ITJ 1 - My Notes PDF

ITJ-1 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF JOURNALISM Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The appropriate role for journalism varies from cou...

ITJ-1 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF JOURNALISM Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The appropriate role for journalism varies from countries to country, as do perceptions of the profession, and the resulting status. In some nations, the news media are controlled by government and are not independent. In others, news media are independent of the government and operate as private industry. In addition, countries may have differing implementations of laws handling the freedom of speech, freedom of the press as well as slander and libel cases. Defn- The activity of gathering, assessing, creating and presenting of news through various mediums like newspaper, TV, Magazines, social media and books is called journalism. It is also the product of these activities. The word journalism was originally used for presenting news in printed from specifically newspapers but with the advent of technology its meaning got broadened. NEWS? According to William Rivers News is the timely reporting of events, facts and opinions that interests a significant number of people. Two words are worth noticing here “timely” and “interests”. If a reporting is done on time but it lacks interests it’s not news and vice a versa. It contains 5Ws and 1H i.e., who, where, when, why, what and how. *News ingredients: - What makes news - New, unusual, interesting, significant and not always about people. The basis criteria by which news is judged are: News is new: News is always new. Death of renowned Odia singer Askhaya Mohanty is news on the day it happened or at the very best the next day. However, it is not going to be published in day after tomorrow‘s newspaper, because it is no longer n ̳ ew information‘. However, if some new information about his death is found, it can be reported. Events that happened earlier can still be news, they are not reported before. If the information is in public domain, it cannot be called news. If it is reported for the first time, irrespective of the time when it took place, it will be news. News is unusual: There are many things happening around us. But all of them are not news. As we discussed above, a girl going to the school is a usual thing; nothing special about it. But if the girl is the first girl from the community or region to attend a school, it is unusual and will make news. The classic definition of news is as follows: ―Dog bites man is not news; ―Man bites dog is news. News is interesting: Even if an event is new and unusual, it may not be news, if it lacks people‘s interest. One boy from your village gets first class. This might be a new and unusual thing in your village. But it is unlikely to interest anybody other than your villagers or family members of the boy. However, if the boy is a state topper, it will generate interest of entire state and can be covered as news by the media. News is significant: In addition to being new, unusual and interesting, news is always significant. Let‘s consider, a member of a political party announces that rice would be provided at one rupee per KG in villages. This has least significance and will not be news. But if the same announcement is made by Chief Minister of the State, it will be news, because, an announcement from a Chief Minister is always significant. News is not always about people: Most news is automatically about people as most of the events always involve people, directly or indirectly. Human beings are not always the prime actors in all events. Sometimes non-human entities like cyclone, a bush fire, a drought or an earthquake can also become news when it affects people‘s lives. News is always reported in terms of people. N ̳ ews‘ is a dynamic concept. It changes with time. It also varies from society to society. A girl going to the school in a capital town may not be news. But a girl from a tribal community going to school may be news. Prior to advent of internet and TV Channels, an event that happened yesterday was news. But in the present era of twenty four hour news channels, what is news in the morning is stale by the afternoon. *Nature of News News exists in the minds of people. It is not an event, it is something perceived after the event. It is not identical with the event, it is an attempt to reconstruct the essential framework of the event- essential being defined against a frame of reference which is calculated to make the event meaningful to the reader. For, to be correctly termed as the ‘News’, any information must be factual, new and interesting. There must be facts to report; without facts, there can be no news. It is important that these facts must be new to the reader, listener and the viewer. Again, news is what’s being published on the news pages of newspapers, and magazines, broadcast on radio and telecast on television networks, or put out on the Internet. News is also about the lives, loves and scandals of the famous, the rich and the notorious. As William Metz, professor of journalism, University of Nevada, USA, says: “While it may not be possible to describe it precisely in words, every news reporter must come to a personal understanding of nature of news, must reach some conclusion about its essence before it is possible to recognise ‘news’ when it happens.” We can also say in simple terms, as a well known British writer and author, Evelyn Waugh, wrote in his book, “Scoope”, way back in 1938 that “news is what a chap who doesn’t care much about anything wants to read. And, it’s only news until he has read it. After that it’s dead.” Here, it’s also important to know as to what we mean by ‘news sense’, or ‘news judgment’. “Being able to identify what will interest readers is called having news sense,” said a noted American professor of journalism, Wyford Hicks. The important dictum about the news, which is even somewhat contradictory is, bad news sells more newspapers than good news. So, what would be the news today? Given the limits of space, time and resources, what’s important, what isn’t, what’s to be left in, what’s to be left out? And in the age of Internet, infinity, who’s to say what’s news, asks Wyford Hicks. Thus, it will not be an exaggeration to say that there are almost as many definitions of the news as there are reporters/journalists. Most news reporters will of course agree that every occurrence or event in itself is not and cannot be the ‘news’. In a very real sense, news also can be defined as what reporters and editors say it is. They are the gatekeepers, allowing