News Writing Reporting For Print PP

NEWS WRITING &
REPORTING FOR
PRINT
BY YONATAN
What is News
News is one of the most difficult issues to define in mass
communication. There are almost as many definitions of
news as there are journalists. Even laymen in the streets
can readily come up with acceptable definitions of news.
In general terms, news is very relative and depends on what
one thinks is news. At any given moment, millions of events
happen simultaneously throughout the world. “Obasanjo
sacks Education Minister”, “FRA Williams dies,” “Super
Eagles thrashes Gabon,” “Obama wins Re-election, Clinton
in Sex Scandal, and so on are potentially news.
However, they do not become news until some reporters
give an account of them. In other words, news is the
account of an event, not the event itself.
What is news
• Definitions given by scholars and media

professionals thus:
• William S. Maulsbyl:- defined news thus: News is
an accurate, unbiased account of the significant
facts of a timely happening that is of interest to the
readers of the newspaper that prints the account.
• William G. Bleyer defines it like this: News is
anything timely that interests a number of people;
and the best news is that which has the greatest
interest for the greatest number.
NEWS
• Mitchel Chainley defined news as: The timely report of
facts or opinions that hold interest of importance, or
both for a considerable number of people.
• Prof. Charles Coates defined it thus: • News is what

interests the reader, the viewer, the reporter, the editor,
the producer, their spouses and their neighbours.
News is what affects their diets and their lives.
• Sam Zelman of CNN says: • News is what is important

because of its impact on society; it is what people
need to know and what they want to know.
• So that, News can be defined an accurate,
unbiased account of a current, timely event, which
is reported in the mass media and is significant to
a large number of people in a locality.
• Furthermore, in contemporary thinking, today’s

news is about real life, real people, real events,
real places or real issues in a real world reported
in real time using any available means of
communication.
Elements of News Values
While definitions of news vary, the main

determinant of what can be considered as news
is “INTEREST.” To be news, an account of an
event must be of interest to the readers, listeners
or viewers.
Interest in a story is determined by the news
values. The elements that determine news
values may be subdivided as determinants and
Components.
In the present day world news can also be an account

of an idea or a precise description of a problem.
• News is current information. But news can also be

made out of the indications of what may happen in the
near future.
• When asked to define news, most people would say it’s

something that’s happened, something new, something
they didn’t know before, something that affects their
life, or something they’re interested in.
News is also about the unusual – you don’t find

bulletins and newspapers filled with items about
how the traffic ran smoothly and there were no
multiple pile-ups.
Therefore news is selective in two ways: what is

it about a story that makes it news, and, of all
the newsy stories that happen, why do some
make headlines and others not see the light of
day?
Writers who’ve exhaustively analyzed the content

of newspapers and broadcast bulletins have tried
to define news values.
Norwegian academics John Galtung and Mari

Ruge (1965b) devised an influential list of 12
factors: frequency, threshold, unambiguity,
meaningfulness, consonance, unexpectedness,
continuity, composition, reference to elite nations,
reference to elite people, reference to persons
and reference to something negative.
Criteria for News
The criteria by which news is judged are:
• Is it new?
• Is it unusual?
• Is it interesting or significant?
• Is it about people?
These elements make up what we call the "news value" of

information. The stronger the elements are, the higher the
news value.
Criteria for News
Is it new?
If it is not new, it cannot be news. The assassination of Mrs Gandhi is unusual,

interesting, significant and about people, but it cannot possibly be 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. The assassination would not be new, but the
information would be.
Events which happened days or even weeks earlier can still be news, as long
as they have not been reported before. If you are telling a story for the first
time, it is new to your readers or listeners and therefore it can be news.
News of the death of Mao Tse-tung, for instance, was not released to the world
by the Chinese government for several days; when they did release it,
however, it was still very definitely news.
Criteria for News
The Is it about people?
Most news is automatically about people, because it is the things people do to change the world
which makes news.
However, news can also be made by non-human sources, such as a cyclone, a bush fire, a
drought, a volcanic eruption or an earthquake. It is when reporting these stories that it is
important to make sure that the story is centred on people.
The cyclone would not matter if it blew itself out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, away from any
inhabited islands; the fire could burn for as long as it likes in bush where nobody lives; the Sahara
Desert has a near-permanent drought, but in most of it nobody is there to rely on rains; a volcanic
eruption or an earthquake which damages nobody's property and injures nobody is really not
news.
All these natural disasters only become news when they affect people's lives. Every story can be
told in terms of people. Always start by asking yourself the question: "How does this affect my
readers', listeners' or viewers’ lives?”
Whenever you have a story which tells of how something has happened which affects both
people and property, always put the people first.
Criteria for News
The criteria by which news is judged are:
• Is it new?
• Is it unusual?
• Is it interesting or significant?
• Is it about people?
These elements make up what we call the "news value" of

information. The stronger the elements are, the higher the
news value.
While definitions of news vary, the main

determinant of what can be considered as news
is “INTEREST.” To be news, an account of an
event must be of interest to the readers, listeners
or viewers.
Interest in a story is determined by the news
values. The elements that determine news
values may be subdivided as determinants and
Components.
Elements of news value
• A determinant is a factor that sets the character of something, in this case, news.
• The determinants of news are as follow.
• a. Timeliness
• b. Proximity/geographic location
• c. Prominence/personality involved
• d. Consequence/impact/significance
• e. Human interest
• f. Novelty
• g. Conflict
• h. Necessity
Timeliness:-
-immediacy, unless its historical record.
Timeliness is an indispensable part of the straight
news story. Without timeliness, the news story is a
historical record.
Today’s news may be stale tomorrow. Therefore, to
attain that reader – viewer or listener interest or
appeal, facts must be fresh.
However, some issues of great impact are timeliness.
Therefore, the best time to tell an important story is
as soon as it happens or as soon as possible.
Some journalists write for daily newspapers and

others write for weekly or biweekly publications.
Where as People are interested in fresh
information so how journalists kick the issue of
timeliness?
Some journalists write for daily newspapers and

others write for weekly or biweekly publications.
People are interested in fresh information and so
journalists seek fresh angles, late-breaking
developments, analysis of the events and their
effects. When such angles are not available,
journalists treat the event in news-feature or
feature styles.
Elements
Proximity/Geographic Location
❖ Distance between the news item’s place of origin and

its place of publication determines its degree of
reader – appeal, and the limits of reader – interest.
❖ Usually, the nearer an individual is to the location of a

news event, the more relevant it becomes for him/her.
❖ This is referred to as geographic proximity. There are

two types of proximity: • Geographical Proximity and
Proximity of Interest.
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Elements
❖ Prominence/Personality Involved:- All men

may be created equal, but some are more
equal and more newsworthy than others. In
fact, “names make news” goes a cliché.
However, names do not always make news.
Still, happenings that involve well-known
people or institutions are likely to be
interesting even if not very important.
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Elements
❖ Consequence is about the Impact, Significance

and Magnitude of the news.
❖ How many people an event or idea affects and

how seriously it affects them determine its
importance as news, as well as the extent to
which the information may be useful.
❖ Again, an item or event may give rise to thought

not because of itself but because of its
probable consequences – its significance.
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Elements
❖ Human Interest:- Interest in human beings and

events because they concern men and
women in situations that might confront
anyone else, is called human interest.
❖ In a general way, human-interest stories might

be defined as those stories that arouse an
emotion in the reader and evoke emotional
response.
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Elements
❖ Novelty:- sounds like human interest but shows some

differences.
❖ The unusual makes news. The bizarre makes news too.

Remember the-man bite-dog principle. The principle applies
here.
❖ The first flight to the moon was big news, so was Sandra Day O’
Connor’s appointment as the first woman Justice of the United
States Supreme Court.
❖ The day a female becomes the Vice President of the US it will be

the biggest news around the globe. “Firsts,” “Lasts,” and “Only”
have always been newsworthy. So also are stories of freak
occurrences and scientific or pseudoscientific phenomena.
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Elements
❖ Novelty:- Things are happening all the time, but not all of them are news, even
when they are new. A man wakes up, eats breakfast and goes to work on a bus; it
has only just happened, but nobody wants to read about it because it is not
unusual. Ordinary and everyday things do not make news.
❖ Of course, if that same man was 90 years old and was still catching the bus to
work every day, it would be unusual!
❖ The classic definition of news is this: "Dog bites man” is not news; "Man bites dog"
is news.
❖ This definition, though, is not universal. If dogs are eaten in your society (at feasts,
for instance) then it will not be news when a man bites a dog - so long as it has
been cooked.
❖ What is usual in one society may be unusual in another. Again, we will expect the
content of the news to vary from society to society. In every society, though,
whatever is unusual is likely to be news.
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Elements
❖ Conflict:- Nearly every story on each of our front pages is a

report of conflict. Conflict is a central feature of most news.
Sometimes it is physical, as in wars or sports. Sometimes it is
more subtle and sophisticated like political conflicts.
❖ Necessity The seven earlier discussed news values involve

people, events and situations that call out for coverage. The
value of necessity is, however, the journalist’s making (Mencher,
2010). According to the Mencher (2010), the journalist has
discovered something he or she feels it is necessary to disclose.
❖ The essential element here is that the journalist considers a

situation to be something everyone should know about and
usually it is a situation that needs to be exposed and remedied.
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Elements
❖ Today’s media use many factors to determine

what events they will report, including
timeliness, proximity, consequence the
,
perceived interest of the audience,

competition, editorial goals, and the influence
of advertisers.
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Types of News
❖ HARD NEWS AND SOFT NEWS
❖ A news story can be hard, chronicling as concisely as possible the

