Reporting and Writing Skills

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Chapter 1: What is news?

Here we consider what makes one thing worth reporting, whileanother thing is not. We offer a test for news which can work in allsocieties. We consider what makes some news stories strongerthan others. Finally, we look at how news comes to journalists,and the areas of life where we most often find it.

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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 itsorted 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. he biggest news will be given first in thebulletin or on !age "ne of the paper, in detail# lesser news will be given inless detail later in the bulletin or on an inside page# and the rubbish willhave been thrown away.

$ow do journalists decide what is news and what is not% $ow do theydistinguish between a big news story and a small one% he answer is thatthey do it in exactly the same way as everybody else. &verybody makesthose same judgments whenever they decide to talk about one eventrather than another.

Criteria of newshe criteria by which news is judged are'

Is it new%


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Is it unusual%

Is it interesting or significant%

Is it about people%

Is it new%If it is not new, it cannot be news. he assassination of (rs )andhi isunusual, interesting, significant and about people, but it cannot possiblybe reported in tomorrow*s papers, because it is not new.

If some facts about that assassination became known for the first time,however, that would be news. he assassination would not be new, butthe information would be.&vents which happened days or even weeks earlier can still be news, aslong as they have not been reported before. If you are telling a story forthe first time, it is new to your readers or listeners and therefore it can benews.

+ews of the death of (ao se tung, for instance, was not released to theworld by the -hinese government for several days# when they did releaseit, however, it was still very definitely news.

Is it unusual%hings are happening all the time, but not all of them are news, even

when they are new. man wakes up, eats breakfast and goes to work ona bus# it has only just happened, but nobody wants to read about itbecause it is not unusual. "rdinary and everyday things do not makenews.

"f course, if that same man was /0 years old and was still catching thebus to work every day, it would be unusual1

he classic definition of news is this' 23og bites man2 is not news# 2(anbites dog2 is news.

his definition, though, is not universal. If dogs are eaten in your society4at feasts, for instance5 then it will not be news when a man bites a dog so long as it has been cooked.


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$owever, news can also be made by non human sources, such as acyclone, a bush fire, a drought, a volcanic eruption or an earth9uake. It iswhen reporting these stories that it is important to make sure that thestory is centred on people.

he cyclone would not matter if it blew itself out in the middle of the!acific "cean, away from any inhabited islands# the fire could burn for aslong as it likes in bush where nobody lives# the 7ahara 3esert has a nearpermanent drought, but in most of it nobody is there to rely on rains# avolcanic eruption or an earth9uake which damages nobody*s property andinjures nobody is really not news.

ll these natural disasters only become news when they affect people*s

lives. &very story can be told in terms of people. lways start by askingyourself the 9uestion' 2$ow does this affect my readers*, listeners* orviewers: lives%2

6henever you have a story which tells of how something has happenedwhich affects both people and property, always put the people first

!"H#:(ore than ;00 people were lefthomeless after -yclone


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How strong a story? story which is new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people is

going to be a very good story indeed. "ne way of deciding the strength of a story is to check how many of those five criteria it meets.


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here are other factors, though, which make stories strong or weak'

-losenesshe same event happening in two different places can have two 9uite

different news values. coup d:=tat in your own country is as big a storyas you can ever have 4although you will probably not be at liberty toreport it as you would wish15. coup in the country next door is still a bigstory, because it may affect the stability of your own country.

$owever, a coup in a small country in another continent is unlikely tomerit more than a few paragraphs.

he appeal of local news is that your readers or listeners might know thepeople or place involved.

8emember, though, that the word 2local2 means different things todifferent people. If you broadcast to a wide area or sell your newspaper inmany different towns, you must realise that a small story which interestsreaders in one place, because it is local, may not be of any interest toreaders elsewhere.

!ersonal impacthe average reader, listener or viewer may be a parent, a person wanting

a good education for the children, dreaming of buying a car, lookingforward to going home on leave, anticipating the next big communityfeast or festival. >ou will need to have a very clear understanding of whatyour own readers or listeners are like.

7o stories about bride price or dowries, children, land disputes, newschools, cheaper or dearer fares, or whatever else is important and mayaffect your average reader, will have personal impact.

!eople can identify with stories about other people like themselves. 7othose stories with which many people can identify are stronger than thosewhich only apply to a few.

How do we get news? lot of news will come to you as a journalist without any real effort on

your part. )overnment handouts, (inisters* speeches and announcements


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of new developments come into the newsroom after being processed bypress officers or public relations officers.

!assing on such information, as long as it is genuinely interesting and

informative, is an important function of the media, to provide society withthe hard facts of what is happening in the country.

It is part of your job as a journalist to sort out what is interesting andinformative from the millions of boring words which may be sent to you.

here is also news which journalists find for themselves and reveal to thepublic. his need not be a subject which somebody wants to be keptsecret. (any people have a story to tell but do not know how to write amedia release. It is part of your job as a journalist to find these peopleand report their stories.

here are also some stories which people want to keep secret but whichthe public ought to know about. 6hen you hear about such a situation, itis your duty to investigate fairly but fearlessly.

Where does news come from? +ow we know what makes news. he following are the main areas of lifein which we expect fre9uently to find news stories. ?or each category

below, think of at least one event or situation which could make a newsstory in your own society.

Conflicts: his category includes wars, strikes, revolutions, secessionistgroups, tribal and clan fights, elections and the power battles of politics.

&isaster and tragedy: his may include air crashes, train crashes, shipssinking, volcanic eruptions, earth9uakes, or human tragedies like childrenfalling down deep wells from which they cannot be rescued.

'rogress and de(elopment: 3evelopment is always news in adeveloping country. he report should be always of how the changesaffect people*s lives, for better or for worse. +ew ideas or progress in onearea may stimulate ideas in another. 3evelopment stories may includeeducation, the development of new technology, improvement of farmingtechni9ues, road building and irrigation schemes. -iti@ens of more


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developed countries may also appreciate stories about developments inthings which affect their lives or well being, such as medicalbreakthroughs, new technologies or initiatives to make transport easier,9uicker or cheaper.

Crime: ny crime can be news, whether it is a road traffic offence, breakand enter, corruption, forgery, rape or murder but more serious crimesor unusual crimes generally make bigger news stories.

)oney: hese stories include fortunes made and lost, school fees, taxes,the Audget, food prices, wage rises, economic crises and compensationclaims.It is not only large sums of money which make news# the little girl who

gives her only ten cents to a huge fund raising event is more interestingthan the businessman who gives B;00.

#he underdog: his is one of the great themes of literature and drama43avid and )oliath, the $are and the ortoise, -inderella5. "ne traditionalrole of the journalist is to defend the rights of the little person thesoldier against the unjust officer, the innocent man against false charges,the poor against exploitation.

eligion: here are two types of religious news story. ?irst, there areevents involving people*s religious lives, such as the building of a newchurch or a pilgrimage. 7econd, there are statements by religious leaderson moral and spiritual affairs, such as contraception or salvation. It isimportant for the journalist to be aware of the relative numerical strengthsof -hristianity, Islam and other religions including traditional local beliefs

in his or her country. he importance of a statement by a religiousleader in your society depends both upon the news value of what he hasto say and upon the si@e of his following.

Famous people: !rominent men and women make news. 6hat people inthe public eye do, the lives they lead and what they look like, are all of interest. It is especially newsworthy when they fall from power, lose theirmoney or are involved in scandal.

Health: (any people are concerned with their health, so they are


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interested in stories about traditional remedies, medical research,diseases, hospitals and clinics, drugs, diet and exercise.

*e+: ll societies are interested in sex, even if they do not talk about it

openly. (any news stories about sex involve behaviour which goes outsidesociety*s generally accepted standards.

Weather: he weather may affect the daily routine of people and is of interest when it behaves unusually, with exceptionally high or lowtemperatures, or exceptionally high or low rainfall.

Food and drink: he rich person plans feasts, the poor person wantsenough to eat and drink. 7hortages and gluts, crop diseases and harvestsi@es, prices of food in the market or the launch of a new brand of beer these all make news.

ntertainment: 7tories about music, dance, theatre, cinema and carvingkeep us informed of developments in the arts, who is doing what, who isperforming where, and what it is worth going to see or hear.

*port: (any people participate in sport and many others are spectators.hey all want to know sports results, news of sportsmen and sportswomen

and their achievements.

