledge of whatever topic
you are writing about will show that you are professional and competent. The interview will run
much more smoothly and the subject will be more willing to provide information if he/she thinks
you are well informed. In addition, by knowing more about your source, you will be better
prepared to come up with additional questions during the interview.

- Contact your source as soon as possible and, if at all possible, try to arrange to meet with them
in person. If this is not possible, a phone interview is most desirable since email communication
can be problematic. Interviewing a subject online can cause misunderstandings. It also means
that the interviewer cannot come up with additional questions during the interview. The last
problem of course is that your source may simply ignore an email, while a phone call or personal
meeting is harder to dismiss.

- Always take notes but be sure to stay attentive to your source during the interview. This can be
tricky so try to use a tape recorder, which means you can get accurate quotes without looking
down at your steno pad and writing furiously throughout the interview.

3. Quotes

Using quotes is one of the most important and essential parts of news writing. It is important not
to simply tell the reader what has happened, but to illuminate the facts by providing quotes from
multiple sources, including witnesses and experts on the subject of your article.
Balance your quotes so they are not all one-sided. If the majority of a crowd loved a particular
performance make sure to show this through quotes, but it is also important to find that
representative voice of the minority of people who hated the show.

Don’t quote facts, simply state them. If it is known that the national deficit is 4 billion dollars,
it’s unnecessary to quote the secretary of the treasury when he mentions this in a speech.

Keep quotes in context. Don’t misrepresent your sources. For obvious ethical reasons, don’t
pick and choose pieces of what a source says in an interview to create your own story. It is your
job as a journalist to provide the clearest and most accurate story possible.

- Don’t introduce your quotes by summarizing them.

Ex. Presidential nominee John Smith is elated at the chance to be president. “I’m thrilled to be
nominated,” said Smith.

- Do use quotes to illuminate the information provided beforehand.

Ex. The big oil company defends its monumental profits. “We do not create the high price of oil,
the laws of supply and demand determine those prices,” said Joe Oilman, CEO of Big Oil.

- Remember to introduce your sources - correct example - “I’m not going to resign,” said
secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld; don’t assume that the reader will know who you are
talking about, even if it is a public official.

5. Headlines

The headline of a story needs to capture the attention of a reader as well as to reveal the
substance of the article. Typically the first thing readers do when they pick up a newspaper is
scan the headlines. The headline of a news story needs to be concise, specific and informative. It
also needs to be in the present tense and contain active verbs. No periods come at the end of a
headline and only the first word and any proper nouns should be capitalized. Semicolons and
commas may be used. When placing a quote in a headline use single quotes instead of double
quotes.

Bad
President held meeting
(Too vague and in the past tense)
Good
President Smith addresses Congressional panel about gas prices

Bad
Church helped by service group
(Don’t use passive verbs)

Good
Service club contributes time to local church

Bad
Man is arrested on drunken driving charges
(Don’t use “To be” verbs)

Good
Man arrested on drunken driving charges

Headline Help - This link provides a detailed analysis of headline writing with a long list of Do’s
and Don’ts.

CHAPTER 3 structure of news story

Purpose of news story

News writing informs and entertains readers and listeners. News stories give citizens information
about events happening both in their communities and around the world and therefore play an
essential role in shaping their viewpoints and general ideas.

CONSTRUCTING NEWS STORIES

I. Lead sentence

Grab and hook your reader right away.

II. Introduction

Which facts and figures will ground your story? You have to tell your readers where and when
this story is happening.
 III. Opening quotation

What will give the reader a sense of the people involved and what they are thinking?

IV. Main body

What is at the heart of your story?

V. Closing quotation

Find something that sums the article up in a few words.

VI. Conclusion (optional—the closing quote may do the job)

ROLES OF INVERTED PYRAMID

Illustrate how information should be prioritized and structured in prose

It is a way to communicate the basics about a topic in the initial sentences

To convey, illustrating that this kind of material should head the article,

PROCESS OF WRITING INTRO

At least three of the six classic questions (5 Ws and 1 H) - Who, What, Where, When, Why
and How – should be answered in the intro.

Intros should attract the reader’s attention. News reporters don’t try to build suspense - they do
the opposite and give it all away in the first sentence. It can almost seem like starting at the end
of the story, rather than the beginning.

PARTS OF NEWS STORY

• Headline – tells what the story is about.

• Byline – shows who wrote the story.
• Lead – tells the most important facts (5 W's)
• Body – contains more information and details.
• Ending – gives something to think about.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADS

• The summary lead must stress what is NEWSWORTHY (relevance, usefulness, interest to the
reader) by explaining IMPACT (so what?).
• One clear sentence, not too long, not too short.
• Often uses WHEN or time element to indicate timeliness.
• Often indicates WHERE news occurred in relative not overly specific terms.
NEWS WRITING FLAIR

a uniquely attractive quality,

TECHNIQUES OF SELECTION OF NEWS MATERIALS

OBSERVATION

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.

TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS

The telephone plays an important role in your daily work as a journalist. 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. But regardless of how often you use this method of news gathering,

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. Very few

Navy public affairs offices have adequate reference libraries. To do any extensive research, learn
to use the facilities of the nearest Navy, public or college library. Here you can find the
necessary books, encyclopedias, almanacs, magazines, atlases, directories, indexes and similar
References. The Naval Historical Center (OP-09BH), Washington, D.C., is a good source of
additional information about the Navy.