who, what, where, when, why and how of an event. Or it can be soft,
standing back to examine the people, places and things that shape
the world, nation or community.
❖ Hard news events--such as the death of a famous public figure or the

plans of city council to raise taxes--affect many people, and the
primary job of the media is to report them as they happen.
❖ Soft news, such as the widespread popularity of tattooing among

athletes or the resurgence of interest in perennial gardening, is also
reported by the media.
❖ Feature stories are often written on these soft news events.
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Types of News
❖ There is no firm line between a news story and a feature,

particularly in contemporary media when many news stories
are "featurized." For instance, the results of an Olympic
competition may be hard news: "Canadian diver Anne
Montmigny claimed her second medal in synchronized diving
today."
❖ A featurized story might begin: "As a girl jumping off a log into
the stream running behind her house, Anne Montmigny never
dreamed she would leap into the spotlight of Olympic diving
competition." One approach emphasizes the facts of the
event, while the feature displaces the facts to accommodate
the human interest of the story. Most news broadcasts or
publications combine the two to reach a wider audience.
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Components of News
The Components of News are components or the

contents of news.
A component is a constituent part of something.
They tend to have more news values or higher

news values than stories that lack them.
The more of news components you find in a story,

the higher the news worthiness of such a story.
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Components of News
❖ Components are items may be many could

easily fall into the news. However, we shall
focus on eight; that always sell a story anytime
it is a content of such story. These are ; Age,
Animal, Sex, Conflict, Money, Children, Beauty
and Human interest.
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News values
❖ News Virtues : reporters should strive to make the

news they publish or broadcast win the credibility
and confidence of their readers and listeners by
adhering firmly to the triple news virtues.
❖ These triple news virtues are:
❖ Truth:- All news stories must represent factual

events and personalities. The reporter should also
ensure that the facts of the News are truthful to the
best of his/her knowledge before publishing or
broadcasting such story.
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Values of News
❖ Objectivity:- Objectivity presupposes that the

reporter presents the reader with all sides of
an issue, presents all the facts and allows the
reader to decide what these facts mean. For a
story to be objective, it must be devoid of a
reporter’s biases and prejudice. It must not
also be slanted or editorialized.
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Types of News
❖ Accuracy:- Accuracy is a pillar on which every

story rests. A news story can be regarded as
accurate if all names, ages, addresses and
direct quotations in the story are accurate or
correct.
❖ The only way to meet this requirement is for

the reporter to check, double check or even
triple-check his facts before going to the
press.
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Chapter 2: News gathering
❖ University of Delaware Professor Ben Yagoda defines

journalism as, “uncovering timely and previously not well-
known information that, according to agreed-upon standards,
is important; and conveying it to the public clearly, accurately,
concisely, disinterestedly, and independently.”
❖ As a journalist, the stories you write are meant to provide true

facts to readers about issues or news going on in the world
today. They are meant to be truthful, unbiased, and informative.
❖ According to Peter Cole, a writer for The Guardian “journalists

write stories for their readers to tell them what is going on, to
inform them, engage them, entertain them, shock them, amuse
them, disturb them, and uplift them.”
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News gathering
❖ Gathering Information:The first step to writing a

story involves gathering information about your
topic.
❖ In order to do so, you need people who

witnessed the event first hand or have extensive
knowledge on said topic. In writing, especially
in journalism, the information you use is the
heart of your writing. Perhaps without details,
sources, evidence, one’s writing will not have
the intended impact of informing your audience.
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❖ News gathering is the process of, or the art of
collecting raw materials for reporting. It is an
important aspect of news reporting.
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Generating Story ideas
❖ The best writers see the world full of story ideas.
❖ some ways to generate story ideas according to Vicki Krueger: -
❖ Break your routine; drive to work or school a different way.
❖ Read local news site for understand story ideas
❖ Read a book on a topic that is unfamiliar to you
❖ Keep a notebook so you don’t lose story ideas that occur too you
❖ Read posters, billboards, store signs, graffitis
❖ Spend a day with a person whose job interests
❖ Interview a youngest person you know and the oldest
❖ Hang around a public place and watch people walking, talking, shopping
❖ Spend an afternoon in a book store the service coffee
❖ Eat lunch out of office.
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❖ Three simple ways to find stories:
❖ Be curious
❖ Talk to people:- “Hang around people who do things you don’t do.” Todd
Melby
❖ “Listen to your community (old school style, go to a local diner, coffee joint, donut
shop). Literally, listen to your community. I heard a panelist one time talking about
driving to or from work on occasion with the window open. If you hear something
out of the ordinary, find out what it is … BANG … local story.” Brian O’Keefe.
❖ Research :-
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❖ How do journalists generate the idea of their story ?
❖ Conducting editorial meetings and discussion on current issue
❖ Following up current events
❖ Critical observation on what happens around and else were
❖ Contacting and chatting with people
❖ Feature articles are not generated from mere information but from critical observation of
factual events ,issues and trends.
❖ In generating magazine idea , freelancers need to take the following factors in to

consideration
❖ Generating excellent story idea for your article
❖ Knowing the magazines readership
❖ Writing a longest and well organized article
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❖ In generating idea , freelancers need to take

the following factors in to consideration
❖ Generating excellent story idea for your

article.
❖ Knowing the magazines readership.
❖ Writing a longest and well organized article.
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❖ So remember, be curious. Get out there and talk to

people, online and IRL. Research; go on treasure
hunts for information. Always be on the lookout for
story ideas. Micheline Maynard, a senior editor
at Here & Now, has a final bit of wisdom:
❖ “When you see something interesting or a change

in something make a note to yourself.
❖ A business closes. A new one opens. Or, kids all

wearing the same thing. Then, look it up. You get in
the habit, you find stories.”
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Tips for finding story idea
❖ Remember people : people like to read about other people. When

you are out of ideas, look for someone with an interesting
story.every one has at least one thing worthy of exploring.
❖ Brainstorm every topic: mind mapping, each idea lead to another.
❖ Check the morgue: check newspaper archive to see what stories

deserve follow up.
❖ Keep an idea file : organize ideas writing them down, clipping out,
and storing in one location. Evernote apps
❖ Observe what is happening around: your regular life generate a

ton of ideas, you just have to be aware enough to recognize them.
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❖ EAVESOROP:- Go to lunch at a popular local restaurant or

grab a cup of coffee at a busy cafe. What are people around
you talking about? This is also what they’re interested in
reading about. If it applies to your audience, write about it.
❖ EMBRACE YOUR CREATIVE PLACE:- Know when you’re

going to get your good ideas and be ready for them (Check
out my post on Embracing Creativity). Never assume that
you will remember a great idea.
❖ READ EVERYTHING:- Everything you read gives you ideas. It

also will teach you traits of good and bad writing. I never pick
up a book, magazine or newspaper that you can find a topic.
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❖ LOCALIZE NATIONAL STORIES:- Take a large national

news story and determine how it applies on a local level.
❖ Is there someone who used to live in the area where the

national news is occurring? Is there someone in your
area who is an expert on the subject? This same
approach applies to covering issues and trends ongoing
on local, state or national levels.
❖ ASK YOUR AUDIENCE:- Want to know what people want

to read about? Ask them. Find people you know are in
your typical readership base. Ask them what they wish
they knew more about or would enjoy reading
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❖ RCOVER AN EVENT: Journalists are meant to be the eyes and ears

of the people. This means being everywhere, all of the time. You will
get at least one story (if not more) at every event you attend. Also,
consider promoting the event before it occurs (if your audience may
want to attend) and following it afterward to give the details for those
who weren’t able to attend. This makes two shorter stories out of one
event and helps your readers get involved in the happening.
❖ HAVE A CHILD-LIKE CURIOSITY:- Have you ever spent much time

around a 2-year-old? Their favorite question is “why?” Children
accept nothing at face value. It’s not because they’re trying to be
annoying. They want to understand the world around them and how/
why it works. Reporters should use the same approach. Having a
questioning nature means never running out of things to write about.
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Ways to find story ideas
❖ Social media and internet tools Whether it’s a

Google advanced search, 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.
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❖ Mindset and curiosity; Originality takes work,

time and application - but the story begins with
curiosity.
❖ All the observations you will make may have the

potential to spark a line of enquiry.
❖ Look to develop a mindset that makes it

impossible to listen to someone, read a
newspaper or walk down the street without
thinking 'that looks or sounds odd
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❖ Where to look; The non-news pages of everyday newspapers can be a

rich source of original stories so long as you read them with your
antennae waving.
❖ Advertisements; Classified and small ads are always worth spending

time on; people sell or want to buy strange things.
❖ Notices; Look out for notifications of bankruptcy and ads for liquidation
sales. When a big local name goes under, that's a story. When a number
go in succession, that's a big story. Watch for patterns and keep track.
❖ Legal notices; Legal and public announcements can point to major

developments that haven't yet been made fully public. Apparently
innocuous applications for 'changes of use' or to 'rights of way' can
indicate something bigger.
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❖ Letters; Letters pages and blog comments are

an obvious source of stories, especially when
there are a lot on one subject. But look
beyond the obvious - are there patterns?
❖ Follow the lead; A better story sometimes lies

concealed behind a quite good one.
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❖ Get a life! Journalists can get locked into their own world -
dealing with press releases, official statements, briefings,
picture feeds, editing… It's important to talk to people who
don’t work in the media and hear what’s going on in their lives.
❖ There is absolutely no substitute for getting out and meeting

people.
❖ Listen to what 'real' people are talking about: on the train, in the
pub, at public meetings, when they have you round for dinner.
❖ News is what people are talking about - not what we think they
should be talking about.
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❖ Listen carefully: Listening properly to another