the accounts of some events, but not others, to reach the reading public. And there are other factors too that can determine whether an event is news. These include the prejudice of the management, the size of the paper, pressure from advertisers and the news hole, or the space allotted to news. Change in the consequence of status quo, example a 10 yr old boy is late for dinner, its not a news but if he/she is 3hrs late then it may be a news as the child may be missing, so nature of news is change in the consequence of status quo. *Identify News/ News value/Criteria for News worthiness: - (IPO PCT) These are: a) Impact—How many people does the event affect? How seriously does it affect them? b) Proximity—An event will be more important if is closer to the readers. An earthquake in a far-off land is not as interesting as one that is close to home. c) Timeliness—Is the event fresh? Is it new? The news must be timely to be of use to readers. d) Prominence—Names make news, and big names make big news. Ordinary people are intrigued by the doings of the rich and famous. e) Novelty—This is the new in news, the unusual. The "firsts," "lasts" and "onlys" have been the staples of the news business for many years. f) Conflict—Conflict has been the currency of great literature, drama and movies for all time. From the stories of Shakespeare to those of Disney, conflict has played a crucial role. Newspapers are no different. 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 in the paper it will be placed. Some of the lesser known factors that determine news are: -Prejudice of management -Pressure from advertisers -Size of paper -News hole However, some of the other determinants of news are: Timeliness: Timeliness relates to the newness of facts. The more recent the event or situation, the more likely it is to be newsworthy. News is a perishable item. It should be presented fast and first. Current news has more impact than something that happened yesterday or last week. People lose interest in past events because there is always fresh news somewhere. Media organisations compete with each other to report the story first. If there are two similar events, then the most recent one is preferred to be covered as news. Oddity: If something is unusual, it makes it news worthy. News is something new and unusual. It is not about the ordinary events in our life. A monkey breast feeding a puppy is news. Unusual habits and hobbies, superstitions, unusual ways of living etc attract readers‘ attention. Consequence: This element refers to the importance of the event and how it affects People‘s lives. If what has happened or will happen will have an effect on a large number of people, then it has more consequence and hence will get priority in news reporting. Infection of a computer by a virus may be covered as small news report in the inside pages of a newspaper. But if the same virus attacks the banking system and whole system is paralysed it will be published in front pages. Higher the consequence, bigger the news. Human Interest: If a situation or event draws any sort of emotional reaction, then it might contain the news elements of a human-interest story. Such news draws human attention and touches their emotions. Typically, these news concerns ordinary people who find themselves in circumstances with which the audience can identify. For example, a vegetable seller being selected in IAS exam, against all odds, is a good story. Disaster: Disasters, both natural and manmade always finds space in media, because disasters cause destruction and damage. A bigger disaster affects higher number of people. People are always interested to know about disasters and its impact. Stories that involve disaster include cyclone, bomb blast, flood, drought and earthquake. Progress: Progress or development in any field or area also makes news. Progress can be of any kind. It can be in the field of education, information technology, health, economy or development in the society. An example of news related to progress can be an increase in women representation in local self governance. *SOFT NEWS vs HARD NEWS News is often categorised into two types on the basis of importance; (a) Hard News and (b) Soft news. Hard News Hard news can simply be described as accounts of an event that has happened or are about to happen, impacting a large part of the society. This specific type of news has to be covered almost immediately. Hard news stories that have developed overnight or on the same day are often referred to by journalists as ‘breaking news‘. Such news stories emphasize facts as it has happened, not opinion or analysis. Hard News consists of basic facts: Who, What, Where, When, How. It is news of important public events, such as government action, crime, international happenings, social conditions, the economy, environment and science. It has significance for large number of people. The front sections of a newspaper and the lead stories of a radio or TV newscast are usually filled with hard news. Normally, a standard technique is followed while writing hard news. In case of print media, the inverted pyramid style is followed, i.e., the most important information is placed towards the beginning of the story and the less important ones are placed thereafter. In the broadcast media, the less important information is simply left out. Hard news is also called spot news or breaking news, because the news organizations disseminate the news as soon as it happens. Soft News: News which doesn‘t depend much on the time element is often called soft news. Many journalists define soft news as news that entertains as it informs, with more emphasis on human interest, novelty and colourful writing and less on facts and events that have just happened. It does not mean that soft news lacks factual foundation. Such news has much importance on the lives of the audience. It depends upon human interest for its news value and appeal people‘s curiosity, sympathy, scepticism or amazement. Features, editorials, articles, etc fall under this category. Reactions and views are also included in soft news. Such news stories usually deal with human interest angles. Most of the soft news originates from the hard news. Normally the follow up stories of a major event, highlighting the angles not covered in the hard news items, mostly the human interest angle are soft news. For example, when you read that a severe cyclone has killed thousands of people in an area, that‘s hard news. However when you read about the personal stories of a team of volunteers digging out the victims, that‘s soft news. The idea of such news stories is to arouse curiosity among the readers or viewers