NEWS

GATHERING
JOURNALISM I
CH 1-2
CH 1: PUBLISHING A
NEWSPAPER
The Newspaper Team
• Whether the newspaper staff is large or small, everyone must
work together to produce a newspaper. Journalism depends on
teamwork.
• The publisher is the head of the whole operation. In
professional newspaper companies the publisher is often the
owner. In school journalism the publisher is the school
administration.
• The principal and adviser (Mrs. Sims) make sure the guidelines
set by the district are carried out.
• The adviser (Mrs. Sims) makes sure the paper gets published by
training the reporters (you) to produce the stories and overseeing
what type of stories go in to the paper.
CH. 1: PUBLISHING A
NEWSPAPER
The Newspaper Team (Continued)
• Students in JI will serve as reporters and editors.
• Reporters will search out story ideas, gather the facts, and write
the stories.
• Editors will edit written material for publication.
• The written material, or all words that will be set in print, is
called copy.
• An editor-n-chief makes final content decisions and supervises
the entire staff in the overall operation of the paper.
• Some reporters cover a beat, which is a particular area of news,
such as sports or entertainment.
• The Prowler has online distribution. This means that the only
method of getting the paper to its readers is online.
CH. 1: PUBLISHING A
NEWSPAPER
The Prowler Team
1. Publisher (School District Guidelines/School Admin.)
2. Editor-in-Chief (Mrs. Sims)
3. Reporters (Students)

Vocabulary

1. Publisher 5. copy
2. Editor-in-chief 6. distribution
3. Editor 7. beat
4. Reporter
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NEWS GATHERING
Defining News
Simply put, news is information about events, people, or issues
that the public wants or needs to know. Reporters often refer to
news as “stories.”

When you judge whether something is news, you’re determining

whether it’s newsworthy.

How can you tell if something is news?

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Elements of News
• One way to judge whether something is newsworthy is to ask
yourself if it contains the elements of news– the characteristics
of a story that make it appeal to readers.
If you answer yes to most of the questions below, you’ve got news.
• Timeliness: Is it current or new?
• Human Interest: Is it about other people’s lives and
emotions
• Proximity: Is it happening nearby?
• Prominence: Is it well known to your readers?
• Consequence: Will it affect your readers in an important
way?
• Conflict: Does it involve tension, surprise, or suspense?

Give it the “Who cares?” test!

CH 2:
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Who Cares?
• Most students will care about a story if it’s about someone
they know, about themselves, or about something that
matters to them personally.
Avoid sensationalism, which is the tendency to publish information
that causes an intense but brief interest or emotional reaction. It
could be shocking, exciting, disgusting, or unusual, but it may not
be newsworthy.

Would using tax dollars to pay for a $16 muffin upset tax
payers?
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Hard News and Soft News
• Hard News, also called straight news, is strictly factual
reporting of news that’s current and important.
• Examples: A new administrator has been hired at KMS,
revisions to the dress code, theft of sports equipment
• News that entertains and informs, and is less current and
important that hard news is known as soft news.
• Examples: interview with student musician, survey on
student’s favorite authors, movie reviews

Because school newspapers publish less often, most of what

they publish is soft news.
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Finding Stories and Sources
As your “nose for news” develops, you’ll find stories almost
anywhere you look. They may even find you…
• Someone may give you a tip—information that leads you to a
potential story.
• Often, you can get a story idea directly from a source. A source
provides reliable, truthful information on a topic.
• Once you have found a story, you need to locate sources to
give you enough useful FACTS to complete your story.
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Types of Sources
A primary source offers the best and most reliable information on
a topic.
• Examples: an expert on a particular topic, someone with
firsthand information on a topic, an original document or an
official report.

Always find at least one primary source for your story.

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Types of Sources
A secondary source offers reliable second-hand information on a topic.
• Examples: reference books, reliable Web sites, or people with
informed opinions on a topic.
• Use secondary sources to expand your information.

Journalists sometimes quote an anonymous source to get “inside”

information that the source might not otherwise offer.
• Anonymous sources are generally frowned upon in journalism.

