ΣΥΝΕΝΤΕΥΞΕΙΣ 202-REPORTING - TECHNIQUE - - - SKILL - backup - - 1 - PDF

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Reporting Techniques & Skills
Study Material for Students
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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN MEDIA WORLD
Mass communication and Journalism is institutionalized and source specific. It

functions through well-organized professionals and has an ever increasing
interlace. Mass media has a global availability and it has converted the whole
world in to a global village. A qualified journalism professional can take up a
job of educating, entertaining, informing, persuading, interpreting, and
guiding. Working in print media offers the opportunities to be a news reporter,
news presenter, an editor, a feature writer, a photojournalist, etc. Electronic
media offers great opportunities of being a news reporter, news editor,
newsreader, programme host, interviewer, cameraman, producer, director, etc.
Other titles of Mass Communication and Journalism professionals are script

writer, production assistant, technical director, floor manager, lighting director,
scenic director, coordinator, creative director, advertiser, media planner, media
consultant, public relation officer, counselor, front office executive, event
manager and others.
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: Reporting Techniques & Skills
INTRODUCTION
The book deals with techniques of reporting. The students will learn the skills of
gathering news and reporter’s art of writing the news. The book explains the basic
formula of writing the news and the kinds of leads. Students will also learn different
types of reporting and the importance of clarity and accuracy in writing news. The
book also deals with the art of writing Articles, Editorials, Middle, Profiles, and
Letters to the Editor, Book Reviews, Film Review and Sports Reviews. At the end of
the book, students will learn about Photojournalism.
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INDEX
1. The Business of Mass Media & Reporter. 10-14
2. Gathering the News: 14- 24
2.1 Reporting & Reporters
2.2 Training & Qualifications to be a reporter
2.3 Where reporter works
2.4 Reporting for Newspapers 14.
2.5 Taking Notes
2.6. Interviews
2.7 Types of interviews 23
2.8. News Reporting
2.8.1 Investigative or Interpretative Reporting
2.9 A nose for News. 29
2.10. Organizing the information
2.10.1 Writing and Editing
2.10.2. The main elements of News
2.10.3. Functions of News
2.10.4. News Sources
3. Skills for Writing News: 25-60

3.1 The basic formula
3.2. Structure for news story
3.2.1. The Inverted Pyramid
3.3 Writing the Lead
3.4 Types of Leads
3.5 Headlines
3.5.1. The Types of leads –
3.5.2.Four functions of a headline:
3.6 Types of News Writing
3.7 Organization of Topic of Newspaper
3.8 Types of Reporting
3.9 Writing the Story
4. Types of Reporting: 60-79

4.1. Crime Reporting
4.2. Court Reporting
4.3. Health Reporting
4.4. Civic Reporting
4.5. Political Reporting
4.6. Business Reporting
4.7. Science & Technology Reporting
4.8. Sport Reporting
4.9. Culture Reporting
4.10. Civil Administration Reporting
4.11.Education Reporting
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4.12.Development Reporting
5. Writing the Story: 80- 96

5.1 Magazine Writing
5.2. How to write an Obituary?
5.2.1. Article Writing
5.3. Editorial Writing guidelines
5.4.. Writing Letter to Editor
5.5. Writing Film Review
5.6.Writing Book Review
5.7. New paradigm features
6. Photo Journalism: 97- 117
6.1 . Photojournalism
6.2. What is a photojournalist?
6.3 photojournalist different from a photographer
6.4. Uses of Photography
6.4.1 Elements of Photography
6.4.2. Point of Interest
6.5. Role of Visualizations
6.6. Photo Editing in newspaper
6.7. India's Top Cartoonists
6.8. Cartooning
Glossary of journalism terms 118-124
Summery 125
Questions for practice 127
Suggested reading 128
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SYLLABUS
UNIT 1. The Business of Mass Media & Reporter.

UNIT 2. Gathering the News:
Reporting & Reporters - Training & Qualifications to be a reporter - Where
reporter works
- Reporting for Newspapers - Reporting the expected & unexpected - Made news –
What reporters do - Reporting skills - A nose for News. Observation listening &
seeing, Taking notes, finding, checking, verifying, analyzing & interpreting
information - Interviewing -Asking questions - Types of interviews - Interviewing
techniques.
UNIT 3. Skills for Writing News:
The basic formula - The Inverted Pyramid: advantages & disadvantages. Writing
the Lead
- Kinds of Leads - The summary Lead - Thinking through the Lead - Finding the
appropriate verb - No news Lead - Organizing the facts - Time elements -
Variations on the summary Lead - Some other aspects of the Lead - Datelines,
Credit Lines, Bylines -Checklist for the standard of the news story.
UNIT 4. Types of Reporting:
Objective, Interpretative, Investigative, Legal, Developmental. Political. Sports,
Crime, Economic & Commercial, Technical & Science Reporting & the rest.
UNIT 5. Writing the Story:
Single - Incident Story - Attribution - Identification - Time and Timeliness – The
Stylebook.
UNIT 6. Photo Journalism:
How is News Photography different from the rest - Analyzing the camera angle
Action photography - Choosing the right - pix - India's Top Photo Journalists.
Cartooning: The Craftsmanship, India's Top Cartoonists
UNIT 7. Glossary of Newspaper terminology
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REPORTING TECHNIQUES & SKILLS
OBJECTIVES
 To understand the techniques of reporting

 To know the skills of gathering news and art of writing the news
 To understand the importance of clarity and accuracy in writing news
 To study the types of reporting
 To learn the art of writing Articles, Editorials, Middle, Profiles, and Letters to
the Editor, Book Reviews, Film Review and Sports Reviews
 The know about photojournalism
INTRODUCTION
Part – I
Mass Media is a term used to denote a section of the media specifically
envisioned and designed to reach a very large audience such as the population of a
nation state. It was coined in the 1920s with the advent of nationwide radio
networks, mass-circulation newspapers and magazines, although mass media was
present centuries before the term became common. The term public media has a
similar meaning: it is the sum of the public mass distributors of news and
entertainment across mediums such as newspapers, television, radio, broadcasting,
which require union membership in large markets such as Newspaper Guild and &
text publishers. The concept of mass media is complicated in some internet media
as now individuals have a means of potential exposure on a scale comparable to
what was previously restricted to select group of mass media producers. These
internet media can include personal web pages and blogs.
UNIT 1. THE BUSINESS OF MASS MEDIA & REPORTER
Journalism is not a profession that is founded on starry-eyed optimism. It scorns

the up lifter as much as it suspects the reformers, having had grievous experience
with both in the course of its daily dealings with human affairs. In fact, it cries woe
knows full well that such an automatic reflex action has a better chance of being
right or wrong.
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Today, Progressive Journalists have realized that there are both civic and national
responsibilities that come ahead of their normal professional duties. Merely telling
and printing the news is not enough, nor is it sufficient to keep chanting a litany
about interpreting the news without finding better people, better ways, more space,
and more time to do it before a crisis makes it imperative. The reporter or the
journalist is no longer justifies in wrapping himself in the guise of a philosophical
anarchist and pretending that he is someone set apart with a mission beyond that of
ordinary men. For the fact is that he no longer is mere news gatherer, often, in the
act of gathering news, he makes it and even influences the course of events. Surely,
the time has come for him to recognize it. He is not part of the gigantic shadow
play, he is one of the principal actors, and what he says and does can have a
substantial influence on its outcome. He must face up to his responsibilities as a
good citizen first, a good reporter second.
The Press is independent of government. Governments are composed of human

beings, and human beings can and do commit wrongs. The press and government
should not become institutional partners. They are natural adversaries with
different functions, and each must respect the role of the other. Sometimes a free
press can be a distinct annoyance and an embarrassment to a particular
government, but that is one of the prices of liberty. A free press is responsible to
its readers and to them alone.
Independence is at the very heart of any statement of ethical principles respecting

the conduct of the press. The proprietors of a newspaper may choose to ally it with
a particular political party or interest, but an increasing number of newspapers and
journals are politically independent as well as independent of government. This
means not that they refrain from endorsing a certain political party or a candidate
for public office, but rather that they owe no prior allegiance and that they make
the endorsement voluntarily, as an exercise of their independence.
From this it follows that an independent press must cherish that role by resisting
pressures of all kinds - from local as well as national government, from special
interest groups in the community, from powerful individuals, from advertisers.
This is a noble standard that is sometimes more difficult to follow in a small
community than in a large one. It may be relatively easy for a large, well-financed
newspaper to risk the displeasure of a particular interest group or advertiser. But on
a small paper, where the support of such an advertiser or interest has a direct
bearing on the ability of management to meet the payroll, it takes courage to resist
pressure.
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From this also flows the point that the newspaper and its staff should exemplify
independence in their actions. Not only should they be independent in fact, but also
they must be seen to be independent. A newspaper that rewards its friends with
unwarranted, flattering stories or fawning editorials will not long be respected. A
newspaper whose reporters also are on the payroll of a special interest group or
who accept free trips or lavish gifts will find it hard to be convincing in its
criticisms of corruption or other unethical practices in government.
Occasionally, newspapers attempt to justify the acceptance of gifts or services. A

reliable reporter will hardly be corrupt. Admittedly, in small communities,
journalists sometimes may encounter problems in maintaining an independent role.
There are pressures to participate in volunteer services, in clubs and business
associations, and even in local government. Conflicts of interest may arise
frequently.
Journalists cannot expect to be walled apart from the community in which they
live. But neither can they serve two masters with opposing interests. A diligent
editor or reporter will at least be aware of the conflicts and keep his or her
professional responsibilities foremost in mind.
A newspaper has the right to be captious, or partisan, or untruthful, or bigoted, or

whatever else its conscience allows it to be. And although newspapers are
answerable to the laws of libel, within a very large compass they continue to set
their own responsibilities. The underlying idea is that, from the clash of opinions
and ideas presented by a free press, ultimately something resembling truth
emerges.
In practice, however, truth does not always emerge unless someone digs it out.
And there is no single patented version of what constitutes truth. In a community
where only one newspaper exists, a reader may not encounter differing opinions
unless the newspaper chooses to present them. Radio and television are not always
effective substitutes.
Recognition, of the importance of fair and balanced reporting, in which opinions

that differ from those of the writer, or the newspaper, or a government official are
nevertheless accurately portrayed. News stories and analysis are presented on the
news pages, with their origins and sources identified wherever possible. The
newspaper's own opinions are presented on the editorial page, which may also
carry signed columns from syndicated writers or staff members of the newspaper
itself.
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News Reporting needs to guard against undue intrusions on the privacy of persons
about whom they are reporting. A photograph of a person jumping off a building or
plunging into a fire may be dramatic, but editors ought to debate long and hard
over whether they are violating someone's rights or dignity by publishing it. Does
the publication serve a defensible purpose, one that will be understood by readers?
Or is it using an indignity to pander to curiosity?
Reporters enjoy no special rights beyond those of other citizens. They must be
aggressive in pursuing facts. Indeed, one of the most important functions of a free
press is to serve as a watchdog. But its staff members have no dispensation to be
rude or discourteous. Television has many sins of its own, but one thing it purveys
very quickly to viewers is whether reporters at a news conference are behaving
arrogantly or with unnecessary brusqueness.
A Reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in

certain types of mass media.
Reporters gather their information in a variety of ways, including tips, press

releases, and witnessing events. They perform research through interviews, public
records, and other sources. The information-gathering part of the job is sometimes
called "reporting" as distinct from the production part of the job, such as writing
articles. Reporters generally split their time between working in a newsroom and
going out to witness events or interview people.
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Most reporters working for major news media outlets are assigned an area to focus
on called a beat or patch. They are encouraged to cultivate sources to improve
their information gathering.
Reporters working for major Western news media usually have a university or
college degree. The degree is sometimes in journalism, but in most countries, that
is generally not a requirement. When hiring reporters, editors tend to give much
weight to the reporter's previous work such as newspaper clippings, even when
written for a student newspaper or as part of an internship.
Reporting skills can be learned, just like any other skill. The entire reporting
process involves setting objectives, through data gathering and analysis tools, to
planning, drafting, editing and designing the report.
Set evaluation goals- know what you are doing from the start
Select data gathering methods - select the best way to get breadth and depth of
information
Analyze quantitative and qualitative data - really understand what your data is
telling you
Plan the report-put your ideas into a structure that works. Write more clearly and
organize your ideas and analysis effectively - getting to the point in a powerful,
persuasive style
UNIT 2. GATHERING THE NEWS
2.1. Training & Qualifications to be a Reporter
News reporters, correspondents, and analysts gather and prepare useful information
for local and nationwide audiences. They inform society on current events and the
actions of public, corporate, and special interest figures.
News analysts, or newscasters or news anchors, harness and interpret news to be

broadcast. They present on-air videotapes, stories, or live transmissions from
correspondents outside of the studio. Some newscasters specialize in either weather
or sports, and hence receive the titles of weathercasters and sportscaster. They
gather and deliver information relating to these areas of interest. Some
weathercasters are actual meteorologists who make their own weather forecasts.
Reporters are heavily involved with all phases of news gathering, organizing,
shooting, and delivering. They often interview individuals with cameras and later
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edit the material for presentation. Often this information will be sent via electronic
transmission to news writers who write about the material. Television and radio
reporters may submit material live from a news source. They usually record an
introduction to their story to be presented. Commentators and columnists are
journalists who provide readers and listeners with their own personal opinions.
Reports write on assigned topics of relative importance, such as political or
company events, accidents, or celebrity visits. Some reporters will be assigned
special interest stories such as “police beats.” Still others specialize in unique fields
of interest, such as sports, politics, health, consumer affairs, science, religion,
entertainment, and others. Investigative journalists may spend days to weeks at a
time working on stories. Teams that include reporters, photographers, graphic
artists, and editors are often gathered to report on particular events or stories.
News correspondents cover news stories in regional stationed areas. Reporters that
work with smaller publications involve themselves with all phases of gathering and
presenting news, from taking photographs to laying out pages and editing final
transcriptions. They may also sell advertising and do some office work.
News reporters, correspondents, and analysts should anticipate busy schedules and
pressure deadlines. They may have to rush to broadcast a story by a certain time.
Work environments vary from comfortable offices to rooms full of technical
equipment and other workers. Outside field reporters may find the environment of
an event to be extremely hectic and even dangerous.
Work schedules vary. While print reporters typically work in the late hours of the
day until midnight, television, radio, and magazine reporters usually have day
schedules with some evening work.
In order to meet a deadline, reporters may have to adjust their schedule or work
overtime. This is especially so as many stations have 24 hour broadcast schedules.
Travel may also be necessary for breaking news events.
2.3. Where Reporters work?
Reporters gather information and write news stories. These stories appear in
newspapers and magazines. Some reporters appear on television and radio. To get
information, reporters look at documents. They also observe the scene and
interview people. Reporters write about events. These include things such as an
accident, a rally, or a company going out of business.
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Radio and television reporters often report "live" from the scene. News
correspondents mostly work in large cities. Some report from foreign cities
covering the events in the city.
Reporters must meet deadlines. Some work in private offices, while others often
work in large rooms with other reporters. Television and radio reporters may
encounter curious onlookers, police, or other emergency workers.
Reporters work long hours and sometimes have odd schedules. They may have to
travel. At morning newspapers, reporters might work from late afternoon until
midnight. At evening or afternoon papers, they may work from early morning until
afternoon. Radio and television reporters work day or evening shifts. Magazine
reporters generally work during the day. Reporters may have to work extra hours
to meet deadlines. They may have to change their work hours to follow a story.
A college degree in journalism is preferred. Some employers hire graduates with