INTERVIEWS

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.

As a Navy journalist in search of information, you must learn who to get information from and
how to record facts. You 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. In short, you must learn how to get along with people and how to treat them with tact and
understanding while still accomplishing your purpose

CHAPTER 4 NEWS WRITING TECHNIQUES

• Gather the information. Gather the information you need to construct your story. ...
• Find your angle. ...
• Write a strong lede. ...
• Structure your information. ...
• Use quotes. ...
• Write simply. ...
• Verify your sources. ...
• Edit your work.

BASIC NEWS WRITING SKILLS

1, Grammar
There are few things that will turn a reader away quicker than poor writing. Grammar is the most
basic example of this: When words are misspelled, or there is a mismatch between nouns and the
proper tense of verbs, or you have used punctuation incorrectly

Punctuation are the marks in a sentence, question, or comment that clarify its meaning.
Punctuation can be likened to road signs that tell the reader when to stop, go, or slow down.

Begin each sentence with a capital letter. Trains are an interesting way to travel.

Use a period at the end of a statement. Trains are an interesting way to travel.

Use a question mark at the end of a question. Are trains an interesting way to travel?

Use an exclamation mark to indicate excitement. Trains are an interesting way to travel!

A comma ( , ) is used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence or items in a list.

Joan bought apples, peaches, and bananas at the store.

2. Writing Style

Writing style is the way writers compose their work. It may be formal or conversational, but over
time, as the writer hones his or her craft, it is a reflection of their personality and the way they
interact with the audience. A writer's ability and tendency to pen a written piece that sounds
uniquely like him or herself is known as voice. Tone is the attitude that shines through the words.
For example, the tone of a piece of writing may be funny or serious, emotional or dispassionate.
That would depend on the purpose of the writing. Sometimes, tones may be interwoven, such as
when giving a speech.

3.Good Reading Comprehension

Before kids can write, they need to be able to read—which is why good reading comprehension
is such an important skill to have. Reading comprehension entails many things, but at its root, it
is the ability to read a piece of writing and effectively glean its meaning.

For young students, that means they need to be able to:

• Read and know the meaning of many of the words in the text
• Sound out or somehow look up the meaning of words they don’t know
 • Understand how the words in a sentence, paragraph, or full piece of work relate to one
another—and what they mean when taken as a whole entity
4. Sentence and Paragraph Structure
In order to further develop their basic writing skills, students must also learn about the structure
of writing—namely, how to construct a proper sentence and paragraph.

This skill is aided substantially through reading practice, but it’s especially important to focus on
it deliberately because it is an area of writing many children struggle with. As kids learn to write,
they often have a tough time with things like proper tense, placing modifiers and verbs in the
correct places, or writing incomplete and run-on sentences.

5.Editing and Rewriting

Experienced writers will tell you that above all else, writing is rewriting—which means that the
first draft of anything is very rarely what should make it out into the world. Truly quality writing
is born in the revision process, and thus, the ability to edit and rewrite is perhaps the most
important basic writing skill of all that kids should learn.

The need to edit and rewrite a piece of writing might sound like extra work to kids, but it can
actually make the overall process of writing much easier. Knowing that you will go back later to
edit a piece can be freeing, as it removes a lot of the pressure to make it perfect from the
beginning.

CHAPTER5 BASIC REPORTING TECHNIQUES

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1. Research

2. Preparation

You should avoid going into an interview unprepared. Doing so may reflect negatively. Set aside
at least an hour to prepare the day before or on the day of the interview. Here are a few actions to
take when preparing:

Come up with several specific answers.

Make a list of the essential aspects of the job so you have it on hand when answering and asking
questions during the job interview.

Go over your cover letter and resume you provided to the company to ensure you remember how
you initially presented yourself.

Spend several minutes or even hours researching possible interview questions

Practice answering interview questions with a friend or family member so you feel comfortable
when answering questions during the actual interview.

3. Punctuality

4. Professionalism

When arriving at the interview location, use professional language when checking in and
greeting the interviewer. Be polite to everyone you come into contact with, including other
employees and receptionists. The more polite and professional you are in your actions and
words, the more kind and pleasant you can come off to employers.

5. Communication

This includes written, verbal and nonverbal communication skills. A few key tips to keep in
mind when communicating with others during an interview include:

Address the interview by name and ensure you pronounce the name or names correctly.

Begin the interview with appropriate small talk. It's best to come prepared with a few
conversation starters that are professional and conducive to an interview setting.

Avoid interrupting the person you are interviewing with when they are speaking.

Don't use jargon or abbreviated language when speaking with the interviewer.

6. Listening

Listening skills are another important component of a successful interview experience. It's easy
to listen to a person speak, and while doing so to think to yourself how you will respond. While
this may seem wise, it can also prevent you from actually hearing what the other person is
saying. Listen attentively when the hiring manager is speaking, paraphrase what they said either
in your mind or out loud when appropriate and use nonverbal cues such as nodding, making eye
contact and leaning in when the other person is talking.

7. Ask questions

Arrive at the interview prepared with a few questions to ask the interviewer that demonstrates a
genuine interest in the opportunity and provides a chance to further discuss elements of the job
that may not have been covered.

