Reporting & Principles of reporting

By reporting we mean Collection & gathering of data or facts about current news Or background material
required for a news story feature.

A reporter collects news on behalf of the readers of a newspaper. To a great extent, a newspapers
reputation and credibility depends on the reporters. They can make or destroy a newspaper.

A reporter performs the noble task of educating and informing the reader about what is happening around
them. As in every other profession, specialisation is there in reporting too.

Big newspapers have specialists to report political, legal, business, education, crime, sports, films and
special events. These reporters write authoritative articles in their specialised areas. An experienced
reporter on being given an assignment asks:

1. What has happened? That is, what has really happened ---the complete story.

2. Why (or how) did it happen? That is, what are the explanations.

3. What does it mean? That is, how to interpret it.

4. What next? That is, in the light of the present news what is expected to happen next.

5. What is beneath the surface? That is, to interpret an event.

Principles of reporting Every news story should contain four essential elements-- accuracy, attribution of
source, fairness and objectivity.

1. Accuracy The facts in a story should be correct, down to the minutest detail. A reporter must be precise
with every bit of the details of a story. Readers tend to judge a newspapers credibility by their own
experiences with its record of accuracy. News stories with inaccuracies are a sign of a lazy reporter.

2. Attribution Source identification should be as specific as possible. Use the persons name if possible, not
merely a spokesperson. A reporter should not invent news source or attribute information to such vague
quarters like an informed source, a confidential observer etc. The source from which a storys
information is obtained must be clearly identified. Failure to do so makes a reporters story suspect.

3. Fairness News stories should be particularly fair in their presentation of information. They should never
serve the vested interests of groups or individuals. When a person criticises the behavior or opinion of
another in a story, basic fairness requires that a person criticised is given an opportunity to respond.

4. Objectivity Writers should strive to keep their personal opinions out of a news story. In general readers
are unable to detect the reporters political beliefs, religious affiliations or social attitudes. Every reporter
will have his/her personal beliefs, interests, and involvements but these should not be allowed to creep
into the story. At times a reporter will cover events that run contrary to those personal concerns. In such
cases, the reporter should work harder to achieve even-handedness
 Editing a Copy / Sub-Editors Job

In a newspaper office, reporters are the ones who file stories. They may be given different assignments.
These may be on politics, economics, parliament, the stock exchange, sports, courts or markets.

The reporters job is to write the story as quickly as possible with all the facts and figures. In their hurry,
they may not be in a position to polish the language.

So the first job of a sub editor is to see that the report is in good language and there are no mistakes.
There can be spelling mistakes, mistakes in sentence construction, grammer and factual mistakes.

If the sub editor finds a portion of the report ambiguous or incorrect or doubtful he has to cross check it
with the reporter.

The next job of the sub editor is to value add the report. If some background material has to be added, he
has to collect it from the library and improve the story. For example, if a report is filed on a train accident
killing ten people, the sub editor can improve the story by collecting information about other major train
accidents that happened recently.

The sub editor then has to find a good heading for the story. The heading should be sharp, attractive, crisp
and convey the spirit of the story.

The heading should compel the reader to stop and read the whole story. While writing the heading, a sub
editor should know the space available for the story, whether it is one column, two columns or three etc.
The heading should fit within that column.

The sub editor now has to see if there is a possibility for including photographs along with the news item.
Pictures or graphs can improve the visual quality of a report. For example,Virat Kohli.

Condensation is a task that the sub editor has to do. Reporters generally file lengthy stories. Only the sub
editor will be able to know about the availability of space in the newspaper. If the full story written by a
correspondent will not squeeze into the space available, it is the job of the sub editor to condense it by
rewriting or editing. If one word can substitute for a number of words that definitely should be done.

Principles of Journalism

The central purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information they need to
function in a free society. Over time journalists have developed nine core principles to meet the task. They
comprise what might be described as the theory of journalism.

1. JOURNALISMS FIRST OBLIGATION IS TO THE TRUTH

Democracy depends on citizens having reliable, accurate facts put in a meaningful context. Journalism does
not pursue truth in an absolute or philosophical sense, but it can and must pursue it in a practical sense.
This journalistic truth is a process that begins with the professional discipline of assembling and verifying
facts. Then journalists try to convey a fair and reliable account of their meaning, valid for now, subject to
further investigation.

Journalists should be as transparent as possible about sources and methods, so audiences can make their
own assessment of the information
2. ITS FIRST LOYALTY IS TO CITIZENS

While news organizations answer to many constituencies, including advertisers and shareholders, the
journalists in those organizations must maintain allegiance to citizens and the larger public interest above
any other if they are to provide the news without fear or favor. This commitment to citizens first is the
basis of a news organizations credibility & credibility builds a broad and loyal audience, and that economic
success follows in turn.

3. ITS ESSENCE IS DISCIPLINE OF VERIFICATION

Journalists rely on a professional discipline for verifying information. When the concept of objectivity
originally evolved, it did not imply that journalists are free of bias. It called, rather, for a consistent method
of testing information a transparent approach to evidence precisely so that personal and cultural biases
would not undermine the accuracy of their work. This discipline of verification is what separates journalism
from other modes of communication, such as propaganda, fiction or entertainment.

4. ITS PRACTITIONERS MUST MAINTAIN AN INDEPENDENCE FROM THOSE THEY COVER

Independence is an underlying requirement of journalism, a cornerstone of its reliability. Independence of

spirit and mind, rather than neutrality, is the principle journalists must keep in focus. While editorialists
and commentators are not neutral, the source of their credibility is still their accuracy, intellectual fairness
and ability to inform, not their devotion to a certain group or outcome.

5. IT MUST SERVE AS AN INDEPENDENT MONITOR OF POWER

Journalism has an unusual capacity to serve as watchdog over those whose power and position most affect
citizens. The Founders recognized this to be a rampart against despotism when they ensured an
independent press; courts have affirmed it; citizens rely on it. As journalists, we have an obligation to
protect this watchdog freedom by not demeaning it in frivolous use or exploiting it for commercial gain.

6. IT MUST PROVIDE A FORUM FOR PUBLIC CRITICISM AND COMPROMISE

The news media are the common carriers of public discussion, and this responsibility forms a basis for our
special privileges. This discussion serves society best when it is informed by facts rather than prejudice and
supposition. It also should strive to fairly represent the varied viewpoints and interests in society, and to
place them in context rather than highlight only the conflicting fringes of debate.

7. ITS PRACTITIONERS MUST BE ALLOWED TO EXERCISE THEIR PERSONAL CONSCIENCE

Every journalist must have a personal sense of ethics and responsibilitya moral compass. Each of us must
be willing, if fairness and accuracy require, to voice differences with our colleagues, whether in the
newsroom or the executive suite. News organizations do well to nurture this independence by encouraging
individuals to speak their minds. This stimulates the intellectual diversity necessary to understand and
accurately cover an increasingly diverse society. It is this diversity of minds and voices, not just numbers,
that matters.