other majors. Working at school newspapers or broadcasting stations is good
experience. Internships with news organizations may also help when seeking a job
as a reporter.
Reporters must write clearly and effectively. They also need word processing,
computer graphics, and desktop publishing skills. Speaking a second language is
necessary for some jobs. In high school; you should take courses in English,
journalism, and social studies, with an emphasis on writing.
Employment of news analysts, reporters, and correspondents is expected to decline

moderately. Still, some job openings will occur in newer media areas, such as
magazines and newspapers on the Internet. It is difficult to get a job at newspapers
and broadcast stations in large cities. The best chances for a first job are on small
town and suburban newspapers.
2.4.Reporting for Newspapers
Our newspapers must present a balanced view of the community, state, nation and
the world beyond our borders. To do so it requires a certain amount of skill,
patience and understanding. Therefore, a reporter must have a nose for news. We
talk of news of reader interest.
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Generally the following will interest the reader:

1. Unusual events
2. Mysteries and the unknown
3. Prominent people, places and the things
4. Whatever people are talking about
5. Statements by persons in authority
6. All events that affects readers’ lives
7. Trends or continuing events that grasp the imagination of readers over a
period of time
8. New ideas-anything that is likely to be new to the general reader
9. Conflict between man and man; between man and nature
10.Natural phenomenon; violence, calamities and disaster
11.Tragedies and comedies that appeal to the human emotion
12.The why of news; why things happen, what makes them happen, who pulls
the strings
13.Topics of health
14.The environment
15.Fashion and entertainment
2.5. Taking notes in Reporting is very important!
You must be able to provide evidence of everything you include in an article or

news report. Therefore, it is vital that you keep adequate notes, and include
everything you can, including for example) transcripts of interviews and e -mails.
When taking notes, you might try making your own shorthand. Evidence which is
of unknown source is not evidence.
How to Take Notes?
1. In preparation for writing a piece of work, your notes might come from a
number of different sources: course materials, set texts, secondary reading,
interviews, or government sources and common people. You might gather
information from radio or television broadcasts, or from experiments and research
projects.
2. The notes you gather in preparation for writing will normally provide detailed
evidence to back up any arguments you wish to make. They might also be used as
illustrative material. They might include such things as the quotations and page
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references you plan to use in an essay. Your ultimate objective in planning will be
to produce a one or two page outline of the topics you intend to cover.
3. Be prepared for the fact that you might take many more notes than you will ever
use. This is perfectly normal. At the note-taking stage you might not be sure
exactly what evidence you will need. In addition, the information-gathering stage
should also be one of digesting and refining your ideas.
4. Don't feel disappointed if you only use a quarter or even a tenth of your
materials. The proportion you finally use might vary from one subject to another,
as well as depending on your own particular writing strategy. Just because some
material is not used, don't imagine that your efforts have been wasted.
5. When taking notes from any source, keep in mind that you are attempting to
make a compressed and accurate record of information, other people's opinions,
and possibly your own observations on the subject in question.
6. Your objective whilst taking the notes is to distinguish the more important from
the less important points being made. Record the main issues, not the details. You
might write down a few words of the original if you think they may be used in a
quotation. Keep these extracts as short as possible unless you will be discussing a
longer passage in some detail.
7. Don't try to write down every word of a lecture - or copy out long extracts from
books. One of the important features of note taking is that you are making a digest
of the originals, and translating the information into your own words.
8. Some people take so many notes that they don't know which to use when it's
time to do the writing. They feel that they are drowning in a sea of information.
9. This problem is usually caused by two common weaknesses in note-taking

technique:
 Transcribing too much of the original

 Being unselective in the choice of topics
10. There are two possible solutions to this problem:
 Select only those few words of the source material, which will be of use.
Avoid being descriptive. Think more, and write less. Be rigorously selective.
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 Keep the project topic or the essay question more clearly in mind. Take
notes only on those issues which are directly relevant to the subject in
question.
11. Even though the notes you take are only for your own use, they will be more
effective if they are recorded clearly and neatly. Good layout of the notes will help
you to recall and assess the material more readily. If in doubt use the following
general guidelines.
 Before you even start, make a note of your source(s. If this is a book, an
article, or a journal, write the following information at the head of your
notes: Author, title, publisher, publication date, and edition of book.
 Use loose-leaf A4 paper. This is now the international standard for almost all
printed matter. Don't use small notepads. You will find it easier to keep track
of your notes if they fit easily alongside your other study materials.
 Write clearly and leave a space between each note. Don't try to cram as
much as possible onto one page. Keeping the items separate will make them
easier to recall. The act of laying out information in this way will cause you
to assess the importance of each detail.
 Use some system of tabulation as being done in these notes. This will help
to keep the items separate from each other. Even if the progression of
numbers doesn't mean a great deal, it will help you to keep the items distinct.
 Don't attempt to write continuous prose. Notes should be abbreviated and
compressed. Full grammatical sentences are not necessary. Use
abbreviations, initials, and shortened forms of commonly used terms.
 Don't string the points together continuously, one after the other on the page.
You will find it very difficult to untangle these items from each other after
some time has passed.
 Devise a logical and a memorable layout. Use lettering, numbering, and
indentation for sections and for sub-sections. Use headings and
subheadings. Good layout will help you to absorb and recall information.
Some people use colored inks and highlighters to assist this
process of identification.
 Use a new page for each set of notes. This will help you to store and identify
them later. Keep topics separate, and have them clearly titled and labeled to
facilitate easy recall.
 Write on one side of the page only. Number these pages. Leave the blank
sides free for possible future additions, and for any details, which may be
needed later.
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Notebook of a Reporter
Every interview has a common problem; how is it to be recorded? The sight of a

notebook on the knee of a reporter sometimes has a paralyzing and tongue-tying
effect on the person whose views are being sought, unless such happenings are a
common occurrence for him and he is perfectly used to them, the best way is to
make your entrance apparently devoid of all the tools of your trade and to listen
intently for a minute or two. Then you can quietly produce your pen and a piece of
folded paper and make a few notes, if possible, while still watching the speaker.
Never look away from him for longer than you can help, make him feel that he,
and not your note-taking has more attention.
Another way is to wait until the speaker has made a point or half given a string of
figures, then, producing your paper and pen, ask: may I quote that? And as you
make your note, allow him to prompt you on the words to be used, if he wishes.
Then look up at him again, put a question, or allow him to continue talking. Later
you can make another note or two, perhaps with increasing frequency as the sight
of your slip of paper becomes familiar, but watch him as much as you can and
appear interested.
Checking, verifying, analyzing & interpreting information is extremely

important for a reporter.
Fairness is the foundation of good journalism. Fairness and balance is giving both
sides of the picture, while fairness is not taking sides. It also means not providing
support to political parties, institutions, communities or individuals, etc through the
columns of the newspaper. It is the attribute of a professional reporter and the duty
of a sub editor to implement it.
This one is as difficult, in practice, as accuracy is simple. Fairness is often in the

eye of the beholder. Fairness means, among other things, listening to different
viewpoints, and incorporating them into the journalism. It does not mean parroting
lies or distortions to achieve that lazy equivalence that leads some journalists to get
opposing quotes when the facts overwhelmingly support one side. Fairness is also
about letting people respond when they believe you are wrong. Again, this is much
easier online than in a print publication, much less in a broadcast.
Ultimately, fairness emerges from a state of mind. We should be aware of what

drives us, and always willing to listen to those who disagree. The first rule of
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having a conversation is to listen - learn more from people who think we are wrong
than from those who agree with us.
Journalists might see themselves as satisfying their professional commitment

by taking the following steps before publishing a story:
 Looking at both sides of a story

 Assessing conflicting claims
 Assessing the credibility of sources
 Looking for evidences
 Not publishing anything believed to be untrue
 See if the story stands up
Analyzing Quantitative and Qualitative data is often the topic of advanced

research and evaluation methods courses. However, there are certain basics, which
can help to make sense of reams of data.
When analyzing data whe ther from questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, or
whatever, always start from review of your research goals, i.e., the reason you
undertook the news-story in the first place. This will help you organize your data
and focus your analysis. For example, if you wanted to improve a program by
identifying its strengths and weaknesses, you can organize data into program
strengths, weaknesses and suggestions to improve the program
 Read through all the data in your news story.

 Organize comments into similar categories, e.g., concerns, suggestions,
strengths, weaknesses, similar experiences, program inputs,
recommendations, outputs, outcome indicators, etc.
 Label the categories or themes, e.g., concerns, suggestions, etc.
2.6. INTERVIEWS
Planning and Conducting Interviews
Before meeting for an interview, both the interviewer and the interviewee have to
make planning and preparation. Many job interviews are failures because either the
applicants or the interviewer lack the skills of planning for them. The interviewer
must have clear and detailed information about the post for which the candidates
are to be interviewed. He should be in a position to tell the candidate the working
conditions, details of job operations and other responsibilities. He has to make
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proper seating arrangement for the candidates in such a way that they may feel
relaxed in the waiting room before facing the interviewer. He should know what
type of candidate is required for the job. He must have the bio-data of all the
candidates who might attend the interview.
Similarly, the applicants too must prepare themselves for the interview situation.
He has to know his own abilities in carrying out the responsibilities of the post for
which he applies. He has to ask himself whether he really desires to do that work
and if it is suitable for his talents. Secondly, he has to know the organization in
which he seeks the job. He has also to prepare himself for the probable questions,
which would be asked in the interview.
The winning grace of Interviewing
The precise nature of the questions you ask will be determined initially by the
purpose and the research you have done, but it is important that you listen to
people’s answer s and adjusts your line of questioning. Though, there is plenty of
often quite prescriptive advice available on interviewing techniques, but trial and
error is the way most trainee journalists feel their way through their first
interviews. Experiment with different approaches and see what works for you in
different circumstances. Journalists have to be comfortable speaking to all sorts of
people from millionaires to the homeless. So the main asset of a journalist during
interviews are being curious about people and allowing enough time.
Conversation is the key to good interviewing. Even the briefest interview should
involve the techniques of conversation: listening as well as talking, engaging with
what is being said rather than just waiting for a gap to fill with your next question,
making eye contact in face to face interviews, and encouraging the interviewee
through sounds and gestures.
Interviewing celebrities and famous personalities require much tactics and careful
preparations. Unless you are accusing the interviewee of wrongdoing, you need to
establish a rapport between him and yourself. First impressions are important so
don’t be late and dress appropriately. Nonverbal communication is important, so
show interest by making eye contact without staring or nodding. Give verbal
reassurance that the interviewee is not speaking into a vacuum-laugh at their jokes,
sympathies with their troubles and use phrases like ‘really’? But don’t over do it.
Learn to listen; interrupting their flow only if they are digressing too much and you
are on deadline. Keep your eyes as well as your ears open because you might
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discover a visual clue to the interviewee’s character or a visual prompt for an

unusual question. Clothes, hair, tattoos, pictures on the wall, books on the shelves,
an unusual plant, and the view from the window-all might spark off a question and
lead to the discovery of a different angle.
2.7 .Different Types of Interviews
Written Interview: The written interview, where a person writes answers to a

series of questions sent to him, is now seldom employed. Perhaps this is as well,
for it is never wholly satisfactory. For one thing, a ‘follow up’ question can never
be asked, and it may so happen that a written answer almost demands further
questions in order to elucidate a point. In addition, it lacks the personal touch that
is so essential. Avoid it as much as you can.
Telephonic Interview: the telephonic interview has been found a useful way of
getting the views of local people when you are very near press time, which perhaps
accounts for the extension in its use. For instance, suppose some restrictions on a
commodity were suddenly lifted, and you were told to get interviews for a local-
angle story: you would need to contact the president or secretary of the association
concerned, one or two leading people and a house-wife. From them you should
obtain a pretty good variety of views some of them welcoming it, other fearing,
that the sudden lifting of the regulations would cause such a run on it that the
commodity would be virtually unobtainable and so on.
Thus, before ringing up these people, try to put yourself in their position: if you
were contacted by the ringing of a bell and asked for your views, would you have
able to give them on the spur of the moment? Even if you could, would you be
prepared to do so, knowing that whatever you said would be made public in the
four corners of your locality? Would you not prefer to have a few minutes in which
to give a little thought to the matter? These are points, which the thoughtful
reporter will bear in mind, and it may well be, as a result, that he will first ring up
his people and ask them if they would give their views when he rings up again in
ten minutes time. Many people are only too willing to assist, but they like to have a
brief period for reflection before committing themselves and they appreciate the
friendly tip that you want them to do so.
Specialized Interviews: in the case of important individual interviews only a

senior reporter is generally given the assignment well in advance. He spends a few
days in studying the career of the great personality to be interviewed and frames
the questions to which he wants an answer. If the interview is to deal with a
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specific subject and is not intended to be a general survey of the world or of the
locality in which the newspaper is published, the reporter must make certain that
he has at least rudimentary ideas of the matters which he wishes his personality to
talk about. It is no good being ushered into the great man’s presence and then
writing for something to turn up.
The reporter would be well advised to utilize the resource fullness of the office
librarian, who can generally provide a host of ideas and cuttings, when he is told
the name of the man to be interviewed. The reporter is sometimes asked by the
personality to submit the receipt of the interview report and if time permits, he
should comply with the request and make the stipulation that when it is returned
the words ‘O.K.’ should appear on every sheet. There can then be no post-mortem
either on the interview or the reporter. But it must be made clear that the general
sense of the interview must not be altered and that in agreeing to the request for a
script, the desire is that the interview should be rounded off and that occasional
words should be altered if they do not entirely convey the intended meaning.
Press Conference Interviews: there are frequently occasions for Press