and heighten emotional appeal by presenting it in an interesting manner. The conventional inverted pyramid style of news writing is not applied while dealing with soft news stories. The writer has the liberty to be extremely innovative and creative. He or she can write a little longer, use more dramatic language, create laughter, may even include some opinion in the story. Longer soft news stories are often called ―features or ―feature stories. A simple example of Hard News vs soft news is, a major earthquake in Gujarat is a hard news but locals making a team and volunteering to help the victims is a soft news. The idea of such news is to use and arouse people’s curiosity and interest. There is no necessity to use inverted pyramid technique. The writer has full freedom to use her/his creativity. *NEWS PROCESS FROM THE EVENT TO THE READER Life appears to be a shapeless jumble of events, falling over each other, elbowing and jostling each other. Journalists each day structure this chaos, so that the public receives it sorted out and neatly packaged into stories, the same day on radio, television or online and the next day in newspapers. It will have been evaluated. The biggest news will be given first in the bulletin or on Page One of the paper, in detail; lesser news will be given in less detail later in the bulletin or on an inside page; and the rubbish will have been thrown away. How do journalists decide what is news and what is not? How do they distinguish between a big news story and a small one? The answer is that they do it in exactly the same way as everybody else. Every day, several events like conferences, trade shows, seminars, speeches, press conference and others happen around us. Such events are great sources of news for media across the globe. Such events are generally planned in advance and informed to the media or the reporter. Journalists spend much of their time in covering these planned events. However, such events are often unstructured. Many facts come out and sometimes the organisers add their own agenda. It is the responsibility of the journalists to find out the n ̳ ews‘ and make structured report for their audience. Many organisations will inform the media about dates, times and venues of their event. Some leads about events can be obtained from newspapers, or posters and other advertisements. Such planned events, to which journalist from each media is invited, reduces chances of missing the story. It also helps the journalists to share their workload of questioning, since all the invited journalists try to make question. But the major drawback is it is more difficult to get an exclusive story from such events. Let‘s discuss on how to cover such events: Preparation: Before going to cover an event, it is important to know the event; what the event is, who the speakers are, types of audience, a little background information etc. This can be found by asking the editor or organisers, referring to the library on online search or going through any background paper given by the organisers. A journalist should be comfortable and have a fair idea about the theme or subject of the event. Background check is important before going to cover an event. Once the background information is gathered, some possible questions should be prepared. These questions can be asked to the speaker or organisers. A new item may be published about the upcoming event, if the event or the speaker is big enough. Event Participation: A journalist needs to reach early for an event. This helps in identifying the speakers and type of audience visiting the event. This also helps getting introduced to the organisers or speakers and arranging a post event interview. In case of television journalists, early arrival helps in setting up the camera and getting the close visual of the ambience and speakers. Then it is important to get a suitable place to sit before the meeting starts. Positioning is quite important, especially at events like speeches, meetings or press meets. Some journalists also go through the background material provided by the organisers to know about the event better. When the event starts it is important to take good note of what is said by the speaker or organisers. The statements by the speakers or organisers may lead to interesting questions. After end of the event or speech or meeting, generally the journalists are allowed to ask questions. It is always important to ask questions to get information or clarify what has been said in the event. This generates good information for news. One should wait till all journalists leave the venue. Sometimes, questions by other journalists also help in getting newer information which is more news worthy. If you have some exclusive angle, which has not been covered in the event, you need to wait unit other reporters have left and ask the speaker or organisers for a private interview. It is not enough to note what is said in an event by the speaker or organiser, it is also important to know what is not said. Appropriate photographs and illustrations are also taken or gathered by the journalists after the event. Writing the Story: Most of the event organisers give a press note or news release to journalists for writing the news. It should be remembered that such press notes are for influencing the opinions of readers through the media. These are tilted more towards the interests of organisers or speakers. However, press releases along with other handouts, reports, and all kinds of leaflets gathered during an event helps in writing the story. The news report on event not only covers what the speakers or organisers say, but also covers the audience, their estimated size and type, tone of the speaker, mood of the participants etc. It is important to identify the speakers as well as anyone from the audience who says something relevant. The organisers may give the crowd size but most of the times they overestimate. Significant reaction by the audience can also provide good leads. The notes taken during the speech of the speaker helps in developing the news story. The most important or news worthy information or activity of the event should be mentioned in the lead. Other information can be given as per the inverted pyramid style. Covering Press conferences A press conference is a meeting organized for the purpose of communicating message to the media and answering questions from the journalists. Public Relations (PR) Professionals across the globe use this to communicate their information to a wider audience through media. Such events are organised in order to promote a brand, product, performance or a celebrity or announce something newsworthy. Sometime, a political