Human interest: here are often unusual and interesting aspects of other people*s lives which are not particularly significant to society as awhole. 7tories about these are called human interest stories. &xamplesmight be a child going abroad for surgery# a pilot recovering from injuriesreceived in an air crash and determined to fly again# or a man with acollection of a million picture postcards.

News and entertainment (ost people agree that the purpose of the news media newspapers,maga@ines, radio and television is to inform, to educate and to entertain.$owever, the purpose of the news itself is to inform and to educate yourreaders, listeners or viewers.

he entertainment can come from other areas music and dramaprograms on radio# cartoons and crossword pu@@les in newspapers. It is


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not the job of news to entertain.

his does not mean that news should be dull. If a news event has anelement of humour, you should always try to write the story in a way to

amuse your readers or listeners.+evertheless, the news should only be reported if it is real news. 3o notreport non news as if it was news only because the story is entertaining.

s you gain more experience, you may be able to write things which arepurely entertaining such as a humorous look at current events. his isnot news, however, and should not be presented as if it was.

(ake it clear to your readers or listeners what is news and what is not.

TO SUMMARISE#o decide what you should report, you must sort out news fromnon-news. #o do this, ask yourself the following uestions a/outanything you think may /e news:

Is it new?

Is it !n!s!a"?

Is it interesting?

Is it significant?

Is it a#o!t $eo$"e?

#o decide how to report it, ask yourself the following uestion:

How does this affect my readers%& "isteners% or 'iewers( "i'es?

!f it is not new or unusual, if it is not interesting or significant, and

if it will not affect your readers0 or listeners0 li(es, then it is notnews. &o not pu/lish it or /roadcast it as news.


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?or example, which do you think ismore interesting'

a5 girl going to primary school,to high school, or to university%

b5 man aged CD marrying a girlaged C0, or a man aged DDmarrying a girl aged ;D%

c5 car killing a chicken, a pig ora child%

&very one of these events mightbe news for the community inwhich it happens, but some aremore newsworthy than others.

>ou very likely answered that themost interesting things were a girlgoing to university, a man aged DDmarrying a girl aged ;D, and a carkilling a child. If your answer wasdifferent, though, it does notnecessarily mean that you werewrong.

he same event can have different levels of interest in different societies,and will be talked about in different ways. If a farm wall has collapsed,killing a cow and a pig, which is more important% -learly, the answer willvary from one society to another, depending upon the relative importanceof cows and pigs.

?or this reason, the content of the news can be different in differentsocieties. he way in which the news is judged, though, is the sameeverywhere

NEWS SOURCES


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In its infancy, news gathering was primitive by today's standards. Printed news hadto be phoned in to a newsroom or brought there by a reporter where it was typed andeither transmitted over wire services or edited and manually set in type along withother news stories for a specific edition. Today, the term "Breaking ews" has

become trite as broadcast and cable news services use live satellite technology to bring current events into consumers' homes live as it happens. !vents that used totake hours or days to become common knowledge in towns or in nations are fedinstantaneously to consumers via radio, television, cell phones, and the Internet.

ost large cities had morning and afternoon newspapers. #s the media evolved andnews outlets increased to the point of near oversaturation, afternoon newspaperswere shut down e$cept for relatively few. orning newspapers have been graduallylosing circulation, according to reports advanced by the papers themselves.%ommonly, news content should contain the who, what, when, where, why, and howof an event. There should be no &uestions remaining. ewspapers normally writehard news stories, such as those pertaining to murders, fires, wars, etc. in inverted

pyramid style so the most important information is at the beginning. Busy readerscan read as little or as much as they desire. ocal stations and networks with a setformat must take news stories and break them down into the most important aspectsdue to time constraints. %able news channels such as (o$ ews %hannel, ) B%,and % , are able to take advantage of a story, sacrificing other, decidedly lessimportant stories, and giving as much detail about breaking news as possible.One study after another comes up with essentially the same observation.thestory of journalism, on a day-to-day basis, is the story of the interaction of reporters and officials.- Michael Schudson

Sources of news are everywhere . # *ournalist is surrounded by sources of potential news stories ore features. # conversation with a friend, a poster on a wall,an une$pected *u$taposition+all might result in a story if you keep your eyes, earsand mind open. )ome sources will be routine points of contact for *ournalists whileothers may be one+offs, some will be proactive, approaching *ournalists becausethey want news access for their views or events, while other sources may not even

be aware that they are sources. # *ournalist should maintain a contact book havinglist of people categori ed and carrying vital information. )ources of news can belistless, some sources are-

. Academic journals + /esearch by academics, published in *ournals is a

fre&uent source of news stories. 0ere the *ournalist *ob is to spot a potentialstory among &ualifications and to render the story intelligibly to the readers.1. Armed forces- in peacetime the armed forces can generate stories throughmysterious deaths or cases of bullying that comes to light. 2uring times of conflict military briefings become events in their own right.3. Ar !rou"s- apart from providing information about forthcoming events, artgroups can generate rows about funding or controversial sub*ect matter.


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4. Cam"ai!ns- campaigners who want to influence public opinion on sub*ectsranging from animal rights to environment are likely to come up withopinions or events that might generate news stories.5. Commerce # $rade- business organi ations can be useful source of newsstories or comments about anything from interest rates, shares to shopping.#lso, consumer stories are a valuable source of information for evaluatingthe image of an organi ation.6. Council "ress offices- local authorities employ teams of press officers. Theyreact to *ournalists7 &ueries, coming up with information, &uotes andcontacts while acting as buffer between decision makers and *ournalists.%ouncil press officers with an eye for a good story should be able to getdaily page leads in local evening newspaper because they know what turnson the common people8. Cour hearin!s- court reporters dip in and out of several courtroomslooking for cases that fit the news values. 0ence, the importance of goodcontacts with court staff, police, solicitors and others should be reali ed.)ome reporters will also go after background material like &uotes fromvictims and their relatives.9. En er ainmen indus ry- it is an increasingly important source for today7smedia and celebrities gain immensely because of popularity through mediacoverage. (ilms, serials and various other programmes gain only if mediahas been highlighting them.:. %overnmen News Ne wor&- the government news network produces vastnumbers of news release on behalf of the government departments and

agencies on a regional and national basis. It also handles ministerial androyal visits.;. 'eal h au hori ies # hos"i als- outbreak of serious disease, funding crisis,

hospital closures and health promotion are all e$amples of news stories thatarise from health authorities. 0ospitals are source of good news storiescarrying news about cures, new treatments and general triumph+overtragedy.

.(i)raries- though it is hard to believe but the truth is that not everything isavailable on the Internet. ibraries retain a useful role in providing access toreference books, company reports, local history achieves, inde$es of localsocieties, community notice boards and so on.

1.News A!encies- they are the foot soldiers of *ournalism at a national andinternational level, allowing media organi ations to cover stories in areaswhere they have few or no staff. #gencies keep a check on offices and local

bodies and look out for news stories here. ewspapers, radio, television, bignews media houses, depend largely on the news agencies for general newscoverage. )ome famous news agencies are #P


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3.News Releases- news or press releases are point of reference for the *ournalists while covering an event. Badly written press releases can bewaste of time both for the *ournalist as well as for the organi ation.

4.No ice )oards- otices in shops, offices, libraries, colleges and elsewheremay also become a source of news.

5.O her media- newspaper monitors other papers plus T@, radio, news siteson the web. #nd, in turn, each medium monitors other media.

6.*eo"le- potential stories can be suggested by people you meet while atwork, rest and play. This can range from somebody mentioning that theyhave *ust seen a police car parked in their street to other substantialinformation provided by the common people.

8.*oli ical "ar ies- contacts within parties can be a fruitful source of storiesabout rows and splits, while party spokespeople will be keener to let youknow about the selection of candidates or launch of policy initiatives.

9.*R com"anies- this industry provides the *ournalists and us a peek into themedia world every day. )o it is a ma*or source for the *ournalists.

:. *ress conferences- press conferences are likely to be held to announce theresults of official in&uiries or to unveil new appointments. (ewer pressconferences take place these days, as most *ournalists are too busy to go andcollect information that could be fa$ed or emailed.1;. Universi ies- universities are a source of a huge range of stories, whether itis ground breaking research, an unusual degree scheme or an ethicalargument. They are also where you will find e$perts in everything fromaeronautics to the odiac.