8. Confidence

Confidence has a significant impact on how you are perceived by interviewers. Arrive at the
interview ready to discuss your experience, accomplishments and abilities in a confident way
that conveys your own belief in yourself to perform the duties of the position you applied for.
 Work to exude a balanced and kind sense of confidence rather than simply boasting about your
qualifications.

9. Showing interest

Work to show earnest interest in the organization and position and a passion for your work and
your abilities to complete the duties of the job.

10. Follow-up

Following up soon after an interview is considered crucial by many recruiters and hiring
managers. A simple thank-you card or thank-you email can go a long way to show the
interviewer you are genuinely interested in the position and are grateful for their time. Try to
send a follow-up email or note the same day as the interview or the next day at the latest.

PROCESS OF GATHERING INFORMATION

Step 1: Identify issues and/or opportunities for collecting data

The first step is to identify issues and/or opportunities for collecting data and to decide what next
steps to take. To do this, it may be helpful to conduct an internal and external assessment to
understand what is happening inside and outside of your organization.

• Are equity, diversity and inclusiveness supported, reflected and promoted by senior leaders
throughout the organization?
• Are performance measures in place to motivate the achievement of an organization’s strategic
human resources, human rights, equity and diversity goals?
• Do employees feel that the organization is diverse, inclusive, and provides equal opportunity for
learning and advancement?
• How are decisions made?
Step 2: Select issue(s) and/or opportunity(ies) and set goals

The organization reviews the issues and/or opportunities identified from the internal and external
assessment done in Step 1, and picks one or more specific issues and/or opportunities for starting
 a data collection project from among the list of priorities. Some of the questions an organization
can consider when deciding to prioritize an issue and/or opportunity for gathering data include:

Step 3: Plan an approach and methods

In Step 3, organizations will make decisions about who will be surveyed, how data will be
collected, the sources of data that will be used, and the duration of the data collection project,
among other questions. These decisions may be made in consultation with an expert. The
methods and approaches will flow from the goals set in Step 2, and will vary significantly
depending on a number of factors, including the organization’s context, size, resources, and the
purpose and complexity of the issue(s) or opportunity(ies) selected.

Some of the questions to consider at this stage include:

Step 4: Collect data

Implementing a data collection plan requires attention to matters such as:

• Designing a communication and consultation strategy that will explain the data collection
initiative and encourage the highest possible participation rate.
Step 5: Analyze and interpret data

Step 5 involves analyzing and interpreting the data collected. the analysis can be complex, or less
so, depending on the methods used and the amount of data collected.

Explaining the technical steps involved in analyzing and interpreting data is beyond the scope of
this guide. An organization will have to determine whether it has the internal capacity and
expertise to analyze and interpret data itself, or whether it will need the help of an external
consultant.

A smaller organization that has basic data collection needs may be able to rely on internal
expertise and existing resources to interpret the meaning of gathered data.

After deciding to do an internal and external assessment (Step 1), and gather qualitative data
using focus groups and interviews with current and past employees, senior leadership decides
that barriers exist for women in the organization’s recruitment, hiring, promotion and human
 resources policies, processes and practices. Efforts are made to work with female employees,
human resources and other staff to address these barriers. The organization makes a commitment
to foster a more equitable, inclusive work environment for all employees.

Step 6: Act on results

Once an organization has analyzed and interpreted the results of the data collected, it may decide
to act on the data, collect more of the same type of data or modify its approach.

Quantitative and qualitative information can provide a solid basis for creating an effective action
plan designed to achieve strategic organizational human resources, human rights, equity and
diversity goals identified through the data collection process. If an organization feels it has
enough information to develop an action plan, it should consider including the following
elements:

• a summary of the results of the analysis and interpretation of the data

•
TECHNIQUES OF WRITING SHORT NEWS

1.==They need to be coherent, grammatically correct, and have proper spelling. And, no matter
the length, they need to tell a story.

That means they both need to have these elements: inciting incident, rising action (progressive
complications), climax, and falling action.

2. Start as close to the end as possible

Newspaper articles include the entirety of the story as close to the opening of the article as
possible. Why? Because giving a reader the details upfront is one way to let them know whether
they want to read on.

Good short story writers do this as well, sharpening their opening lines and paragraphs to ensure
readers are pulled in off the bat, and keep reading.
So, get the reader right into your unfolding story. Bypass the “before” and the “also related” and
the “vaguely interesting thing that is also true of my character’s life” snapshots.

Make the plot obvious.

3. Keep up the pace

A fast pace is essential for short stories. Normally, the pace increases as the hero approaches the
final conflict. Since a short story starts close to the final conflict, it needs to hit the ground
running and catapult the reader headlong into the action from page one.

4. Keep the number of characters small

It’s difficult to properly develop a larger number of characters in a short story, and it's hard for a
reader to keep track of them.

A short story only needs three characters The reader needs someone to cheer on, someone to
hate, and, occasionally, someone who serves to advance the character arc for either the
protagonist or antagonist.

6. Suggest a backstory but don’t elaborate

Even though you may not describe much of the backstory on paper, you need to have it worked
out in your head. You need to understand a character’s motivation to write a compelling story.

Instead, draw in your readers with tight dialogue, tension, and by engaging their senses.
7. Appeal to the five senses

Don't restrict your readers to only the visual experience of your story. Transport them into your
world by letting them touch, smell, taste and hear it. This is what we mean when we say, "Show,
don't tell." Invite your readers to explore the full breadth of what your world has to offer, as if
they were really there.