person means thinking not about yourself but
what they are saying.
❖ Concentrate on the words they choose and the

tone.
❖ People only take in a small percentage of what

someone is saying. They make assumptions
and finish their thoughts for them. By doing this,
you will occasionally miss out on a big story.
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❖ So It is not easy to generate good ideas all the time, but here are a few
tips to help with that.
❖ First, dispel the romantic notion that story ideas land in your lap. Some of
us dream of receiving a stack of confidential documents in dark
alleyways, which reveal some explosive secret that ends up being front-
page news — and a byline in bold accompanying it, with praise,
recognition and awards to follow. Yes, sometimes that happens.
Watergate began with an anonymous tip-off that ultimately led to
President Richard Nixon’s resignation. But, by and large, anonymous
phone calls or top secret documents about political corruption are rare
and need to be checked thoroughly. Watergate is not just a well-known
example of political skulduggery, but a testament of the hard work put in
by the reporters involved.
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❖ Secondly, never go ‘off-duty’. An easy way to generate ideas is

to keep your eyes open.
❖ Many times, a story has its origins in a reporter noticing blocked

drains along the road as he walks to work long queues for
passports at the immigration office, or even a nurse’s harsh
treatment of patients at a clinic Not all of these observations will
necessarily yield a story, but they give you a starting point to do
some digging.
❖ Jot down your ideas at the back of your notebook, including the
questions you think may arise. Better yet, record them on your
mobile — snap pictures, draw diagrams and keep a digital copy
so you can bring your investigations with you on the go.
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❖ Third, trust your senses. Even after visiting a site and

talking to newsmakers, some reporters may find that
others do not share the experience and dismiss the
preliminary research.
❖ But something that seemingly only happens to you is no

less valid as a starting point for a story. Reporters are
their own best witness, and it is always good to have
first-hand experience and observations to shape a story.
❖ Your experience may turn out to be a fluke, but do not let

that stop you from doing your preliminary checks.
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Identifying and finding sources
❖ News is happening all the time: People are being born or dying, banks are
being robbed, roads are being planned, companies are making profits or
losses, storms are destroying homes, courts are sending people to jail or
freeing them, scientists are discovering new drugs. Every minute of every
day something newsworthy is happening somewhere in the world.
❖ Even if you are a journalist working in a small country, something

newsworthy is probably happening in your country at this moment, while you
are reading this book.
❖ Your job as a journalist is to get information on those events and present it to

your readers or listeners. But you cannot be everywhere all the time to see
those events for yourself.
❖ So you need other ways of getting information on all those hundreds (maybe
millions) of events you cannot witness yourself. When someone or
something provides you with information, we call them a source.
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❖ Sources can be people, letters, books, files, films, tapes - in fact,

anything which journalists use to put news stories together.
❖ 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. Because, 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.
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❖ One of the most reliable sources of information (although

not completely reliable) are other journalists.
❖ A reporter's story should be checked by the news editor

then the sub-editor.
❖ The main way of judging sources of information is on their

reliability.
❖ The reporter must be especially careful in checking facts.
❖ If you have a good record for fair and accurate reporting,

you will be believed.
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TYPES OF SOURCES
❖ Primary sources: Often the source is someone

at the centre of the event or issue. We call
such people primary sources.
❖ Written sources: Written reports can make an

excellent source of information for a journalist.
They are usually written after a lot of research
by the authors, they have been checked for
accuracy and are usually published with
official approval.
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TYPES OF SOURCES
❖ Leaked documents: You may occasionally be

given documents which have not been officially
released to the press. They may be given to you
by someone in a company or government
department who does not want to be seen giving
them to the media. We call these leaked
documents.
❖ Leaked documents are often excellent sources of

news stories because they can contain
information which someone wants to keep secret.
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TYPES OF SOURCES
❖ Secondary sources: are those people who do not make the

news, but who pass it on. The official police report of an
incident or comments by someone's press officer can be
called secondary sources. Secondary sources are not usually
as reliable as primary sources.
❖ Most eyewitnesses should be treated as secondary sources

for journalists because, although they are able to tell what they
think they have seen, they are often not trained for such work
and can be very inaccurate, without meaning to be.
❖ You have to assess the reliability of secondary sources and if

necessary tell your readers or listeners where the information
came from.
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METHOD FOR GATHERING
INFORMATION
❖ There are four most commonly used methods in news gathering used
by journalists.
❖ Observation; 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
❖ Telephone conversations,
❖ Research and
❖ Interviews.
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INFORMATION
❖ Telephone conversations: The telephone plays an
important role in your daily work as a journalist.
❖ It saves you time, legwork and it often enables you

to reach people who are ordinarily too busy to see
you in person.
❖ Telephone conversations may range from full-scale

interviews to brief queries to verify or amplify
information. But regardless of how often you use
this method of news gathering, you should keep the
following points in mind:
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INFORMATION
❖ l 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.
❖ l Speak politely indistinct, well-modulated tones.
❖ l Be cheerful and businesslike.
❖ l Make sure you get your facts straight. Ask the other person to repeat figures or spell out names.
❖ l Avoid three-way conversations among yourself, the person on the telephone and somebody else in your
office.
❖ l Recheck your information by reading it back to the person who has given it to you.
❖ l Record the conversation using a "telephone pick-up" (a device that attaches to the telephone receiver
and plugs into the microphone jack of the cassette tap recorder). Be sure to inform the person on the
other end that you are recording the conversation for note-taking purposes only.
❖ Do not discuss classified information.
❖ Although a telephone is a very useful instrument, remember it is not the only, and not necessarily the best,
method of gathering news. It should supplement, but not replace, all other methods. Whenever it is proper
and convenient, use the telephone, but do not be afraid to engage in a little legwork
63
INFORMATION
❖ 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.
❖ Interviews: The interview is the art of meeting people and

asking them questions with a view to eliciting information
on specific issues or happenings.
❖ Generally, a reporter conducts interviews when he needs

information about events or issues of public significance.
The interview is a journalist’s tool for digging out facts
and its importance in the news gathering process cannot
be over emphasized.
64
Interview
❖ It is the form of a conversation between two or

more people: interviewer(s) ask questions to
elicit facts or statements from interviewee(s).
❖ Interviews are a standard part of journalism and

media reporting.
❖ In journalism, interviews are one of the most

important methods used to collect
information, and present views to readers,
listeners, or viewers.
65
Interview
❖ Journalists have engaged in interviewing

practices since the nineteenth century to collect
information for news stories.
❖ Today, it is considered the dominant approach in

news-gathering among journalists.
❖ We know very little, however, about the theoretical

breadth of interviewing and the associated
competencies construct that journalists should
possess to be classified as an expert interviewer.
66
Interview
❖ The aim of an interview is to provide, in the

interviewee’s own words facts, reasons or
opinions on a particular topic so that the
listener can form a conclusion as to the
validity of what he or she is saying.
❖ An interview is not a confrontation, which it is

the interviewer’s object to win.
67
What the interviewee should know?
❖ Since it is impossible to interview someone who

does not want to be interviewed, it is reasonable to
assume that the arrangement is mutually agreed.
❖ The broadcaster, in contacting a potential

interviewee, asks whether an interview might take
place. The information that the interviewee needs
at this point is:
❖ What is it to be about? Not the exact questions but

the general areas, and the limits of the subject.
68
❖ Is it to be broadcast live or recorded?
❖ How long is it to be? Is the broadcast a major

programme or a short item? This sets the level at
which the subject can be dealt with and helps to
guard against the interviewee recording a long
interview without being aware that it must be edited to
another length.
❖ What is the context? Is the interview part of a wider

treatment of the subject with contributions from others
or a single item in a news or magazine programme?
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❖ For what audience? A local station, network use, for

syndication?
❖ Where? At the studio or elsewhere?
❖ When? How long is there for preparation? No potential

interviewee should feel rushed into undertaking an
interview and certainly not without establishing the basic
information outlined above. Sometimes a fee is paid, but
this is unlikely in community radio; it is worth making this
clear.
70
Interviewing technique
❖ Interview preparation: Do your homework:

Learn all you can about the interviewee and
the subject being discussed.
71
❖ Research: Explore news clippings and

documents, court records, campaign records,
and other info to familiarize yourself with the
topic. Start with an interesting question.
❖ Planning the Interview Identify your goals.

Plan your questions. Request the interview.
Dress appropriately.
72
❖ Recording and Notes: Establish rapport with

source, then open notebook to take notes. If using a
recorder, ask your source if that is okay. Smaller
recorders are better put into shirt pocket or where
the source cannot see (after showing it to them).
❖ Rapport: a close and harmonious relationship in

which the people or groups concerned understand
each other's feelings or ideas and communicate
well
73
❖ Interviewing : A notebook or especially a tape

recorder may hinder or source, or it may not.
As newspapers and magazines put more
audio and video on their web sites, video tape
or audio of the interview may be beneficial if
possible.
74
❖ Close-ended questions: elicit brief, specific answers that are factual.
❖ Open-ended questions: elicit quotes, elaboration or longer

responses. Keep the questions brief so as to not confuse the
source. It’s okay to act dumb to get information you already know in
the source’s words.
❖ Ask the who, what, where, when, why and how, and then ask the “so
what” factor who is impacted and how? Ask follow up questions.
❖ Control the interview. Repeat questions. Ask background questions.