leader may call one to announce a new alliance; a scientist may call a press conference to reveal a new finding or a police chief may call one to make public aware about something etc. Press conferences can be valuable resources for reporters, but it should be remembered that they are produced for one primary purpose: to influence the opinions of public through the media. Covering a press conference requires the same skill as covering any event. However, these are events specifically geared toward the media since the only people present are the organiser and media. Some additional care needs to be taken to cover press conferences. Like covering other events, a journalist should reach the venue before time. Press kit should be gathered and gone through properly to identify important points for questions or news. The positioning should be closer to the speaker, so that nothing is missed, even whispers to an aide or adviser. Tips for covering press conferences: -Be prepared. Do your homework. -Arrive early, leave late. -Sit up front where you can see and hear the action. -Get business cards for correct spellings and titles. -Note the mannerisms of participants. -Cover the event—look around the edges at the audience (size, reaction). -It‘s OK to clarify quotes after the conference, and always best to get new quotes and angles. Remember, if you ask a question during the conference, everyone will have the answer. -Be sure you have the 5Ws and 1 H before you leave the building. -WRITE WHAT WAS SAID, NOT THAT SOMEONE HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE. The identity of the speaker should be established. Name, designation and background information about the speakers should be gathered. If the speaker is having multiple identities, the exact identity should be clarified. For example, suppose a speaker has two responsibilities: an MLA as well as President of a Labour Union. He should be asked, whether he is speaking as an MLA or as a president of the union. Organisations calling for press conference try to sell their message. They will communicate what they have decided; it is the responsibility of journalists to bring out what they did not want to say or wanted to prevent from public knowledge. There might be some ―off the record‖ information, which the organisers will tell for the reporter‘s personal information. But too much ―off the record information will undermine the credibility of the story, so attempts should be made to make the statements ―on the record‖ as much as possible. Like other events the report from a press conference should mention the most important thing first and follow the inverted pyramid style. The news report should contain key points of the announcement. It should have plenty of quotes, but not in the lead. Names and identities of speakers should also be given. Writing from Press releases A press release is an official statement designed to inform media about something newsworthy. It is one of the most important tools of public relations. Press releases are one of the main sources of news for journalists. Every day, each media house gets several press releases on various topics. This is often a news story or feature, written by a public relations officer and sent to media. The press releases contain facts which have been carefully selected for publication. Some are self promotional in nature, but most press releases can be a starting point for a news report. Press releases may bring out newer information. It is important that the journalist reads the entire press release to find out what is newsworthy. It not necessary that all Press Releases has news value. There may be a better angle or some missing information inside the press release not highlighted by the writer. Press releases always contain contact information. The journalist may add the information from his own sources. A press release is not sacred. Press Release should not be published as it is. It should be rewritten, with appropriate news lead and information. While writing the news story, focus on the who, what, when, where, and why. Newer and interesting information should be covered in the news. Important information should be given as per inverted pyramid style of news writing. Quotes from the press release can be used in your article if it adds something extra to the story. It should be attributed. It is to be noted that most press releases will have self-congratulatory quotes and other promotional information. Tips on writing from press releases: -Check for the 5Ws and 1 H. -Look for what is new and interesting. -Look for unanswered questions, holes and what is NOT said. -Call the contact people for verification, elaboration, clarification or a new angle. -Call sources who might provide a balance for the story. -Talk to people whose lives are directly affected by the release. -Add background and context. -Consider putting the information into a calendar of events or briefs if it doesn‘t make a story. CONCEPT OF NEWS MAKING News is packaged information about current events happening somewhere else. News moves through many different media, based on word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, and electronic communication. Common topics for news reports include war, politics, and business, as well as athletic events, quirky or unusual events, and the doings of celebrities. Government proclamations, concerning royal ceremonies, laws, taxes, public health, and crime, have been dubbed news since ancient times. News making is the act or process of making news. A news story is made up of the following key points: 1. Source of information - Source of the information is one of the most important things that are required for the formation of a news story. It is important to note that there are various sources through which a reporter can gather information. This information can further be converted into a news story. Some examples of news sources are police stations, government offices, post mortem houses etc. 2. Format - There are various formats according to which information is converted to a news story. Generally, the inverted pyramid format is used for the hard news stories. In the inverted pyramid format the most important information is displayed at the top, further details are then elaborated. 3. Style - Generally, for converting raw information into a news story it is important to give it a hard news format. A hard news is a type of news in which the facts and figures are displayed without the addition of any personal opinions of the editor. In a hard news story, the information is never given a sentimental angle at any cost. It is kept straight, displaying what has happened without any biasness and slants. 