What Makes News PDF

**WHAT MAKES NEWS** News- *normally a news story deals with a person, place or thing.* New -York herald Tribune said "News is the inexact measure... of the ebb and flow of the tides of human aspiration, the ignominy (shame) of mankind and the glory of the human race... the best record we have of t...

**WHAT MAKES NEWS** News- *normally a news story deals with a person, place or thing.* New -York herald Tribune said "News is the inexact measure... of the ebb and flow of the tides of human aspiration, the ignominy (shame) of mankind and the glory of the human race... the best record we have of the incredible meanness (cruelty) and the significant courage of man." Lyle Spencer of the Syracuse University defined news as *"any event, idea, or opinion that is* timely, that interests and affects a large number of persons in the community *and that is capable of being understood by them"* Mitchell Charnley said" *tomorrow's history done up in today's neat package*"   Gay Touchman said" *news presents to the society a mirror of its concerns and interest*." Melven Mencher said "*A break from the normal flow of events, an interpretation on the expected*." - Suppose a dog bites a famous film star, it definitely makes big news. **Why?** - It is said that the letters in the word "NEWS" is derived from the four directions as indicated below: **N orth** **E ast** **W est** **S outh** **News** - a report about recent happenings in a newspaper, television , radio or internet. - News is something that is not known earlier. - **news as a development that has happened in the past 24 hours which was not known outside and which is of wide interest to the people and that which generates curiosity among listeners.** **What is News? & WHAT MAKES NEWS ?** - weather reports in the newspapers. - It gives the day's temperature or rainfall. It does not make news. It becomes news when there is a sudden change in weather, or when heavy rains lead to floods or when continuous absence of rain leads to drought. - So information is different from news. - News should give something new to the readers, viewers or listeners. What makes news? - It is generally said that if a news report provides answers to six questions,then it is a perfect news item. - These six questions include ***five Ws and one*** ***H. The five Ws are When? Where? What ? Why? and Who?.The H is How?*** **News Values** 1\. Impact of an event decides its newsworthiness. - When the tsunami waves struck several parts of the world, thousands of people were affected. It became major news for the whole world. 2\. Controversy: People like controversies. Anything that is connected with conflicts, arguments, charges and counter-charges, fights and tension becomes news. 3\. Prominence: If a prominent person is involved in any event, it becomes news. - If an ordinary person's car breaks down and he has to wait for ten minutes on the roadside till the vehicle is repaired it makes no news. But - if the President\'s car breaks down and his motorcade has to stop for five minutes it becomes news. 4\. Currency: News is about current events. Suppose the Olympic Games held in FRENCE (GOLDEN BOY) 5\. Emotion: Stories of human interest make good news items. - For e.g. The police rescue a school boy kidnapped by mischief makers after a search of two weeks. The parents meet the boy in an emotionally surcharged atmosphere. 6\. Educational value: - News has also an educational value. In almost all newspapers, you can find columns about educational and job opportunities. - These guide you about different educational courses, career options available, opportunities for higher studies etc. These news items help you become more knowledgeable **Attributes or Elements of News** 1\. Timeliness- The synonym is timeliness. It means unfolding the event on time. - News is highly perishable; journalist should report an event immediately. - To provide news around the clock - The wire services cover events as they develop and use the adverb "today" in their dispatch - Due to time lag in printing, newspaper stories are mostly dated "yesterday" 2\. Proximity *means the nearness of the event to the intended readers.* 3\. Prominence *refers to both people and place.* - *People hold position in the government or big corporation become news makers* 4\. Significance- *This attribute of news does not only refers to the event but also to its after-effect on the people.* **News Categories** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1. Novelty | 12. the underdog | | | | | 2. Personal impact | 13. mystery | | | | | 3. local news | 14. health | | | | | 4. money | 15. science | | | | | 5. crime and punishment | 16. entertainment | | | | | 6. sex | 17. famous people | | | | | 7. conflicts | 18. food and drinks | | | | | 8. religion | 19. weather | | | | | 9. disasters and tragedies | 20. food and drinks | | | | | 10. humor | 21. group stories  | | | | | 11. human interest | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **The hallmarks of journalistic writing are:** 1\. Simplicity & Brevity - Ensuring that your work encompasses the most important information accurately and honestly. - The longer a sentence is, the more difficult it is to understand. - Examples: - A. The musicians' future plans for their recording studio would require their studio executives A to totally demolish and completely rebuild the facility at a cost of five million dollars, which is something the studio president, an elderly divorced woman named Myra Curtis, vehemently refused to do. - B. The musician's plans for their recording studio would require executives to rebuild it for \$5 million, which President Myra Curtis refuses. 