Conferences at which ministers or leading figures in the world of ‘industry’
science, entertainment, or sport wish to inform the newspapers of latest
developments. Is such cases, the editor of the newspaper gives instructions to the
Public Relations Officer to get the journalists together and hear the
pronouncements if any. It is generally left for the PRO or the news editor to decide
whether he will make it a ‘free for all’ conference or a gathering limited for
specialists or experts because he realizes that knowledgeable and sensible
questions will be put to him. There are sometimes Press Conferences and
interviews ‘which is simply a waste of time, where the information could have
been issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry concerned in the form
of a ‘handout’.
In a news conference, one or more speakers may make a statement, which may be
followed by questions from reporters. Sometimes only questioning occurs;
sometimes there is a statement with no questions permitted.
A government may wish to open their proceedings for the media to witness events,
such as the passing of a piece of legislation from the government in parliament to
the senate, via media availability.
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Television stations and networks especially value news conferences: because

today's TV news programs air for hours at a time, or even continuously,
assignment editors have a steady appetite for ever-larger quantities of footage.
News conferences are often held by politicians; by sports teams; by celebrities or
film studios; by commercial organizations to promote products; by attorneys to
promote lawsuits; and by almost anyone who finds benefit in the free publicity
afforded by media coverage. Some people, including many police chiefs, hold
news conferences reluctantly in order to avoid dealing with reporters individually.
A news conference is often announced by sending an advisory or news

release to assignment editors, preferably well in advance. Sometimes they are held
spontaneously when several reporters gather around a newsmaker. News
conferences can be held just about anywhere, in settings as formal or as informal as
the street in front of a crime scene. Hotel conference rooms and courthouses are
often used for news conferences.
Interviews of Eminent Persons: one type of interview prevalent in a democratic

country like India or the United States is that with the President or the Prime
Minister or a foreign head of states visiting the country. The procedure here is that
written questions are submitted in advance to the PRO of the authority concerned,
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and when the dignitary replies to them, he would indicate whether he could be
quoted for the information he was imparting or whether he is not to be quoted as
the source of the news, or whether he is speaking entirely off the record. If this
eminent personality has a particularly important statement to make, he will
generally issue copies of it at the close of the conference.
2.8. NEWS REPORTING
News reports are classified into two broad types:

1. Straight news reports
2. Investigative or interpretative reports
Straight news reports present what has happened in a straightforward, factual and
clear manner. They draw no conclusions, nor offer any opinions. There is no
attempt to probe deeper than the surface happenings, or they provide elaborate
background information, or even to examine claims made. The main sources are:
Government officials, elite groups, news agencies, eminent people, businessmen
and others.
Both these types of news stories merely present the claims, without in any way
trying to question or rebut, or ask why. Investigative reports, on the other hand,
would make an effort to go behind the claims and see how valid they are. They
report happenings in depth, present fairly all sides of the picture in the context of
the situation, and generally, put some meaning into the news so that the reader is
better able to understand and analyze the event.
Disaster stories e.g. famines and floods get pride of place in the daily press, and
these provide many ‘human interest’ stories. Developments in science, industry
and agriculture are increasingly coming to be considered as interesting news, as
also the exposure of corruption in high places, the exploitation of the lower classes
and workers, and social injustice and inequalities resulting from the social,
economic and political structures. Of course, all the news reported is not news of
the highest interest to everybody. Politics interest some, sports others, crime still
others. However, it is rare that newspapers touch in the information needs and
interests of the poorer sections of the society.
2.8.1. Investigative or Interpretative Reporting
‘There is no more important contribution that we can make to society than

strong, publicly spirited investigative journalism’.
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Investigative journalism is a kind of journalism in which reporters deeply

investigate a topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or some
other scandal.
Investigative and interpretative reporting is not necessarily getting ‘scoops’ and

sensationalizing them but rather ‘situation reporting’ in place of event or
personality reporting. It is indeed a calm, restrained and detached manner of
arriving at conclusions. In short interpretive reporting is when a reporter, who is an
expert in a particular area, say finance and economics, gives meaning and
relevancy for the reader to information he has researched and gathered on a
particular topic. This will usually include some relevant history, interviews with
experts, interviews with those of opposing views, and an informed opinion about
implications and trends.
An investigative report begins with a hunch that there is something more than
meets the eye. Many newspapers have carried investigative news reports like the
Indian Express carried four investigative reports in 1979 about the inside of Tihar
jail. Also news magazines like India Today, Outlook, Sunday and The Week have
exposed the Bhagalpur blinding, and other police atrocities in many parts of the
country.
An investigative journalist may spend a considerable period researching and

preparing a report, sometimes months or years, whereas a typical daily or weekly
news reporter writes items concerning immediately available news. Most
investigative journalism is done by newspapers, wire services and freelance
journalists. An investigative journalist's final report may take the form of an
exposé.
The investigation will often require an extensive number of interviews and travel;
other instances might call for the reporter to make use of activities such as
surveillance techniques, tedious analysis of documents, investigations of the
performance of any kind of equipment involved in an accident, patent medicine,
scientific analysis, social and legal issues, and the like. In short, investigative
journalism requires a lot of scrutiny of details, fact-finding, and physical effort. An
investigative journalist must have an analytical and incisive mind with strong self-
motivation to carry on when all doors are closed, when facts are being covered up
or falsified and so on.
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Some of the means reporters can use for their fact-finding:
 studying neglected sources, such as archives, phone records, address books,

tax records and license records
 anonymous sources
 going undercover
Newspapers and news magazines are turning more and more to investigative and
interpretative reporting, as television, radio and the internet have a clear edge over
them in giving up-to-the minute development in news around the world. The
morning papers of course provide news in much greater detail, but it is all the same
yesterday’s news, which is in fact stale news. However, TV and radio cannot
match the press in in-depth reporting and critical analyses.
Investigative stories have to be done with the active support of the editor; else they
may be ‘killed’ at the last minute. That is because such stories could tread on many
toes, especially governmental and business. They often demand months of tedious
work, and when finally published can have dramatic effects. An offshoot of
investigative reporting is consumer reporting, which exposes business practices
that exploit consumers. Our newspapers have yet to take on big business in a big
way. Occasional reports have focused on drug and soft-drink companies, but
without much dramatic impact. The findings of consumer organizations and
Consumer Redressal Courts are rarely given wide publicity and ‘complaints’
columns in the press so not follow-up the complaints made.
The daily newspaper is the result of a glorious team effort. The members of the
team are often a restless lot getting on each other’s nerves. But they share the
‘values’ of the same profession and belong to a team. Reporters, sub-editors, news
editors, assistant editors and editors belong to the editorial department of the
newspaper. Compositions, makeup men and printers form the printing or
mechanical department. Thus, the editorial team is the creative organ of the
newspaper.
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2.9. A Nose for News
Newsgathering
 Begin collecting articles on your subject.

 Talk to friends and associates about the subject.
 Contact any agencies or associations with interest or professional knowledge
in the area.
 Create a list of people you want to interview; cover both sides of the story by
interviewing people on both sides of the issue.
 Collect government statistics and reports on the subject get old press releases
or reports to use as background.
Interviewing do's and don'ts
 Be polite.
 Explain the ground rules of the interview to people unfamiliar with how the
media works - this means that you tell them the information they give you
can and will be published. If they do not want any part of what they say
published, they need to tell you it is "off the record."
 Tape the interview so if anyone comes back at you, you have the proof of
what was said.
 Build a relationship with the person being interviewed.
 Start with easy questions; end with difficult questions.
 Read the body language of the person you're interviewing and if they get
defensive, back away from the question you are asking and return later.
 Don't attack the source.
 Keep control of the interview; don't let the subject ramble or stray from the
subject.
 On the other hand, don't let your "opinion" of what the story should be color
the interview. Always remember that the person you are talking with knows
more about the subject than you do.
2.10. Organizing the information
 Gather your notes, interviews and research into a file.

 Review your notes.
 Look for a common theme.
 Search your notes for good quotes or interesting facts.
 Develop a focus.
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 Write the focus of the article down in two or three sentences.
2.10.1 Writing and Editing
 Remember you are the narrator, the storyteller.

 Don't be afraid to rewrite.
 Be as clear and concise in the writing as possible.
 Avoid run-on sentences.
 Be direct.
 Tell a good story.
 Tell the reader what you think they want to know.
 Always ask yourself what the story is about.
 Read the story out loud; listen carefully.
2.10.2. The main elements of News are:
Elements of news are what determine a story’s “newsworthiness”. There are 10

elements of news; however, a story only needs to have a few of these elements.
Oddity-Strange incidents are news. News stories with an element of surprise will
create curiosity and will be in news. This is where the ‘man bites dog’ stories
come in along with other surprising, shocking or unusual events.
Emotion-How do people feel about it? These news stories will be both bad news
and good news. Death, tragedy, is example of bad news. Positive news stories
are far more prevalent than is suggested by the cynical claim that only good news
is bad news.
Consequence -What is the effect on the reader? News stories about issues,
groups and nations are perceived to be of relevance to the audience.
Proximity- Where is the story from? What happens in and around your city
interests you more than what happened in a far-flung region. Therefore,
newspapers allocate greater space for local news coverage because of the
proximity factor.
Drama-Dramatic Events of any kind would be an ideal subject for an interesting

news story.
Human Interest-People doing interesting things or incidents having an

emotional element. These kind of stories covers all the feelings that human
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beings have including sympathy, happiness, sadness, anger, ambition, love, hate,
etc. News stories concerning entertainment, showbiz, drama, humorous
treatment, witty headlines, entertaining photographs will be of interest to most of
the people.
Prominence-Famous people make news! Virtually every action of famous

people is considered to be newsworthy. Stories concerning the elite, powerful
individuals, organizations or institutions are enough to create a news story.
Celebrities are always a subject for news and their every action is under the
observation of the media.
Progress-Technological advance and new discoveries will always be the subject

for discussion and a readable news story.
Conflicts-Man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. machine, man vs. himself.
Conflict has an element of drama that gets attention and hence serves as a
criterion for news selection.
Timeliness-Its new so will be in news! Timeliness is the essence of news and is

understandably a criterion for news selection. An event that has just happened
makes a good news story, while events happened a few days ago are history.
2.10.3. Functions of News
News contains much that is new. ‘News is anything out of the ordinary.’ ‘News is
anything published in a newspaper which interests a large number of people’. The
main functions of news are:
1. News informs people about anything unusual that take place in the society.
Mysteries, small or big, interest people and so mysteries are news. Events
that affect people’s lives are news, the more people affected the bigger the
news.
2. People learn something new everyday through news they get from
newspaper or television. They read about things they have heard about and
also would like to read about.
3. News affects people and is capable of stirring widespread awareness. News
touches the deepest emotion of the people and appeals somehow to
everyone. Thus news affects the government as well as the common people.
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4. Important messages and decisions of the government are conveyed to the

people through the medium of news. News broadcast carry important
statements by persons in authority to the people.
5. Conflicts between man to man and also between man and environment are
carried out as news. These affect us in one-way or other. Natural phenomena
like violence, calamities and disasters make us aware of the present
situations and keep a check on growing violence in our society.
6. New trends, events and ideas are the focus of soft news and thus grasp the
imagination of people in the society. This further brings about change and
progress for the country.
7. News focus on the economic, political and cultural aspects of a nation and
people throughout the world learn about other nation through news only.
News forms an image of a nation to the outside world.
8. Journalist may predict that something will happen thus forming a mental
image of an event and thus increase the curiosity of the audience making the
news more and more relevant.
9. Reference to persons in news makes them more popular and famous. Elite
personalities crave to remain in news to keep up with their image though
negative publicity too these days is seen as a medium of becoming famous.
10.Stories and pictures with the capacity to entertain or amuse an audience is
always the main function of news. Entertainment through news is done by
carrying stories relating to showbiz, drama, sex, and humorous treatment by
use of photographs or witty headlines.
Extracting Stories from outside copies
2.10.4. News Sources
‘One study after another comes up with essentially the same observation….the
story of journalism, on a day-to-day basis, is the story of the interaction of
reporters and officials.’- Michael Schudson
‘Sources of news are everywhere’. A journalist is surrounded by sources of

potential news stories ore features. A conversation with a friend, a poster on a wall,
an unexpected juxtaposition-all might result in a story if you keep your eyes, ears
and mind open. Some sources will be routine points of contact for journalists while
others may be one-offs, some will be proactive, approaching journalists because
they want news access for their views or events, while other sources may not even
be aware that they are sources. A journalist should maintain a contact book having
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list of people categorized and carrying vital information. Sources of news can be
listless, some sources are:
1. Academic journals- Research by academics, published in journals is a

