Glossary of Journalism Terms PDF

**Glossary used in the press and media** **Annexure** Glossary of Journalism ([[https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Resources/glossary.html\#X]](https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Resources/glossary.html#X)) **A** **advertorial**: An advertisement written in the style of a news item or feature, often prov...

**Glossary used in the press and media** **Annexure** Glossary of Journalism ([[https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Resources/glossary.html\#X]](https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Resources/glossary.html#X)) **A** **advertorial**: An advertisement written in the style of a news item or feature, often provided by the publisher to complement adverts sold on that page. Ethically, advertorials should be clearly identified as such. **advocacy journalism**: A type of journalism in which journalists openly and intentionally takes sides on issues and express their opinions in reporting. It attempts to be factually based and is not to be confused with badly-practised *objective journalism* or *propaganda*. **angle: **Short for *news angle*, it is that aspect of a story which a journalist chooses to highlight and develop. Usually the most newsworthy of its *key point*s. Also called *hook* or ***peg***. **assignment**: A job given to a journalist by an editorial supervisor, such as a news editor. **attribute**: To identify who said something, either as a quote or as reported speech. *Attribution* is important to maintain credibility. **B** **background: **(1)** **Information which is not part of the news event but which helps to explain more about the situation and the story. (2) Another name, usually US, for *off-the-record*. A *backgrounder* is the story written. **balance**: A basic journalism principle of giving both sides of an argument in a fair way so readers or listeners can make up their own mind. **banner**: A headline stretching across the width of a page, usually at the top. Also called a *streamer*. **beat**: A specialist area of journalism that a reporter regularly covers, such as police or health. See also *round*. **blurb:** Brief information about the writer, usually either at the top or bottom of the article. **breaking news**: Reports of events that are coming in while a newspaper is in the final stages of being published or while a radio or TV bulletin is on air. **broadsheet**: A large format newspaper, usually measuring at least 56 cm (22 inches) long. Also used to describe more serious, less sensational styles of newspaper journalism. Compare with *tabloid*. **byline**: The writer's name, printed at the beginning or end of an article. **C** **caption:** In print, short pieces of text placed below or beside pictures to describe them and identify the photographers and/or owners. Also called a *cutline*. In television, information superimposed over a picture, usually at the top or bottom of the screen, describing what is being shown. Often used to name and describe the person speaking. **chief reporter**: The most senior *reporter* in a *newsroom*. In larger *newsrooms*, may be called a *news editor*. **chief sub**: Short for **chief sub-editor**. The person in charge of sub-editors, who assigns work to *down-table subs*. **circulation: ** Number of copies sold by newspapers and magazines. See *ABC, The Audit Bureau of Circulations *above. **copy**:  Written material for publication. In broadcasting also called a *script*. **copy editor**: A person on a newspaper or magazine who corrects or edits copy written by a reporter, writes headlines and places the story on a page. The copy editor ensures the text flows, makes sense, is fair and **cover story**: The most important story featured on the front cover of a magazine, often by an illustration. **credit line**: Text next to or following a story or picture acknowledging its source. **D** **dateline**: A line in contrasting type at the top of a story stating the city and/or country from which the story was filed. Used mostly with foreign stories, with the reporter's *byline*. Rarely also contains the date of filing. **deadline:** The time the editor or producer sets by which the reporter must submit a finished story. **direct quote**: The exact words used by a person, written within *quotation marks* and usually *attributed* to them. **E** **edit**: To prepare raw material - such as text or recorded vision - for publication or broadcast, checking aspects such as accuracy, spelling, grammar, style, clarity etc. *See also sub-editor*. **edition: **A newspaper or magazine printed in a single run of the presses. It may be changed for different purposes, e.g. country edition, city edition, final edition etc. **editor:** (1) The person - usually a journalist - in charge of the editorial content and direction of a newspaper, magazine or other news outlet. (2) A person in charge of a special section of news output, e.g. sports editor, political editor etc. (3) Someone who prepares material for print or broadcast. See also *news editor*. **editorial**: (1) An article written by, or on behalf of, an editor, giving the news organisation's opinion on an issue. (2) An adjective describing issues relating to news content as opposed to advertising or other non-news aspects of a newspaper or magazine. **editorial page**: A page where the newspaper or magazine\'s *editorial (1)* is printed, often with letters to the editor. Also called an *opinion page*. **exclusive**: Popularly called a *\'scoop\'*. An important or significant story that no other news outlet has. **F** **feature:** A longer article or radio story, usually in greater depth and complexity than a simple news item. Features may grow from a current news event or simply be examining a timeless issue. Features which are not strongly connected to hard news events are often called *soft* features. **freelance journalist **(**freelancer**): Usually a reporter or editor not formally employed by any media organisation, instead working on projects under contract or paid individual amounts for work accepted for publication or broadcast. See also *lineage*. **H** **hard news**: Immediate and factual accounts of important events or developments. Compare with *soft news*. **headline or head**: A word or short phrase in large type at the top of an article designed to either summarise the news or grab the reader's attention and make them want to read it. In broadcasting, headlines are short summaries of a few important stories that will follow in full in the bulletin. Closing headlines come at the end of a bulletin. **human interest story**: A news story or feature which focuses on individual people and the effects of issues or events on them. Human interest stories are often used to make ideas more real and concrete in the minds of the viewer, reader or listener. Human interest stories can also cover unusual and interesting aspects of other people\'s lives which are not particularly significant to society as a whole. **I** **interview**: A formal, usually structured