2\. Precision - means that each word should be used as it was intended by its original "dictionary" meaning. - Meanings often evolve over time, but in journalistic writing, we stay true to the book. There should also be no slang or abbreviations. Example: - A cop is a slang term for a police officer, and a kid is, by definition, a baby goat. 3\. Objectivity & Factual - means the absence of personal opinion. A journalist's writing should be based on facts, observations, and interviews with expert sources, or those knowledgeable of the issue. - Write in third person (he, she, they), not first person (I, me, my, our, we), to stay removed from the story in order to be fully objective. - Examples: - A. Because Cassidy Martin has held a 4.0 GPA throughout high school and won five national awards for her artistry, her classmates and teachers voted her "Most Likely to Succeed." - B. Lauren Thames, a counselor at Martin's school, said, "Cassidy is such an intelligent and talented student that we have no doubt she will become a huge success." 4\. Fairness & Balance - achieved by ensuring that both sides of a story are addressed and receive equal coverage. - Journalists should never take one person's version of events at face value. - include a disclaimer in the story - Example - Repeated calls to Jonathan Windsor were not returned, or Jonathan Windsor declined to be interviewed for this story, or When contacted for this story, Jonathan Windsor replied, "No comment." 5\. Inverted Pyramid - Journalistic writing is most often written in a format called the ***Inverted Pyramid***, which arranges the information in descending order of importance, or newsworthines **Qualities of Good Writing By: Brette Atwood** 1. Short Paragraphs - Short paragraphs are - easier to read in small mobile device - look better when typeset into a long, skinny column in a newspaper 2. Develop strong ideas - Develop strong leads - Examine the story from all angels - Revise and rewrite - Do an "AP style" check 3. Remember K.I.S.S ("Keep it short and simple") - Avoid tangled sentences - Do not show off "big words" (***a long, difficult word, or a word that expresses a serious or important idea***) - Use active voice 4. Proper Noun - In reporting, you get the name of the individual or business. - Many well-known business are commonly misspelled 5. Use comma and semicolon correctly comma is used to separate items in series just before "and". - Use comma with semicolon when dividing complicated materials - Example: Alex Lew, president; Stephen Ro, vice president; Cathy Smith, secretary, and Natalie Hack, secretary. 6. Beware of Exclamation Point - Use Exclamation Point sparingly - Period and question mark will be sufficient 7. Use hyphen symbol correctly. Example: - 13-year-old girl - 30-secnd commercial - One-minute break - 15-page paper - Three-day cruise - 24-hotline - Queen-size bed 8. Use figures for number 10 and above unless - You are money, age, dates, etc. 9. When quoting a source - make sure that the quotation marks are placed outside the other punctuation. - Example: "I enjoy teaching," she said. "I created this guide to help you." 10. Writing Tight Sentences - Do not repeat key words in the same sentence Example: "The University of Hawaii students have been attending University events..." 11. When writing about the current date - do not use the year. It's obvious. 12. When dealing with money - Omit the decimal point when the amount is even -- Example: \$25 not \$25.00 13. In writing amounts with many zeros - use the word "million," "billion," etc. 14. The use of Said vs. Says - Use "said," NOT "says" in interviews and quotes - Use "says" when referring to a printed document or sign 15. Other common mistakes - "In regard to..." NOT "In regards to..." - "Toward" NOT "Towards" "Often..." NOT "Often times..." - "Try to..." NOT "Try and..." **Traits of a Good Writer (Journalism) By: Melina Theodorou** 1. Attention to Details - ability to notice the details that others may overlook - encompasses the most important information accurately and honestly 2\. Research skills - excellent research skills entails being able to find and select reliable resources, evaluate the data you have gathered, and render all of this information in a comprehensive and attractive way for your audience. 3\. Ethical awareness - This means that your work should always be fair, accurate, objective and honest, as well as clear of any personal biases that may influence your reporting. 4\. Writing Skills - a skilled writer could help set you apart and allow you to establish yourself within the field - The type of journalism you are interested in, your writing style and tone will vary. - Knowledge of grammar and punctuation, accuracy, and the ability to simplify information in a digestible manner within your writing is a necessity for all journalists. 5\. Creativity - means being able to come up with interesting and compelling stories, find unique angles to existing topics, present information in an engaging manner, and capture your audience through your approach to a subject. 6\. Digital literacy - Means that you can utilize digital technologies, including social media and online platforms, safely and responsibly. - allows them to find, analyze and evaluate sources and information they come across online. 7\. Interpersonal Skills - allow journalist to build strong relationships and form solid connections with everyone you work with. - indicate that journalists are a good communicators who can effectively interact with others. 