News or!ani+a ions some imes )rea& em)ar!oes and re"or informa ion )efore

he em)ar!o e,"ires ei her acciden ally .due o miscommunica ion in henewsroom/ or in en ionally . o !e he jum" on heir com"e i ors/0 Breaking anembargo is typically considered a serious breach of trust and can result in the source

barring the offending news outlet from receiving advance information in the future.Sources

ost sources are not confidential. #t least in the >nited )tates , most news

organi ations have policies governing the use of anonymous sources. %riticssometimes cite instances of news organi ations breaking these policies. /esearchindicates that anonymous sourcing undermines credibilityA however, in someinstances, *ournalists may have no other recourse.

hether anonymous sources are used may depend on- hether the information is available any other way. If getting the information out serves a greater good.


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hether competing news outlets might do so.any news organi ations re&uire use of anonymous sources to be approved by

someone senior to the reporter. )ome also re&uire the reporter to tell a senior personthe identity. hen a source re&uests anonymity, they are referred to as a

"confidential source". They may appear in articles- ith information about why they must be confidential- "Cne worker, whore&uested anonymity out of fear of retaliation..." %ited with authority- "sources close to the investigation", or "a senior administration official" #s a mass noun- "%ritics say..." #s a pronoun- ")ome charge that..." #s a passive voice construct- "It is suspected that...", "% has learnedthat...")ometimes, though rarely, sources are impersonal or unknown. # reporter maysometimes, received the complete te$t on his doorstep, left there by an unknownindividual. )ources may also engage in disguise andDor voice alteration, nicknames,aliases, or simply not mention their identity, as attempts to ensure their anonymity.In some cases, this may be due in part to lack of trust between sources and reportersor their news organi ations. In reality, few *ournalists will accept information froman anonymous source, though they may pretend to have done so in order to protectthe source's identity, or to protect themselves in case a court later orders them toname the sourceEournalists can usually count on the support of their editors and

publishers when

refusing to identify a confidential source. In many countries, courts uphold thesanctity of the informal privacy agreement between a *ournalist and hisDher sourceson the basis of a right known as the protection of sources, in the belief that theconfidential nature of the *ournalist+source relationship underpins the e$istence of afree press.In some cases, courts will break the notion of reporter+source privilege, and demanda reporter reveal their source under pain of contempt of court. Cften, reporters willresist such demands. In the 1;;5 Plame affair, New York Times reporter Eudith

iller was *ailed for 95 days for refusing to identify vice presidential aide ewisibby as her source until he gave her a personal release of confidentiality.

Confiden iali y%ommunications between a source and a *ournalist can be governed by a number of terms of use, which have developed over time between *ournalists and their sources,often government or other high+profile sources, as informal agreements regardinghow the information will be used, and whether the identity of the source will be

protected. These terms may apply to an entire conversation, or only part. )ome of


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the terms are not clearly defined, so e$perienced *ournalists use them with caution.

*ress "ool*ress "ool refers to a group of news gathering organi ations pooling their resourcesin the collection of news. # "ool feed is then distributed to members of the

broadcast pool who are free to edit it or use it as they see fit. In the case of printreporters, a written "ool re"or is distributed to all members.Pool coverage is sometimes re&uired because of the nature of the news event beingcovered. (or e$ample, *udges will often allow only one broadcast camera in thecourtroom during a trial. #s a result, interested broadcasters will select one of their own to provide the "pool camera" for the day, with that organi ation agreeing toshare the footage with all other broadcasters in the pool.)imilarly, a daily rotating pool is set up at the hite 0ouse for organi ations thatcover the president. They are allowed special access to certain events with theunderstanding that the information and footage will then be shared with the rest of the hite 0ouse press corps. (or instance, when the president meets with a foreigndignitary, the two will sometimes make a statement together in the Cffice. )ince itis not possible to accommodate all interested *ournalists in that room, pool coverageis the only practical way to handle the event.#t other times, pool coverage takes place as a more cost+effective way of coveringevents that only occasionally "make news." (or e$ample, the ma*or networks usuallyrely on a pool feed of the daily briefing at the )tate 2epartment for their livecoverage, since the press conference is usually only of national interest when there isa significant breaking story relating to international diplomacy. )ince "coverage" of

such an event consists merely of pointing a camera at a person standing behind, a pool feed is a practical means of ensuring the event will be available as neededwithout all five ma*or news outlets paying for their own individual live crews.Pool situations are also often set up because of the physical enormity of coveringcertain events. Cne prominent e$ample of this was the international broadcast of thestate funeral of Eohn (. ?ennedy, which involved four ma*or venues and a lengthy

procession. ikewise, presidential inaugurations and political conventions tend toinvolve pool coverage. hile there are not necessarily formal rules, there tends to be aset of informale$pectations for pool members. Primarily, all pool members are e$pected to "share

the load" e&ually. (or e$ample, in the case of ongoing events, a different stationmight provide a pool reporter andDor camera every day. (or one+time events, eachorgani ation may have its own responsibility


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garner an "e$clusive" for themselves. In the case of television, a pool photographer is e$pected to turn over all of the material that was taped rather than keeping certainselect shots for his or her own employer. Print pool reporters are prohibited fromincluding any detail in their own stories that was not included in the pool reportAeven it is only a matter of local color.

A ri)u ion in News Wri in!

There is no easy answer as to when and how often you give attribution in your stories. Fou report attribution in print and broadcast news *ust as you do innormal speech. The placement of attribution at the end of the sentence is fine for

print, where your eyes have a chance to review the facts in the sentence after youare informed of the attribution. The broadcast audience does not have the lu$ury of reviewing your new story from the electronic media.Placing the attribution first in broadcast news stories makes a direct sentence andallows the audience a chance to *udge source credibility as the facts is heard, rather than waiting for a delayed attribution. In newspaper stories, attribution should be

placed after the te$t needing attribution. In broadcast stories, attribution goes first.e have already answered one of the important &uestions surrounding

attributionwhereshould it be placedG #ttribution goes after the te$t in print stories and it goesfirst in broadcast scripts. The second &uestion is+when should attribution be usedGThe easiest rule to remember when deciding if attribution is necessary is crime.%rime reports always re&uire attribution. #ttribution demonstrates that you are

relying on official sources for information in your story. It is irresponsible not touse attribution when describing a crime to which a person's name is linkedFou shouldalso include attribution if the story- Implies blame Is controversial 0ad doubtful validity ight be disputed ight be &uestionable hen opinions are offered 2irect and indirect &uotations

Cften things are not so black and white so eitherDor and that is where you will probably start wondering about whether or not you should include attribution. Fouwill *ust have to use your own *udgment in most cases. 1ee" in mind haa ri)u ion increases your s ory2s credi)ili y and ma&es he s ory s ron!er0 Bynaming your sources of information, you enable your readers, viewers or listenersto *udge the value of your facts. #ttribution allows the readers or audience decideabout credibility. If you have doubts about the &uality of the information in your


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story, attribution can be used to alert the audience to this potential problem.#nonymous telephone information inserted in a story should be identified as such.


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in any form. They may bargain with the source, asking if they can go to another source to obtain confirmation. Cr they may ask if the material can be used withoutusing the source's name.# source may ask to go on background, usually so that the source can provide thereporter with information that will clarify an event or situation. The source cannot

be named but may be described as a "city hall official," "a state legislator," or someother general term. To some sources, background means no direct &uotesA others

permit direct &uotes. The reporter must be clear about the terms of the agreementwith the source. Fou need to be aware that different stations may have varying

policies towards attribution. any editors and news directors refuse to accept copythat contains charges or accusations with no named source. They will notacceptattribution to "an official in city hall" or a "company spokesperson." Fou needto be aware of the policy of each newspaper or station you work for.

/!PC/T!/ eporters gather information and present it in a written or spoken form in newsstories, feature articles or documentaries. 8eporters may work on the staff of newsorganisations, but may also work freelance, writing stories for whoever pays them.)eneral reporters cover all sorts of news stories, but some journalists specialise incertain areas such as reporting sport, politics or agriculture.

;5 person who reports . C5a person employed to gather and report news, asfor anewspaper, wire service, or television station.

E5a person who prepares official reports , as of legalor legislative proceedings.