10. Edit until it hurts

No matter how good a writer thinks their story is, it can be made more concise and compelling.
To be a good writer, one needs to be a ruthless editor.

Some ways to do that...

• Combine characters where possible.

• Delete transitory scenes and get right to the meat of the story.

• Show, remember, don’t tell.

• Get rid of repetitive words.

• Toss out unnecessary adverbs and adjectives.

• Make every sentence count.

NOSE FOR NEWS

A “nose for news” means the instinctive skill or facility for discovering things. In journalism,
specifically, it means the ability to ferret out newsworthy things from routine or trivial day-to-
day activities or occurrences. A person who has a nose for news is naturally inquisitive and with
a strong interest in affairs or events other than those that involve himself or herself. When you
have a strong nose for news,

that means you have the potential to become a news reporter someday, whether for your campus
paper or for the mass media.
CHAPTER 6-SOURCES OF NEWS

TYPES OF NEWS SOURCES

Some Best News Sources in Journalism

The major news sources for journalist are Radio T.V. newspapers and magazines, their own
correspondents, press, interviews, press conferences, police stations, courts and handouts, press
releases and press notes:

Radio
Almost all newspapers in the country monitor news from the major foreign radio networks and
publish the information. They also true in to listen to the national broadcast for news. The
newspaper benefits them from the radio news because they are considered to be the latest.
Moreover, it does not cost them anything by way of money. The authenticity of the news
broadcast by a radio is generally taken for granted.

Television
Another important source of news the newspapers listen to the news telecast by TV. The news
telecast by T.V. is also carry the reputation of evening authentic. Besides supplying the news, the
T.V. reports give a pictorial view of an event. The T.V establishments generally enter into
agreements for mutual exchange of film reports with one another. These reports when telecast
give sufficient material to newspaper to convey information to the readers.

Newspaper and Magazines

The newspapers and magazines, both in national and international contain good material for
publication by the newspapers. Stories are published by a newspaper from interviews published
in the magazines. The newspapers also themselves from the news published by the newspaper at
other stations. Similarly the magazines and newspapers published abroad are also definite by the
newspapers. The newspapers derive benefit from reports appearing in foreign press.

Correspondents
The newspaper has their own correspondents based inside and outside the country. The
correspondents keep in touch with their respective organization and reports events of their
newspapers interest. The newspapers have a subdivision of different fields and reporters. The
newspaper major specialized or general correspondents. They report their sources and
correspondents to keep their organization informed about the latest news. The reporters are based
in the same city whereas the correspondences are based outside the place of publication of the
newspaper.

Press Interviews
One yet another important source of the news for the newspaper. Interviews are secured to obtain
information pertaining to different activities and fields. Men in the news are interviewed subject
to the requirement of the newspapers for securing publicity material.

Press Conferences
Newspapers give new coverage to the press conferences addressed by various personalities. The
press conferences addressed are called or arranged by personalities who want to make some
point known to the public. A statement is made at the start of the press conference explaining the
precise reason for calling the press conference. Later on questions are invited from the newsmen
to clear their doubts or for further elucidation of the points made in the press conference earlier.

Police Stations
One of the major and bests sources of news is police stations. Almost every occurrence, every
case and incident is reported in news reporter establish ‘links with police stations to secure
information. Every evening the reporter ring up the police stations for information on registration
of new cases. On getting the due from the police stations the reporters precede further to get
more
information. —

Hospitals and Courts

Another big source is the hospitals from where news of cases regarding accidents etc., are
known. A person can file a case against another, like the complaint against the police and this
information can be had not from the reader out also from attendance in court.
Handouts
All the documents containing information which are circulated for general information. They
handouts may be issued by an organization to convey information to the public at large. The
handouts now a days are being issued contain material in respect of activities of the Govt., and
government organization. They contain material in respect of the Govt. in various fields. The
newspapers may or may not publish the information contained in the handout. The handout
highlights the activities of the Govt., in different fields. They contain information about tours of
minister and appointments of officers. Handouts are also issued by the agencies attached with the
Govt. and the corporate bodies.

Press Note
It is issued by the Govt. whenever some information in categorical terms or unambiguous terms
is to be provided to the general public. They contain information on specific matters in which the
Govts. firms stand is to be explained. They are to be published by the newspaper in the manner
they are received by them. No change in the content or manner is to be affected in it by the
newspaper. They are considered to be the last word on Govts. View point. They are not issued as
frequently .by government as the handouts. They are issued whenever a need for high lighting
government firm stand arises.
Press Releases
Press Relations contains press releases information pertaining to the activities of different
organizations and establishment. The press releases are issued whenever these organizations
want to reach the public through the information media. They are issued on behalf of the
organization. Concerned their office bearers on the spokesmen, they are always in the form of
writing material meant for circulation to the press. They may contain ambiguous or categorical
information in respect of their activities.

Press Statements
Whenever someone in his individual or representative capacity Lirses to make his point known
through media, he reaches the press with a written statement and it is called a press statement.
The statement must be issued by a person having some position in some organization or has
attained distinction in one or the other. The statement is sent to the newspaper and it is used by
them as subject to their interest in it.
ROLES OF NEWS SOURCES

Sources help journalists gain knowledge about events, people, places and trends.

Sourcing information also helps journalists build trust with the public. Journalists do not have a
right to protect their sources in the way that lawyers or doctors have rights to protect patient or
client information, however thereare still steps that reporters take to keep their sources safe.