Ask about developments.
75
❖ Construct a chronology (if relevant). Ask about

pros and cons (if relevant). Ask for definitions.
Verify. Use the silent treatment.
❖ Handle emotional questions with tact. Ask

summary questions. End on a positive note.
❖ Note-taking: Tips Be prepared. Concentrate. Use

key words. Develop a shorthand. Slow the pace.
Request repetition. Make eye contact.
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❖ Mark your margins or notebook covers. Verify vital

information. Double-check. Be (relatively) open-
minded. Use a symbol system. Save your notes.
Transcribe notes only for major stories.
❖ Interviewing and the Law It’s illegal to record a

conversation you are not a part of (two other people
talking) without their knowledge. It may be illegal in
your state to record a conversation you are having
with someone else without them knowing.
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❖ Interviewing If sources are reluctant to answer

a question, rephrase the question and ask
again. Avoid patronizing the source. Don’t ask
too many leading questions.
❖ Use the “blame others” technique “Some

people would say…” “How would you
respond…”
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❖ Breaking the Ice Start with small talk to break

the ice. Talk to them in a friendly tone. It’s okay
to bring a list of questions, but new questions
will form as you conduct the interview.
❖ Go for the details “Questions unimportant to

police add the color and detail that make a
story human” – relevant to the story.
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Interview technique
❖ Access Public individuals are often obliged to

speak to the media; private individuals are not.
❖ Interviewing Don’t let media-savvy sources

spin your story.
80
❖ Interviews: In-Person, Phone or E-mail If an in-

person interview is not possible, a phone interview
is preferred. As a last resort, an e-mail interview is
available. Advantages: don’t have to take notes,
accurate quotes. Disadvantages: prohibit
spontaneity and good follow-up questions.
❖ E-mail interviews Limit the number of questions.

Clarify your purpose. Verify full name and title Limit
follow-up e-mails Attribute to e-mail
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❖ Interviewing & Listening Be a good listener

and ask as many relevant questions possible.
Concentrate on the “hear” and now. Practice
conversational listening. Practice critical
listening. Be quiet Be responsive
❖ Listen for what isn’t said. Listen with your

eyes. Be polite. Block out personal intrusions.
Develop listening curiosity.
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❖ Phone interviews: Identify yourself Icebreakers Length

of questions Clarification and Verification Specifics
Chronology In-Class Exercise Exercise:
❖ Interview the person next to you. Ask them where they

are from, what they want to do once they graduate.
❖ Ask them about possible news stories ideas or

interests. Ask who they would be interviewing for
these topics. Ask what their focus would be. About
half-page in length.
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General guidlines : Interview
❖ Go to primary source : Always find the best source of information for your
story. Always identify yourself as a reporter. Be comfortable to the ‘poker face’
(an impassive expression that hides one's true feelings.)
❖ Preparing Questions Have them ready before calling the individual for the
interview. WHY? Do some research, Use library and students faculty. Be
straight forward when you speak No ‘yes / no’ questions Ask open ended
questions No ‘-est’ questions – very limiting.
❖ Stock Questions When to use stock questions Sports stories Quick set-up
interview What are some types of stock questions?
❖ Embarrassing Questions Sometimes these questions must be asked. Don’t

snoop or pry out of curiosity. (Investigate or look around furtively in an attempt
to find out something, especially information about someone's private affairs:)
❖ Don’t get hostile.
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❖ Listening to Responses Pay attention to how question is answered Calm – weary – scared –
angry Listen for ‘no comment’ or ‘that’s a good question’ Don’t argue Wandering is not bad
At the end ask the following: “Is there anything else you would like to add?”
❖ Conducting the Interview Introduce yourself – firm hand shake Basic data – name (check
spelling & preference), job title, years in position Begin with small questions – then move
deeper – WHY?
❖ Observing Listen to what is said and not said Watch the actions and gestures Anecdotes?
Pounding the desk? Quiet?
❖ Being Friendly Establish credibility Rapport - you need strong rapport Good eye contact –
but not too much No gum, look nice Verbal responses are important Nodding your head
Develop an atmosphere of trust
❖ Taking Notes Tape recorder can be good and bad What are the pros and cons? Take down
notes Write down quotes
❖ Email Interview Always strive for the face to face interview Email does work, but you will not
get at the emotion of the interviewee very limiting.
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❖ Other Interviewing Components Off the record Source must go

off the record at the beginning of the interview The Interview
Story Very difficult Be specific in detail Details Examine p.
108-109
❖ More Components Quotes Use as many as possible Question –

Answer Good technique You will cut some of the interview out
This allows the reader to really get a feel for the interviewee
❖ Prepublication Checking Okay to go over the story with a source

Good for two reasons Human Relations Eliminate Mistakes Hard
to prove malice if story read to source What should our policy
be?
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Principles of interview
❖ 4 principles of interviews
❖ 1. Prepare carefully, familiarizing yourself with as

much background as possible.
❖ 2. Establish a relationship with the source

conducive to obtaining information.
❖ 3. Ask questions relevant to the source that

induce the source to talk.
❖ 4. Listen and watch attentively.

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How to conduct journalistic interview
❖ Step 1: Research, Research, Research Then

research some more. The only way to come up
with good questions is to know everything there
is to know about your subject.
❖ Step 2: Contact the Person You Wish to

Interview Ask when a good time would be to do
the interview. Be polite. Say "please" and "thank
you." Try to set up the interview in person. If this
isn't possible, then set up a phone interview.
principles of interviews
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❖ Step 3: Read Over Your Research and Brainstorm a

List of 15 Questions
❖ The more specific your questions are, the better.

And never ask questions that can be answered
with a simple yes or no. Make your interviewee talk.
❖ Be sure to write all your questions down in a

notebook, then practice asking them with a partner.
Become very familiar with your questions before
you go into the interview.
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❖ Step 4: Come Prepared : You will want to bring:
❖ • A pencil
❖ • A notebook
❖ A list of good questions
❖ A recording device (always ask permission before

recording an interview)
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❖ Step 5: Be on Time Arrive at your interview

with plenty of time to spare. If you’ve never
been to the place where your interview is
taking place, go early and scout it out. There
is nothing more unprofessional than a reporter
who is late.
❖ You can also use the time you are waiting to

make notes about the surroundings. You won’t
remember details later, so write them down.
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❖ Step 6: Conduct Your Interview in an Organized,

Timely Manner
❖ During the interview:
❖ Be courteous to your subject.
❖ Always take time to ask for an explanation about things

you don't understand.
❖ Don’t be afraid of uncomfortable silences and pauses.
❖ Let the interview take its natural course.
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❖ Look the person in the eye when asking

questions.
❖ Always listen carefully to the answers. Each

answer could lead to more questions or
include an answer to a question you haven’t
asked yet. Don't ask a question that has
already been answered. Your subject will
know you weren't listening and be insulted.
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❖ Don't read through your questions one right after another

like you can't wait to be finished. Conduct your interview
like a conversation. One question should lead naturally
into another. If you are LISTENING to the answers this
will come naturally.
❖ Also, take notes on what the person looked like, what the
person was wearing, where he or she sat. If the interview
is in an office, make notes of what is on the walls and on
the desk. The objects people surround themselves with
hold important clues to their personalities. Ask about any
object that interests you. You’ll find some good stories.
94
❖ Step 7: Even If You Are Recording an Interview, Take Notes
❖ Don't try to write every word said. It will slow down the
interview. Just take down the highlights.
❖ After the interview, while the details are still fresh in your
mind, write everything down you can remember about the
person you interviewed. Don’t forget to make note of the
sounds in the background. Take note of what was happening
around you. Write it all down as soon as possible.
❖ At home, expand your notes by following up on things you

learned in your interview with more research.
95
❖ Step 8: Review Your Research and Your

Interview Notes
❖ Circle or highlight quotations that you think will

be good for your article. Now you're ready to
begin writing.
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WRITING FOR NEWSPAPER: THE LEAD
❖ The news story consists of two main parts, the lead

and the body. The lead or intro is the beginning of
the news story. It is usually the opening, single
paragraph.
❖ The body is the rest of the story. Sometimes, there

may be the need for what is the Bridge between the
lead and the body.
❖ Usually, the lead presents the highlights of a story;

the body reinforces this information with additional
facts and details.
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THE LEAD
• Usually news stories are

written in the “Inverted
pyramid” style, that is, they
begin with the most important
pieces of information in the
story followed by additional
facts arranged in descending
order of importance. This
contrasts with the normal style
for narrative, which begins
with introductory material and
builds up to climax. The
newspaper story starts so to
say with the climax.
Functions of the Lead
❖ To summarize the story;
❖ To provide answers to the questions, who, what,

when, where, why and how?
❖ To provide quick identification of persons, and

events in the news story for the reader;
❖ To emphasize the most important element in the

news story by placing that element in the first
paragraph of the story.
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❖ The lead summarizes the news It gives the reader the sense of the story to follow and takes him
or her to the supporting facts or claims presented in the opening statements.
❖ 2. The lead answers the questions raised by the 5Ws and H However, not all the answers
provided by the 5Ws and H must be present in every lead to make it acceptable but no important
one should be left out or omitted.
❖ 3. The lead must emphasize the news feature The lead is expected to play up the most
interesting or significant aspect of the story. The news feature must be played up in the lead.
❖ 4. The lead must furnish the reader with identification needed for clarity Persons, places and
events must be given identification to make the lead clear to the reader. These bits of information
may be considered as parts of the answers to the WHO, WHERE and WHAT of an event.
❖ 5. The lead must also suggest or give the authority on which the news is written This is called
DOCUMENTATION. Documentation gives credence to the news story.
❖ 6. The lead must attract readers to the story As the window of the story, the lead must get the
attention of the reader and sustain this till he or she gets into the story.
❖ 7. The Lead Should Suggest the Headline
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Hints on Writing the Lead
❖ In writing the lead, you need to:
❖ Discover the most important element of the story;
❖ Decide on what lead element to emphasize among the five Ws

and H;
❖ Use a single element if you find out that one element stands out
uniquely in the story;
❖ Use the structure of the subject – verb predicate construction;
❖ Go straight to the point. With the above points in mind, you can
now start your lead with any of these elements of a lead: Who?
What?Where? When? Why and How?
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Hints on How to Write the Lead
❖ 1. Use the SVO (subject-verb-object) sentence structure.
❖ 2. Make use of simple and short sentences.
❖ 3. Discover the most important element of the story and play this up in your lead.
❖ 4. Decide on what lead feature to emphasize among the five Ws and H and make
this part of the first sentence.
❖ 5. Use a single element if you find out that one element stands o clearly in the
story.
❖ 6. Make your lead go straight to the point.
❖ 7. Always ensure that your main verb is in the active voice.
102
How to Write the Lead
❖ What: The collection of tolls on a road in the industrial town of
Agbara in Ado–Odo /Ota Local Government Area of Ogun state has
triggered off misunderstanding between a firm, Agbara Estates
limited and motorists. A mixture of relief and repressed anger was
the feeling expressed by Nigerians yesterday at the late suspension
of the indefinite strike called by Labour and Civil Society Coalition
(LASCO) to protest fuel price. (New Age, Wed, Nov. 17).
❖ Who: Person, organization, company and community; e.g President