4. News Story - While writing a news story it is important to keep in mind how it is being written. First of all, the headline must be taken into consideration. News must be kept crisp, must be written in active voice, should not possess long sentences and also maintain its logical unity. After the headline, the introduction of the news story is written. It contains the 5Ws and 1H which gives the first basic information to the readers about the news. Then the body of the news must be written. Finally, the conclusion must be given leaving a loop for the readers. 5. Attribution - Another important thing that comes up is the attribution in a news story. Attribution refers to mentioning the source of information. Sometimes the source of information and even the information is kept secret. In some cases, the information is displayed but not the name of the source and yet in some cases both the information and the source are displayed. There is a definite process of news gathering which may prove to be very beneficial for the one who is responsible for the editing of the news story. 1. Assembling the facts and figures - Before coming to the final decision of the mode according to which the whole news story is to be presented, it is important to bring together even the littlest of information about the happening. The acceptance and denial of facts in a news story shall be done after a thorough study of the information. 2. Make the Story Precise - Editing involves making a news story as precise as possible. Making a story brief involves inclusion of such facts and figures in a news story that can make it appear sound. Précised information shall not affect the understandability of the readers. The whole news story must be short and meaningful. 3. Transitions - It is important for a news story to have an eye-catching beginning so that the readers can generate interest in reading the story. Not just the beginning but also the information that comes after the 5Ws and 1H. 4. Logical Unity - All the information in the news story must have a logical unity and should make complete sense to the readers. The facts and figures must never confuse reader and must be presented in a proper order. 5. Conclusion - A conclusion must never be just an ending. Information must never seem to be a full stop towards the end of the story for the readers. A news story must have such a wonderful conclusion that it leaves the readers with an eagerness to know more. 6. Grammar and Syntax: There should not be any spelling and grammatical mistake in the copy. It is the responsibility of the person editing the copy to make it error free. *ATTRIBUTION: - It refers to mentioning the source of the information to make it more credible but sometimes the source has to be kept hidden due to various reasons so in that case simple “sources” is mentioned or “anonymous” is written. NEWS STORY: - It must have a headline, should be crisp and not possess long sentences. After the headline, the introduction comes which should cover the 5Ws and 1H. Then the body should be written and in the end a conclusion. *COMPONENTS OF A NEWS STORY: - Information is the foundation of any news report. Though journalists try to gather information from their own observations, this is not always possible. They depend upon various sources such as people, letters, books, files, films, tapes to gather information. When someone or something provides information to a journalist, we call it a ‘news source‘. The relationship between journalists and their sources is viewed as symbiotic. Journalists need the information that news sources can provide, and news sources need the attention and visibility that journalists can provide. The more authentic relevant and solid the news sources are the more informative and credible the news becomes. The News Source can be organised or unorganised. It can be official or unofficial. Journalists actively pursue their sources to report the news. In this section we will learn more about the news source and its management. To begin with let‘s discuss the role and importance of a news source, verification of that source and attribution of that source. Dateline- Date and Place of filing the story ByLine- Name of the journalist and designation CreditLine-No name , reporter or agency is mentioned. STRUCTURE OF A NEWS STORY Once news is selected, the journalist writes the news report. Though individual style of news presentation varies from organisation to organisation or individual to individual, all news reports contain a headline, a by-line or credit line, a dateline, a lead, a body and conclusion. Headline: It is the most visible part of a news report and often is either the summary or the main point of the story. Usually headline is written in a font few sizes bigger than the rest of the news story. A reader decides to read the story after reading the headline. Sometimes headlines try to create curiosity through interesting use of language and prompt the reader to read the full story. By-line / Credit line: This identifies the source of the story or the writer. It could be the name of the journalist who has filed the story or the agency from which the story has been sourced. When a person or journalists name is mentioned, it is called by-line and when there is no mention of the person‘s name it is called credit line. The credit line could be the a̳ gency‘ from which news is taken or b ̳ y our correspondent‘ or o ̳ ur bureau‘ or b̳ y our special correspondent‘ etc. Dateline: The name of a place and date is mentioned below the credit line or by-line and before beginning of the actual news. This is called dateline. This informs the date on which the reporter has filed the story and the place from where the reporter has filed the story. Lead: This is the opening paragraph of a news story. This gives the most important information very briefly. It is always short and crisp and reflects the mood of the story. If the lead is not effective, the reader may skip the story. Generally it answers 5W (Who, What, Where, When and Why) and I H (How). Body: It gives the additional details or elaborates the event. In this part actual story is narrated. The body describes what the story is all about in order of importance of information, whereas the lead provides just the gist of the actual event. It is divided into several paragraphs and written in inverted pyramid style. We shall discuss about inverted pyramid style later. VERIFICATION OF SOURCES Information acquired by a primary source can reflect an opinion or verifiable fact. It is better to fact- check when interviewing a primary source to verify the facts are accurate. As in any