frequent source of news stories. Here the journalist job is to spot a potential
story among qualifications and to render the story intelligibly to the readers.
2. Armed forces- in peacetime the armed forces can generate stories through
mysterious deaths or cases of bullying that comes to light. During times of
conflict military briefings become events in their own right.
3. Art groups- apart from providing information about forthcoming events, art
groups can generate rows about funding or controversial subject matter.
4. Campaigns- campaigners who want to influence public opinion on subjects
ranging from animal rights to environment are likely to come up with
opinions or events that might generate news stories.
5. Commerce & Trade- business organizations can be useful source of news
stories or comments about anything from interest rates, shares to shopping.
Also, consumer stories are a valuable source of information for evaluating
the image of an organization.
6. Council press offices- local authorities employ teams of press officers. They
react to journalists’ queries, coming up with information, quotes and
contacts while acting as buffer between decision makers and journalists.
Council press officers with an eye for a good story should be able to get
daily page leads in local evening newspaper because they know what turns
on the common people.
7. Court hearings- court reporters dip in and out of several courtrooms
looking for cases that fit the news values. Hence, the importance of good
contacts with court staff, police, solicitors and others should be realized.
Some reporters will also go after background material like quotes from
victims and their relatives.
8. Entertainment industry- it is an increasingly important source for today’s
media and celebrities gain immensely because of popularity through media
coverage. Films, serials and various other programmes gain only if media
has been highlighting them.
9. Government News Network- the government news network produces vast
numbers of news release on behalf of the government departments and
agencies on a regional and national basis. It also handles ministerial and
royal visits.
10.Health authorities & hospitals- outbreak of serious disease, funding crisis,
hospital closures and health promotion are all examples of news stories that
arise from health authorities. Hospitals are source of good news stories
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carrying news about cures, new treatments and general triumph-over-

tragedy.
11.Libraries- though it is hard to believe but the truth is that not everything is
available on the Internet. Libraries retain a useful role in providing access to
reference books, company reports, local history achieves, indexes of local
societies, community notice boards and so on.
12.News Agencies- they are the foot soldiers of journalism at a national and
international level, allowing media organizations to cover stories in areas
where they have few or no staff. Agencies keep a check on offices and local
bodies and look out for news stories here. Newspapers, radio, television, big
news media houses, depend largely on the news agencies for general news
coverage. Some famous news agencies are AP Associated press of America
print, Reuters UK, PTI Press Trust of Ind ia, etc.
13.News Releases- news or press releases are point of reference for the
journalists while covering an event. Badly written press releases can be
waste of time both for the journalist as well as for the organization.
14.Notice boards- Notices in shops, offices, libraries, colleges and elsewhere
may also become a source of news.
15.Other media- newspaper monitors other papers plus TV, radio, news sites
on the web. And, in turn, each medium monitors other media.
16.People- potential stories can be suggested by people you meet while at
work, rest and play. This can range from somebody mentioning that they
have just seen a police car parked in their street to other substantial
information provided by the common people.
17.Political parties- contacts within parties can be a fruitful source of stories
about rows and splits, while party spokespeople will be keener to let you
know about the selection of candidates or launch of policy initiatives.
18.PR companies- this industry provides the journalists and us a peek into the
media world everyday. So it is a major source for the journalists.
19.Press conferences- press conferences are likely to be held to announce the
results of official inquiries or to unveil new appointments. Fewer press
conferences take place these days, as most journalists are too busy to go and
collect information that could be faxed or emailed.
20.Universities- universities are a source of a huge range of stories, whether it
is ground breaking research, an unusual degree scheme or an ethical
argument. They are also where you will find experts in everything from
aeronautics to the zodiac.
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Part - II
UNIT 3. SKILLS FOR WRITING NEWS
What is News?
‘News is anything that makes a reader say “Gee whiz”! Arthur Mac Ewen.
As the word implies, news contain much that is new, informing people about
something that has just happened. But this is not happening always as some stories
run for decades and others are recycled with a gloss of newness supplied to it.
News is, anything out of the ordinary, it is the current happenings. It is

anything that makes the reader surprised and curious. News is anything that will
make people talk. News is the issue for discussions and debates. Any event, which
affects most of the people, interest most of the audiences and involves most of the
people, is news. Thus, news can be called an account of the events written for the
people who were unable to witness it.
‘News’ is the written, audio, or visual construction of an event or happening or an

incident. The news is constantly in search of action, movements, new
developments, surprises, and sudden reversals, ups and downs of fate and facts and
follies of the mankind.
3.1. Writing a News Story
1. What can I write about? What is news?
On the surface, defining news is a simple task. News is an account of what is

happening around us. It may involve current events, new initiatives or ongoing
projects or issues. But a newspaper does not only print news of the day. It also
prints background analysis, opinions, and human-interest stories.
Choosing what news is can be hard!
The reporter chooses stories from the flood of information and events happening in
the world and in their community. Stories are normally selected because of their
importance, emotion, impact, timeliness and interest. Note: all these factors do not
have to coincide in each and every story!
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Kinds of News Stories
Hard news +/ - 600 words: This is how journalists refer to news of the day. It is
a chronicle of current events/incidents and is the most common news style on the
front page of your typical newspaper.
It starts with a summary lead. What happened? Where? When? To/by whom?
Why? The journalist's 5 W's. It must be kept brief and simple, because the
purpose of the rest of the story will be to elaborate on this lead.
Keep the writing clean and uncluttered. Most important, give the readers the
information they need. If the federal government announced a new major youth
initiative yesterday, that's today's hard news.
Hard news stories make up the bulk of news reporting. Hard news consists of basic
facts. It is news of important public events, international happenings, social
conditions, economy, crime, etc. thus, most of the material found in daily papers,
especially from page items or news casts, deal in the hard news category. The main
aim of the hard news is to inform.
Soft news +/ -600 words: This is a term for all the news that isn't time-sensitive.
Soft news includes profiles of people, programs or organizations. As we discussed
earlier, the "lead" is more literary. Most of news content is soft news.
Soft news, if cleverly written and carefully targeted can offer an alternative. Soft
news can cover business or social trends. Typically, soft stories have a human
interest, entertainment focus or a statistical and survey approach. This is your
chance to be creative and have fun with the news.
One major advantage of softer news is that many of the stories have a longer shelf
life: they can be used at any time the practitioner or reporter deems appropriate.
Feature +/ -1500 words: A news feature takes one step back from the headlines.
It explores an issue. News features are less time-sensitive than hard news but no
less newsworthy. They can be an effective way to write about complex issues too
large for the terse style of a hard news item. Street kids are a perfect example. The
stories of their individual lives are full of complexities, which can be reflected, in a
longer piece.
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Features are journalism's shopping center. They're full of interesting people, ideas,
color, lights, action and energy. Storytelling at its height! A good feature is about
the people in your community and their struggles, victories and defeats. A feature
takes a certain angle i.e. Black youth returning to church and explores it by
interviewing the people involved and drawing conclusions from that information.
The writer takes an important issue of the day and explains it to the reader through
comments from people involved in the story.
Hint: Remember to "balance" your story. Present the opinions of people on both
sides of an issue and let the readers make their own decision on who to believe. No
personal opinions are allowed. The quotes from the people you interview make up
the story. You are the narrator.
Editorial: The editorial expresses an opinion. The editorial page of the newspaper
lets the writer comment on issues in the news. All editorials are personal but the
topics must still be relevant to the reader. Editorials try to persuade the readers. Its
goal is to move the readers to some specific action, to get them to agree with the
writer, to support or denounce a cause, etc. it is considered to be the most difficult
writing among all the newspaper types of writing. Editorials are also important as
they interpret and analyze issues for the readers.
Two types of editorials can be recognized:
Youth beat +/ - 700 words: Youth beats are journalist’s editorial bread and
butter. It's your story, from your point of view. Tell it like it is. Youth beats usually
but not always combine personal experience(s with opinion/analysis.
Essentially, you establish your credibility by speaking from experience.
My Word! +/ -600 words: An opinion piece. Short, sweet and to the point. Not
as likely to be a personal narrative. Christmas "spirit" bugs you? Say why. Had an
encounter with a cop that left you sour? Same deal. Be strong. If you don't like
something, don't beat around the bush. This is a space for you to rant and roll with
as much emotive power as possible.
Writing The Story: Attribution, Identification, Time and Timeliness, The

Stylebook: -
Writing the story: There is no substitute for the direct style of sentence and story
construction. When you have the story in mind, tell it in a straightforward way.
Avoid putting participial phrases or dependent clauses at the beginning of
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sentences. If the main element is qualified by some ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’ present the main
element first and then get into the qualifications.
The lead should call attention to the main element of the story and should not be
crowded with too many facts. Don’t try to cram all five Ws and the H into the lead.
You’ll lose the listener or reader’s attention. Avoid leading with direct quotes or
questions. A direct quote may make the listener wonder for a moment or two.
Make your points one at a time. Wrap up one aspect of a story before going to the
next. Don’t jump back and forth from one to another.
Names and Identifications: don’t lead with unfamiliar names. They’re too easy to
miss. Set the listener up for them by leading with identifying information about the
person, it’s all right to lead with a familiar name like President’s name or
Governor’s name. Middle initials of most newsmakers are omitted for broadcast.
Indeed, if a person is very well known, first name is usually skipped. If you’re sure
most members of the audience know the first name, omit it. Otherwise, include it.
The middle initial should be included if it appears needed for exact identification,
as with an accident victim or a suspect in a crime.
The newspaper form for ages- Mary Jones, 30- should usually be avoided. The
standard broadcast approach for years has been 30-year old Mary Jones. If –in
doubt, use this style. But now and then it’s good to hear someone break the
monotony of the standard treatment of ages.
Attribution and Quotes: attribution should be made clear and should be placed
before what the person said. This is part of direct oral expression: who said-what.
As noted at the start, the dangling attributions so common in newspaper stories
make for unnatural speech patterns. Do not use them. Use quote sparingly! The
paraphrase or indirect quotes is usually preferable. You can often say it more
concisely than the news source, and the exact words are seldom so important that
you gain by presenting them as such. If a diary spokesman tells you that ‘the price
of milk is going up’ and those are the words you use in the story, the fact that they
happen to be exactly the ones the spokesman used is too trivial to justify making
them stand out as a direct quote. Such quotes only clutter your news copy. If the
exact words are so colorful, meaningful or controversial that you feel you should
make them stand out as a direct quote-do just that.
Time & timeliness: listeners or readers expect the news to be up to date. Without
misleading, your writing can make it sound fresh and current even if it’s getting a
little older than you’d like at times- as in the early morning when most of the file is
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what happened yesterday. Ask yourself what the current situation is and use the
most appropriate tense, which may well be different from the past tense rigidly
used by newspapers. Using present and continuing tense helps you avoid
constantly repeating the words ‘yesterday’ and ‘today’ in the many items, which
make up a newscast.
For the matter, ‘yesterday’ is implied for many stories in the early morning
newscast- congress, speeches, news conferences, etc. and on a late afternoon or
evening newscast, ‘today’ maybe assumed for most of them. When there’s danger
of having the listener think a yesterday story happened today, include the time
element. Never use a story that has been out more than 24 hours. It’s no longer
news. You waist the time of listeners or viewers when your 10 p.m. newscast
includes stories they read several hours earlier in the morning newspaper. This
happens quite often where some of the newspersons apparently don’t bother to
read the morning paper. The wire-service rewrites the story from the morning
paper and sends it over in present perfect tense. Since all these writers or editors
know is what they read on the radio wire, they assume that it is fresh news. Never
assume that a wire story written in present perfect tense is a today story.
Stylebook: Each newspaper has its set of rules that generally are strictly enforced.
These are contained in something called a stylebook. At some smaller newspapers,
this may be no more than a sheet of paper. At larger newspapers, the stylebook
may consist of up to two hundred pages and resemble a dictionary. The chief
keepers of the stylebook rules are the newspaper’s copy editors.
3.2. STRUCTURE FOR NEWS STORY
Story structure
You have several options when it comes to the structure of your story. You can
choose a chronological order, where you present the key events in your story as
they occurred. It is more likely, though, that you will use one of the three
traditional news forms: the inverted pyramid, the narrative or the hourglass.
The most popular structure for news stories is the inverted pyramid. In the inverted
pyramid, the information is arranged in descending order of importance. The most
important material is placed at the beginning of the story, and less important
material follows. Succeeding paragraphs explain and support the lead.
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The inverted pyramid is popular because it still serves readers well. It tells them
quickly what they want to know. It also serves the reporter by forcing her to
sharpen her news judgment, to identify and rank the most important elements of
the story.
But the inverted pyramid has big disadvantages. Although it delivers the most
important news first, it does not encourage good writing. Many times stories do not
have an ending crafted by the writer; they simply end. There is no suspense.
Reporters tend to lose interest, time and energy. Writing in the second half of the
story is casual at best, and poor at worst.
One alternative to the inverted pyramid is narration or storytelling. Narration uses