8\. Persistence - Means to press on to complete the assignment. - Prepared to face the challenges that you may meet along the way, and find the determination to keep moving forward 9\. Confidence - To trust one's self - something that journalists build gradually - as you gain more experience in the field, but boldness and self-assurance will be essential as you take your first steps, too. 10\. Curiosity - Every journalist is must have the natural curiosity for diverse topics. - Throughout your professional journey, you will be required to report on numerous stories about a myriad of subjects, and you will need to find the best way to make them compelling to your audience. **News Reporting** - a process of gathering and presenting \'unknown or less- known matters of public interest, which may be collectively termed as the NEWS, to the periphery of the public acquaintance. **What is a Newspaper Report?** - a news story that\'s found in a newspaper. - Its purpose is to provide the readers with information about what\'s happening in the society/ world. - newspaper report will usually focus on a specific event that has just happened. **News reporting By: Smita Kheria** News reporters - sometimes require the use of copyright material, such as... - short textual extracts - clips from video footage, to report current events. - There is an exception to copyright for news reporting - allows reporters to make use of others' work under certain circumstances **Reporters may use copyright materials** - to provide information to the public in relation to the respective events. - allowed under the following conditions: *1)* The material used is not a photograph 2\) The purpose is really for reporting current events 3\) The use of the material is fair 3\) The use of the material is accompanied by sufficient acknowledgement **The criteria needed for using the exception** - You cannot use photographs protected under copyright for reporting current events without obtaining the permission of the respective copyright owner. - The exception applies to use of all other types of copyright materials, but not photographs 2\. You can use copyright materials ***[other than photographs]*** if the purpose is really for reporting current events. - exception is not limited to any particular type of event - extend to a wide array of current events no matter whether they are related to - Politics - popular culture - Sports - natural phenomena, and so on. **The event itself must be current.** What constitutes a current event ? - is interpreted liberally. It includes - **recent occurrences** - in the sense of recent in time - are of real interest to the public. It also includes - past events if they continue to be matters of **legitimate** and *continuing public interest*. - *An example would be the use of material pertaining to a past meeting between politicians which is of current public interest because it may influence the voting behavior at the next elections.* 3\. You can use copyright material for the purpose of reporting current events provided your use of material is fair. *1. Are you really using copyright material [to report on current events] or are you pursuing another purpose?* - *For example, a verbatim passage of a memoir or a politician's diary entry...* - *it serves an additional purpose by rectifying an error or inaccuracy or by highlighting a new perspective and engaging in political discourse.* 2\....has the material that you want to use already ***been published or disclosed to the public***? - There is some ***legitimate and continuing public interest*** in making such use. - ask yourself: *Is it really necessary to use the previously undisclosed copyright material for the purpose of reporting the current event*? Note:*reprinting historical personal correspondence of a public figure simply because they have recently died would not necessarily be relevant.* 3\. what is the amount of copyright material used and what is ***its importance***? - A substantial amount of the material can be used provided that it is ***not excessive and only what is needed to report*** the current event is used. - ***[excessive amount]*** or the most important parts of the material are used to ***further commercial interest*** 4\. The use of material is accompanied by sufficient acknowledgement. - An acknowledgement is to identify the creator of the work and the title of the material. - It is the ***author who should be identified*** and ***not the owner of the copyright.*** **NEWS REPORTING AND WRITING: GATHERING INFORMATION** A. **Source of news**- the term 'news source' refers to any Person, Org., Document, Object, that provides information to journalists. - May include the spokesperson for an international aid group, an academic, or a regular citizen who witnessed an event. Or press releases, court filings, reports published by interest groups, or datasets produced by government agencies 1. Journalists cannot observe everything first-hand. 2. Journalists lack expertise in certain matters, and they must therefore speak with an expert source. 3. Sources are sometimes the center of a story, as with the head of a government agency who is alleged to have engaged in corrupt acts and should be given a chance to respond to the allegations. *The relationship is not unidirectional. Sources also need journalists.* - First, sources often depend on journalists to spread their views. - Second, sources gain legitimacy by being featured in respected news media. - Third, sources often have agendas of their own and seek to promote them by gaining media attention. **Sourcing, Power, and authority** - The practice of sourcing can also be thought about as an exchange of power. - The journalist-source relationship can be adversarial as well as mutually beneficial. - Conversely, a journalist may receive public acclaim for producing a story that details a previous source's dishonesty. **Negotiation of Power-** is further implicated by notions of reputation and authority. *Journalists are more likely to receive access to sources and cooperation* from them if the journalist (or the organization they work for) is perceived to be prestigious, or if they have access to an audience of interest to the source. **Positions of Authority-** Scholars have found that individuals who occupy... Positions of authority are more likely to have their versions of 'truth' be more readily accepted both by journalists and news audiences. Conversely, those who are seen or treated as 'outsiders' or 'underdogs' are typically not taken as seriously. - **For example***, journalists have historically been more deferential to a police officer's account of an officer-involved shooting than the victim's.