If you have a doubt about any information from a source, double-check it with
another source.
Be especially cautious with Internet sources because anyone can publish
information on the Internet.
If you gather source material on the Internet, use web sites of well-known
newspapers and magazines, government agencies, and high-profile public
service organizations.
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Places to Find Stores and Sources
To find good stories and sources, you have to be active, curious,
imaginative, and self-motivated.
What are the three most common places for you to find stories
and sources for your school paper?
• School: classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, school calendar
• Local community: local media (newspapers, magazines,
TV and radio) libraries, business and community
organizations
• Global community: national and international media, the
Internet
CH 2:
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Beats
Beats vary from school to school. Although we won’t assign specific
beats on The Prowler, here are some common beats for student
journalists:
• Academic beat: math department news, academic clubs
(science club)
• Sports beat: official school teams, soccer club, coach
interviews, pep squad, cheer
• Club beat: school clubs that are not academic or sports clubs
• Administration beat: principals and superintendents, teacher
organizations, school board
• Staff beat: guidance counselors, librarians, janitors, and
other adults who aren’t administrators or faculty.
• Community beat: community events and organizations with
high student interest
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Brainstorming
Some of the best story ideas and sources arise during a
brainstorm with your newspaper staff.
• Mrs. Sims facilitates the brainstorming session
• Appoint a scribe
• Share ideas in an orderly manner (be respectful, all ideas
accepted)
• Vote to rank the ideas in order of interest and importance
CH 2:
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Future Books

A future book is a listing of events, by date, that you may

want to cover in future issues of your paper.

Update your future book once a week.

CH 2:
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Making Assignments and Choosing Angles
An editor may assign a story on the basis of a reporter’s abilities,
interest, or both.
An angle is the approach you take to a story.
For example, for the upcoming musical:
• What is a typical rehearsal like?
• How is this musical different than past productions?
• Has this musical ever been performed at KMS before?
A local angle is someone or something that connects the topic of
your story to your local readers.
Including a local angle is called localizing.
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Interviewing
Interviewing is the most common way for
reporters to get information. In an interview, a
reporter asks a source questions and records the
answers.
Many stories can’t be reported without consulting
human (real, live) sources.
Knowing the proper way to prepare for, schedule,
and conduct interviews is vital for covering these
stories.
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RESEARCH AND REQUESTING AN INTERVIEW
By doing research to answer general questions, you can
save the really good questions for your interview.
When you request an interview, you should introduce
yourself to your source and explain your reason for wanting
an interview.
When requesting an interview, give the following
information:
• Your first and last name
• The name of your school and newspaper
• The topic of your story
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REQUESTING AN INTERVIEW

If it is an informal, on-the-spot interview, first ask if

the source has time to answer a few questions.
• Be gracious if your chosen source declines
your request. Move on to someone else.
Conduct interviews in person whenever possible.
Some reporters conduct interviews over the
phone, through e-mail, or by answering questions
in writing.
CH 2:
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TIPS FOR SCHEDULING INTERVIEWS
When scheduling formal interviews, make arrangements
to meet at a time and place that is convenient for your
source and for yourself.
Keep your deadline in mind as you schedule your
interview.
If you plan to record the interview, ask if your source has
any objections.
Don’t schedule the interview for a time that you’ll be
rushed.
CH 2:
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WRITING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Good stories come from good questions.
Write and refine your questions before interviewing.
Write questions that answer the journalist’s main questions:
who, what, when, where, why, and how
• These are known as the 5W’s and H

For an informal interview, you may write only a few questions.

For a formal interview, be prepared with about 10-15 questions.

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TIPS for writing Interview Questions
• Write questions that are simple, clear, and get right to the point
• Write open-ended questions that can’t be answered by one word, such
as yes or no.
• Did you enjoy your lunch?
• What did you enjoy most about your lunch?
• Are you excited about your vacation?
• What sites to you expect to see while you are on vacation?

Write questions to make your source think. If you can predict an answer,
it’s probably not a good question.
Write questions that reveal how the topic relates to your readers.
CH 2:
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Getting ready for the Interview
When conducting an interview, make sure you have something to
write with and that your questions are written on paper with space
after each question to write the answers.

Make sure you leave space on the paper to write follow up

questions, which allows the source to further explain or expand
upon a previous answer.
CH 2:
NEWS GATHERING
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
• When conducting an interview, open by introducing yourself. Thank the
source for taking the time for the interview.
• Again, announce the purpose of your interview.
• Ask your questions in the order in which you have arranged them.
• If you don’t understand something, ask your source to explain it again
in a different way.
• Let your source know you’re listening. Nod to show you understand
and summarize answers, allowing your source to add or correct
information.
• Never supply or suggest an answer.
• Listen for powerful or lively sentences that would make good quotes.
• When you’ve covered all of your questions, ask the source if he or she
has anything to add.
• Close your interview by thanking your source.
CH 2:
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AFTER THE INTERVIEW

• Immediately after the interview, try to list the main points
of the story and jot down ideas you have.
• It is a good idea to rewrite your notes so they make
sense to you. Use your recording (if applicable) to fill in
any gaps in your notes.
• Contact your source again to supply missing information
or to check what remains confusing.
END OF PRESENTATION