Olusegun Obasanjo has declared the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF)
unconstitutional.
❖ Professor Wole Soyinka yesterday reiterated his call for a Sovereign

National Conference to determine the corporate existence of
Nigeria.
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❖ A who lead can also be used when a person is not

widely known. What is featured in such a case is the
p e r s o n ’s o c c u p a t i o n , s e x , a g e a n d o t h e r
distinguishing characteristics e.g. A 10 year old boy
who ran into the side of a moving car is responding
to treatment at a private hospital in Ikeja.
❖ Where: Places sometimes dominate the lead National

Stadium Surulere is the venue for this year’s National
day parade. Abuja Conference Centre will today host
the 2 West African Children’s Festival When:
nd
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❖ A deadline, or the time of an event, sometimes

presents a newsworthy angle to a story. By next year,
telephone users in Nigeria will smile, as the telephone
network in the country would have undergone a
dramatic change for the better. Midnight tonight is the
deadline for private car owners in Lagos to obtain
their MOT test certificate, the Lagos City Council
reminded car owners yesterday. Why: Once in a
while, the news angle is the why of an event. The
shortage of midwives has forced the Blue Cross
Hospital Ogba to close its maternity ward.
105
❖ How: Somewhat less common are stories centered around

the “how”to an event. Trapped by the seat of his new car, a
young accountant was burnt to death on a highway in Lagos
last night. A backward pass by Eagles’ defender earned the
Ethiopian junior team their only goal in yesterday’s quarter–
final played at Abeokuta. Note: Deciding which of the 5 Ws
and H is best suited for a story lead isan exercise that gets
easier only with time and experience. It is advisable for a
beginner to look for the “WHO” or the “WHAT” angle.
❖ The reporter could then check his fact for any other angle
that may be interesting or unusual enough to display the
‘who’ or the ‘what’.
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Lead Writing Styles
❖ Lead Writing Styles In addition to emphasizing one or the other of

the five Ws and the H in a story lead, reporters use several styles
in structuring their leads, these include:
❖ 1. Summary/Direct lead: These are straight leads that just state

the facts and include the who, where, what, when, why and
sometimes even the how of the event or happening. It brings the
central issue of discussions first and tells the readers what they
want to know in a creative manner. Traditionally, summary leads
have been used to report breaking news or a developing story.
❖ Example: Six students of a South-Western university, who

allegedly gang-raped a 17- year-old female colleague, were
yesterday granted reprieve by a Surulere chief magistrate’s court
in Lagos. (Vanguard 16 March, 2017).
th
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Lead Writing Styles
❖ 2. Delayed lead:A delayed lead in journalism is
used to entice readers into reading the whole
story by giving a few hints about what the story is
about but not giving the details. It sets a scene
and creates an emotional response in the reader.
❖ Example: Sam Ajiboye, an SS 3 student of

Iganmode Grammar School, and the third in the
family of five from a very poor background has
won the first position in this year’s Cowbel
Mathematics Completion.
108
Lead Writing Styles
❖ 3. Question lead: This begins with a question.

Many editors dislike question lead on the
basis that people read newspapers to get
answers, and not to be asked questions. But if
the question is provocative, it may be used as
a lead.
❖ Example: What will be your reaction if you

hear that the management of your company is
planning to lay off half of its entire workforce?
109
Lead Writing Styles
❖ 4. Punch lead – It uses strong verbs and short

sentences that are meant to create an impact.
The purpose of this type of lead is exactly that
giving a jolt so that readers will sit up and take
notice.
❖ Example: A 9 month of baby is in need of 5

million naira for heart surgery in India.
110
Lead Writing Styles
❖ 5. Quotation lead or Statement: This begins

with a direct quotation. The quote then is
followed by explanatory statement.
❖ ‘If Nigeria does not kill corruption, then

corruption will kill Nigeria’. This statement
came from President Muhammadu Buhari
when he inaugurated the the presidential
committee on anti-corruption.
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Lead Writing Styles
❖ 6. Contrast lead: It is used to grab reader’s attention by
comparing two extremes. Example: 200 million dollars have
found in a septic tank at the residence of former naval chief, in
a country where 70 percent of the populace live below poverty
line, earning less that 2 dollars per day.
❖ 7. Anecdotal lead: It begins with a short story.
❖ Example: She lost her parents when she was 10. Her aunt took
custody of her only for the aunt also to die three years later.
She is now being accused of killing her parents and aunt
through witch crafty. This is the story of many children in the
South-South Nigeria, where children are subjected to abuse
on the pretext of being a witch.
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Lead Writing Styles
❖ 8. Descriptive lead: A descriptive lead describes how an event
happened rather than simply telling what the event is about.
❖ Example: They came in their hundereds, angry looking men in

military uniform, descended on Alu community in Adewole local
government of Ogun State in the dead of the night shooting
sparodically and setting the houses on fire.
❖ There are still other types of lead that could be adopted

depending on the style of the writer. However as a beginner
you may not need to worry with writing in any of these styles as
that would come with experience. Therefore, the most
important thing is how to write a good lead starting with any of
the five Ws and H.
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Lead Writing Styles
❖ 9. Bullet Lead : Bullet lead is nearest to the headline. It is
a short sentence that carries great impact. Example:
Multibillionaire and business tycoon, Chief John Agoli
was killed today in a car bomb blast outside his home.
❖ 10. Staccato Lead: This consists of short sentences,

coming one after the other to create heightened effect. It
is used to establish a mood best suited for the kind of
news story.
❖ Example: The disaster started with a building flash. Next,

a shattering roarthat led to a crumbling wall. Then
breaking glass, and death.
114
MAIN BODY : QUOTATIONS
❖ The portion of a news story that follows the lead is called the
“Body” and it normally presents facts in descending order of
importance.
❖ Essentially, the body amplifies the story by providing

additional information.
❖ This could be names, descriptions, quotations, conflicting

viewpoints, explanations, background data and so forth.
News stories end with their least important details–never with
any type of conclusion. e.g If two cars collide, injuring several
peoples, an inverted pyramid story about the accident might
contain the following sequence of paragraphs.
115
INVERTED PYRAMID
Very used structure of news story
❖ Transitional Devices
❖ Most news stories run into several paragraphs and, may develop several
ideas and themes. Transitional words, or phrases are used to achieve a
smooth flow through the different themes. Thus, transitions help stories
move in a smooth, logical order from one field to the next. Transitional
devices that emphasize the time element in the different aspects of an
event are among the most common used. Here are a few: earlier, later,
next week, at the same time, meanwhile, soon after, and many more.
Equally common are transitional words and phrases that highlight the
location angle: in the state capital, at their home, on main street, at
another point nearby, etc. Some transitional words suggest the picture of
an action. Turning to, suddenly, grabbing his hand, etc. Some linkage
words emphasize contrasts: However, conversely, but, nevertheless, in
spite of, despite, on the other hand, and many more. Other kinds of
devices for linking ideas or aspects of an idea include.
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❖ Quotations Reporters get much information by listening to
other persons, and they can convey such information to
readers in the form of direct, Partial, and Indirect quotations
❖ Indirect quotations do not use a source’s words and

consequently are not placed inside quotation marks, instead,
reporters use their own words to summarize or “paraphrase”
the source’s remarks. Partial quotations use key phrases from
a source’s statement and quote them directly.
❖ Direct quotations present the Direct quotations present the

source’s exact words and consequently are placed entirely in
quotation marks:
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❖ Indirect Quotation: Mrs. Ambrose said journalism students
should deal with ideas, not mechanical techniques.
❖ Partial Quotation: Mrs. Ambrose criticized the “trade

school atmosphere” in journalism schools and said
students should study ideas, not mechanical techniques.
❖ Direct Quotation: Mrs. Ambrose said: “Journalism