scenes, anecdotes and dialogue to build to a climax. People are prominent in the
story, and they are responsible for the action. The story has a beginning, middle
and end. Quotations sound like real speech. The words and actions of the
characters reveal motives.
A third story structure, the hourglass, combines some of the best elements of both
the inverted pyramid and the narrative. It consists of three parts: a top, which tells
the news quickly; the turn, a nimble transition; and the narrative, a chronological
retelling of events. The hourglass works well with police stories, courtroom dramas
and other incidents that lend themselves to chronological narration. The hourglass
has several advantages: Readers get the news high in the story; the writer gets to
use storytelling techniques; and it encourages a real ending.
The structure of a news story hard & soft news & features is simple: a lead and
the body.
The Lead
One of the most important elements of news writing is the opening paragraph or
two of the story. Journalists refer to this as the "lead," and its function is to
summarize the story and/or to draw the reader in depending on whether it is a
"hard" or "soft" news story - See below for the difference between these two
genres of news stories.
In a hard news story, the lead should be a full summary of what is to follow. It
should incorporate as many of the 5 "W's" of journalism who, what, where, when
and why as possible. e.g. "Homeless youth marched down Subhash Street in
downtown Delhi Wednesday afternoon demanding the municipal government
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provides emergency shelter during the winter months." - Can you identify the 5
W's in this lead?)
In a Soft news story, the lead should present the subject of the story by allusion.
This type of opening is somewhat literary. Like a novelist, the role of the writer is
to grab the attention of the reader. e.g. "Until four y ears ago, Raju slept on railway
tracks." Once the reader is drawn in, the 5 "W's" should be incorporated into the
body of the story, but not necessarily at the very top.
The Body
The body of the story involves combining the opinions of the people you
interview, some factual data, and a narrative, which helps the story flow. A word
of caution! In this style of writing, you are not allowed to "editorialize" state your
own opinion in any way.
Remember:
The role of a reporter is to find out what people are thinking of an issue and to
report the opinions of different stakeholders of an issue. These comments make up
the bulk of the story. The narrative helps to weave the comments into a coherent
whole. Hint: Stick to one particular theme throughout the story. You can put in
different details but they all have to relate to the original idea of the piece. e.g. If
your story is about black youth and their relationship with the police you do not
want to go into details about the life of any one particular youth.
As a reporter, you are the eyes and ears for the readers. You should try to provide
some visual details to bring the story to life this is difficult if you have conducted
only phone interviews, which is why face-to-face is best. You should also try to
get a feel for the story. Having a feel means getting some understanding of the
emotional background of the piece and the people involved in it. Try to get a sense
of the characters involved and why they feel the way they do.
Further Tips for News Writing
Finding story ideas:-
 Keep your eyes and ears open; listen to what your friends are talking about.
 Read everything you can get your hands on; get story ideas from other
newspapers and magazines.
 Think of a youth angle to a current news story.
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 Research a subject that interests you ask yourself what you would like to
know more about.
 Talk to people in a specific field to find out what is important to them.
Structure and scope of News Reports
‘Always grab the reader by the throat in the first paragraph, sink your thumbs
into his windpipe in the second and hold him against the wall until the tag line.’-
Paul O’Neill.
News report writing always starts with the most important fact. When you report
on a football game, you do not start with the kick-off; you begin with the final
score. A news report has a beginning, middle and an end. News stories in contrast
to this will blurt out something and then explain themselves. News reports are
mostly active rather than in passive voice and are written in concise language.
Paragraphs are short so as to set in newspaper columns. Shorter paragraphs are
more likely to keep the attention of readers. Attribution meaning ‘somebody
saying something’ is used in the news- reports to present a range of views over
which the reporters can appear to remain neutral.
Most news reports follow the ‘Kiss and tell’ formula- Kiss standing either for
‘keep it short and simple’ or ‘keep it simple, stupid.’ Complexity, abstract notions,
ambiguity and unanswered questions tend to be frowned upon and deleted out of
news copy. News reports structure should have-
 Stories should have the main idea given to the journalist for covering of an
incident.
 Content of the news report should be comprehensive and balanced.
 The intro should contain the main point of the story and should be clearly
developed with the most important information coming early in the story,
followed by a coherent, logical and readable structure.
 Personal comments should be avoided.
 Facts should be presented logically.
 The style, context and facts should be accurate.
The news reports aim is to meet the requirements of everyday life as lived by
everyday readers. So it largely depends on elements like directness, pace, variety
and information. It aims to state the facts quickly and clearly.
A news report has three parts:
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1. The headline
2. The first paragraph
3. The remainder of the news story
The Headline first attracts us. It stands out in bold black type. It message is abrupt
and often startling. It makes us stop and look. It tells us quickly what the story
covers. Its function is to attract our attention. Though, the headline writing belongs
to the copyreader’s province and not to the reporter’s.
The lead remains the primary concern of the news writer. As the present day
reader is the man who both runs and reads, present day newspapers seek to
facilitate his getting the information quickly. The convention has developed of
telling the main facts of a news story in its first lead paragraph. Writing this lead
also involves answering the questions, which would occur to any normal person
when confronted with the announcement of a news story. These questions, called
the five W’s are:
Where?
Who?
What?
When?
Why?
Suppose the news story concerns a fire. In writing the lead-the reporter would
answer the questions, ‘What?’ “Fire broke out,” he would write. He would answer
the question, ‘Who?’ and ‘Where?’ by telling whose premises were burnt and
giving their location. He would answer “When” by telling the time the fire broke
out and how long it lasted. ‘Why?’-in this case the cause the usual carelessly tossed
cigarette butt. The reporter can also answer the ‘How’ in this story in several ways
by describing the type of fire, or by answering ‘How much’? Here, he would
estimate the probable lost and find out if premises had been covered by insurance
and if so by what amount.
The lead forms the springboard for the reporter’s leap into the story. The journalist
should keep in mind the elements of a good lead as he may flop sadly if the lead
turns out to be defective. The best way to gain journalistic facility is to practice the
writing of leads.
The end is the conclusion of the news reports. From the headline and the lead one
comes to the rest of the story. The reporter constructs the model news story after
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this pattern. He selects the most important incident or fact for his lead. Then he
proceeds by selecting the next most important incident, fact or detail, the next most
important after that, and so on till he reaches least important phase of all. Guided
by his idea of news importance, the story assumes graphically the shape of an
3.2.1. inverted pyramid. The end will be at the peak of the inverted pyramid with
the facts or incidents of least value. When writing a news story for an organization
you should always retain the idea that your text is to be read and understood by
others. Thus a story is like building blocks, which should be linked logically to
each other. Therefore, there should be continuity between the intro, the lead and
the end of the news story.
Thus, the most popular format of news writing is the Inverted Pyramid:
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This is the most widely used approach in news writing. The information is given in
the descending order of importance. Thus, it has three parts:
 Lead –introduction paragraph

 Support and supplement to the lead
 Details on descending order of importance
3.3. Leads
The opening paragraph of the introduction paragraph of the news story is called the
‘lead’. Though in journalistic practice we also use this word for biggest headline
on the front page of newspaper, calling it the ‘lead story’.
The main purpose of the intro or the lead is to make the reader want to read on,
motivate them to move further into the news story and state the important facts
first.
Lead to a story "grabs the reader, informs the reader, and teaches the reader how to
read the rest of the story." John Mc Phee says the lead is the "flashlight that shines
into a story.” A newspaper reader is likely to spend only a few seconds deciding
whether to read a story. If the lead does not grab the reader, the writer's work is in
vain.
The lead establishes the direction your writing will take. A good lead grabs your
reader's attention and refuses to let go. In other words, it hooks the reader. Not
every type of lead will work for every writer or for every piece of writing and one
has to experiment with them. For writing a good news story, be sure to have at
least three sentences in your lead, whatever type it may be.
Below are some ideas on how to write an interesting lead:
Question
Open with an interesting question that relates to the main idea.
Example: Have you ever wondered how you would survive if you found yourself
alone in the wilderness? How would you defend yourself against predators? What
would you eat? Where would you find water?
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Riddle
Open with a riddle that the reader can solve by reading further. You may want to
give the answer right away or save it for the conclusion.
Example: What textbook has no pages, is miles wide, and smells like a creek? It's
been around for millions of years. That's right-Outdoor School
Announcement
Open with an announcement about what is to come. However, do not insult the
reader by saying something like, "I am going to tell you about..." The reader should
be able to figure out what you are writing about. If not, there is something wrong
with what you have written, not with the reader.
Example: The trait of voice is very important in writing. However, it is difficult to

teach and even more difficult to learn. It is similar to athletic ability because it is
more like a talent than a skill.
Bold and Challenging Statement

A bold and challenging statement is similar to an announcement, but is meant to
cause some people to disagree with what you say. It's like one side of an argument.
It can be an opinion, but don't immediately state that it is your opinion.
Example: Using horses and cattle in the sport of rodeo is animal abuse. What
makes it more aggravating is that it is legal. According to the law, there is nothing
wrong with chasing an animal down, tightening a rope around its neck, knocking it
to the ground, and tying its legs together so it cannot move.
Definition
Open with a definition of the term you are discussing. It can be your own or come
from a dictionary or textbook. If you take it from a dictionary or textbook, be sure
to use quotation marks and give credit to the source.
Example: According to Webster's Dictionary, a government is the authority that

serves the people and acts on their behalf. How can the government know what the
people want if the people do not vote? If we do not vote, the government may act
on its own behalf instead of on the behalf of the people.
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Opinion
Open with your opinion about the topic. This is similar to a bold and challenging
statement, but you let the reader know that it is your opinion right away.
Example: In my opinion, the driving age should be lowered to fourteen. Most

teenagers are more responsible than adults give us credit for being. Just because
we are teenagers does not mean we are irresponsible and dangerous.
Well Known Quotation or Quotation from a Famous Person

Open with a quotation that is well known or from a famous person. Be sure to put
quotations around the quotation and give credit to the person who said it. Of
course, the quotation must be directly related to your topic. A good source is a
book of quotations. Look in the library or ask your teacher.
Example: President John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can
do for you, and ask what you can do for your country." I think today's Americans
have forgotten Kennedy's message. We expect our country to take care of us, but
we are not taking care of our country.
Quotation Not from a Famous Person

Open with a quotation from a person that is not famous. It could be a character
from the story or someone you know personally. You still must put it in quotation
marks and give credit to the person who said it.
Example: When I was a child, I was given the "mother's curse" by my mom. Oh, it
is not anything mean or evil. She just said, "When you have children, they will act
just like you." I laughed. Well, now that I have children of my own, I am not
laughing anymore. The "mother's curse" really works!
Personal Experience
Open with something that has happened to you, or a personal experience. It could
be a part of the story, or it could be something that is not a part of what you are
writing about but still relates to the topic.
Example: Although I did later in my room, I never cried at my grandfather's

funeral. I guess that is why I felt so sad for the little girl standing next to her
grandma's coffin. She looked so lost and afraid.
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Figurative Language
Begin with a simile comparison using like or as, metaphor comparison saying
one thing is another thing, personification giving something nonhuman human
qualities, or hyperbole exaggeration. The figurative language must relate directly
to your topic.
Example: The pencil sharpener was always hungry. It ate my pencil every time I
went to sharpen it. It never seemed to do this to anyone's pencil but mine. What
was so special about my pencils?
Enumerated General Statement

Begin with a general statement containing three or so ideas about your topic. The
information given in the lead is general, not specific. The specific details that
support the general statement will appear later in the paper.
Example: There are many characteristics that a good teacher possesses. However,
the three most important characteristics include being a good listener, being
knowledgeable about the subject, and having a kind heart. All of the teachers who
positively influenced me had all three of those characteristics in common.
3.4. Types of Leads
Hard/Direct/Summary Leads: This kind of lead is mostly used in news stories

because of the fact that news stories need to be concise, to the point and put the
most information into the least amount of words. That's why with summary leads
you summarize the entire article in the lead, or in other words, put the most
important piece of information into the first sentence and go from there. Here's an
example of a summary lead:
President Bush was aiming to rally U.S. forces encountering tougher resistance in
Iraq and warn Americans anew of a potentially long conflict when he was to visit
the headquarters of Central Command on Wednesday. The president was getting a
pair of briefings from Central Command brass and having lunch with troops. At
the Tampa, Fla., facility, he also was to give a speech in which he was reminding
military personnel that the United States leads a large coalition in the war to
unseat Saddam Hussein, White House spokesman Fleischer said.
Blind Leads: This is a lead where you start off the article by summarizing but
leaving out one essential detail; this is done to catch the interest of the reader. As
journalists you want people to read and be interested in your work, and in feature
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writing especially confusing the reader in the beginning is sometimes a very good
way to catch their interest. Right after a blind lead you have to clarify the missing
piece of info though. Here's an example:
It was like the scene from the movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," only for a
wireless generation.
Elena Brooks was incredulous when a pizza deliveryman arrived at Bethel High
School one day last spring with an order for a student who was in class.
Finding the culprit was simple enough. "Go into the room, tell everyone to turn
their cell phones on and find out which phone has the number stored for the pizza
place," said Ms. Brooks, the principal of Bethel High, in Hampton. When
identified, the student said he had ordered the pizza because he had missed lunch.
"He didn't see anything wrong with it at all, which was amazing," she said.
Narrative Leads: These leads are another feature type that actually takes you into
the mind of the main person in an article. Narrative leads tell a story from a
person's specific perspective; it's the most classic and in some instances most
effective way to start out a feature. Pick a person and start your article out with
their story and tie it into the main point. Here's an example:
Joe Darnaby had his heart set on going to college out East next year. But since
Sept. 11, his parents have laid down a new rule: no school more than five hours'
drive from home in Deerfield, Ill.
"Part of me says that he has to follow his dreams," says his mother, Maureen, who
wants her son to be able to get home in an emergency. "But there must be another
place closer to home where he can do that."
Quote Leads: This is a lead where you start off the article with a quote that
expresses the idea you want to get across well. In some newsrooms quote leads are
banned because finding the perfect quote for an article is a very challenging task
that most newspapers don't have the time for. Articles are written fast and
frequently, and finding a good lead is essential and needs to sometimes be done
very quickly. But if you have the time quote leads are very effective if done right.
Question Leads: These are leads use the first sentence of an article to answer one
of the "w" questions in journalism, who, what, when, where and why. Another
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question is how, and question leads can use this too. Basically you use the lead to
answer one question to make the reader wonder the answers to the rest.
Direct Appeal Lead: This type of lead addresses the reader directly or by
implication as ‘you’. It has the effect of making the reader, a collaborator, and
partner, in what follows.
Circumstantial Lead: Here the beginning stresses on the circumstance of the

news.
3.5. HEADLINE
A headline grabs the reader's attention, targets him or her by saying

something meaningful, and creates some curiosity in the reader. It can make a
promise for some big benefit, it can make an offer, it can challenge the reader in
some way, it can introduce some really compelling concept or idea, or it can be
something newsworthy.
A headline is a ‘window’ to the news story. Thus, a heading must fit, must tell the
story, must confirm to newspaper’s standard, must not just be a label, must be safe
and must not commit the paper to an opinion. A good headline is one that in less
than a dozen words summarizes what a reporter has said.
The earliest newspapers had no headlines on the front page, which was devoted
entirely to advertisements, and the headlines inside did no more than announce the
subject of the report. Today, every newspaper has its own style of headlining a
story. Some newspaper give straight hard headings, while some other prefer to give
exciting and sensational headings. It normally depends on the policy of the
newspaper.
It has been found that all daily newspapers in standard size generally prefer to give
straight headlines and tabloid newspaper throughout the world give sensational
headlines.
3.5.1. Type of Headline
Banner Headline: A newspaper headline written in large letters across the width
of the page. When the heading is given below the nameplate of the newspaper and
covers all columns from left to right, it is called banner headline. Some may call
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it streamer, which also covers the entire column but is normally given on the inside
page. Sometimes the streamer may leave one column.
Skyline: for very exceptional and exclusive events, the headline of the story is
some times given over the nameplate of the newspaper. It means that the event is
even more important than the authority of the newspaper.
Rectangle: in such headings, all the lines are equal from left to right. Normally, it
is of three lines but sometimes it can be of 2 to 4 lines too.
Hanging indentation: right justification the heading with more than two or more
lines which are justified on the right side and unjustified on the left are called
hanging indentation.
Waist: this is of three lines where the first and the third line cover the column but
the centerline is smaller and placed centrally.
Full one/one line: the headline is normally single line heading covering all the
columns of the story
Crosser/highlighter: crosser are normally one line headline which is given in the
middle of the story. Sometimes in the story, a few important points are highlighted
in the middle of the story. They are also included in this category.
Flash: a recent development in the newspaper is to highlight the stories of inside