Advertisers also use sources for customertestimonies and other uses of outside, expert
information about a product. Public relations professionals often act as sources for reporters,
which makes it important for them to understand the relationship between sources and journalists

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.

TOPIC 7 NEWS WRITING TECHNIQUES

News style, journalistic style, or news-writing style is the prose style used for news reporting in
media such as newspapers, radio and television.

News writing attempts to answer all the basic questions about any particular event—who, what,
when, where and why (the Five Ws) and also often how—at the opening of the article. This form
of structure is sometimes called the "inverted pyramid", to refer to the decreasing importance of
information in subsequent paragraphs.

News stories also contain at least one of the following important characteristics relative to the
intended audience: proximity, prominence, timeliness, human interest, oddity, or consequence.

IMPORTANCE ,
news writing strives to be intelligible to the majority of readers, engaging, and succinct. Within
these limits, news stories also aim to be comprehensive. However, other factors are involved,
some stylistic and some derived from the media form.

You will be more productive.

You will be more productive.ou will communicate with clarity. Unlike talking, when you write
you look for more sophisticated words and expressions to describe what you have in mind. This
helps you build a structure that will allow you to express yourself better and communicate
complex ideas in a much more effective wa

NEWS WRITING STYLES FOR DIFFERENTS MEDIA

Headline

Main article: Headline

The headline (also heading, head or title, or hed in journalism jargon[3]) of a story is typically a
complete sentence (e.g., "Pilot Flies Below Bridges to Save Divers"), often with auxiliary verbs
and articles removed (e.g., "Remains at Colorado camp linked to missing Chicago man").
However, headlines sometimes omit the subject (e.g., "Jumps From Boat, Catches in Wheel") or
verb (e.g., "Cat woman lucky").[4]

Subhead

A subhead (also sub-headline, subheading, subtitle or deck) can be either a subordinate title
under the main headline, or the heading of a subsection of the article.[5][full citation needed] It is
a heading that precedes the main text, or a group of paragraphs of the main text. It helps
encapsulate the entire piece, or informs the reader of the topic of part of it. Long or complex
articles often have more than one subheading. Subheads are thus one type of entry point that help
readers make choices, such as where to begin (or stop) reading.

Lead

Further information: Lead paragraph

Press release of the Swiss government. Typical structure with title, lead paragraph (summary in
bold), other paragraphs (details) and contact information.

The most important structural element of a story is the lead (also intro or lede in journalism
jargon), including the story's first, or leading, sentence or two, which almost always form its own
paragraph. The spelling lede (/ˈliːd/, from Early Modern English) is also used in American
English, originally to avoid confusion with the printing press type formerly made from the metal
lead or the related typographical term "leading".[6]

Charney states that "an effective lead is a 'brief, sharp statement of the story's essential
facts.'"[7][full citation needed][clarification needed] The lead is usually the first sentence, or in
some cases the first two sentences, and is ideally 20–25 words in length. A lead must balance the
ideal of maximum information conveyed with the constraint of the unreadability of a long
sentence. This makes writing a lead an optimization problem, in which the goal is to articulate
the most encompassing and interesting statement that a writer can make in one sentence, given
the material with which he or she has to work. While a rule of thumb says the lead should answer
most or all of the five Ws, few leads can fit all of these.

Nutshell paragraph

Main article: Nut graph

A nutshell paragraph (also simply nutshell, or nut 'graph, nut graf, nutgraf, etc., in journalism
jargon) is a brief paragraph (occasionally there can be more than one) that summarizes the news
value of the story, sometimes bullet-pointed and/or set off in a box. Nut-shell paragraphs are
used particularly in feature stories (see "Feature style" below).

Paragraphs

Main article: Paragraph

Paragraphs (shortened as 'graphs, graphs, grafs or pars in journalistic jargon) form the bulk of an
article. Common usage is that one or two sentences each form their own paragraph.

Kicker

A kicker can refer to multiple things:

The last story in the news broadcast; a "happy" story to end the show.[13][14][15]

A short, catchy word or phrase accompanying a major headline, "intended to provoke interest in,
editorialize about, or provide orientation"[16]

langauge of media

Media Language – The Grammar of Film

Media language is the way in which the meaning of a media text is conveyed to the audience.

One of the ways Media Language works is to convey meaning through signs and symbols
suggested by the way a scene is set up and filmed.

Signs and symbols in media texts are polysemic which means they are open to many
interpretations. The different possible meanings in media texts depend on two things. The first is
the way the signs and symbols in the text are ‘read’. The second is the cultural background of the
person ‘reading’ the text.

For film and television media language includes the way meaning comes across through the
pictures and through the words or dialogue. Seeing the characters in a moving image text allows
meaning to come across as non verbal communication. This includes the gestures, facial
expressions, clothing and props in a film as well as where the characters are placed in the frame.
Media language includes the way the camera sees the scene through shot size and camera angle.
It is also possible under the heading of media language to analyse the way the actors interpret the
script.

Camera Work

Where the camera is placed is very important for how the audience understands a scene. The
juxtaposition of the shots – in the script and the edit completes their understnding of what’s
happening.

Often scenes have and need an establishing shot – which is not necessarily the first shot of the
scene – to establish the place and context of the action. The decison whether to use an
establishing shot and when will be made at the editing stage of the process – even though it will
be suggested in the shooting script. An establiging shot is often (but not always) a long shot so
that the audience can see enough to understand the context of the action.