good story, it‘s always recommended to obtain differing opinions and/ or perspectives. In case of Secondary Source, It is the reporter‘s responsibility to decipher whether a source is fact or opinion, as well as verify the information taken from the source. One way to fact check is to cross-reference the material. When dealing with sources it is important to corroborate what they tell. The journalist must insist on accuracy of the information. There‘s a saying in journalism that if your mother tells you that she loves you, check it out. This is because there are chances that people may lie or make some mistakes. If the reporter goes ahead with such false or faulty information, the credibility of news will be affected. It is better to ask the sources for documents, reports, business cards, and personnel directories, calendars that can confirm spellings, numbers and other facts. This helps in ensuring accuracy as well as winning respect of the sources. The source can also be verified from other people. Having more than one source is always good. Sometimes, the source demands to see the story before it is published. It should be avoided. The reporter and the editor should control the news. The source, if allowed to see the story before its publication, may try to tilt the story in their favour. But the journalists can double check parts of a story for quotes and accuracy. Also the reporter should not promise anything to the source. It is better to send the story to the source after the publication or broadcast. The journalist should have knowledge about the issue, technology, economics and other details of the subject (s)he covers. This helps in earning respect from the source. If the journalist has no knowledge, (s)he should admit. Fake understanding might affect credibility of the journalist. The more respect one earns from the source, the more information (s)he gets from the source. The journalist should show interest in the information shared by the source, even if the source thinks it‘s a story and the journalist doesn‘t. However boring or annoying or uninteresting a source may be, they should be given a patient hearing as there are chances that the source might give some important information. Even if the information is not useful, the source will appreciate the interest shown by the journalist and may someday inform something important or interesting. Telling the sources about the interest or stories being made by the journalist also helps. The Journalist should also know the source personally. She should know about families, hobbies, backgrounds, strengths and weakness of the source. Information about their office, phone, email address, work history, alma mater and other details helps in connecting with the source and knowing their interests. The connection should be made with genuine interest, not just for a story. The journalist should try to keep the interaction with the source on record as much as possible. When going for off the record, it should be for good reason. If some mistake is done, the journalist should admit the mistake, correct it and apologize personally to the affected persons. Scheduling the sources makes everyday task of journalists easy. The reporter should know where to find source, who can provide what kind of information, what is the availability of the source. Once scheduling of source is complete, the reporters can plan their work accordingly to complete the story. The journalist should not accept any money or gifts from the source, even if it is unrelated to making the news story. Similarly, the source should not be paid for the information. Balance: - The work of the editor is to make a news story balanced. However, it is one of the toughest jobs for any editor. The facts must be present completely. The facts must not be elaborated in detail that it traps the reader in a mess. In case of any story, such words must be added which conveys the emotions of the story but do not give it a biased touch. It may be understood in other perspective as well that includes creating a balance between the source and the target of the news story. Sometimes the target may pressurize to reveal the source. Verification: - It is the responsibility of a journalist to check the facts before publishing any story. It should be factually correct and no misinformation should be shared. Facts act as the building blocks of any story. Facts must always be in their true form. A news story must contain all the information that is necessary for the awareness of the people. Brevity: - Too long stories may bore the readers so journalists should try to write it in short and simple so that information can be grasped quickly but by balancing all the facts as well. No major info should be missed. Fairness: - A journalist should be fair i.e., impartial. He/ She should not take any sides and place the facts without any biasedness Infront of the public. Even if a journalist has strong feelings about an issue the platform shouldn’t be used for this purpose by her/him. E.g., of impartiality lies when a journalist gives more space to the side, he/ she supports than the other side. The work of the editor is to display facts about an incident the way they are. The information must neither be added nor subtracted. It must be exact. An editor must never give a biased angle to the story. The news must be rid of any partiality by the editor. It means that reporters covering a story must remember there are usually two sides. Let‘s say the local school board is debating whether to ban certain books from the school libraries. Many residents representing both sides of the issue are there. The reporter may have strong feelings about the subject. Nevertheless, he should interview citizens who support the ban, and those who oppose it. And when he writes his story, he should convey both arguments in a neutral language, giving both sides roughly equal space. Practicing fairness There are several ways you can allow personal bias to destroy objectivity and impartiality in the way you handle news. You should be aware of the dangers at each stage of the process of news production, from the first decision to cover a story through to its presentation on a page or in a bulletin. 