&xamples from the web for reporter hey looked upon the world with the eye of the mod

ern reporter .
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reporthttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reporthttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reporthttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reporthttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reporthttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/report


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he reporter has his hand upon it, and it is his grievousfault if he does not use it well.

nd they wrote of it in the easy style of the trained re porter .

Passion

Says South Africa-based Evelyn Groenink: Lets face it, most investigative ournalists !ill never be "layed by #obert #edford or $ate %lanchett in a&olly!ood movie, no matter ho! brave and im"ortant the !ork they did ordo' (ost investigative ournalism is a thankless endeavour, time- andenergy-consuming, that !ill get your editor im"atient and "o!erful "eo"leannoyed !ith you)*f you like a stable income !ith regular "romotions+ if your dee"est !ish isa management "osition !ith matching salary and if you en oy being invitedto dinners and "arties given by * s in your country or community, then

investigative ournalism is "robably not for you) %ut if you en oy challenges,have a "assion for truth and ustice, and !ant to serve your readershi" oraudience !ith stories that matter, no matter ho! much time and energy itcosts you . and even if some "o!erful "eo"le !ill end u" !ith maybe less-thanfriendly feelings to!ards you . then, by all means, go for it'/

Curiosity

Asking 0uestions is !here investigative ournalism starts) 1he 0uestionscan be about events in the ne!s, or about things you see or hear about inyour day-to-day life)


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Initiative

As !eve noted, many ne!srooms o"erate on limited resources and all runon tight deadlines) So an investigative idea you mention at a ne!sconference !ont al!ays be instantly ado"ted, "articularly if it is un-formedand vague) 2ou need to take the initiative, do your o!n "reliminarychecking and sha"e the idea into a solid story "lan) *f your ne!sroom stillisnt interested, you may need to take further initiative in identifying su""ort3such as an investigative grant4 for the !ork needed) 3See $ha"ters 5-6)4

Logical thinking, organisation and self-discipline

*nvestigative re"orting takes time and, because of the legal risks it oftencarries, must be verified do!n to the smallest detail) So you need tobecome a careful "lanner to make the best use of your time, andobsessive about checking and re-checking everything you discover, andmaking sure your story fits together)

Flexibility

An investigation can take une7"ected turns) Sometimes the 0uestion youbegan by asking turns out to be a dead-end, or o"ens the door on another,far more interesting but less obvious 0uestion) 2ou need to be "re"ared torethink and redesign your research !hen this ha""ens, and not stay!edded to your first ideas)

Team orking and communication skills

(ovies often "ortray the investigative re"orter as a 8lone !olf) Sometimes,there are situations !here secrecy is so im"ortant that a story cannot beshared !ith others until certain safeguards are in "lace) %ut very often thebest stories come out of a coo"erative effort that uses all the availableskills in 3and even outside4 the ne!sroom) An investigative story may callu"on kno!ledge of anything from science and health to economics and


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sociology, and no one ournalist, ho!ever strong their general kno!ledge,can be an e7"ert in all these) 9or e7am"le, if you are follo!ing a "a"er trailthrough com"any audits and no-one in the ne!sroom has a so"histicatedgras" of accounting, youll need to identify an e7"ert !ho can hel" you) Sogood contacts and net!orking form "art of your team!ork) And youll needto be a good enough communicator to ensure that the team understandsthe "ur"ose of the story and the standards 3accuracy, honesty,confidentiality4 e7"ected of everybody on it)

!ell-developed reporting skills

1his doesnt mean you have to have a degree in ournalism) %ut you needenough of either training or e7"erience, or both, to kno! ho! to identifysources, "lan story research, conduct good intervie!s 3and sense !hen anans!er doesnt ring true4, and !rite accurately and informatively) 2ou alsoneed to kno! !hen you are out of your de"th, and have the humility to askfor advice or hel") *f you are relatively ine7"erienced, good team!orking3again4 !ill hel" you to ta" into the skills of others !hen this ha""ens)Sometimes, "eo"le !ho dont have a re"orting background do have these

skills) #esearchers and community !orkers have often also been trainedto intervie! and identify and sift facts, although they may need the hel" ofne!sroom !orkers to "ackage a story attractively and accessibly forreaders, listeners or vie!ers) ell look at effective !riting and storytellingtechni0ues in $ha"ter ;)

"road general kno ledge and good research skills


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useful books are all vital here) Above all, you must read . everything,!henever you have the time) 2ou never kno! !hen a bit of background!ill "rove useful for your !ork)

#etermination and patience

*nvestigative re"orting !ill bring you u" against all kinds of obstacles, fromsources !ho disa""ear and records that dont e7ist, to editors !ho !ant tocan the story because it is taking too long or costing too much) =nly youro!n motivation and belief that it is a !orth!hile story !ill carry you through!hat is often a slo! "rocess of discovery)

Fairness and strong ethics

*nvestigative stories may "ut the security, obs or even lives of sources atrisk) 1hey also risk "utting their sub ects at similar risk if recklessaccusations are made) So an investigative re"orter needs to have astrong, e7"licitly thought-out set of "ersonal ethics, to ensure that sourcesand sub ects are treated res"ectfully and as far as "ossible "rotected from

harm) *n addition, ne!srooms that su""ort investigative stories need to beguided by ethical codes and have a "rocess in "lace for discussing andresolving ethical dilemmas) Sometimes "ublic trust is your best "rotection,and you lose this if you behave unethically) (ore on this in $ha"ter >)

#iscretion

Gossi"s do not make good investigative re"orters) As !eve seen, loose

talk can "ut the investigation . and lives . at risk) %ut in addition, it can ti"off commercial rivals !ho !ill then scoo" your story, or alert intervie!eesbefore you get a chance to talk to them) *n a !hole range of !ays, talkingtoo much can sabotage the story)


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Citi$enship

*?s are often attacked as 8un"atriotic, but !e do not see our role like that)e believe that !hat !e investigate and discover is driven by concern for

the "ublic interest and !hat !ill make our community better) @ambia-basedEdem okotoe !arns: 2ou might have the best research and !riting skillsin the !orld, but if you arent driven by "ersonal convictions to contributeyour skills to your society as a citiBen, your story !ill lack "ur"ose andheart)/

Courage

*t isnt only sub ects and sources that are at risk) #e"orters may bethreatened !ith legal action or violence, ailed, or even assassinated fortheir investigations) *n the face of these risks, you may succumb to"ressure and censor yourself) 2ou need to believe in !hat youre doing,have the courage to carry on, and if "ossible have "ersonal and"rofessional su""ort structures 3for e7am"le, family or "artner, religiouscommunity, counsellor, legal advisor, su""ortive editor and team4 in "lacefor !hen times get tough)

A young reporter must have good memory for faces. He must cultivatethe sixth sense and grow particular brain cells assiduously if he is tomake full use of his opportunities.

Once he is out to achieve this he will find plenty of people in his circle

who are valuable to him as news supply source. He must know themand develop this foible even though its mainspring is vanity.

The occasional task of a young reporter is to find a well known man or woman upon an incoming aircraft at the airport or a liner -at the


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seaport. Very occasionally his task is easy enough because anoutstanding personality can be easily known and approached at theright moment. oreover! if the reporter is associated with a good

newspaper! the personality may himself"herself be interested in beingaccessible. He or she may be bursting with ideas and opinions insearch of a right outlet. The #ournalist is the right person to avail theopportunity. $ersonalities can be known from the photographs.

Remembering from pictures:

A %uccessful reporter must have a good memory for pictured faces. Hemust also take out information about the personality he wishes toapproach for interviews or news. A good memory for pictures is oftremendous utility to a 1 #ournalist in a strange environment. &very #ournalist has the experience of going from pillar to post forinformation or confirmation when minutes and seconds keep flyingpast. He may be sometimes held up by the official folk unnecessarily.

'hat he should do is to care for every precious moment if he wishes to be the first to get the news through. (ut he has got to do everything sodiplomatically that he does not lose any friend who can be of use as asource of news.

)o #ournalist expects that re*uests preferred to %ecretaries andinisters of +epartments will always be met but he must move on the

right track. As a result of the common experience of the currentgeneration! a studied courtesy and in many cases a measure ofpersonal friendship with high-ups would be of great value. ,ournalistscan make use of the gift of remembering faces if they wish to avoid any embarrassing situations in their social career.