Sound

Media Language involves the use of sound and music to convey meaning and often to work on
the emotional impact of a scene. The soundtrack of a film is a very complex mix of: dialogue
recorded on location.

dialogue recorded on location

dialogue recorded after filming, and dubbed in sync with the lip movement of the actors –
virtually all the dialogue on major movies is post- synched in a dubbing studio to get a very clean
high definition sound.

diagetic sound or music. Sound or music that is recorded on location as it happens.

non-diagetic sound or music. Pre-recorded music or sound that is added to the soundtrack during
the audio editing process.

We can call everything that is put in a scene by a French word mise-en-scène, which literally
means put on the stage. This is a handy phrase once you know how to spell it because it includes
all the elements of acting, location, set, production design, costume and make up, that are put in a
scene to contribute to the meaning of the scene. How do you analysemis-en-scène?

We see the world through our two eyes, and our brain interprets what we see as a three
dimensional image with depth and perspective. A camera only sees the world as a two-
dimensional image, which means the picture on the screen is noticeably flatter than it would be
in real life.

Lighting

Things to look for in lighting:

Is the lighting hard,lots of dark shadows and hard edges,as in film noir, or soft where the scene
appears cosy and the light is diffused and may be slightly misty.

Where does the main or key light come from? Does it come from more less where the camera is
placed or from the side? It may come from an obvious source such as a street light or from the
back to give silhouettes, or the side to be dramatic and emphasise facial features.

Editing

The editing of a moving image product is the final area of media language to look at. Modern
editing of film and video is on computer editing software such as Avid or Final Cut Pro.
This is a non-linear digital process allowing the editor to put pictures and sound together in any
order and in any way he or she chooses.

There are a huge number of video effects that can be used, and because everything is in the
digital domain Computer Generated Images (CGI) can be added.

TOPIC 8 : NEWS STORIES

TYPES OF NEWS STORIES

1. Straight news/Hard news

Stories that report only the most essential information in a concise and impartial manner are
referred to as straight or hard news stories. This type of story typically follows the inverted
pyramid style, which organizes information by descending order of importance or places the
most newsworthy information at the beginning of the article. This style will be discussed in more
detail below. Examples of hard news stories include those about political topics and crime.

2Features

The primary difference between a feature story and a straight news story is the style. A feature
article is more in-depth than a traditional hard news article and uses the types of storytelling
devices and details that you might find in novels. Feature stories are considered soft news and do
not focus merely on the basic facts.

Writers typically have more flexibility to use a wider range of formats, provide rich descriptions,
and include scene-setting anecdotes. Features often are given more space on the page and are
accompanied by pictures, illustrations, graphics, maps, and other visual components. A profile of
an athlete or a political figure is an example of a feature article.

3 Editorial Opinion
An editorial is an opinion about a news topic. It is written by the newspaper's editorial staff to
urge readers to endorse a particular point of view or take some action. Editorials are not
objective coverage and they are not news. They are brief, informed, reasoned arguments in favor
of or against a position, idea or development. A paper may support legalizing medical marijuana
or allowing drilling for energy resources on government land, for example. Editorials are often
discussed among the papers' editors, with one editor assigned the job of writing the opinion. An
editor may propose an idea based on news of the day or on their own expertise and interest. Less
frequently, the paper's ownership requests an editorial with a specific point of view. Political
endorsements during campaigns are editorials. The page following it is usually the opinion page,
which contains regular and guest columns, as well as letters to the editor from the public.

4 Analysis and Columns

Analyses are interpretive articles that examine the way an event might affect people or places.
These are typically handled by subject-area experts who can bring in-depth knowledge to a topic.
Analytic articles feature a wider spectrum of interviews and research to complement a top news
story or explore a developing trend. Columns do something similar. Columnists are experts who
write about subjects that engage them, freely expressing their own points of view in their own
words. Most columns appear on a regular schedule -- generally once or twice weekly -- and
observe a strict word count to facilitate layout of the opinion pages or the design of a specific
section, such as arts or sports.

5 Investigative news story: this is a type of news that focuses on the pursuit of information
that has been concealed. It requires digging out of fact, the reporting handling investigative
reporting is called undercover reporters.

6 Interpretative news story: this is a form of a story in which the reporter is free to interpret
the news the way he or she views it. He/she is allowed to inject bias but experts opinion,
editorialize and pass comments on the fact being reported.

In-depth news story: this is a complete quality news reporting, it needs the full treatment
and it needs background. An in-depth news story requires creative thinking and deep imagination
on the part of the reporter and writer.
Developing story

TOPIC 9 PREPARATION OF ANEWS COPY- preparing your documents in the correct

way.

A. Factors influencing copy preparation.

media owners,

media managers,

editorial policies,

content

B. Purpose and the use of style book in copy preparation

style·book
A. A book giving rules and examples of usage, punctuation, and typography, used in
preparing copy for publication.

LEGAL CONSIDERATION IN COPY PREPARATION

1. Avoid Plagiarism

I shouldn’t have to say it, but I do. Do not, under any circumstances, copy someone else’s work
and try to pass it off as your own. Doesn’t matter if it’s a book, a blog, or an academic journal; if
you didn’t write it, don’t publish it. Familiarize yourself with fair use standards if you’re quoting
a source, or someone else’s research, and always make sure that you give credit where credit is
due.