1. Selection of news Busy newsrooms constantly have to make decisions about which stories to cover and which to ignore. The selection of stories can introduce a very basic bias if it is not done objectively. Simply because you disagree with a government, a group or an individual does not mean that you can suppress all stories which show the good side of them and cover only those which show them unfavourably. You should be even- handed. This is particularly important at such times as election campaigns. Your decisions on which stories to cover should be made on the principles which govern what makes news. News should be new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. The exact balance of these criteria may vary depending on your audience. If you work for a scientific magazine, you may select different stories to a journalist who works in the newsroom of a pop music radio station. You must develop an accurate understanding of what is news to your audience, and then be fair and consistent in the selection of every story. 2. Choice of sources Even if you have to overcome a personal prejudice and decide to cover a story you find disagreeable, you must still take care that you are fair in your choice of sources of information. It is not fair to choose to interview an attractive personality for a cause you support but an unattractive or muddled person for a cause you oppose. There is also the danger that, if you are asked to cover a story you dislike doing, you will fail to put enough energy into finding interviewees and arranging to talk to them. For example, someone you dislike may not want to talk to you. You must not say: ―Oh well, let‘s forget him. You should try your hardest to get an interview or at least a comment. If you want to be a good journalist, you should put your best effort into every story. That way you produce a good product and help objectivity. In some cases people will be unwilling or unable to give an interview. Maybe they are just too busy, maybe they hate the sound of their own voice. Of course, you should try your very best to convince them they should do the interview. You should still try for balance, even if it means finding someone else to speak for them or writing about their previous position on the issue. Always try to get some comment because using phrases like ―declined to comment‖ shows that you are unable to present a fair and balanced report. If this happens too often, your reputation as a fair and honest reporter will suffer. But remember this: To maintain balance, you do not need to present both sides of an argument in one story, even though it is preferable. Balance can be achieved if you give an opposing view in the follow-up story. 3. Interviewing techniques Do not abandon objectivity when you conduct the interview. It may be difficult to interview someone who stands for something you oppose or who has done something you dislike, but you must continue to be fair and accurate. For example, if you are interviewing a drug addict or a thief, remember you are not there as a policeman or prosecutor. Do not demand answers in an aggressive tone. Keep your temper. The golden rule of all interviewing is to be polite but persistent. Questions should be fair and you must take as much care when taking notes or recording as for any interview. If accusations have been made against the interviewee, do not make them sound like your accusations. Instead of saying: ―You ran away from your responsibilities, didn‘t you? you should say: ―Critics say that you ran away from your responsibilities. Did you? The outcome is the same, only the tone is fairer. This advice applies particularly to broadcast journalists, some of whom like to ask aggressive questions for dramatic effect - the so-called tough interviewer. If that is your style, you must use it with everyone, not just the people you dislike. 4. Selecting material Having conducted your interviews, you now have to put your material together into a story. Whether working for newspapers, magazines, radio or television, you have to select which facts and quotes to include and which to leave out. You will probably write your story in the usual inverted pyramid, with the most important things at the start. Here again, you must be fair in choosing material. There are usually two sides to every argument, so do not be one-sided in choosing what facts to include or which words to quote. If your interviewee has said: ―I support the present government, but with some serious reservations‖, it would be wrong to use only the quote: ―I support the present government.‖ Be fair and quote accurately, making sure that the meaning of each comment is put in context with what else is being said. If the person you have interviewed stressed the importance of one particular aspect, do not omit it simply because you disagree with what was said. You should judge each comment independently under the criteria for what is news. That way you maintain objectivity. 5. Language The language in which a story is written is very important. It is quite easy to change the whole of a sentence by adding one or two words loaded with a particular meaning. For example, your interviewee might have made some remarks quite forcefully. It would be wrong to describe them as ―firm simply because you liked him or ―harsh because you did not. Stick to facts. If he moved his finger as he made certain remarks, you can mention it but remember that there is a lot of difference between such words as ―waved (which some people do with their fingers naturally while speaking), ―wagged (which people usually do while telling someone off) and ―jabbed‖ (which is used to make a forceful point or accusation). In fact, it is better to keep such descriptions out of news stories, although they can be used when writing features to show something about the person involved. Any words you use instead of the verb ―said‖ when attributing facts and opinions can add a bias to your reporting. Journalists often like to find alternatives for the word ―said‖, because they think that repetition becomes boring. If you do use alternatives, you must recognize that some imply that you believe the person quoted while others imply that you do not believe them. Many journalists use a thesaurus to find alternative words to enliven their copy. A thesaurus should only be used if you have a very good understanding of the language. It is much better to use a dictionary to find the exact meaning of a word. If you use clear and simple language and leave out as many adjectives and adverbs as possible, you will limit the chance of bias entering into your copy. Once again, if your interviewee accuses someone, you must make it clear that they are the interviewee‘s words, not your own. For example, if he says that the present regime is brutal, attribute the remark to him, either in reported speech or in a quote. Do not allow it to be seen as your own comment. Remember, one man‘s regime is another man‘s government. One man‘s cabinet is another man‘s junta. There are also good legal reasons for choosing your words carefully. In most countries you can be prosecuted for making false statements about someone which causes them harm. You should not blemish a person‘s name without a special reason, even though what you say is factually correct. There is no need to call a person who kills his daughter ―a beast. If he has not been tried it is for the courts to decide his guilt or innocence. If he has been found guilty, your story will be stronger if you carefully and accurately record the facts without gory details and personal judgments. It will also keep your reputation as an objective journalist. 