pages on the first page, just below the flag. Flag The Times of India).
Over line: this is also called the eyebrow or strap line. This is normally given over
the main heading.
Oval: in such headlines, middle line is longer than the above and below lines. This
is normally of three lines.
Multi deck headings: the descending lines get smaller in size, after the main
heading
Sub-heading: these are the small subsidiary headings in the body of the story
Symbolic headline: this headline will show the special effects of the story
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Left step: here the lines of the headline are justified on the left and unjustified on
the right.
Step line: the headline with two or more lines, displayed so as to give an effect of
a stair. Ladder)
Inverted pyramid: in this heading, there are three or more than three lines which
are centrally set from large to small. In some cases, there could be two lines only,
set in such a fashion.
The headline is the first, and perhaps only, impression you make on a prospective
reader. Without a headline, the rest of your words may as well not even exist. But a
headline can do more than simply grab attention. A great headline can also
communicate a full message to its intended audience, and it absolutely must lure
the reader into your body text. At its essence, a compelling headline must promise
some kind of benefit or reward for the reader, in trade for the valuable time it takes
to read more.
The one thing that can make or break a newspaper article is the headline. A good
newspaper headline is concise, informative and, at times, entertaining. When you
write a newspaper headline, your goal is to hook the reader into reading the article.
Writing a headline for your article is easy, if you follow these steps.
 Reread your article; identify the underlying theme.

 Express the theme in an active voice using as few words as possible. Active
verbs lend immediacy to a story. If a reader sees a headline written in a
passive voice, he or she might glance right over it.
 Keep your headline in present tense.
 Keep it simple. A headline is a short, direct sentence without extra adjectives
or adverbs.
 Provide enough information in the headline to give the casual reader an
impression of the entire story.
3.5.2.Four functions of a headline:
 It gets the reader's attention.

 It summarizes or tells about the article.
 It helps organize the news on the page.
 It indicates the relative importance of a story.
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A good headline should be accurate, clear, grammatically correct, strong, active,

fresh and immediate. It should catch the reader's attention.
The two most basic rules for headlines:
 They must be accurate.

 They must fit the available space.
For headlines to be accurate the headline writer must understand the article
thoroughly before writing the headline; the copy editor who doesn't have a good
view of what the article says isn't likely to write a headline that communicates
clearly and accurately.
Accuracy tips:
 Spell check after writing the display type.

 In particular, double-check any proper names or any numbers.
 The headline should sell the article to the reader. Tell readers why they
should be interested.
 Every news story headline should have an active Verb. Headlines on feature
stories can be more creative. But aim for complete thoughts. Tell the story,
but avoid the "clears hurdle" or "man dies" phenomena. Get the most
important element first, the least important head element last.
 Attribute heads that convey opinion. If the lead needs attribution, chances
are the headline will, too. Most times, attribution will go at the end of the
headline.
 Headlines should be accurate in Tone: Don't put a light headline on a
serious story. Be careful not to put a first-day head on a second-day story.
Match the tone of the story. Be original and creative, but not trite and cliché.
If you do employ word play on an idiom or common phrase, be sure the
meter is exactly the same. The headline will ring falsely otherwise. If you
use a pun, be honest with yourself. Will it make the reader smile, or groan?
 Don't repeat the lead in a headline. Write a better headline than the lead.
And don't give away the punch line of a feature story that has a surprise
ending.
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 Be aware of any unintended double meanings. Real-life examples of

some headlines that were published: Old man winter sticks icy finger into
Virginia. Teens indicted for drowning in lake; FBI ordered to assist Atlanta
in child slayings.
 Avoid Bad Breaks at the end of lines, such as dangling prepositions or

conjunctions.
 Avoid weaklings: Words such as mull, eye, rap, hit, slam, vie, assail, and
seen and bid are headline weaklings. Alter your approach to get away from
them. Look for a fresh approach.
 Don't go for the obvious. On fire-related stories, for example, stay away
from verbs such as spark and snuff; on storm stories, stay away from verbs
such as spawn, dump, blow, churn. In articles, hurricanes always seem to
churn, and tornadoes are always spawned.
3.6. Types of News writing
Every news story has to have a focus, which could be a person or an event. The
story emerges sharper when the focus is clear and blurred when the focus is
unclear. A news story is built on a central idea theme), sometimes on two or three
central ideas. So it is called as single element story or two-element story or three-
element story depending on the number of themes it has.
Journalists use many different kinds of frameworks for organizing stories.

Journalists may tell some stories chronologically. Other stories may read like a
good suspense novel that culminates with the revelation of some dramatic piece of
information at the end. Still other stories will start in the present, then flashback to
the past to fill in details important to a fuller understanding of the story. All are
good approaches under particular circumstances.
Inverted pyramid: By far the simplest and most common story structure is one
called the "inverted pyramid." To understand what the "inverted pyramid" name
means, picture an upside-down triangle one with the narrow tip pointing downward
and the broad base pointing upward. The broad base represents the most
newsworthy information in the news story, and the narrow tip represents the least
newsworthy information in the news story. When you write a story in inverted
pyramid format, you put the most newsworthy information at the beginning of the
story and the least newsworthy information at the end.
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Before computers, newspaper copy was cut with scissors to fit a space on the news
page. Editors cut the copy from the bottom up, chopping off the least important
information that reporters put on the ends of their stories. These days, with so
much competition from TV, radio, and the Internet, reporters tend to cover their
pyramids with cake frosting. They want to hook even the most distracted readers.
So they write a lead, statement, before the main news story. A good lead gives
readers the feeling that they have a front seat for the action and provides a reason
to keep reading.
Story telling style: this approach to news writing is used mostly in magazines. It is
a style that is very familiar to all of us. News stories are told in the order in which
they happened, i.e., what happened first, what happened second, etc. This is known
as telling a story in chronological order. This style is used to hold the reader’s
interest and stimulate some imagination to see, feel, and understand the news. This
is also called narrative approach.
Personalized approach: This style is rarely used in the newspaper stories. This is
the first person approach and the reporter gives a personal account of the incident,
which took place on the spot where he/she was present personally. The reporter on
the television and radio will mostly use this approach to news reporting and not the
newspaper news reports.
Chronological news writing: In this type of writing, the information is given in a

chronological order instead of information given in descending order of
importance as in inverted pyramid.
Clarity and Accuracy
Writing is a process that has to be mixed with your own individual style,
thoughts and methods, and with the subject and a form of writing. To produce
a good write-up, you have to learn to combine all these. Also remember that
writing is hard work. Most people give up writing as soon as they can, because it is
such hard work. It is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. Good
writing does not happen all of a sudden. The writing process is often slow, at times
tedious and even frustrating. Thus, a good writing does not happen all at once, and
it is the result of sweat and blood-in a literal sense.
Context & background, technical terms, obscure details, Jargons &

unanswered questions are the things that one has to look up to in a news story
or a write-up.
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Some suggestions that can improve your writing and tie-up your news stories
together are:
Write simply: simplicity is the best way to achieve clarity. Gifted writers take to
this method to convey their message. A student, a beginner in the profession of
writing, will also find it easy to write in a simple manner.
Use simple words: many people think big or complicated words will impress the
reader. In fact it has the opposite effect. ‘To write clearly, not only the most
expressive but the plainest words should be chosen’, Benjamin Franklin once
wrote. It is better to write ease instead of facilitate, many instead of numerous and
use instead of utilize.
Economize on words: mostly writers use too many words in their drafts. A careful
editor deletes these at the time of editing. There is no substitute for simple,
straightforward prose. One should not try to use one word more than necessary. Be
on the look out for phrases, words and sentences that do not add substantially to
the content of what you are writing. You should also guard against those fancy
phrases which draw attention to the writing and the writer-and take away the
content. Do not boast while writing.
Use simple sentences: it is easier to write five simple sentences than one complex
or compound sentence. So why not write simple sentences as long winding
sentences only distract the reader.
Do not use Jargons: each group of people has a technical language of their own.
This is called jargon. You may be using certain abbreviations or names in your
schools, sports field or in an office. Scientists do so in their labs, and these are the
jargons. Only the selected groups understand them. As a writer, you should not use
these. You should rather explain the jargon if you have to use it. Your aim should
be to make your message clear to the people who have no direct relationship to
such groups. Your writings should not cut people off from receiving your ideas by
a language that they cannot understand.
Avoid using overused words or phrases. These are called clichés. A write-up
with clichés is not considered good writing. Clichés are so overused that they
become tiresome and bereft of any meaning. Some columnists have a tendency to
use such clichés and that is why you call their writing boring.
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Euphemism is the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one

thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt. It is an act or an example of substituting a
mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive. In
writing, readers would repel from such words or phrases used in your writing.
Tie together- quite often one might have heard that writing must be well knit. For
this it is required to not only knit the words alone but the thoughts as well. Readers
should be able to read through a piece of writing without stops and surprises.
While introducing a new idea or piece of information, do not do so without tying it
to other parts of a story. Springing up with sudden thoughts jolts a reader, and like
a sudden jerk on a smooth road, he is thrown off balance.
Connect any new information in a story to information already introduced. You

have to develop a mental discipline and read your copy with discerning eyes.
Expect your reader to condemn you for any folly you make in the copy. For a
reader, your name is immaterial. For him, you are either a good or a bad writer.
Avoid Adjectives: adjectives and adverbs are often superfluous. You should build
up your sentences around nouns and verbs. Usage of adjectives often weakens your
message. It is suggested that you write two simple sentences than use an adjective,
which more often is unnecessary if your description are clear and vivid. You
should select good active verbs to enliven your copy. A good verb denotes action
and a better verb denotes action and description. So choose your verb carefully. It
will reverberate and rejuvenate your copy. Remember, adverbs and adjectives
modify limit and verbs expand your thoughts and thus the writing.
Be specific: brevity is the soul of wit. Just as you try to avoid someone who talks
too much, so do readers about writings, which-have too many superfluous or high
sounding words or pilings of phrases or long-winding sentences that have run out
of thoughts. Eliminate all that which you have said once. You have to have
accuracy and clarity. But never try to sacrifice these for the sake of brevity. If facts
need explanation do not economize on sentences. Instead of one long sentence, it is
better to explain it in five sentences. To be specific, get to the point, sometimes, it
is certainly a difficult task. Decide on the theme of the write-up and weave your
story around it.
Cut out unnecessary words: quite often one is in habit of writing words like
‘really’, ‘actually’, ‘very’, ‘in fact’ and similar others. These words do not tell
much to the readers. Rather they tell nothing, so cut these out. This will also help
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in keeping your story trim and fit it into the limited space of a magazine or a
newspaper.
Avoid repetition and redundancies: both these traits show lack of discipline on
the part of the writer. Sometimes facts need to be repeated but that is not the case
very often.
Datelines, Credit Lines, Bylines
A dateline is a brief piece of text included in news articles that describes where
and when the story occurred, or was written or filed, though the date is often
omitted. In the case of articles reprinted from wire services, the distributing
organization is also included though the originating one is not. Datelines are
traditionally placed on the first line of the text of the article, before the first
sentence. The location appears first, usually starting with the city in which
the reporter has written or dispatched the report. City names are usually printed in
uppercase, though this can vary from one publication to another. The division
and/or nation the city is in may follow, but they may be dropped if the city name is
widely recognizable due to its size or political importance a national capital, for
instance).
Datelines can take on some unusual forms. When reporters collaborate on a story,
two different locations might be listed. In other cases, the exact location may be
unknown or intentionally imprecise, such as when covering military operations
while on a ship at sea or following an invasion force.
Credit line- also called as photo credit. A photographer's byline. The name of the
person or organization responsible for making or distributing a photograph, usually
appearing small type under the reproduced picture.
The byline on a newspaper or magazine article gives the name, and often the
position, of the writer of the article. Bylines are traditionally placed between
the headline and the text of the article, although some magazines notably Reader's
Digest place bylines at the bottom of the page, to leave more room for graphical
elements around the headline.
A typical newspaper byline might read