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uckily most of the government departments in democracies arehappy to deal with #ournalists and find useful outlets for theirpublicity. These considerations have made the task of the #ournalist

easier but the *ualities which go to the making of the successful #ournalist re*uire that he may make the maximum use of the facilitiesavailable. f a young #ournalist knows the art of making short-cuts somuch the better.

Making friendships:

t is important for the reporting #ournalist to make right type offriendships with his sources of information or news. He will find hissource of knowledge widened or restricted! according to the way in which he can cultivate the friendships. %ometimes it is alleged that #ournalists are too busy to keep a social life. n actual fact! the case isthe reverse. A #ournalist touches more of the social circles than anyman. He remains /00 the fringe of them all and can turn them to hisown professional use if he has the necessary capability.

A #ournalist is inevitably in many respects a public figure. He sees the world! the both saint and the devil at close *uarters and must onoccasions hobnob with people for whom truth is no terror. The onlytemptation to which a #ournalist should not fall is superficiality! ashallow outlook and. perhaps! a certain amount of cynicism. Heshould have the sense to discriminate between what is superficial and what is real.

He should not be easily bought over by vested interests by temptationsof cheap entertainment or the offer of wine and women. Once he falls aprey to these temptations he will be ignoring his duty and not doing


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the right type of reporting which he is expected to do as an unbiasedreporter. He must maintain a worthy outlook12 keep up his standardssteady and #udgments firm.

A #ournalist has the advantage in forming his #udgments of men andthings as he sees the inside aspects of movements which often presenta different side for the public view. 'hile the man in the street seesthe superficial! the #ournalist has gone into details and witnessedevents from the deepest *uarters.

Freshness of mind:

A #ournalist cannot afford to be stale in his ideas! concepts or pursuits.He has to be on his mental toes all the time. He must do a lot ofreading and writing! be honest to himself. 3ind out more *uickly thanothers the precious little knowledge he is in search. His writings mustemit the bright sparks with every new contact. His every new storymust be an improvement over the earlier one.

Thrill of the hunt for news:

An ideal reporter must respond to the urge and thrill of the news.)ews getting is not a matter of routine. He must be dynamic in hisapproach so that he can get preference to the routine #ournalists fromthe news agencies or other newspaper that may compete with him tofind access to the source of news. 4nless he has a thrill for news! hecannot prove to be a more efficient news-gatherer and interpreter ofthe movements of which he is an observer and from which he has to build the background for future coverage.


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The competitive aspect of modern #ournalism adds to the thrill ratherthan subtracts. The lust for a new fact in competition with others musthave the effect of throwing a heightened light upon it and of getting it

out of focus in relation to its setting. Thus! there is a constant war between the #ournalist5s conception of the public appetite and the needto weigh facts carefully and to keep to a sense of values which isintrinsic.

Sense of Responsibility:

An ideal reporter! however brilliant and imaginative! must maintain asense of responsibility. He must ad#ust his balance of things in such a way that he can keep to the interests of his organisation withoutsacrificing the public good. His over-enthusiasm should not land himinto a situation where he may be called irresponsible. He must realisethat he holds in his hand one of the reins by which mass movementsare forged and that he must use it purposefully and with care.

What Are the Different Types ofReporters?Reporters w ork in different areas a nd mediums; however, manyprofessional reporters are journalists trained in fact-nding, writing and


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researching. If you have a air for getting the facts r ight and workingunder pressure, you might consider a job as a reporter. Schoolsoffering Journalism degrees can also be found in thesepopular choices .

Overview of Jobs in Reporting

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), reporters a ndcorrespondents he ld more than 57,000 jobs in 2012. However, the BLSpredicts t hat jobs i n the eld will decrease by 13% between 2012-2022,

mainly due to decreased newspaper and magazine readership. However,there are many o ther types o f mediums w here reporters ca n nd work,ranging from TV to radio to the Web. In each of these jobs, reportersgather facts, conduct interviews and write stories. Some reporters cover awide array of topics while others stick to one subject. As a reporter, you'llbe able to direct your career toward the kind of reporting you'd like to do.

Different Kinds of Reporters

Assignment Reporters

Assignment reporters, sometimes ca lled general assignment reporters,cover the notable incidents i n their news co verage areas. Working as a nassignment reporter means w riting stories a bout community n ews e vents,

such as car accidents or celebrity visits, as they are assigned to you byan editor.

3UA(4$4ES O5 A RE*OR$ER Role of a 6ournalis
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The main duty of a *ournalist is to act as an interpreter of the world around. The *ournalist observers the events, transmits facts about the event and acts as aninterpreter of these events and happenings. # *ournalist should therefore stick tofour ideals-

. 0e should imbibe a never+ending search for the truth1. 0e should be able to meet needs of the changing times, instead of waiting to

be overtaken by them3. 0e should be able to perform services of some conse&uence and significanceto mankind4. 0e should maintain a steadfast independence# *ournalist is an important unit of the democratic system in our country. 0e issupposed to gather facts, organi e them and disseminate them to the masses. 0ealso e$plains the significance of the facts and offers opinions on contemporaryissues. 0e is e$pected to comment on matters of public interest in a fair,accurate, unbiased, sober, decent and responsible manner.# *ournalist must be cool, detached, and even skeptical as he approaches hismaterial. The right Hattitude7 is an important trait in a successful *ournalist. 0eshould have a high degree of skill in organi ing material and in using thelanguage. 0e should not be lacking in confidence but should not be overconfidentor over enthusiastic. 0e should avoid distortion in the news story inan effort to attain striking effect.H#ttribution7 or the Hname of the source7 is another thing, which should not beoverlooked. The best attribution is the name of the precise source. The ne$t bestis the name of the organi ation, office or group, represented by the source as a

spokesman. The least satisfactory, but sometimes the most necessary, is somevariation of the phrase, Hinformed source7, if the origin of the news must be heldin confidence.HWri e li&e you al& 7 is a phrase gaining much currency in modern *ournalism.The stiff, formidable phrasing of the thirties is no longer considered a goodform. Instead, easy+flowing, lively and palatable language is becoming popular.

# great deal of importance is also attached to the Hvitality7 factor in *ournalists.!very *ournalist has to religiously observe the newspaper edition deadlines.

There is no prescribed &ualification for a reporter but not everyone can be a good *ournalist. # good *ournalist is sometimes born but more often he is fashioned outof the hard school of a rigorous test and training.

. # good reporter makes regular contact with his or her sources.)he goes to the well when she's thirsty, but she also goes to the well whenshe's not thirsty. There is no substitute for actually being there, for personalcontact. )ee your sourcesA speak to them when you need something from


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them, but more importantly, when you don't need anything.1. Cne of the most important &ualities that a reporter must have is an easearound strangers. #lways be alert to the common ground that you share withthe people you deal with. ention these topics in your conversations withthem. (amiliarity doesn't breed contempt. It lowers barriers.3. # reporter has to answer the &uestion, " hat's upG" withmore than, " ot much." Put sources on the receiving end of information. # reporter is an information broker. )hare information whenyou can.4. There has to be a certain distance between a reporter and the source, not awall or a fence but an air space. Fou serve the reader, not the source.#fter months on a beat, working with the same sources, you will begin tothink like them and talk like them. Fou will be sympathetic to their point of view. Be wary of this and of their efforts to use you. It is likely andlegitimate that they will try to persuade you of the merit of their views, tosell you on their programs. Fou will have little contact with your readers,

but it is them you represent.5. The language of your source is probably not the language of your readers.Bureaucrats, scientists, educators and lawyers have their own *argon. earnthis *argon but translate it into )tandard !nglish for your readers.

6. If you have obtained information from a source on the understanding that itis off the record, then it is. /emember, a source is a source for life. Fou maychange beats, newspapers, even cities, yet your reputation will follow you.The only way to be a successful reporter over the long haul is to operatehonestly. If you don't, you will be without that most valuable of allcommodities, good sources.

ake one more call. #sk your source, " ho else can help meG" " ho holdsan opposite viewG" ork down the organi ation chart. If possible, talk to the

policeman who made the arrest, not the supervisorA the teacher rather thanthe principal. Be polite but persistent with your sources. Insist on aresponsive answer to your &uestion. (ollow slow+developing stories bychecking periodically with your sources. If the event or issue is still on their agenda, it probably should be on yours as well.