* **Growing Polarization-** has challenged, especially when it comes to political actors. Powerful individuals are simultaneously more likely to have their version of 'truth' readily accepted by one group and readily rejected by another. \- Apparent existence of a hierarchy of credibility points to a journalistic bias to be more deferential to institutional sources like police officers, military commanders, and other government officials - *Scholars have also found that journalistic trust in institutional structures can vary considerably across countries.* **Congruence and Availability** - Sourcing practices aren't defined solely by power structures, though. Journalists and their sources are human beings, and they are thus subject to a range of human biases. - One particularly important bias is homophily, or the tendency of individuals to associate and bond with people who are similar to them. In the context of journalist-source relations... - *male journalists are more likely to interview male sources while female journalists are more likely to interview female sources. Similarly, journalists of color are more likely to interview sources of color, and so on.* **Availability of Sources** - Reporters typically operate on deadlines, be it a fixed deadline in the case of traditional media or a continuous, ASAP deadline in the case of many online media. Because of this deadline pressure, journalists are drawn to sources who are ***predictable and responsive***. - Journalists will often turn to sources who respond often and quickly (***readily available***). **News and "The News"-** "news" is a particular way **of conveying novel information about recent** affairs, and "the news" as some monolithic aggregation of it. - For example, the phrase, "What's 'the news' today?" implies that there is one relatively small group of news stories, drawn from a much-larger pool of possible news stories, that a large group of people would accept as being particularly important at that moment in time. **BEAT SYSTEM: the Path to Expertise, Opportunities, and Impact (Tawqeer Hussain)** - Beat reporting is a specialized form of journalism where a reporter covers a particular subject or \"beat\" on a consistent and ongoing basis. - A beat can encompass a wide range of topics, such as politics, education, healthcare, technology, entertainment, sports, or any other area of interest. - The primary goal of beat reporting is to provide in-depth and comprehensive coverage of a specific area, becoming an expert in that field and keeping the audience informed about the latest developments, trends, and issues within that beat. 1. **Expertise Development:** Focusing on a specific beat allows you to develop in-depth knowledge and expertise in that subject area. Over time.... become a recognized authority in your field, which can enhance your credibility and reputation as a journalist. 2. **Source Building:** As you continue to cover a beat... naturally build a network of sources and contacts within that field. These relationships can provide valuable insights and access to information, making your reporting more comprehensive and accurate. 3. **Consistency:** Reporting on a beat regularly allows a journalist to maintain a consistent output of content in your chosen area. This consistency can help you build a dedicated readership or viewership. 4. **Career Advancement:** Specializing in a beat can open doors to more senior and prestigious journalism roles. It can lead to opportunities for advancement, such as becoming an editor, senior correspondent, or a subject matter expert. 5. **Job Opportunities:** Many journalism positions, particularly those in investigative or in-depth reporting, prefer candidates with specific beat experience. Expertise can make a journalist more attractive candidate for job opportunities. 6. **Story Ideas:** Immersion in a beat often leads to a continuous flow of story ideas. Will make a journalist to be a better equipped to spot emerging trends, uncover unique angles, and deliver meaningful stories to his audience. 7. **Audience Engagement:** A well-executed beat can lead to a dedicated audience interested in their work. This can result in higher audience engagement, which is increasingly important in modern journalism. 8. **Personal Satisfaction:** If journalists have a strong interest or passion for a particular subject, beat reporting allows them to explore and report on topics that genuinely interest them. This can lead to greater personal satisfaction in their journalism career. 9. **Versatility:** While choosing a beat early can be advantageous, it doesn\'t mean journalists locked into that subject matter forever. Journalists often transition to different beats or expand their coverage areas as their careers progress, but starting with a beat provides a solid foundation. **3 Dangers of News Beats (Sunil Saxena)** 1. **Complacency-** A major danger of beat reporting is that a reporter may become too complacent. He knows where to get his information, and when. The excitement and challenge of cultivating sources and digging up information dies down after the first few months. A reporter starts taking things for granted. 