Rima Seth
Staff writer
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A byline can also include a brief article summary, introducing the writer by name.
Magazine bylines, and bylines on opinion pieces, often include biographical
information on their subjects. A typical biographical byline on a piece of creative
nonfiction might read. Most modern newspapers and magazines attribute their
articles to individual editors, or to wire services.
3.7. Organization of a typical Newspaper
Organization of Newspaper
o news stories
o feature stories
o business section
 news stories
 feature stories
 the stock market report
 exchange rates for foreign currency
o sports section
 news stories
 feature stories
o columns
o editorials
o Letters to the editor
o reviews
o schedules
o cultural events
o other
 comics
 classified advertisements
 weather reports
2. Headlines
o one- or two-sentence summaries of the article
o Deletion of short words articles, "be" verbs, etc.
o verb tenses different from ordinary use)
o abbreviations
o short words instead of common longer words
3. Organization of News Stories
o bylines, credit lines, and datelines
o arrangement of news articles inverted pyramid
o leads
4. Grammar of Newspaper Articles
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o shorter sentences
o omitting relative clauses
o using more noun phrases
o avoiding using "of" forms and prepositional phrases
5. Specifying the Source of Information
6. Objective; Avoiding Writer's Opinions
Part 4
UNIt 4..TYPES OF REPORTING
4.1. Crime Reporting
There are tremendous public interests in crime stories and no newspaper can afford
to ignore them without damage to circulation and credibility. Crime is a part of life
and it is newspaper’s duty to inform the readers of what crimes are going on in
their city, state or country. However, crime reporting should not aim at satisfying
morbid curiosity or sensation mongering.
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Although crime reporting is usually assigned to one of the junior reporters in a

newspaper, it is a highly responsible and specialized job. The reporter should not
only have the ability to sift the grain from the chaff, and the truth from lies, he
should also have good contacts in the police and other departments of the
administration as well as working knowledge of the penal codes and law on libel
and other relevant matters.
Besides, he must observe a code of honor. He should be as objective and as

humanly as possible so as to avoid resorting to sensationalism or cheap gimmicks
to catch the attention of the readers or the viewers. He should not suppress news of
public interest. Nor should he seek to settle personal scores with police officers or
lawyers or judges. And he must be careful that in the course of his work, he does
not unnecessarily invade a citizen’s privacy.
There has been much criticism of press reporting of crime and not all of it is
baseless. Some reporters have been found guilty of unethical standards, thus
causing much pain and sorrow to their victims or their families and friends.
Crime Reporters try to glorify the activities of criminals or sometimes make heroes
of them. This practice should be discouraged as much as a resort to sensationalism.
The crime reporter much never violates standards of decency and good news taste.
There are several types of crime news-murders, fires, accidents, robberies,

burglaries, fraud, blackmail, kidnapping, rape, etc.
Fires
The reporter must get his facts correct about the essential elements of a fire story
the number of persons killed or injured, the extent of damage to property, the loss
of valuables, etc. he must also find out if the fire brigade responded in time or was
guilty of delaying the fire-operations through sheer lethargy or incompetence or
lack of water supply. He should question eyewitnesses about any acts of bravery or
cowardice. All these are essential ingredients of a fire story.
The lead in a fire story would normally suggest itself. If, for instance, lives have
been lost, it needs highlighting in the lead. If possible, the reporter must list the
names of the dead and the injured.
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Homicides
In cases of a major murder, the reporter should rush to the scene as soon as
possible after receiving a tip and gather all the relevant facts. In nine cases out of
ten, crime reporters, say, in Delhi depend on police information about murders and
there is a time lapse before they can begin their investigations.
This often hampers their search for the truth. The reporter must, in any case,
exercise great care in how he handles the story. Otherwise, he runs the risk of
causing offence.
In reporting dowry deaths or alleged dowry deaths, the reporter must refrain from
leveling uncorroborated statements by one party or the other. He must therefore get
his facts correct by talking to the investigation police officer, the girl’s in laws and
her parents, and, if possible, with the neighbors.
Accidents
Most accidents are reported on the basis of police bulletins or information supplied
‘by police spokesmen’. However, wherever possible the crime reporter must rush
to the scene of a major accident to give authenticity to his story.
Arrests
It is a serious matter to report that a person has been placed under arrest. When
such a report is made, the exact charge against the arrested person could be given
and it should be documented by either a record or attribution to a responsible
official. If such documentation cannot be obtained, the reporter has better to check
the facts. The person in question may not have been under arrest at all. In many
states an arrest is not formally accomplished until a prisoner is booked. The news,
in any case, must be handled with care.
Accusations
It is commonly written that someone is being sought for robbery, suspected of
arson or tried for murder. This is journalistic shorthand, which has gained
acceptance through usage, but it is neither precise nor correct.
Persons are sought in connection with a robbery, unless a charge has actually been
made, in which case they are charged with robbery. Persons under suspicion are
not necessarily going to be charged with a crime and it is generally not privileged
matter to indicate that suspicion is attached to any individual by name. Where the
police suspect someone, but lack proof, that person may be held as material
witness- that is far different from being accused of as a criminal. Therefore, cases
of suspicion are not usually given too extensive and detailed news treatment if no
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privileged material is available for use. The practice of reporting that a defendant is
being ‘tried for murder’, while widely used, is obviously prejudicial and could be
more accurately, if less drama stated, as ‘being tried as a charge of murder’.
Confessions
The use of the word ‘confession’ to describe statements made by a person to the
police or the prosecuting authorities is dangerous when it is not a matter of public
record. The fact that a police chief or a prosecutor has claimed to have a
confession, except in open court, may be used only at the risk of the news
organization. Most press-bar voluntary agreements forbid the use of confessions
until they are admitted in open court. The records are full of supposed confessions
that backfired later for a variety of reasons and of persons who admitted crimes
they could not possibly have committed. Unless and until it is established in fact
that a person has confessed, approved procedure for reporters is to use such terms
as ‘statement’, ‘admission’, ‘description’ or ‘explanation’. They convey the shade
of meaning that is warranted by circumstances and do not subject the news
organization to unnecessary risks.
There are a few fundamental precautions which a crime reporter must take
account of:
 The first is that the police and prosecutors rarely will give them information
on a silver platter. That means, a tremendous amount of interviewing and
research must be done in a very short time so that a coherent story may be
written
 There is no guarantee of police accuracy; and therefore police versions of
names, addresses and other facts must be checked
 Police and journalistic terminology are not identical. The legal term for a
slaying is a homicide, but many news organizations loosely and incorrectly
refer to such crimes automatically as murder.
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4.2. Court Reporting
Even the big newspapers of India do not have the resources to cover all the
courts of their main circulation area, the reason being that there are too many
courts. Newspapers neither have the time nor the space to cover everything that
happens in the courts. Paper covers only those stories in which their readers are
interested.
A country governed by laws needs many courts, each with a different
jurisdiction. The emphasis of the news media is on criminal courts, High courts,
and the Supreme Court. The media are less interested in covering Civil Courts.
One of the reasons for this lack of interest may be that the Civil Courts are
jammed with cases, the suits remain pending there for several years and it is
assumed that in the mean time, members of the public would lose whatever
interest they may have showed initially.
If we go through the old files of a newspaper, we will find that the volume of
court reporting has increased in recent years. One of the reasons for the increase
may be the courts are now getting more active in the field of social justice. Public
interest litigations are also increasing. As the number of petitions increase, one
notices a corresponding increase in the coverage of courts and the judgments
they deliver.
Many of the stringers are professional advocates. Many part-timers also cover
stories in their respective areas and come from teaching, law and other
professions. A newspaper, which does not have a full time law reporter, may send
its regular staff correspondent to cover an important court story.
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The first time that one covers the court beat as a court reporter; one usually feels
amidst the technicalities and complex language. A trainee reporter aiming to be a
future court reporter must at first acquire some understanding of the court
jurisdictions, its procedures and its hierarchy. At the apex we have the Supreme
Court of India. Then there are the High Courts, Session Courts, Magistrate Courts,
etc.
If the reporter is acquainted with the jurisdiction of different courts, then one can
easily locate the specific court for a particular matter. Similarly, if one is familiar
with the hierarchy in the courts; one can easily guess where the appeal would be
filed.
Much of a reporter’s success in the coverage of the courts depends on one’s

contact and sources, and one’s ability to gain access quickly to records. For a
reporter, the key person in a court is the clerk of the court. A court clerk prepares
and keeps the records. He can make available copies of transcript for a fee. Court
reporting involves diligent checking of records. The judge who presides a trial is
seldom one’s source. But a reporter should, as soon as possible, introduce oneself
in person to the judge. A court reporter should also have good contacts with the
lawyers working on a case and if possible with the respective parties. Where a
case attracts much public attention, reporters may be under pressure from rival
lawyers for a more favorable description of their individual positions. The reporter
must then ensure impartial reportage in all fairness to the proceedings in court.
Court reporters must understand the judicial process from beginning to end. They
should know what happens when a suspect is arrested, charged, arraigned, tried,
and sentenced or released. Experienced reporters say the best way to learn the
process is to spend time at the courthouse. As stated before, begin with the court
clerks, who keep track — the list of cases — and the calendar. Find out how to get
copies of the court record, filings, and testimony. Read the case files — including
motions and pleadings before the trial — and keep track of what's reported about
the case if you can't be in court every day, which frequently happens.
Defense attorneys are some of the best sources of information on the justice beat.
They often are more willing than prosecutors to talk with reporters about cases on
which they are working. Do your best to understand legal jargon, but avoid using it
in your stories. If you don't know what something means, ask the person you're
interviewing to explain it.
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4.3. Health Reporting
Health reporter usually informs the public about major epidemics, diseases and
their cures, new medical discoveries, medical irregularities, etc. they are either
specialized in their field of medical of take the assistance of doctors, medical
practitioner, etc. the common man cannot understand most of the medical terms so
it is the duty of the health reporter to explain these terms and present the report
which is easily understood by the common man.
Every change of season witness some major breakouts of epidemics and thus the
people must be informed about these diseases and the necessary measures to be
taken to avoid the occurrence of these diseases. The health reporter in no way
should frighten the common man but present remedies and cures for the diseases.
Crosschecking is extremely necessary if the reporter is not specialized in the
medical field. Therefore, most of the newspaper relies of medical practitioner,
doctors, scientist, and others to present the articles or features for the newspaper.
The health reporter is supposed to cover researches, developments in the field of
medicine and pharmaceuticals and new experiments in medicine and medical
surgery. He collects this information from different departments of medical
fraternity.
Many well-known health and medical science reporters writing in a few major
newspapers have become the primary source for secondary pick-ups by many
radio, newspaper, and television reporters. Thus, a small handful of powerful,
skilled writers wield an enormous amount of influence in this field. These days,
most of the health reporting also covers fitness tips given out by experts in the field
of yoga, acupuncture, meditation, and others.
The public is poorly served by the coverage of medical science in the general press.
Scientists and physicians blame the press, claiming that journalists are careless in
their reporting, subject to competitive pressures, and ignorant of the scientific
process. Journalists accuse the medical community of limiting access to
information and erecting barriers to the public dissemination of medical research.
In many areas of health news reporting, the underlying problem is an interactive
dynamic that involves scientists and journalists. Both parties share the
responsibility for accurate communication to the public.
Health Reporters usually deliver medical news as if they are reporting on a hostage
crisis. Information is delivered rapidly, but little time is taken to provide a context
for the story. Instead, the reporting is sensationalized: The journalist overstates a
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scientific finding and, as a result, the public is misled about the implications of that
finding. This sort of reporting has its roots in newsroom pressures to dramatize
stories by sounding alarms.
To avoid inaccurate stories, health reporters need to examine the credibility and
biases of scientific sources. Such examination is often not done, however, possibly
because reporters are misled when the public relations efforts of scientists,
institutions. The major sources for a health reporter are the doctors or medical
officers.
A journalist's audience should be told explicitly whether the journalist's source of

information could benefit financially from the media attention or whether the
source is funded or employed by an institution that will benefit. However, such
conflicts of interest are often not apparent to reporters or their audiences.
The public is generally unaware of the scientific process and is therefore likely to
give more importance to awareness and full details of diseases and remedies by a
renowned medical practitioner. This follow-up should be done, because journalists
themselves may not completely know the complete medical process works. Certain
medical terms are likely to be misinterpreted and thus it is the duty of the health
reporter to clarify such doubts. The health science community should promote
contact with the media when confirmatory or no confirmatory studies emerge in an
area that has already received attention from the press. General assignment
reporters typically wrote medical news stories and Reporters who specifically
cover medicines are now commonly found at many major news organizations.
Thus, those who understand the complexities of newsworthy issues in medicine
and public health should
Examining the media's coverage of medicine seems to show that medical news
reporting is less than ideal. Medical scientists and journalists share the
responsibility for this problem. Thus, the medical science community can
encourage accurate medical reporting and reporters will also have to take active
measures to improve the situation.
Health Reporters should be able to assume that press releases are accurate, findings
are not overstated, and conflicts of interest are acknowledged. The health reporter
should deal with failures to be accurate, to identify vested interests, to follow up on
stories, and to cover important health issues as the patients are the ones who stand
to suffer the most. The health reporter must remember that it is the public that
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ultimately benefits from medical scientists' contributions to improved media

coverage.
4.4. Civic Reporting
Newspapers have traditionally been the most community oriented of mass media.
Newspapers have been given a good deal of credit for building the democratic
community life cities and towns. These days, however, the media and their
audiences have been so thoroughly fragmented that the newspaper seems on the
verge of becoming just another specialized commercial product for a niche market.
Together, the people and the journalists work on efforts to fight attempts to weaken
the civil justice system, to protect the rights of all to the right to trial by jury, and to
force government and businesses to make human health and safety the top priority.
Public Citizen is very interested to report the news reporters for information in a
variety of cases: products liability, medical malpractice, cases involving children,
cases involving drugs or medical devices for women, cases where punitive
damages were awarded, cases where defendants withheld documents or engaged in
other types of abuse or misconduct, and cases where discovery documents or
testimony revealed a company decision to risk foreseeable injuries or deaths in
order to save money or increase profits.
Reporters around the country are increasingly turning to civic journalism to find
better stories and report them in ways that re-establish a bond with readers, viewers
and listeners. They do so to:
 Tackle tough issues.