2. Credit Sources

Even when you’re not using someone’s actual words, it’s important to credit sources for
anything. If you’re writing an article for a local newspaper and you use statistics from your
local police department, credit the police department. Not only does it protect you from
plagiarism accusations, it protects you from some liability if you happen to publish
misinformation based on someone el

4. Avoid Defamation

If someone can identify your work as having cost them finances, relationships, employment, or
reputation, they can sue you. In many cases, they don’t even have to prove that it did, just that it
could have been the cause. Many people think that they can protect themselves by changing
names and identifying characteristics, but if someone familiar with you or the individual in
question can make the connection, it can still be considered defamation.

5. When in Doubt, Make it Fiction

Novels are so much more fun to write anyway. If you want to avoid any legal issues relating to
sharing a real-life story or memoir, consider turning it into a work of fiction entirely. This allows
you much more room to play with names, locations, descriptors, and any other information that
might be used to identify actual people and events. If you want to be certain that it can’t be
traced to you, you can even publish your work under a pseudonym.

se’s information.

TOIPC 10- FINE TUNING NEWS STORIES

a. Ways of making news story to be understand

b. Use of action verb-
What are action verbs: An action verb is a word that expresses physical or mental action.
Action verbs or action words in resumes are used to present responsibilities &
achievements and make the sentence complete in an effective manner. They help the
writer to create more impactful sentences, which are easier to read & comprehend.
- Action verbs are more likely to grab the attention of the hiring manager, setting you
apart from other candidates and increasing the likelihood that they will take a more in-
depth look at your application package.
 - Action words can help you understand how impactful they can be when added to your
own resume.
- The action verbs give the reader a clear understanding of what is happening.
Action verbs have impact and provide instant information. They help the reader picture
the subject engaged in the activity in a clear, precise manner. Additionally, action verbs
aid the flow of an article or talk eliminating the need for throwaway transitional words
such as “also.”
c. sentences and tense in news writing

1. sentence= set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject and predicate,
conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or command, and consisting of a main clause and
sometimes one or more subordinate clauses.
o

2. 2.
the punishment assigned to a defendant found guilty by a court, or fixed by law for a particular
offence.
TYPES

Simple Sentences

A simple sentence contains a single independent clause—that is, a subject and a predicate that
form a complete thought:

It is an ice cream cone.

The girl bought an ice cream cone.

A simple sentence can contain more than one verb

Compound Sentences

A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating

conjunction (and, but, yet, for, or, nor, or so), a conjunctive adverb
(e.g., however, furthermore, likewise, rather, therefore), or a semicolon:

The girl bought an ice cream cone, but she dropped it in the park.

Complex Sentences

A complex sentence contains one or more dependent clauses attached to an independent clause.
The dependent clauses are connected to the independent clause through subordinating
conjunctions (e.g., because, after, when) or relative pronouns (who, which, that).

After she bought an ice cream cone, the girl went to the park.

Compound-Complex Sentences

A compound-complex sentence contains one or more dependent clauses attached to one or more
independent clauses.

After she bought an ice cream cone, the girl, who had a freckled face and wore a striped
shirt, went to the park, but she was knocked over by a large dog, which ate her treat, so she ran
home to her mother, who made her an ice cream sundae

Tense

A property of verbs in which the time of the action or state, as well as its continuance or
completion, is indicated or expressed.

Present=In news discourse, the present tense is used conventionally to refer either to events
which occurred in the past, or to present events
in addition to present events, it can also express future and past events. In this sense, the present
tense is atemporal. Although future reference of the present tense is usually complemented with
an adverbial of time

Readability

What do you mean by readability?

Readability refers to how easy it is to read and understand a text, depending on its unique
features.
Importance

Aiming for high readability improves the likelihood that the reader will clearly understand your
thoughts and ideas.

High readability lessens misunderstanding and

Lets the reader easily process the information that you’ve shared without expending a lot of
energy.

TOPIC 11. GATHERING AND REPORTING NEWS

Some of equipment journalists used.

1. Grammarly

Every story, no matter how great or amazing it is, can be ruined by bad grammar. This is why
you need a browser extension called Grammarly.

It is designed to spot spelling errors, punctuation errors and other forms of bad grammar. You
can use it while writing or afterwards to proofread your draft. There is a free plan for basic
corrections and two advanced plans for.

2. Google Docs
Google docs are another great writing tool. You can use its built-in dictionary to improve your
writing. It also offers the option of sharing your work with your colleague or editor who can not
only view but edit it.

An additional reason to use it is that it allows you to use the Grammar extension on it.

3. Otter Voice Notes

No matter how digital the world gets, a good journalist will always need a notepad and a
recorder. Thanks to technology, you can get both from Otter. This app gives you a voice recorder
that offers automatic transcription.

Instead of having to jot down your ideas or interviews, all you have to do is speak into it and it
transcribes for you. This is really helpful for those long interviews that take days to transcribe.

Roles of reporters in reporting

A reporter is one who observes the passing show in the widest sense of the word and pictures its
detail for the benefit of the whole society.

A reporter may be accurate, conscientious, a good citizen and take part in molding the views of
other people, but he cannot play his part successfully unless he keeps his eyes open and his mind
attuned to the present, future as well as the past. He is a leader of men in many senses of the
word.