8.The best reporters we know are bright, persistent, honest, personable,curious and courageous. # good reporter is a generalist, able to deal with anumber of topics and talk with a variety of people. 0e or she can see theunusual, the ironic, in the everyday. )he can think through all the

possibilities and organi e a large amount of information to find theimportant parts.


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9. # good reporter is &uick. Cnce he is assigned a story, he goes after it. 0emakes the calls and keeps trying if he doesn't make contact. 0e remembersthe sign that once hung in the Los Angeles Times newsroom- CF#D?C2.:. # good reporter is curious. 0e or she takes pleasure in the new, and in theold, in the history or precedent that got us where we are. 0e en*oys readingand appreciates the details.

;.# good reporter is pleasant. )he adopts a friendly nature with those shemeets. )he is a grateful guest, with a belief in the basic goodness of people.)he conveys to those she meets that she is tolerant of them and their ideas,even though she does not like them or what they stand for. )he subordinatesher ego and is a good listener.

.# good reporter is honest. 0e seeks the truth and acts independently. 0edoes what he says he's going to do, and doesn't do something he promised toavoid. 0e returns his calls, and he's willing to say no. 0e's obsessed with

accuracy and double checks his facts with callbacks. 0e sees both sides toevery issue. 0e doesn't treat people as a means to an end.

1.The good reporter is courageous. )he approaches strangers. )he takes pleasure in being good, in being first. )he develops a skin to deflect theinevitable criticism. )he is willing to make a mistake and willing to writesomething that may hurt someone. )he has a capacity for tempered outrage.

3.#s Eon (ranklin, reporter, author and teacher, said- "Back when I firststarted, I thought intelligence was the most important attribute a reporter could have. I have since changed my mind. Fou do have to be intelligent,

but the big thing is courage.4.%ourage to open your mind and let the whole damned confusing world in.

%ourage to always be the ignorant one, on somebody else's turf. %ourage tostand corrected. %ourage to take criticism. %ourage to grow with your e$periences. %ourage to accept what you don't understand. ost of all,courage to see what is there and not what you want to think is there."

%ood Re"or er should have followin! elemen s in his news s ory7Accuracy!very statement, &uotation, name, date, age and address must be verifiable. In

addition, accuracy of general impression is also important. This involves the waythe details are put together and the emphasis given those details. # reporter must *udge what is important or unimportant, what will be played up or played down.The overall article must give an accurate portrayal of an event or situation, and

poor selection of details or improper emphasis of details can distort the truth.In general, accuracy is difficult because reporters are dealing with many factsAthey must gather information and write &uickly, and many people are involved,


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from source to reporter to editor. To ensure accuracy, check and double check every detail and &uestion sources carefully. Fou can't always rely on sources togive complete, accurate information any more than you can rely on them to *ust"tell" everything needed for an article. Indeed, some sources may intentionallymisinform, so reporters often need to check with more than one source.

8alanceBalance, closely related to accuracy, is the selection of significant details as aresult of informed *udgment on the part of the reporter. Balance involves givingfacts proper emphasis and placing them in proper relation to other facts. #

balanced story is also a complete story, where the reporter presents both sides of anissue, particularly if it is controversial.(or e$ample, if you write a sports story for your high school paper, everystatement could be correct, but if only the action of the home team is reported, thereporter is guilty of writing an incomplete and unbalanced story.If you are covering a convention and write about a minor speech in great detailwhile giving little detail about a ma*or speech, you produce an unbalancedarticle.O)jec ivi y

ews is a factual report of an event, not a report as seen by a biased person or seen as a reporter might wish it to be seen. The reporter should be as impartial andhonest as possible. In fact, if a reporter does have a bias, sometimes he or shedeclines to do the story, or, more often, bends over backwards to make sure bothsides are covered e&ually. Is total ob*ectivity humanly possibleG e all have

backgrounds, biases, and emotions that help make up who we are as people, andturning them off completely is pretty impossible. )ometimes biased reporting canhappen inadvertently because the reporter tries to be clever or make a story moreinteresting.Concise # ClearThe inverted pyramid structure of writing, with the most important informationfirst, beginning with the lead paragraph that tells the whole story in miniature,helps the reporter to present information in an easy+to+understand manner. Think interms of writing simply so that the average reader can understand, even if they

have no background or previous knowledge of the sub*ect.henever you begin to write an article, think of this story, and remember that youmust e$plain in such a way that not one member of your audience wouldmisunderstand. Fou must somehow make readers "see," regardless of their frameof reference or how comple$ the topic is.

#lso think in terms of eliminating any unnecessary words, any words not


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absolutely essential to the meaning. )tudents sometimes complain that if theywrite too concisely, they take away creativity and interest. It will be boring, they

protest. Cn the contrary, concise writing is more crisp, immediate andinteresting. Think about your te$tbooks. othing is worse than readingte$tbooks, say students. hyG Because, they're usually long and overwritten.RecenTimeliness is of the utmost importance in news coverage in general and newswriting in particular. Cther factors being e&ual, an editor will choose one storyover another because of its timeliness. Cn occasion, however, timeliness may notnecessarily mean events are current. ith the assassination attempt on President/onald /eagan in :9 , came comparisons and stories about the assassination of Eohn (. ?ennedy in :63.

Reporters' Rights andResponsibilities

These are some general tips on rights journalists have, how to obuphold. For more, please visit the Student Press Law Center or

Freedom of Information Laws

Also known as sunshine laws , these allow reporters, students, andidea behind them is that people should have freedom to be inforare reluctant to turn over records, and law enforcement o cials atendency to be non-compliant. ut don!t give up if someone refuscould $ust be a temporary obstacle, so e%plore further before stop

&ost records of a public agency or meetings by a public agency
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e%emptions vary. (sually o cials are compliant and re)uests for isome tools you can use to get the information you want.

*ne is a +reedom of #nformation Act re)uest, which you can makeress aw enter has a great letter generator on their /eb site. &

for so that your re)uest can be processed )uickly. +*#A laws are nre)uest, and you don!t have to have a reason for your re)uest.

Another tool you can use to get information is the lery Act , wdaily campus crime and to compile yearly statistics on serious cri

A law to watch out for is the +amily 2ducational 3ights and rivacprevent unnecessary releases of students! 4education records5 bybecause the de'nition of 4education records5 is a bit fu66y, now itthat have nothing to do with a student!s schoolwork or academic

These are not the only tools you can use. &ore laws include stude

accreditation, academic standards and student indebtedness for c

Reporters Privilege

3eporters! privilege is protection against compelled disclosure of

testify and giving up a source!s identity or information they gatheif $ournalists hang under the constant threat of subpoenas, their $di cult. *ccasionally con'dential sources are key to revealing a sso proponents of reporters! privilege argue that $ournalists should
http://splc.org/legalassistance/foiletter.asphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clery_Acthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Educational_Rights_and_Privacy_Acthttp://www.rcfp.org/privilege/http://splc.org/legalassistance/foiletter.asphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clery_Acthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Educational_Rights_and_Privacy_Acthttp://www.rcfp.org/privilege/


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The (.S. Supreme ourt!s :;er bprivilege, but 3 allows for a broader de'nition of 4$ournalists,5 aorgani6ation for protection.1 /isconsin has 3 but no separate s

$ournalists, who sometimes aren!t included in 3 laws. Studentscon'dential sources to begin with 8 but if you do promise a sourcsomething that you can!t deliver on.

Libel and Defamation Law

?enerally, it!s more important to have a good, independent presspotential libel7defamation.

egal liability applies to everyone who had their eyes on and respthe writer who!s sued, but the sta> or the college 0they have morthe newspaper, they!re usually safe. ibel cases against student p

$ournalists are students and are still learning, but cases do happe

ibel is 4any published communication 8 words, photos, pictures,

true statement, then it can!t be libel. Any printed content can be lradio broadcasts are usually also de'ned as libel. 0Slander is anotof libel can still count as libel. To have a successful libel claim, the

Publi"ation 8 that the statement was communicated to someone
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in a newsroom constitutes publication.

#denti$"ation 8 /as the plainti> identi'ed by nameD an it reasostatementD EoteC *nly individuals, not groups, can sue for libel, athan =F members, it is widely accepted that the statement can!tsub$ect to claims of libel.

arm 8 The plainti> has to prove that the statement harmed histheir academic community, their work community, etc.

