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Essentials of Reporting:
Observation:
For those who wish to enter the profession, they must know the art of active observation.
Observation is an action. It involves watching something, or someone, to gain information.
Observation is not just about seeing and looking. It consists of your actually seeing an event take
place and then reporting what you have seen in the form of a news story.
The difference between a good story and a poor one is often in the skill of the observer. Skilled
observers use their eyes, ears, mind, notebooks and tape recorders. They make sure they get the
concrete facts, specific figures and accurate information. They look for the colorful, the dramatic
or the unusual in any situation. Skilled observers always try to get more information than they
actually need. They know it is easier to discard excess material than to retrace their steps after the
story is cold.
Developing your powers of observation can come only through experience. You cannot become a
skilled observer by simply reading a book. The key to becoming a good observer is to look for
more than you see on the surface.
First, when people know they are being watched they automatically behave differently. It is just
human nature. Think about it from your own perspective; isn't it true that when someone is
watching you, you become more self-conscious and perhaps even exaggerate your behavior? In
light of this, if you are undertaking an investigative piece, it is probably better that the object of
your observation is not made aware, so you can get a more authentic read on the situation.
The benefit of observation to journalists is that it allows them to see events and persons in their
natural context, thereby giving credence and authenticity to a story. Too, there are times when a
person is unwilling to speak to a reporter for any number of reasons, and observing them may
uncover information that would otherwise not be available.
Observation is definitely an exceptional tool for journalists, and one they should consider when
setting out to write any story. That is not to say there are not some disadvantages to observation,
as well. For example, observations alone and without context may be difficult to analyze, and/or
may lead to journalistic bias in the recounting of the observation. It can also lead to
misinterpretation when only a small part of a larger picture is examined.
For instance, reporters misinterpret what they think they see and then present that as a fact. This
often happens when reporting such things as the size of a crowd. Unable to count every person in
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it, they make an estimate, often sharing their guesses with other journalists on the scene. This is
just an estimate and any report which says "there were 40,000 people present" should be treated
with caution, unless the reporter knows the exact number who came through the gate.
Looking for stories:
1. Twitter hashtag thread or a Facebook community, Social media sites can help you to source
original stories, new case studies, contacts and pictures. But social media and the internet
present new journalistic challenges. The information may be easy to access but you need to
ensure that it’s genuine and the people authentic.
2. Also follow related people and organizations on social media. Maybe they become the source
of news story.
3. While covering breaking news is straightforward – simply go to the event and write about it –
develop follow-up stories.
4. Letters pages and blog comments are an obvious source of stories, especially when there are a
lot on one subject. Think about what the story could be behind a personal or emotional letter.
The story is often in what the writer doesn't say or what underlies an otherwise obvious top
line.
5. A great reporter always leaves a story with a new one in mind. While you’re conducting your
interviews, ask people if they know of any other stories that you should look into. Most people
like being useful and will often give you story ideas if you ask them.
6. Visit your beat. So, if there is anything to report, you can report it.
Background information:
There are different ways of getting background information i.e. following:
1. Research is nothing more than digging out information from files and reference works.
Research is used to verify or amplify facts in news stories and to give depth to feature stories
and magazine articles.
2. If you cannot reach on an event and you have lack of details. You have to check if there are
any essential facts missing from reports, you can take content from other reporters. You can
also find missing facts by yourself.
3. About 90 percent of everything in a news story is based on some form of interviewing - either
in person, by telephone, or occasionally, by correspondence.
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4. As per mentioned above, telephone conversations can also help you to get background
information. It may range from full-scale interviews to brief queries to verify or amplify
information. Know what information you want before you dial. Keep your pencil and paper
handy. Do not call someone and then ask that person to wait while you look for writing
materials. Make sure you get your facts straight. Ask the other person to repeat figures or spell
out names. Recheck your information by reading it back to the person who has given it to you.
Record the conversation. Be sure to inform the person on the other end that you are recording
the conversation for note-taking purposes only.
5. While writing details, in all cases, it is better only to report what you know and make it clear
in your report that everything else is either an estimate, an opinion or the word of someone
else, perhaps a witness. You must always try to give precise facts and attributed opinion. If
you cannot do that, you can use phrases like "it is believed that ..." or "it appears that ...". It is
better to do this than to leave your readers or listeners believing that what you have said is a
proven fact.
Track down relevant sources of information for stories:
Sources are very important if you want to report on events or issues and explain the world to
your audience. Journalists try to work as much as possible from their own observations, but this
is often not possible.
Some events or issues are finished before the journalist gets there. Others are like plants which
only show their stem and leaves above the ground - the all-important roots are hidden from sight.
Journalists who only report what they see can miss much of the news unless they have sources to
tell them of more details or other aspects which are out of sight. The good news reporter knows
sources of information and can find them quickly.
Reporters must learn to get the most from their sources by:
➢ Finding the right people to talk to rather than using “sources of convenience”.
➢ Respecting their feelings and position.
➢ Dealing with them ethically by identifying themselves, understanding the principles of
on-the-record and off-the-record conversations and maintaining the confidentiality of
sources even when it is difficult to do so (such as being faced with going to jail).
➢ Learning how to interview people properly.