6. Placing the story If you are a sub-editor in a newsroom, you should be fair where you place a story in the paper or bulletin. Do not let personal feelings interfere with your news judgment. Just because you are strongly opposed to deer hunting, you cannot choose to lead with that and put the story about the Prime Minister‘s assassination further down if they are both new. There is no excuse for hiding a story down the page or bulletin simply because you do not like what is said. Your readers or listeners may disagree with you over the order in which you rank stories because they also have special likes and dislikes. But if you are fair and follow the guidelines of news value, you will be able to defend your news judgment against all sides. *NEWS SELECTION: - The selection of stories can introduce a very basic bias, just because you are not in favor of govt. or any group doesn’t mean that you can suppress all the stories showing their good side. Decision of news selection should be based on the principles of what makes news i.e., news should be new, unusual, interesting and significant. Also, news selection should be done on the basis of audience, if you work for a scientific magazine your news selection will be different to a journalist who works for a pop music radio. ATTRIBUTION Attribution is telling the audience about the name and title of the person interviewed or document used to get the information for the news. It is done to inform the audience about who is speaking or where the information in the story comes from. It identified the source of the reported information. Generally, attribution means using a source‘s full name and position. Information from sources can be paraphrased or quoted directly. Attribution can be made for both spoken and written information such as speeches, reports, books, films or even other newspapers, radio or television stations. There are four levels of attribution, depending upon the unofficial agreement between the source and the journalist. These are: On the Record: When the source tells the details openly and allows their name and titles to be quoted the attribution is o ̳ n the record‘. This means anything the source says can be reported, published, or aired. All conversations are assumed to be on the record unless the source requests to go off the record beforehand. The politician making a speech, the witness describing an accident, the police officer reporting a crime, the company chairman defending an increase in prices, all are usually prepared to be quoted and to give their names. For journalist, it is always best to get information on the record. The news can be made more trustworthy by using direct quotes (or by using their voices on radio and television). Example: ―Odisha government to establish 40 residential tribal schools,‖ said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. On Background: This describes the agreement between the source and the journalist in which a reporter can use the information given by the source, but cannot name or quote the source directly. In such cases, the sources do not want their names published but will agree to a description of their position. It is a limited license to print / quote what the source gives without using the source‘s name. ―On background information should be used after proper verification with other sources. People try to go ―on background‖ when their information is very sensitive, which is to say, the information is likely to cause a stir. ̳On background‘ gives anonymity to the source, but allows the journalist to work with the information the source has provided. Example: ―Odisha to go for auction of more mines, informed a senior government officer Not for Attribution: This is a variation of the o ̳ n background‘. In this level, the reporter agrees not to identify a source by name. The information is presented in the news story without attribution, often from an expert who does not want to be publicly associated with a particular story but who agrees to provide the context for it. The journalists write it on their own. The source is not to be quoted directly and may not be identified in any way. For instance, journalists sometimes use the attribution with a phrase like, ̳It has been learned that....‘ Off the Record: This means the information is for the reporter‘s use only and is not to be published. It restricts the reporter from using the information the source gives. Such information is usually revealed when the source wants the journalist to understand the background to something which is too sensitive. The information is offered to explain or further a reporter‘s understanding of a particular issue or event. But the reporter can use other sources to confirm the information before using it. The phrase off the record should not be confused with o ̳ n background‘ or n ̳ ot for attribution‘ level. In case of o̳ ff the record‘ the journalist cannot use the information from the source. However, in case o ̳ n background‘ or n ̳ ot for attribution‘ level, the journalist can still use the information without identifying the specific source. Use of anonymous sources has been a controversial subject everywhere. It is considered as a double-edged sword. According to the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), ―Anonymous sources are sometimes the only key to unlocking a big story, throwing back the curtain on corruption, fulfilling the journalistic missions of watchdog on the government and informant to citizens. But sometimes, anonymous sources are the road to the ethical swamp‖. However, they need to be used with care. It is advisable to corroborate information from an anonymous source by a second source before using it. The SPJ code of ethics makes two important points on anonymity: -Identity sources whenever possible. The public is entitled to as much information as can be provided on sources‘ reliability. -Always question sources‘ motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises. Direct quotes from anonymous sources are rarely used. Also the journalist should inform at least one editor about the specific identity of any anonymous source before publication.