Falsit! 8 The plainti> has to prove that the statement made aboustatement need only be substantially true.

Fault 8 The plainti> must prove that the defendant did somethin

3ed Gags that a statement could potentially be libelousC if it!s abocriminal activity, calling someone a liar or a thief, negative state

religious insensitivities, associating someone with known criminalstatus, and negative statements about lawyers 0they really know

2pithets and insults are generally not regarded as libelous.

ublic o cials and public 'gures have to prove a higher level of f

According to the Student ress aw enter, 4 ecause a statementspeaker!s opinion are generally protected, even when they are no)uestion as 4pure opinion5D #f it cannot be reasonably veri'ed, it i


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SU99AR:News values determine how much prominence a news story is given by a mediaoutlet. In practice such decisions are made informally by editors on the basis of their e$perience and intuition, and analysis shows that several factors are consistentlyapplied across a range of news organi ations Boyd ::4 states that- " ews

*ournalism has a broadly agreed set of values, often referred to as Hnewsworthiness7-events suitable for news which tend to be pro$imity, relevance, immediacy, anddrama."'ard news s ories ma&e u" he )ul& of news re"or in!0 0ard news consists of

basic facts. It is news of important public events, international happenings, socialconditions, economy, crime, etc. thus, most of the material found in daily papers,especially from page items or news casts, deal in the hard news category. The mainaim of the hard news is to inform.Sof s ories have a human in eres en er ainmen focus or a s a is ical and

survey a""roach . This gives a *ournalist a chance to be creative and have fun withthe news. Cne ma*or advantage of softer news is that many of the stories have alonger shelf life. They can be used at any time the practitioner or reporter deemsappropriate.Sources of news are everywhere . # *ournalist is surrounded by sources of

potential news stories ore features. # conversation with a friend, a poster on a wall, anune$pected *u$taposition+all might result in a story if you keep your eyes, earsand mind open. )ome sources will be routine points of contact for *ournalists whileothers may be one+offs, some will be proactive, approaching *ournalists becausethey want news access for their views or events, while other sources may not even

be aware that they are sources

B!#T )F)T!

B!#T /!PC/TI

B!#T /!PC/TI

O86EC$4;ES To understand the meaning HBeat /eporting7 To discuss the different types or beats of reporting8ea re"or in! is the craft of reporting on an issue or particular sector,organi ation or institution over time. Beat reporters build up a base of knowledge


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on and gain familiarity with the sector, allowing them to provide insight andcommentary in addition to reporting straight facts. This distinguishes them fromother *ournalists who might cover similar stories from time to time# news beat is an institutional or issue area that generates enough news and reader interest to make it worthwhile for a newspaper to assign a reporter to cover it on aregular basis. Traditional beats are government agencies, such as the policedepartment, courts, schools, and city hall. %ertain issue areas such as health,

business, and environment are also regular beats on most newspapers. Beats couldalso be imagined &uite differently. (or e$ample, if they chose to do it, newspaperscould assign reporters to e$plore and write regularly about, say, childhood, work,ethics, psychology, or any other area or fields that might help readers understandthe world they live in.

hat makes a beat a good beat for both writer and reader is variation in levels of analysis. That is, a good beat has stories that can be told with lots of concrete detail

but also with broad themes that speak to abstract issues and ideas. Beats are places


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structure and by using familiar words. The third consideration is forcefu

2AT SHST2&

"eat reporting , also kno!n as speciali$ed reporting , is a genre

of ournalism that can be described as the craft of in-de"th re"orting

on a "articular issue, sector, organiBation or institution over time)

%eat re"orters build u" a base of kno!ledge on and gain familiarity

!ith the to"ic, allo!ing them to "rovide insight and commentary in

addition to re"orting straight facts) Generally, beat re"orters !ill also

build u" a ra""ort !ith sources that they visit again and again,

allo!ing for trust to build bet!een the ournalist and hisCher source of

information) 1his distinguishes them from other ournalists !ho might

cover similar stories from time to time) D F

?ournalists become invested in the beats they are re"orting for, and

become "assionate about mastering that beat)D5F

%eat re"orters oftendeal !ith the same sources day after day, and must return to those

sources regardless of their relationshi" !ith them) D6F 1hose sources

may or may not be "leased !ith the re"orting of the re"orters) D6F *t is

"ertinent that beat re"orters contact their sources 0uickly, obtain all

necessary information, and !rite on deadline) D6F

aily beat re"orting, in contrast to investigative !riting, "resentscredible information from reliable sources) D F =ften, investigative !riting

is attributed to unofficial sources 3Harrirer4) According to media

sociologists, beat re"orting occurs because of the limited time

re"orters are given to cover stories) DIF 9or big scoo"s, beats are not
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reportershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Ryfe-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Scanlan-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Scanlan-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Scanlan-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Kassirer-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Berkowitz-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reportershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Ryfe-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Scanlan-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Scanlan-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Scanlan-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Kassirer-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Berkowitz-5


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necessarily as useful as other ournalism ty"es) DIF Some of the best

inside stories, for e7am"le %ay of igs and atergate, did not come

from beat re"orting) DIF

%eat re"orters collect information from each "erson they meet !hile

re"orting) DJF 1hey routinely call, visit, and e-mail sources to obtain any

ne! information for articles) DJF hen re"orters have e7"erience on a

s"ecific beat, they are able to gain both kno!ledge and sources to

lead them to ne! stories relating to that beat) DJF %eats are able to hel"

re"orters define their roles as ournalists, and also avoid overla" of

stories !ithin the ne!sroom

8ea re"or in!i s t h e c r a f t o f r e p o r t i n g o n a n i s s u e o r pa r t i c u l a r s e c t o r , organi ation or institution over time.Beat

eat reporting

is the craft of reporting on an issue or particularsector,organi6ation or institution over time.

eat

reporters

build up a base of knowledge onand gain familiarity

with the sector, allowing them to provideinsight andcommentary in addition to reportingstraight facts. This distinguishes themfromother $ournalists who might cover similarstories from time to time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Berkowitz-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Berkowitz-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Galbraith-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Galbraith-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Galbraith-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Berkowitz-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Berkowitz-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Galbraith-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Galbraith-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_reporting#cite_note-Galbraith-6


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# news beat is an institutional or issue area that generatesenough news and reader interest to make it worthwhile for anewspaper to assign a reporter to cover it on aregular basis.Traditional beats are government agencies, such as the

policedepartment, courts, schools, and city hall. %ertain issueareas such as health, business, and environment are also regular

beats on most newspapers. Beats couldalso be imagined &uitedifferently. (or e$ample, if they chose to do it, newspaperscouldassign reporters to e$plore and write regularly about, say,

childhood, work,ethics, psychology, or any other area or fieldthat might help readers understand theworld they live in. hatmakes a beat a good beat for both writer and reader is variationin levels of analysis. That is, a good beat has stories that can betold with lots of concrete detail but also with broad themes thatspeak to abstract issues and ideas. Beats are places IT +1

$:*ES O5 RE*OR$4N%Crime re"or in!


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There are tremendous public interests in crime stories and no newspaper can affordto ignore them without damage to circulation and credibility. %rime is a part of lifeand it is newspaper7s duty to inform the readers of what crimes are going on intheir city, state or country. 0owever, crime reporting should not aim at satisfyingmorbid curiosity or sensation mongering.#lthough crime reporting is usually assigned to one of the *unior reporters in anewspaper, it is a highly responsible and speciali ed *ob. The reporter should notonly have the ability to sift the grain from the chaff, and the truth from lies, heshould also have good contacts in the police and other departments of theadministration as well as working knowledge of the penal codes and law on libeland other relevant matters.Besides, he must observe a code of honour. 0e should be as ob*ective and ashumanly as possible so as to avoid resorting to sensationalism or cheap gimmicksto catch the attention of the readers or the viewers. 0e should not suppress news of

public interest. or should he seek to settle personal scores with police officers or lawyers or *udges. #nd he must be careful that in the course of his work, he doesnot unnecessarily invade a citi en7s privacy.There has been much criticism of press reporting of crime and not all of it is

baseless. )ome reporters have been found guilty of unethical standards, thuscausing much pain and sorrow to their victims or their families and friends.%rime /eporters try to glorify the activities of criminals or sometimes make heroesof them. This practice should be discouraged as much as a resort to sensationalism.The crime reporter much never violates standards of decency and good news taste.There are several types of crime news+murders, fires, accidents, robberies,

burglaries, fraud, blackmail, kidnapping, rape, etc.5iresThe reporter must get his facts correct about the essential elements of a fire storythe number of persons killed or in*ured, the e$tent of damage to property, the lossof valuables, etc. he must also find out if the fire brigade responded in time or wasguilty of delaying the fire+operations through sheer lethargy or incompetence or lack of water supply. 0e should &uestion eyewitnesses about any acts of bravery or cowardice. #ll these are essential ingredients of a fire story.The lead in a fire story would normally suggest itself. If, for instance, lives have

been lost, it needs highlighting in the lead. If possible, the reporter must list the

names of the dead and the in*ured. 'omicidesIn cases of a ma*or murder, the reporter should rush to the scene as soon as possible after receiving a tip and gather all the relevant facts. In nine cases out of ten, crime reporters, say, in 2elhi depend on police information about murders andthere is a time lapse before they can begin their investigations.This often hampers their search for the truth. The reporter must, in any case,e$ercise great care in how he handles the story. Ctherwise, he runs the risk of