students should be dealing with ideas of a social,
economic and political nature. There’s too much of a trade
school atmosphere in journalism schools today. One
spends too much time on minor technical and mechanical
things, like learning how to write headlines”.
119
QUOTATIONS
❖ Reporters use indirect quotations when their sources have failed to state their idea
effectively.
❖ By using indirect quotations, reporters can rephrase their sources’ remarks, stating
them more clearly and concisely.
❖ Reporters are free to emphasize the sources’ most significant remarks and to reword or
eliminate remarks that are unclear, irrelevant, wordy, libelous or otherwise unprintable.
❖ Reporters use partial and direct quotations for statements that are important and
interesting and that require no rewording.
❖ Direct quotations are particularly appropriate when sources say something controversial
or state their ideas in an unusual or colourful manner.
❖ Quotations bring the sources alive reporting their opinions in their own words, with all
their original flavour, emotion, colour and drama.
❖ Quotations give a sense that readers have talked directly with the sources
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Attribution
❖ Attribution: Information should be attributed clearly to leave the audience in
no doubt about who is speaking – remember, listeners can never refer back.
❖ This said, attribution can be overdone and badly clutter a copy.
❖ The honourable Peter Threeple junior Minister in the Department of

health, said today that an injection of 20 million pounds would be made
available to improve wages in the National Health Service.
❖ Not exactly an attention grabber, so the sentence should be turned around

to put the facts before the attribution, and the attribution shortened to be still
accurate, but much more manageable.
❖ ‘A cash injection of 20 million pounds is to be made available to

improve wages in the Health Service.’ ‘Health Minister Peter Threeple
told the Commons today that the money…etc.
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Attribution
❖ Stories should begin with a person’s name only when that name is widely
known. If the audience cannot immediately identify the person, this
becomes a point of confusion at the start of a story.
❖ To avoid cluttering an introduction, it is sometimes necessary to choose

between giving a person’s name or title in the first line. If their name is better
known than their job or organization, then the name should be given before
the title, and vice-versa.
❖ ‘The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Prof. Soludo has called on
the government to provide tax concessions to make Nigerian
businesses more profitable.’
❖ The art is to attribute a statement clearly without letting the attribution get in
the way. Television has a major advantage over radio – interviewees can
appear without a verbal introduction because their names and titles can be
displayed on the screen over the pictures.
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Attribution
❖ Attribution is all about identifying the sources

that provided information in the course of
writing the story.
❖ Attribution help place a quote in proper

context and also validate the claims of the
reporter.
❖ It improves the overall credibility of the story.
123
Attribution
❖ Contentious Statements: When statements are controversial or contentious, the attribution
has to be made clearly and cannot be held back until the second sentence:
❖ ‘America’s unemployed are a shiftless, lazy bunch of spongers, who should be forced to
sweep the streets until they find a decent job. ‘So said governor Richman at a news
conference today…’
❖ This first sentence has turned a highly debatable assertion into a statement of fact, and the
danger is that the audience may miss the attribution, which follows and identify the opinion
with the newsreader.
❖ The station could lose a large section of its audience the unemployed. The broadcaster
must maintain impartiality by keeping a distance from such statements.
❖ This problem is avoided by giving the attribution in the same sentence and signposting that
we are dealing with opinions and not facts:
❖ ‘Governor Richman launched a scathing attack on America’s unemployed today… calling

them a shiftless, lazy bunch of spongers. And, speaking at a news conference, he said they
should be forced to weep the streets until they could get themselves decent jobs.’
124
Attribution
❖ To a journalist, attribution simply means
telling your readers where the information in
your story comes from, as well as who is
being quoted. Generally, attribution means
using a source's full name and job title if that's
relevant.
❖ Information from sources can be paraphrased

or quoted directly, but in both cases, it should
be attributed.
125
When to Attribute
❖ When to Attribute: Any time the information in your story comes from a
source and not from your own firsthand observations or knowledge, it
must be attributed.
❖ A good rule of thumb is to attribute once per paragraph if you are telling
the story mainly through comments from an interview or eyewitnesses to
an event.
❖ It might seem repetitive, but it’s important for journalists to be clear about
where their information originates. Example: The suspect escaped from
the police van on Broad Street, and officers captured him about a block
away on Market Street, said Lt. Jim Calvin.
❖ Different Types of AttributionIn his book News Reporting and

Writing, journalism professor Melvin Mencher outlines four distinct types
of attribution:
126
When to Attribute
❖ 1. On the record: All statements are directly quotable and attributable, by
name and title, to the person making the statement. This is the most
valuable type of attribution. Example: "The U.S. has no plans to invade Iran,"
said White House press secretary Jim Smith.
❖ 2. On Background: All statements are directly quotable but can't be

attributed by name or specific title to the person commenting.
Example: "The U.S. has no plans to invade Iran," a White House spokesman
said.
❖ 3. On Deep Background: Anything that is said in the interview is usable but

not in a direct quotation and not for attribution. The reporter writes it in their
own words. Example: Invading Iran is not in the cards for the U.S.
❖ 4. Off the Record: Information is for the reporter's use only and is not to be
published. The information also is not to be taken to another source in
hopes of getting confirmation.
127
Headlines
❖ Headline: The story makes the lead on the headline round-up
on the half-hour. A headline is usually a brief summary of the
main points of the story, and is seldom longer than four lines,
or 48 words. In the case of the train crash, Hinds dispenses
with convention and gives a fuller version. His second
headline is more typical.
❖ Headlines (or highlights) are often read at the start of a major

bulletin or news program to signpost the news and encourage
the audience to keep listening.
❖ They may be given again at the end to recap on the major

stories, or, as in the case above, be read on the half past or
quarter hour in lieu of a longer bulletin.
128
Captions
❖ A caption is a short sentence, accompanying a photo, which provide
additional information on the content of the photo and leaves no
questions in the mind of a reader.
❖ John Smock (2008) agrees that a photo caption should provide the
readers basic information needed to understand a photograph and its
relevance to the news.
❖ It should be written in a consistent, concise format that allows news

organizations to move the photo to publication without delay. He argued
further that professional standards of clarity, accuracy and
completeness in caption writing should be as high as or higher than any
other writing that appears in a publication.
❖ A poorly written caption that is uninformative or worse: misleading can

diminish the impact of a good photo and undermine its credibility.
129
Captions
❖ A caption is also known as a cutline. It can also be
described as a written summary that briefly explains a
photograph. A caption includes who, what, when,
where, and sometimes why and how of a photograph.
❖ In most photo captions, the first sentence identifies

the people and place in the photograph and supplies
the date and location where it was taken.
❖ The second (and perhaps third) sentence should

provide contextual information to help readers
understand what they are looking at.
130
Tips for writing Good Caption
❖ You should have it in mind that there is no generally approved
standard for writing photo caption. But a good caption must fulfill
certain conditions and the person writing the caption must put
some rules into consideration. Some of the rules are listed below:
❖ Trite writing should be avoided. Do not point out the obvious

using such phrases as “looks on,” “is shown” and “pictured
above.”
❖ Don't editorialize. The cutline writer should never make

assumptions about what someone in a picture is thinking or try to
interpret the person's feelings from his or her expression. The
reader should be given the facts and allowed to decide what the
feelings or emotions are.
131
❖ Avoid the known; explain the unknown. The cutline writer should avoid
characterizing a picture as beautiful, dramatic, grisly or other such
descriptive terms that should be evident in the photograph. If it's not evident
in the photograph, telling the reader won't make it happen. However, the
cutline should explain something about how the picture was taken if it shows
something not normally observable by the human eye. For example, was a
wide-angle lens used? Or time-lapse photography? Explanations also are
needed for special effects, such as the use of an inset or a picture sequence.
❖ Reflect the image. Cutline writers should make sure that the words accurately
reflect the picture. If a picture shows two or more people, the cutline writer
should count the number of identifiable people in the photo and check the
number and sex of the people identified in the cutline to make certain that
they match. Special precautions should be taken to make sure that the cutline
does not include someone who has been cropped out of the original photo.
132
❖ “Wild art.” Photographs that do not accompany stories often
are termed “wild art.” The cutlines for wild art should provide
the same basic information that a story does. Such things as
the “five W's” (who, what, when, where and why) are good to
remember when writing such cutlines.
❖ If you don't have all the information you need, get on the
phone and get the information. Don't try writing the cutline
without needed facts. Sometimes, wild art is used on a cover
page to tease (refer) the reader to a story inside. But, unlike
television, don't tease the reader in the cutline. Give as
complete a story as possible, giving the reader the option of
going inside for more details. Most cutlines for wild art also
have a caption line (overline).
133
❖ Accompanying art. If a picture is running with a story, a
lengthy cutline is usually not needed. Sometimes a single
line is sufficient to identify the people or situation shown in
the picture and to make clear their relationship to the story.
❖ Remember that most cutline readers have not yet read the
story. Many of them will read nothing but the cutline and
the headline.
❖ So the cutline must strike a delicate balance between

telling enough information for the reader to understand the
photo and its context while being as crisp and brief as
possible.
134
❖ Shorter is better. Cutline writing triggers a temptation to
use long sentences. Avoid that temptation. The cutlines
that accompany Associated Press photos are notorious
for their rambling sentences. They need to be rewritten
into clear crisp sentences.
❖ Always, always, always check spelling. The cutline writer

should check the spelling of names in the story against
the names that a photographer has provided to see if
there are discrepancies. The editor also should be sure
that names in the cutline are the same names used in
the story. It should not be John Smith in the cutline, but
John P. Smith in the story.
135
Reporter
❖ The reporter occupies an important place in news reporting.
❖ Reporter is the ear and the eye of his/her medium.
❖ It is what he/she reports that the audience will know about.
❖ He/she touches lives with his report. As such, a reporter must possess
certain attributes for him/her to function properly.
❖ Reporters write stories, report events and happenings in and around the
society.
❖ They provide the core of news stories that are published daily in our
commercial newspapers or broadcast in the electronic media. As there is
no substitute for good reporting, so also there is no substitute for good
reporters. A good reporter is a great assert for his/her media organization.
136
Attributes of journalists /Reporters
❖ Nose for news: A reporter lives on news, he