He must not express his own views in what he writes-he must know in most sets of
circumstances-but everything he writes must express his mind and its condition. He holds up a
mirror and how much clouded or clear it is, depends on the truth or a twist of the truth which he
makes in accordance with his nature and mental equipment.

He must organize his knowledge and codify it. He must understand the principles of government
in general and in some details.
He must know general history, particularly the history of his area. Though he can pick up these
things as he goes along his duty, it is better for him to supplement his knowledge by a planned
study.

A reporter is the gatherer of news, and as such performs an important function in a newspaper
establishment. As he has to gather news, he is required to be on the move most of the time
usually within the area allotted to him.

He has to interview persons and attend public functions and meetings, press conferences and law
courts to investigate events of public interest, to collect news and to ascertain news on
contemporary events.

The nature of the job being such, an ‘up-and -doing” type of person proves successful in this
line. Naturally, persons who prefer fixed working hours and regular routine in daily life are
unsuitable for this job.

His work changes daily; as such he should be prepared to handle any assignment and move
anywhere. He should have special knack of meeting all sorts of people in all types of
circumstances.

A person of snobbish, apish and patronizing temperament has little or no chance of success in
this line. A shy and a reserved type of young person is totally unfit to become a successful
reporter. He must possess abundant self-confidence, so as not to be over-awed by the rank or
position of an individual. He should be a man of initiative and should not be easily disheartened
or discouraged.

He should possess mental and physical perseverance. He should be able to grasp the situation
quickly and reduce it into writing in the shortest time and in a readable form. But while reporting
news he must be able to judge its authenticity and then report the news so collected with absolute
honesty. The narrative should be attractive so that the readers should enjoy reading it.

He should be able to record the happenings and incidents in a condensed form, as he has to take
into account the space available in the newspaper for it. Suppose, he has to write a report on
some important meeting which lasted for over two hours. In such a circumstance, he must have
an eye for the important discussions/ decisions which are to be included in the report, omitting
all other unimportant/irrelevant matter.

He must be temperamentally so framed that he does not get irritated, even if at times he has to
wait for hours to meet an important person or come across an event. When a news-worthy
occasion does come he should be able to grasp it quickly, and write it out with great speed.

Collecting, verifying and analyzing thoroughly newsworthy information

Assembling findings into a stable story

Writing and delivering news stories with the reader’s perspective in mind

METHODS OF GATHERING NEWS

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recognize the most commonly used methods of gathering Navy news.

The four most commonly used methods in news gathering used journalists are observation, telephone
conversations, research and interviews.

OBSERVATION

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.

TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS

The telephone plays an important role in your daily work as a journalist. 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. But regardless of how often you use this method of news gathering, you should keep the
following points in mind:

l Know what information you want before you dial. Keep your pencil and paper handy. Do not call
someone and then ask that person to wait while you look for writing materials.

INTERVIEWS

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.

As a journalist in search of information, you must learn who to get information from and how to
record facts. You 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.
In short, you must learn how to get along with people and how to treat them with tact and
understanding while still accomplishing your purpose.

THE INTERVIEWING PROCESS

Preparing for the Interview

  Research: Do as much research as possible. If you’re going to interview, say, a
cardiologist about heart attacks, read up and make sure you understand terms such as
“cardiac arrest.” A well-prepared reporter inspires confidence in the source.
 Developing Questions: Once you’ve thoroughly researched your topic, prepare a list of
questions to ask. That will help you remember all the points you want to cover.

Keys to a Successful Interview

 Establish a Rapport: When starting out, don’t abruptly launch into your questions.
Chitchat a little first. Compliment your source on her office, or comment on the weather.
This puts your source at ease.
 Keep It Natural: An interview can be uncomfortable, so keep things natural. Instead of
mechanically reading out your list of questions, weave your queries naturally into the
flow of the conversation. Also, maintain eye contact as much as possible. Nothing is
more unnerving to a source than a reporter who never looks up from his notebook.
 Be Open: Don’t be so focused on getting through your list of questions that you miss
something interesting. For instance, if you’re interviewing the cardiologist and she
mentions a new heart-health study that’s coming out, ask about it. This may take your
interview in an unexpected — but newsworthy - direction.
 Maintain Control: Be open, but don’t waste your time. If your source starts to ramble on
about things that are of no use to you, politely — but firmly — steer the conversation
back to the topic at hand.
 Wrapping Up: At the end of the interview, ask your source if there’s anything important
that you hadn’t asked about. Double-check the meanings of any terms they used that
you’re unsure about. And always ask if there are other people they recommend that you
speak with.

RISK OF NEWS GATHERING AND REPORTING

a situation involving exposure to danger.

Journalists can face violence and intimidation for exercising their fundamental right to freedom
of expression.
The range of threats they are confronted to include murder, kidnapping, hostage-taking, offline
and online harassment, intimidation, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and torture.

Women journalists also face specific dangers and are especially vulnerable to sexual assault,
"whether in the form of a targeted sexual violation, often in reprisal for their work; mob-related
sexual violence aimed against journalists covering public events; or the sexual abuse of
journalists in detention or captivity. Many of these crimes are not reported as a result of powerful
cultural and professional stigmas."[1][2]

Increasingly, journalists, and particularly women journalists, are facing abuse and harassment
online, such as hate speech, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, doxing, trolling, public shaming and
intimidation and threats.[2]