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causing offence.In reporting dowry deaths or alleged dowry deaths, the reporter must refrain fromleveling uncorroborated statements by one party or the other. 0e must therefore gethis facts correct by talking to the investigation police officer, the girl7s in laws andher parents, and, if possible, with the neighbors.Acciden s

ost accidents are reported on the basis of police bulletins or information suppliedHby police spokesmen7. 0owever, wherever possible the crime reporter must rushto the scene of a ma*or accident to give authenticity to his story.Arres sIt is a serious matter to report that a person has been placed under arrest. hensuch a report is made, the e$act charge against the arrested person could be givenand it should be documented by either a record or attribution to a responsibleofficial. If such documentation cannot be obtained, the reporter has better to check the facts. The person in &uestion may not have been under arrest at all. In manystates an arrest is not formally accomplished until a prisoner is booked. The news,in any case, must be handled with care.Accusa ionsIt is commonly written that someone is being sought for robbery, suspected of arson or tried for murder. This is *ournalistic shorthand, which has gainedacceptance through usage, but it is neither precise nor correct.Persons are sought in connection with a robbery, unless a charge has actually beenmade, in which case they are charged with robbery. Persons under suspicion arenot necessarily going to be charged with a crime and it is generally not privileged

matter to indicate that suspicion is attached to any individual by name. here the police suspect someone, but lack proof, that person may be held as materialwitness+that is far different from being accused of as a criminal. Therefore, casesof suspicion are not usually given too e$tensive and detailed news treatment if no

privileged material is available for use. The practice of reporting that a defendant is being Htried for murder7, while widely used, is obviously pre*udicial and could bemore accurately, if less drama stated, as Hbeing tried as a charge of murder7.ConfessionsThe use of the word Hconfession7 to describe statements made by a person to the

police or the prosecuting authorities is dangerous when it is not a matter of public

record. The fact that a police chief or a prosecutor has claimed to have aconfession, e$cept in open court, may be used only at the risk of the newsorgani ation. ost press+bar voluntary agreements forbid the use of confessionsuntil they are admitted in open court. The records are full of supposed confessionsthat backfired later for a variety of reasons and of persons who admitted crimesthey could not possibly have committed. >nless and until it is established in factthat a person has confessed, approved procedure for reporters is to use such terms


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as Hstatement7, Hadmission7, Hdescription7 or He$planation7. They convey the shadeof meaning that is warranted by circumstances and do not sub*ect the newsorgani ation to unnecessary risks.$here are a few fundamen al "recau ions which a crime re"or er mus a&eaccoun of7 The first is that the police and prosecutors rarely will give them informationon a silver platter. That means, a tremendous amount of interviewing andresearch must be done in a very short time so that a coherent story may bewritten There is no guarantee of police accuracyA and therefore police versions of names, addresses and other facts must be checked Police and *ournalistic terminology are not identical. The legal term for aslaying is a homicide, but many news organi ations loosely and incorrectlyrefer to such crimes automatically as murder.

0 Cour re"or in!!ven the big newspapers of India do not have the resources to cover all thecourts of their main circulation area. The reason being that there are too manycourts. ewspapers neither have the time nor the space to cover everything thathappens in the courts. Paper covers only those stories in which their readers areinterested.

# country governed by laws needs many courts, each with a different *urisdiction. The emphasis of the news media is on criminal courts, 0igh courts,and the )upreme %ourt. The media are less interested in covering %ivil %ourts.

Cne of the reasons for this lack of interest may be that the %ivil %ourts are *ammed with cases, the suits remain pending there for several years and it isassumed that in the mean time, members of the public would lose whatever interest they may have showed initially.If we go through the old files of a newspaper, we will find that the volume of court reporting has increased in recent years. Cne of the reasons for the increasemay be the courts are now getting more active in the field of social *ustice. Publicinterest litigations are also increasing. #s the number of petitions increase, onenotices a corresponding increase in the coverage of courts and the *udgmentsthey deliver.

There are only a few big newspapers in India who have full time correspondentsor reporters e$clusively for their court beat. These reporters generally haveade&uate legal background. Cther newspapers mostly hire stringers to cover courtstories.


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stories in their respective areas and come from teaching, law and other professions. # newspaper, which does not have a full time law reporter, may sendits regular staff correspondent to cover an important court story.The first time that one covers the court beat as a court reporterA one usually feelsamidst the technicalities and comple$ language. # trainee reporter aiming to be afuture court reporter must at first ac&uire some understanding of the court

*urisdictions, its procedures and its hierarchy. #t the ape$ we have the )upreme%ourt of India. Then there are the 0igh %ourts, )ession %ourts, agistrate %ourts,etc.If the reporter is ac&uainted with the *urisdiction of different courts, then one caneasily locate the specific court for a particular matter. )imilarly, if one is familiar with the hierarchy in the courtsA one can easily guess where the appeal would befiled.

uch of a reporter7s success in the coverage of the courts depends on one7scontact and sources, and one7s ability to gain access &uickly to records. (or areporter,the key person in a court is the clerk of the court. # court clerk preparesand keeps the records. 0e can make available copies of transcript for a fee. %ourtreporting involves diligent checking of records. The *udge who presides a trial isseldom one7s source. But a reporter should, as soon as possible, introduce oneself in person to the *udge. # court reporter should also have good contacts with thelawyers working on a case and if possible with the respective parties. here acase attracts much public attention, reporters may be under pressure from rivallawyers for a more favorable description of their individual positions. The reporter must then ensure impartial reportage in all fairness to the proceedings in court.

%ourt reporters must understand the *udicial process from beginning to end. Theyshould know what happens when a suspect is arrested, charged, arraigned, tried,and sentenced or released. !$perienced reporters say the best way to learn the

process is to spend time at the courthouse. #s stated before, begin with the courtclerks, who keep track J the list of cases J and the calendar. (ind out how to getcopies of the court record, filings, and testimony. /ead the case files J includingmotions and pleadings before the trial J and keep track of what's reported aboutthe case if you can't be in court every day, which fre&uently happens.2efense attorneys are some of the best sources of information on the *ustice beat.They often are more willing than prosecutors to talk with reporters about cases on

which they are working. 2o your best to understand legal *argon, but avoid using itin your stories. If you don't know what something means, ask the person you'reinterviewing to e$plain it.


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practitioner, etc. the common man cannot understand most of the medical terms soit is the duty of the health reporter to e$plain these terms and present the reportwhich is easily understood by the common man.!very change of season witness some ma*or breakouts of epidemics and thus the

people must be informed about these diseases and the necessary measures to betaken to avoid the occurrence of these diseases. The health reporter in no wayshould frighten the common man but present remedies and cures for the diseases.%rosschecking is e$tremely necessary if the reporter is not speciali ed in themedical field. Therefore, most of the newspaper relies of medical practitioner,doctors, scientist, and others to present the articles or features for the newspaper.The health reporter is supposed to cover researches, developments in the field of medicine and pharmaceuticals and new e$periments in medicine and medicalsurgery. 0e collects this information from different departments of medicalfraternity.

any well+known health and medical science reporters writing in a few ma*or newspapers have become the primary source for secondary pick+u

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