conversation between a journalist and a source to get information for a story. **intro**: (1) The first paragraph of a news story, usually containing the most newsworthy part of it. In features and documentaries the intro may just lead the reader or listener into the story. Known as a *lead* in the US. **inverted pyramid**: The most common structure for writing a news story, with the main news at the start and the rest of the detail following in decreasing order of importance. **investigative journalism**: Finding, reporting and presenting news which other people try to hide. It usually takes longer and requires more research that ordinary news reporting. **J** **jargon**: Specialised language concerned with a particular subject, culture or profession. It is not usually found in the everyday speech of ordinary readers or listeners and so should be avoided in the general media if possible. **journalism**: The communication of current issues and events to an audience in a structured way, usually in relation to a set of generally agreed social principles such as accuracy. **journalist**: Someone who finds and presents information as news to the audiences of newspapers, magazines, radio or television stations or the internet. Journalists traditionally work within a set of generally agreed societal principles or within professional codes. Professional journalists are usually trained and receive payment for their work. **L** **layout**: (1) A plan of how stories, pictures and other elements are to appear on the finished page of a newspaper or magazine. Sometimes called a *dummy*. (2) A set of stories, pictures and illustrations about a single subject. **lead**: (Pronounced 'leed') (1) The first story in a news bulletin or on the front page of a newspaper. Also called a \'splash\'. (2) In the US, the first paragraph in a story. See also *intro*. (3) A tip that may lead a reporter to a story. **letters to the editor**: Letters from readers published by a newspaper or magazine, expressing their views on previous content or current issues. Letters to the editor are read out on radio or shown on screen while being read out on television. **M** **mass media**: Media technologies such as radio, television, newspapers and magazines that reach large audiences via widespread or mass communication, usually by broadcasting, physical distribution or on the internet. Compare with *social media*. **masthead**: The name of a newspaper in a banner in special, distinctive type at the top of the front page. **N** **new media**: Usually defined as media of mass communication that came into being because of computers. This contrasts with \"old media", \"legacy media\" or \"traditional media\" that predate the computer age, even though they may now use computers as part of their production or distribution. Websites are new media, newspapers and even television are said to be old media. See also *digital media*. **news**: Information which is new, unusually and interesting or significant to the recipient. It is usually about people or related in some way to their lives. News is produced in a structured way by *journalists*. **news agency**: A company that sells stories to media organisations. News agencies may produce news stories or features themselves or collect and redistribute them to media outlets. **news editor**: The person in charge of which news events are covered and how news stories are gathered and written by *reporters* in a *newsroom*. In smaller newsrooms, this is often done by a *chief reporter*. See also *chief or staff*. **newsroom**: A specially equipped office where *journalists* work producing *news*. **O** **offline**: (1) Not connected to the internet or another electronic network. (2) "To go offline" means to have a discussion that is not official or *on the record*. See also *off the record*. **off the record**: (1) Information given to a journalist as background on condition that it will not be used in a story. (2) Information given to a journalist for use in a story on condition that the *source* will not be identified. Type (2) is also called *non-attributable* information. NB. Journalists should check exactly which of these conditions the source expects. See also *background* above. **op-ed**:   an opinionated story written by a prominent journalist. **P** **press**:  A printing machine. **Press**: The collective name for newspapers and magazines. **Q** **quotation marks**: Marks in a text to show the start and the end of a *quote*. Usually either single (\') or double (\") inverted commas, depending on *house style*. Sometimes called speech marks. **quote**: (1) The use in a printed story or on television of the exact words spoken by a person, distinguished by quotation marks at the start and finish. (2) Short for quotation marks. Compare with *reported speech*. **R** **reported speech**: A way of reporting what someone has said without using their exact words in a quote. Well-written reported speech allows a journalist to compress and explain a person's words for greater efficiency and clarity. In grammar, sometimes called *indirect speech*. Compare with *quote*. **reporter**: A journalist who gathers information - including researching and interviewing people - and writes news stories. **S** **scoop**: An important or significant news story published or broadcast before other competing media know of it. **slug**: A key word or phrase that identifies a news story while it is being prepared. **soft news**: Stories about topics which are interesting and new but which have little or no material effect on people's lives. Soft news focuses on interesting individuals rather than on major events or developments which impact on lots of people. Compare with *hard news*. **source**: (1) Where information comes from, usually a person who gives a journalist information. (2) In live television, the signal from a camera. **sub-editor**: Journalists who checks and edit a reporters' work, format stories for the page, add *headlines* or plan the page *layout*. See also *copy editor*. **T** **tabloid**:  A small, compact format newspaper, usually less than 43 cm (17 inches) long. Also used to describe a newspaper style that uses short, simply-written stories and headlines with lots of pictures to illustrate more sensational content. Compare with *broadsheet*. **V** **verbatim: **The actual words used by a speaker. **vox pop**: From the Latin *vox populi* 'voice of the people', short interviews where several members of the public are stopped at random and asked questions to gauge approximate public opinion about an issue. Also called *streeters.* **W** **wires**:  Stories or photographs provided by *wire services* for journalists to use in reporting or compiling news for publication or broadcast. Media organisations typically subscribe to wire services for an annual fee. **WWWWW & H**: Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? The six most important questions journalists should ask and news stories should answer. **X, Y or Z** **yellow journalism**: An old-fashioned US term for sensational journalism.