2. **Excessive familiarization-** Another disadvantage of beat reporting is that the reporter may come too close to a source, and may avoid doing stories that may hurt the source. This is one situation that no editor should allow. They should step in immediately and change the beat. 3. **Source becomes the control-** Sometimes, the sources start taking advantage of their relationship with the reporter. It is for the reporter to change things. One way to do this is to start giving more space to rival sources. Another way is to start asking difficult questions -- albeit in a friendly manner. This will make the sources realise that they cannot take the reporter for granted. They will be more alert, and ready to go the extra mile to keep the relationship going. **SIX IMPORTANT TYPES OF BEAT IN JOURN:** **1. Political Beat**- news related to politics and government policies. Political journalists report on political campaigns, elections, and the activities of politicians. **2. Crime Beat**- related to crime and criminal justice. Crime journalists report on crimes committed, police investigations, and court proceedings. **3. Business Beat**- includes news updates about the business world, companies, industries, and the economy. Business journalists report on corporate earnings, stock market trends, and economic policies. **4. Entertainment Beat-** most fun and interesting one, with trending movies and upcoming entertainment events. Entertainment journalists report on celebrity gossip, movie reviews, and behind-the-scenes stories. **5. Sports Beat**- exhibits news related to sports and athletics. Sports journalists report on games, events, and athletes, as well as the business behind sports. **6. Science and technology beat-** section of the media that covers news about scientific discoveries, research, and technological advancements. Journalists in the science field report on breakthroughs in medicine, engineering, and a wide range of other fields. **OTHER TYPES OF BEAT:** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | 1. General reporting | 7. Cultural reporting | | | | | 2. Political reporting | 8. Sports Reporting | | | | | 3. Education reporting | 9. Parliament reporting | | | | | 4. Research reporting | 10. Court /Crime Reporting | | | | | 5. Environment reporting | 11. War Reporting | | | | | 6. Religious reporting | 12. Celebratory Reporting | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **WRITING THE NEWS** 4 Parts of news report should include the following: 1. **Headline: It tells what the story is about.** 2. **Byline: It tells about the writer of the story.** 3. **Lead: Covers the most important facts.** 4. **Body: Includes a detailed account of the event/occurrence.** **Ending: Talks about the solution or something to think about** - News Structure A. **Inverted Pyramid Structure-** - **The lead**, or main points/most important---the who, what, when, where, why and how of a story---are placed beginning. Include hook (quote/question) and 1-2 paragraphs - **Body:** crucial info. Argument, controversy, issue, evidence, bg, deets, logic. Quotes, photo, vid, audio that support and expand the topic. - **Tail:** extra info. Interesting/related items. Extra content, columns, editorials: assessment of the journalist. B. **Hourglass Structure**- combines the inverted pyramid and narrative styles, beginning with crucial details, transitioning into a narrative body, and ending with a summary.  C. **Circle Structure**- *[KEBAB STRUCTURE]* - is a creative structure that journalists can use for feature stories. best used when you are writing a feature story. Start by inviting the reader in with an indirect lead. Lacks the info: when, where, and why. - In this structure, the story begins with an anecdote about someone affected by an issue, trend, or event, then quickly transitions to a **nut graf**. - The nut graf summarizes the broader phenomenon or describes the five W\'s and H. - The story then continues with detailed analyses of different aspects of the issue, trend, or event. - The story ends with a closing anecdote, often about the same person featured in the lead. D. **Block Structure** - **[Stack of block]** - This style takes the form of a lead followed by several distinct and separate sections and a strong ending. - The advantage of grouping information into specific sections is that it allows for easier explanation and helps readers remember the major points and explanations. [Most news stories consist of most or all of the following:] 1\. The lead. The top of the story, usually the first sentence. The lead focuses on the story's importance for the audience. 2\. The nut graf. A summary, shortly after the lead, giving background and context for the story. 3\. The narrative. The logic organizing the story. Fiction often proceeds chronologically; news stories usually are organized by the importance of the information. 4\. Transitions. "Road maps" that show the audience where the story is going next. 5\. Quotes. Verbatim representations of what people involved in the story say. Quotes ensure that stories are about people involved in events and issues, not just about the events and issues. 6\. The kicker. The end of the story. The kicker is frequently structured to remind audiences that, while our story is ending, the people we are writing about must continue to deal with the event or issue. - **BLOCK QUOTE** - A block quote is a longer quotation, typically consisting of four lines or more, that is set apart from the main text in journalism and writing. - This format not only distinguishes the quote from the surrounding content but also emphasizes its significance, often accompanied by proper attribution to the source. - Block quotes are commonly used to provide a detailed perspective, lend authority to an argument, or capture a notable statement from an interviewee or expert.