must have an instinct for news, and that is, he
should be able to identify a newsworthy event.
He should be able to generate news from
anyone no matter how important or
insignificant that person is.
137
❖ They must have a mastery of the written or spoken language of
the medium of expression:
❖ This will enable him/her to interact easily with news sources,

eyewitnesses or even the victims of events.
❖ To do your job well, you must be proficient in the language of the

news.
❖ Good command of written and spoken language enable you to

learn as many things as possible. The present trend towards
specialization in news reporting makes it mandatory for reporters
to learn as much as possible on the subject they are assigned to,
such as politics, science, labour, economics and history.
138
❖ Speed and accuracy: As a reporter, you have to bear
in mind that your medium is competing with others in
the market. To meet a deadline, you need to race
against time in gathering and presenting news.
Remember the saying that journalism is history in a
hurry.
❖ You must be current and keep abreast of events and

happenings: In the media industry, yesterday’s news
is stale and no more needed. To remain relevant in the
industry, therefore, the reporter must keep abreast of
happenings in and around him/her.
139
❖ A good reporter must be fair, accurate and objective in his news writing and
reporting job. Fairness, accuracy and objectivity are news virtues, which the
profession thrives on. Any attempt to compromise any of these values makes
a mess of the reputation and credibility of the industry. These qualities of a
reporter must be jealously guarded.
❖ Objectivity: You need to develop the ability to be impartial, impersonal,

objective and dispassionate. You should not shift the emphasis, twist the
angle or colour the story. Though you can afford to be ruthless, remorseless
in condemning unfair happenings in feature or editorial writings, news
reporting differs; what the listeners or readers want in news is fact and not
your opinion or emotional reaction.
❖ A good reporter must be creative: Creativity makes the reporter see another
unique story from an already published report. Without creativity, the reporter
will remain dry, uninspiring and boring to his readers and even his sources.
140
❖ You must also have the ability to dress well: A common idiom
says how you dress is how you are addressed and I add that it
also betrays your address. A good reporter must know how to
dress for the occasion otherwise he/she will be lost in the
crowd or misrepresented.
❖ Dressing well is not necessarily dressing expensively. It only

means having the right kind of dress for each occasion or
situation.
❖ Reporter must have perseverance: Perseverance is having the

staying power and refusing to give up even when the situation
calls for giving up. A good reporter must have the ability to
stay longer and under stress or pressure.
141
❖ Ability to establishing contacts: As a reporter, it is not

enough for you to know how to establish contacts;
you should try to sustain contacts. Do not despise
(feel contempt or a deep repugnance for) anybody;
the office assistant or even the cleaner may be your
best source in an organization. So, be friendly with
them, as you would want to be with their boss.
❖ Versatility: As a reporter you must have knowledge of

the beat you are assigned to cover. Also, you need to
know about the community where you are operating.
142
❖ Trustworthiness: As a reporter, you need to

respect the confidence reposed in you by
your source. On no account should you
divulge your source of information. Many
reporters/journalists in the world have opted to
go to prison; rather than divulge the source of
their information
143
❖ Knowledge of working tools: To facilitate your

job, you do not only need to possess some
aids you must know how to use them. These
include a camera and computer. In fact, in this
age of computer-assisted journalism, it will be
odd for a reporter not to be computer literate
and also know how to search for information
on the Internet. Besides, the knowledge of
shorthand will be an added advantage.
144
❖ Ethics of the profession: Every profession

regulates the conduct of its practitioners in
ter ms of duty and ethical behaviour.
Journalism involves the kind of trust that
imposes strong obligations on all those who
practice it. You should keep abreast of the
ethics of the journalism profession and also
obey the ethics.
145
❖ Your profession as a reporter calls for certain

attributes which include good educational
background, ability to exercise restraint,
speed and accuracy, good sense for news,
wide range of knowledge, intelligence,
i m a g i n a t i o n , p u n c t u a l i t y, r e l i a b i l i t y,
occupational aids among others.
146
Checklist before a Reporter Writes a Story
❖ The checklist before a reporter writes a story is based on the practical
work and writing.
❖ 1. Do I have all the information I need to write a complete story?
❖ A reporter must make sure all the required information are in before the
writing process begins proper. A good reporter usually asks himself herself
the questions his or her readers will ask and find answers to the questions.
❖ 2. Have I covered all the angles, interviewed everyone concerned and

verified all the information given to me by the various sources?
❖ An attempt to answer this question in the affirmative will definitely lead to a

well-written and complete story. Any reporter who is in the habit of asking
himself/herself this question and then making concerted efforts to find
answers to it will end up an award-winning reporter.
147
Checklist before a Reporter Writes a Story
❖ 3. Have I answered all the questions posed by the 5Ws and H?

The 5Ws and H raise questions whose answers summarize all
that a reader needs to know about an event. Every reporter
should make attempt to find answers to the questions they ask.
❖ 4. Am I clear in my mind what sort of story I want to write? If the

reporter has any doubts in his/her mind about the sort of story
he/she intends to write, then something is wrong.
❖ 5. Do I fully understand the story I am about to write? This

follows from point 4 above. The reporter must fully understand
the sort or type of story he/she is about to write by appreciating
the nature of facts available and the possible consequences of
the story’s release.
148
Qualities of Good News Story
❖ Accuracy is the pillar on which a news story
rests. A news story can be regarded as
accurate if all names, ages, addresses and
direct quotations in the story are accurate and
correct.
❖ Inaccuracy in news writing could lead to costly

libel suits and a possible dismissal from your
work. So, efforts must be made to ensure that
the facts you used in writing any story are
accurate to the best of your knowledge.
149
❖ Objectivity: reporter presents the reader with all
sides of an issue and all the facts involved in the
issue.
❖ This nature of presentation allows the reader to

decide what these facts mean and whose side he
or she has sympathy for. For a news story to be
objective, it must not be slanted or editorialized.
❖ There is no room here for the reporter to inject his or

her opinion; no matter how specialized such opinion
may be regarded.
150
❖ The objective criterion has generated a lot of

arguments because people believe it is
difficult to be objective when writing a news
story.
❖ They assert that the word objective is relative

and so mean different things to different
people. Subjectivity could be displayed either
in choice of words or in the choice of facts.
151
❖ Balance/Fairness : This entails treating all sides of a story
equally without showing any form or evidence of bias and
partiality.
❖ Giving equal attention and prominence to the two sides of

a story. In broadcasting, it is called the “Fairness
Doctrine.” The views expressed by opponents on an
issue must be given adequate coverage without any form
of preferential treatment to any of the opposing views.
❖ Balancing up a news story is tasking indeed. Unless a

reporter remains objective, he or she will miss out this
crucial requirement.
152
❖ Currency Yesterday’s news is no longer news. It is stale
and no longer meant for consumption. A momentary delay
in getting a story across to consumers as soon as it breaks
could make it stale. The reporter should therefore be
current in his or her search for news. A news story must be
something new that has just happened.
❖ Clarity News stories must be written in clear, simple and

easily comprehensible language. To achieve this, a
reporter is advised to use simple and unambiguous words;
simple sentences that mean exactly what the writer intends
them to mean, and good grammar and punctuation that
will bring the actual meaning closest to comprehension
153
❖ Brevity For a news story to attract the attention of both the editor and the
readers, it must be very brief, clear and simple. Most readers are in such
a hurry to read an entire story in a newspaper. Therefore, it is advisable
to tell the news in such a concise manner as to maintain the interest of
the reader. This criterion gave rise to the adoption of the inverted
pyramid form and the summary lead.
❖ Attribution: This is all about identifying the sources that provided

information in the course of writing the story. Attribution help place a
quote in proper context and also validate the claims of the reporter. It
improves the overall credibility of the story.
❖ Complete: According to Mencher (2010), complete stories are written by

reporters who anticipate and answer the questions their readers, viewers
and listeners will ask. The complete story contains the specifics that
illustrate, prove and document the main point of the story.
154
What Types of News Story to write and
report
❖ The characteristics of one type of story may be found to be some of the
characteristics of another type.
❖ Thus, the challenge of news classification should not be seen as a simple.
❖ For instance, the difference between an in-depth story and an investigative

story is purely a matter of degree of thoroughness.In broad terms, there are
four major types of news stories:
❖ 1. Straightforward news stories
❖ 2. Investigative stories
❖ 3. Interpretative stories
❖ 4. In-depth News stories
155
Straightforward news
❖ Usual routine reporting.
❖ They can be short or long.
❖ Most of the stories published in our commercial

newspapers are straightforward news stories.
❖ Never interpreted, editorialized or laden with reporter’s

biases and prejudices.
❖ Stories objectively and anchored on facts. he

JOURNALISTS /reporter adds or subtracts nothing
from the facts on which the story is based.
156
Straightforward news
❖ As a rule, its lead must answer to the 5Ws and H and the story, as a whole must leave
no questions unanswered.
❖ The story must be simple, accurate concise and understandable.
❖ May be subdivided into hard news, soft news and human-interest news.
❖ Hard news are stories that deal with government, economic, social and political
policies.
❖ They are stories with a lot of facts and figures. Stories concerning the annual budget,
political and economic programmes are all hard news stories.
❖ Soft News These are stories about trends, fashion, entertainment personalities and
lifestyles. The time element is not too emphasized in writing such news stories.
❖ Human Interest News; are stories valued more for their emotional impact or oddity.
❖ They usually arouse human feelings and conjure up sentiments and emotions in the
persons who read them.
157
Types of News Story
❖ Expected News : this is anticipated and

therefore planned for. It usually flows from
events that are scheduled in advance.
❖ Unexpected News : this is not anticipated. It

takes people unawares. Examples include
murders, natural disasters, accidents, and so
on.
158
Types of News Story
❖ Investigative Stories: stories hinges on the pursuit of
information that has been concealed.
❖ Investigative stories therefore require the digging out of facts.
❖ The investigative reporter is not expected to inject his own

biased ideas or opinions into his story. He is not expected to
editorialize or interpret the facts.
❖ Examples of investigate stories that made headlines are –

