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transcript
7/29/2019 Journalistic Skills Lecture1
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JOURNALISTIC SKILLS
or…
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1. How to report
2. How to write
3. How to dodge PR calls 4. How to pin down slippery sources
5. How to meet deadlines and still have a
life 6. After the fact: How to soothe bruised
egos
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George Orwell
Worked as a dishwasher in Paris
Lived as a tramp in London
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6 rules for writers -- Orwell
In his essay Politics and the English Language (1946),Orwell wrote about the importance of precise andclear language:
Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech
which you are used to seeing in print. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Never use the passive where you can use the active.
Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday Englishequivalent.
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything
outright barbarous.
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Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
Broke the Watergate Scandal
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Chitra Subramaniam
Broke the Bofors scandal
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Pauline Kael
Regularly skewered films
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In the arts, the critic is the only
independent source of
information. The rest is
advertising.
-- Pauline Kael
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P. Sainath
Informed the world about
rampant farmer suicide
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“I became a journalist to come
as close as possible
to the heart of the world.”
– Henry Luce
The less you know the more you believe.
-- Bono
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What is news?
News is the communication of
selected information on current events which
is presented by print, broadcast, Internet or
word-of-mouth to a third-party or massaudience.
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What is newsworthiness?
The degree to which a subject has relevance
to the public or a special audience to warrant
press attention or coverage.
Key words:
Relevance
Usefulness
Interest
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Elements in a potential story
(News Values)
Impact
Conflict
Novelty
Prominence
Proximity
Timeliness
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Purpose of news
The central purpose of journalism is to provide
citizens with accurate and reliable information
they need to function in a free society.
From www.Journalism.org
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Myriad roles -- helping define community,
creating common language and common
knowledge, identifying a community's goals,
heroes and villains, and pushing peoplebeyond complacency.
Also involves other requirements, such as
being entertaining, serving as watchdog and
offering voice to the voiceless.
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Principles of Journalism
1. JOURNALISM'S FIRST OBLIGATION IS TO
THE TRUTH
2. ITS FIRST LOYALTY IS TO CITIZENS
3. ITS ESSENCE IS A DISCIPLINE OF
VERIFICATION
4. ITS PRACTITIONERS MUST MAINTAIN AN
INDEPENDENCE FROM THOSE THEYCOVER
5. IT MUST SERVE AS AN INDEPENDENT
MONITOR OF POWER
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Principles of Journalism
6. IT MUST PROVIDE A FORUM FOR PUBLIC
CRITICISM AND COMPROMISE
7. IT MUST STRIVE TO MAKE THE
SIGNIFICANT INTERESTING ANDRELEVANT
8. IT MUST KEEP THE NEWS
COMPREHENSIVE AND PROPORTIONAL9. ITS PRACTITIONERS MUST BE ALLOWED
TO EXERCISE THEIR PERSONAL
CONSCIENCE
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Types of news (based on beat)
General
Political
Business
Regional
Entertainment
Niche (health, science, technology)
Crime
Sensational
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Types of news (based on
impact)
Hyperlocal
City and state
National news
International news
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News formats
Television
Online