“The Watergate Scandal,” “The Buharigate Scandal,” and
“Enwerengate,” and so on.
❖ Boob woodward & Carel Bernstein
159
Assignment
❖ The Watergate Scandal,” “The Buharigate

Scandal,” and “Enwerengate,”
160
Types of News Story
❖ Interpretative Stories : is a form of story in which the
reporter is free to interpret the news the way he or
she sees it.
❖ S/he is allowed to inject his own biased but expert

opinion, editorialize and pass comments on the fact
being reported.
❖ Interpretative stories require additional facts,

detailed explanations and logical analysis.
Examples include personality profiles and feature
articles.
161
Types of News Story
❖ In-Depth Stories : This is complete quality news
reporting.
❖ In-depth story needs the full treatment and it needs

backgrounding.
❖ It requires creative thinking and deep imagination

on the part of the reporter and writer.
❖ Most newsmagazine stories are usually in-depth

stories and there is little difference between an in-
depth story and an investigative story.
162
Language of news writing
❖ What language to invest?
❖ Active vs passive?
❖ What do we mean by house style?
163
Active not passive voices
❖ News is about movement, change and action. Yet too often
news writing is reduced to the passive voice – instead of
actions that produce change, we hear of changes that have
occurred as a result of actions.
❖ ‘The car smashed into the brick wall’, becomes the limp and
soft-centered, ‘The brick wall was smashed into by the car’.
❖ Active voice: The clock was run up by the mouse passive

voice : The mouse ran up the clock
❖ The passive version on the left could be said to be lacking

something of the snap of the original. The active voice is
tighter, crisper and more concrete.
164
House Style
❖ Every media organization of worth has a style guide,
which helps the media practitioners and journalists in
that organization know how to present their copy in an
acceptable manner.
❖ This is because writing, whether for print or broadcast,

runs on style. Style distinguishes, say a print copy
from a broadcast copy. The major difference between
a broadcast copy and advertising copy is style.
❖ Therefore, reporters are expected to conform to the

style guide in writing and presenting their copy.
165
House Style
❖ A house style can be simply defined as the set of rules or

standards for the writing and designing of documents that are
observed by the editorial and printing staff of a media
organization.
❖ These rules apply to the way words are spelled, graphic design,
formatting, typography.
❖ One of the major importance of the house style in media

organizations is the fact that it aids in providing uniformity in style
and formatting of all published material within the organization.
❖ In the media world, the word ‘style’ is a media organization’s way

of expressing itself to the world. Every media organization has a
’style’ in which it expresses itself.
166
House Style
❖ Never will you come across a newspaper for instance that has
its content published in both British English and US English.
❖ For example the Americans spell this word like this, “color”
and the British spell theirs like this, “colour”.
❖ It will be therefore wrong for a media organization to be using

both spellings in their publications. They have to choose one
and stick with that one.
❖ It therefore becomes their ‘style’ . ‘blackboard’ and ‘firefighter’

being spelt in this manner, ‘black board’ and ‘fire fighter’.
167
House Style
❖ Journalists who write for print media; mainly newspapers and magazines,
their articles and stories are constructed in a specific way that separates print
journalism to other forms of journalism.
❖ Writing styles that range from academic styles, discursive style, narrative
style, poetic style, formal styles or informal style.
❖ The style of writing in reference to journalism writing styles is known

as journalistic style, which is a form of writing that differentiates this specific
style of writing to other forms of writing.
❖ Journalistic writing is the house style for journalists, by using a house style; it
allows writers to follow a structure or uniformity when writing newspaper
articles, online articles and broadcasts.
❖ The idea of using a house style provides a set of rules and guidelines for
journalists to follow when working for any particular media organization.
168
House Style
❖ House styles are used with many publishing agencies and organizations,
which have been developed to suit the type of material they publish.
❖ House style guidelines cover a range of writing attributes, such as,

spelling variations, capitalization, hyphenation, and treatment of numbers,
the use of shorthand, citation methods and sentence structure.
❖ Authors tend to follow house styles reasonably to keep a consistency in

their style of writing for their specific publication, whilst expressing
themselves in an individual manner where it is acceptable to the context
or type of writing.
❖ Although there is a range of authors who write articles of newspapers and

magazines, by using a house style allows readers to feel comforted
knowing there is a sense of uniformity.
169
House Style
❖ Ekwelie (1992:56) notes that every aspiring writer must

contend with three basic styles thus:
❖ 1. His own emerging style which will make his writing

distinct.
❖ 2. The style of his times with regard to sentence

construction, diction as well as syntax.
❖ 3. The style of his or her medium, which is a hybrid

between normal and the idiosyncratic use of language.
170
Different Explanation of House style
❖ Personal Style : Personal style is usually identified with individual writers. It is a

style most established authors are known for. Chinua Achebe, for instance, has
his style of writing as reflected in his novels.
❖ The same is applicable to the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, who is
known to write for a particular audience. This comes in their choice of words,
phrases etc and the way and manner such words, phrases etc are presented in
their works.
❖ Wole Soyinka’s “The Lion and the Jewel” is written in a different linguistic style
from “The Man Died”. Journalists should strive to apply personal style in whatever
they do. It makes you unique.
❖ Personal style does not have to flagrantly abuse the house or media style of a
particular media organization.
❖ House style takes precedence but a journalist may decide to apply such a House
style in a very unique and personal way.
171
❖ Era or Period Style This is the prevailing style of a particular
period in history.
❖ The style of the Shakespearean Age and the Modern American

Literature are totally different.
❖ Language changes with history and time. For instance, during

the colonial days in Africa, the rhetoric of politicians and the so-
called statesmen were largely nationalistic.
❖ Today, the language has changed. Such rousing patriotic

speeches then may not impress anyone again especially in the
midst of abundance and paradoxical lack caused largely by a
very corrupt and inhuman political class who are basically
amassing wealth at the instance of the hungry masses.
172
❖ Media Style and Mechanics: Every media organization has its style,
usually called House Style or Style Guide.
❖ A House Style is a journalistic code book, detailing how everything

that pertains to writing should be handled.
❖ The House Style differs from media house to media house; from the
print media to the broadcast media etc. However, notwithstanding the
differences manifested in styles in the different media organizations,
the standards and mechanics of writing remain universal.
❖ Each House Style stems from standard language usage but

sometimes bows to stylistic idiosyncrasies. Bad mechanical style is a
bane to good writing.
173
GOOD LUCK!
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News Writing Reporting For Print PP

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NEWS WRITING &

• Definitions given by scholars and media

• Prof. Charles Coates defined it thus: • News is what

• Sam Zelman of CNN says: • News is what is important

• Furthermore, in contemporary thinking, today’s

While definitions of news vary, the main

In the present day world news can also be an account

• News is current information. But news can also be

• When asked to define news, most people would say it’s

News is also about the unusual – you don’t find

Therefore news is selective in two ways: what is

Writers who’ve exhaustively analyzed the content

Norwegian academics John Galtung and Mari

The criteria by which news is judged are:

These elements make up what we call the "news value" of

If it is not new, it cannot be news. The assassination of Mrs Gandhi is unusual,

The Is it about people?

The criteria by which news is judged are:

These elements make up what we call the "news value" of

While definitions of news vary, the main

• The determinants of news are as follow.

Some journalists write for daily newspapers and

Some journalists write for daily newspapers and

❖ Distance between the news item’s place of origin and

❖ Usually, the nearer an individual is to the location of a

❖ This is referred to as geographic proximity. There are

❖ Prominence/Personality Involved:- All men

❖ Consequence is about the Impact, Significance

❖ How many people an event or idea affects and

❖ Again, an item or event may give rise to thought

❖ Human Interest:- Interest in human beings and

❖ In a general way, human-interest stories might

❖ Novelty:- sounds like human interest but shows some

❖ The unusual makes news. The bizarre makes news too.

❖ The day a female becomes the Vice President of the US it will be

❖ Conflict:- Nearly every story on each of our front pages is a

❖ Necessity The seven earlier discussed news values involve

❖ The essential element here is that the journalist considers a

❖ Today’s media use many factors to determine

perceived interest of the audience,

❖ HARD NEWS AND SOFT NEWS

❖ A news story can be hard, chronicling as concisely as possible the

❖ Hard news events--such as the death of a famous public figure or the

❖ Soft news, such as the widespread popularity of tattooing among

❖ Feature stories are often written on these soft news events.

❖ There is no firm line between a news story and a feature,

The Components of News are components or the

A component is a constituent part of something.

They tend to have more news values or higher

The more of news components you find in a story,

❖ Components are items may be many could

❖ News Virtues : reporters should strive to make the

❖ These triple news virtues are:

❖ Truth:- All news stories must represent factual

❖ Objectivity:- Objectivity presupposes that the

❖ Accuracy:- Accuracy is a pillar on which every

❖ The only way to meet this requirement is for

❖ University of Delaware Professor Ben Yagoda defines

❖ As a journalist, the stories you write are meant to provide true

❖ According to Peter Cole, a writer for The Guardian “journalists

❖ Gathering Information:The first step to writing a

❖ In order to do so, you need people who

❖ The best writers see the world full of story ideas.