 Discover new local stories.
 Interact with readers and viewers in new ways.
 Use the web to improve reporting.
Mostly two or three junior reporters, supervised by a senior one is appointed to

cover local news, administration problems and important judgments of the district
courts. A senior reporter assigns the coverage among the junior reporters who
actually go into the field and bring news of local interest. There may be a fire or
theft or important crime to report like a murder or dacoity. Then there may be court
proceedings of a sensational nature wherein important crime cases are heard and
adjudged upon. These reporters are called district reporters. Each reporter has an
area assigned to him, which may include one or more large towns with the addition
of smaller towns and larger villages. In some cases, a district office is established
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in prominent towns to enable the reporters to cover the ground with a senior
reporter in charge. The senior man also acts as the manager of the office, who
keeps the accounts and is responsible for the advertisement and other revenue,
which is received.
The Civic reporters have considerable responsibility as an important link in the

chain of news collection of interest to the newspaper. The senior as well as the
junior reporters keep their respective diary of engagements and see that nothing is
missed which may give the lead to other newspapers. If the locality or the town is
large one, the reporter may find himself, with a full diary of routine engagements
every day.
The civic reporter needs to be active men who have the opportunity of making a
wide circle of friends. They develop influence in the local administration and can
dig their news ahead of other contemporaries representing other newspapers. One
important qualification of a local or civic reporter is knowledge of law so that he
does not commit any errors leading to libel. He must be above board and not have
extreme likes and dislikes of individuals, businessmen or influential personalities
in the area.
The telephone is a very important means of receiving and collecting information

about any event-taking place in the area. A civic reporter has his link with police
officers and corporation administrators who inform him of anything important
taking place around. However, it is not advisable to simply depend on one or the
other individual source for making the story.
Immediately on receiving the hint of an important event, the civic reporter is

supposed to either rush himself or send his juniors, depending on the importance of
the news, to cover it. If necessary, a photographer may also be taken along
although many newspapers prefer junior reporters to know as to how to handle the
camera and have working knowledge of photography. In the case of important
news, even movie cameras are sometimes maintained by newspapers to obtain TV
films for supply to the TV Organizations on specific charges.
4.5. Political Reporting
Political reporters in a democracy have one central mission: to provide citizens

with the information they need to make an informed choice between the candidates
for elective office. To do that, journalists need to examine the candidates'
backgrounds and qualifications, their positions on the key issues, and what the
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candidates are saying in campaign appearances and advertising. Reporters who

cover politics look at the candidates' supporters, too, since their interests can often
shed light on what a politician will do if elected.
A political reporter should have intelligence, instinctive perception of ground

realities, good judgment of people and a strong historic sense. Since politics is the
main focus of newspapers, too many new entrances would like to be political
reporters hoping that it would be a ladder to the coveted office of the editor.
But the fact remains that there is a dearth of good political reporting in India who
have the skills to report insight, and do reporting that captures in flesh and blood
of the players in the political field. A skilled political reporter is able to expose the
naked ambitions of political leaders and the hypocrisy of political parties.
Politics is the game for power, a game for supremacy and ironically this game is
played in the name of the people for evoking national greatness. The majority of
politicians in India have acquired office because they were misfits everywhere
else and are driven by a desire to make up for their past failures and frustrations.
Thus, the sad thing about Indian democracy is that it is these politicians who
guide the destiny of some 900 million people. Bereft of ideas, intelligence and
character, they exploit caste, religion and language to stay in power and the
country slip from crisis to crisis.
Therefore, it is the duty of the political reporter to never glorify a minister or a
politician but truthfully present their achievements and failures. Programmes of
political parties should be critically evaluated and the flaws commented upon, so
that the people are not carried away by their patriotic portrayal. The performance
of government needs constant review and herein is the wisdom and maturity of
the political reporter set on a national spectacle.
A lot of things are happening behind the scene in politics. Diplomacy, lobbying,
image-building and hatching conspiracies are only few of them. Nothing much is
visible to the outside world but the tip of an iceberg. The real challenge of
political reporting is in unmasking these happenings in the political world.
Connections and inside sources are the strengths of a politics reporter.
Party conferences, campaigns and rallies and press conferences are normal
reporting events. But to add news value to these the reporter should have ‘inside’
information or exclusive stories. The best selling newspapers in any country are
those with a strong political bureau satisfying the political curiosity of the readers.
Inadequate political coverage usually judged by the quality of reporting, brings
down the circulation of a newspaper. The honest and well-meaning politician
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deserves the support of the reporter and the people’s support. One of the basic
duties of political reporting is to bring to national focus such deserving leaders
and to warn the nation against criminals in political garment.
The political reporter must have a sound knowledge of history and the ability to
see the chain of events before it happened and the wisdom to translate the
thoughts into memorable words.
4.6. Business Reporting
The focus of business reporting is the state of business, depending on the country’s
economic climate. The stock market, capital market, the wholesale and consumer
price, metals and gold prices, industries and agricultural production, consumer
behavior, inflation, money supply foreign and Indian investments, unemployment,
wages and labor, all are areas of interest to the business reporter.
The economy operates in a cycle of expansion and contraction known as boom and
bust. The markets hit a low during bust, characterized by low demand, piling up of
goods product and at worst people are thrown out of employment.
At boom, the demand picks up, entrepreneurs invest, employment is generated,

there is more cash flow and happier times return as the economy operates at its
peak. After a few years, the economy goes back to bust to repeat its business cycle.
Low employment speaks of the ill health of the economy and the need for optimum
level of investment. The developing nations, called the Third World, need massive
investments to generate employment and they also need the latest technology to
catch up with the developed world.
Business, industry and agriculture, year after year, look to the finance minister’s
presentation of the union Budget that could change the business climate. Tax
incentives to industry and agriculture can boost production, and surplus production
can lead to export and prosperity. Exporting nations like Japan, Taiwan, and
Singapore in Asia enjoy a higher standard of living than many economic laggards
of the continent, some of whom face miserable living conditions. The budget is a
powerful instrument of transformation in the hands of an able finance minister.
A business reporter should have a masterly understanding of economic at the

macro and micro levels to interpret economic data and tell how they are going to
affect business. He should sound an alarm when the economy is heading for a
slump or recession.
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Also, when the economic outlook is bright, he should bring cheer to industry. But
he should desist from creating a panic in the stock market where people have
invested their life savings. To command respect in financial and business circles,
you must be knowledgeable, credible and insightful.
To do so, the business reporter must be in contact with some of the best economic
brains of the country that may be in the finance ministry, universities, research
organizations and even corporate houses. The reporter should watch out for
corporate newsmakers. Entrepreneurs are of two kinds, those with a broad vision
and those with a tunnel vision. The former think laterally and are a creative lot,
bringing new products, new designs, new models and new ideas that can transform
the way people live, work and spend their leisure.
Another breed of newsmakers is the corporate raider who buys the shares of
companies in bulk and tries to dislodge the existing families out of their business.
Majority of the shareholders are innocent of their rights, and easily manipulated by
holding meetings at sites most of them cannot reach or by deliberately delaying the
intimation letters for such meetings.
Market-linked technology watch may signal the arrival of new products,

impending competition and phasing out of old models. Computer and car markets
are changing dramatically and will keep changing in the years ahead. Exposing
business frauds and manipulators is the high calling of business journalism, but
favoring them for a pittance could tarnish the image of the profession.
Keep a tab on major stock market players, chairman of blue chip companies and
CEOs who could always spring a surprise. PROs of business houses and private
secretaries of market players could be of help in getting the lead for a story, but
these stories must be properly filtered for news.
Like the politician who generates political news, the corporate houses generate
most of the business news. And the finance and commerce ministries, the RBI,
SEBI, FICCI, Assocham and Indo-American, Indo-British, Indo-German, Indo-
French, and Indo-Japanese joint trade organizations keep the business reporters
very busy.
4.7. Science & Technology Reporting
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The age of science is the age of reason, and it is by reasoning that human beings
have unlocked the secrets of nature. Science reporters are driven by a curiosity and
governed by scientific temper. The first step to becoming a science reporter is to
develop well-grounded awareness of science by reading good popular science
books and journals. Keep watching popular science programmes on foreign and
Indian television channels.
Half-truths, bluffs and blisters are not part of science reporting, which is based on
verifiable technological facts. Verify your facts from other sources, reference
books and journals before you report. Credibility and clarity are the catchwords in
science reporting.
Specialists speak in technical language popularly called jargons. Befriend the

leading scientist and engineers of your town and ask them about the latest
development in their fields-inventions, applications and research. Attend seminars
and conferences regularly and write interpretative reports for the knowledge –
hungry readers. Publishing interviews of eminent scientists not only enhances the
prestige of the newspaper/magazine but also promotes science awareness in
society.
Age of computers is rapidly changing the way we live computers are installed in
banks, railway stations, airports, operation theatres of hospitals, public health, and
water supply and electricity departments and real estate agencies. Creating
environmental awareness is one of the duties of the science reporter. Crusading for
a better environment is the hallmark of dedicated science reporter.
Science reporting calls for greater precision and logical progression of ideas. The
popular science writers have amazing clarity of thought and expression and an
irresistibly fascinating manner of presentation. Exaggeration and sensationalism do
not belong to science reporting which is basically an exercise in precision writing.
4.8. Sport Reporting
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Sport reporting demands for an exceptional interest in the field of sports and a
good writing style. Sports reporters are conversant with the rules of the game and
have good relations with players and coaches. They are also knowledgeable about
the lives of top players to dish out interesting anecdotes in sports features.
Sport reporters write to appeal to a class of readers who eat, drink and sleep sports.
Sports writing are as competitive as the game itself. Like all reporters, the sport
reporter too works under pressure, but there is too much action in succession for
him to recapitulate that it makes his job uniquely challenging. So, to become a
successful sports reporter, one should keep a sports diary. Renowned sports
journalists have the habit of jotting down every idea or scrap of information, which
they later skillfully weave into their reports and columns.
Keep a clipping library of reports and articles of special interest to you, which you
have come across in newspapers and magazines. This could be a ready reference
library for facts and figures and back grounders. Classify under different names of
games like ‘cricket’, ‘hockey’, ‘athletics’, etc to make it handy.
The reporter must make his report descriptive enough for those who have not seen
the match and analytical enough for those who have seen it on television but are
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seeking something more to it. Develop a racy style that befits the game,
recapturing the players in their best action, which is the difference between a good
report and a bad report.
Sports reporting differ from general reporting in that sports reporters enjoy greater
freedom for self-expression, which includes the use of superlatives. The famous
among them do enjoy special privileges in keeping with their professional status.
Sport reporting provides details on the fitness of players, points of play, individual
performances, tactics and strategies adopted in the contest and crowd reaction.
4.9. Culture Reporting
The term “The Culture Beat” refers to the way a newspaper will assign reporters to
cover various sites where news originates-city hall, the police reports, sports,
entertainment, local, etc.
Culture reporting is characterized by its punchy style, rough language, and

ostensible disregard for conventional journalistic writing forms and customs. The
reporter attempts to present a multi-disciplinary perspective on a particular story,
drawing from popular culture, sports, political, philosophical and literary sources.
It is styled eclectic or untraditional. Culture reporting remains a feature of popular
magazines. It has a good deal of entertainment value.
Culture reporting also focuses on the personal lives of people, primarily celebrities,
including movie and stage actors, musical artists, models and photographers, other
notable people in the entertainment industry, as well as people who seek attention,
such as politicians, and people thrust into the attention of the public, such as people
who do something newsworthy.
Culture reporting today is the province of newspaper gossip columnists and gossip
magazines and has become the focus of national tabloid newspapers like the
National Enquirer, magazines like People and Us Weekly, syndicated television
shows like Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, The Insider, Access Hollywood,
and Extra, cable networks like E! and numerous other television productions.
It differs from feature writing in that it focuses on people who are either already
famous or are especially attractive, and in that it often covers celebrities
obsessively, to the point of these journalists behaving unethically in order to
provide coverage. Paparazzi, photographers who would follow celebrities
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incessantly to obtain potentially embarrassing photographs, have come to

characterize celebrity journalism.
It is the most common kind of reporting where reporters are placed at the most
strategic news-breaking points like hospitals, courtrooms, police headquaters,
airports, railway stations, universities, government and corporate offices and health
and recration centers. Unlike editorial writing, the culture reporting is impersonal.
A culture reporter is should essentially be an honest storyteller, who should rise

above his prejudices and subjectivity. He should be fair and impartial and present
in all aspects of the story. Complete objectivity may be required as the primary job
of a reporter in any beat is to tell the truth.
4.10. Civil Administration Reporting
The government establishes the civil administration and the area concerned are
the local, municipal, social and national levels of the society. Civil administration
reporting will thus carry news stories relating to all these sections of a country.
Civil administration of a country exercise certain authority normally in the
function of the local government; or hostile territory. It exercises executive,
legislative, and judicial authority.
Civil administration reporters thus have to work with civil authorities and civilian
populations in the area of operations.
Civil administration reporters are the specialists who can quickly and
systematically identify critical requirements needed by local citizens in bad
situations. They can also locate civil resources to support help operations, help
support national assistance activities. The reporters report on the plan to establish
and maintain liaison or dialogue with civilians and private organizations.
The civil administration reporters provide a prime source of nation-building skills.

Their prime focus of reporting is in the fields of public administration, public
safety, public health, legal systems, labor management, public welfare, public
finance, public education, civil defense, public works and utilities, public
communications, public transportation, logistics, food and agricultural services,
economics, property control, cultural affairs, civil information, and managing
dislocated persons.
One of the main components of civil administration is the police who are appointed
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with the duties to keep a check on the society. Reporting police news is difficult
and potentially dangerous. But if reporters and editors are properly prepared and
sufficiently cautious, mistakes will be held to a minimum. Police news tells us
about ourselves, and how we handle police news tells us something about our
journalistic ability. Ideally, police news is used to inform the public, not to aid
directly in conviction. Keeping this perspective is important in handling police
news effectively.
Police reporters need to know exactly how crimes are defined in the community
they cover. In the United States, for example, a "burglary" and a "robbery" are not
the same thing. Burglary involves breaking into a building to commit a crime.
Robbery is stealing money or property by force. Developing a glossary of essential
terms can prevent embarrassing mistakes. A police press release may provide the
basic facts about a crime, but good reporters dig deeper. They go to the scene to
look for details and to talk with neighbors or eyewitnesses, whenever possible.
The coverage of civil disorder imposed major responsibilities on the reporters. On

the one hand, they must expose themselves to danger if necessary to determine the
magnitude of any street incident. But whatever they do, they must always be
conscious that careless reporting or the provocative appearance of still or
television cameras can cause untold harm in a tense situation, particularly in the
crowded inner cores of many cities and towns.
4.11.Education Reporting
As Education, is the organized teaching and training of students, the reporter’s job
will revolve around these areas. Education is a body of theoretical and applied
research relating to teaching and learning. Thus, the reporter has to focus on these
both areas of education. The education reporter works in different areas or
disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, computer science, linguistics,
neuroscience, sociology and anthropology
The education reporter focus on the education systems as these can be used to
promote doctrines or ideals as well as knowledge, and this can lead to abuse of the
system. These days, the education reporters focus on adult education as they have
become widespread in many countries. However, education is still seen by many as
something aimed at children, and adult education is often branded as adult learning
or lifelong learning.
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Adult education takes on many forms, from formal class-based learning to self-
directed learning. Lending libraries provide inexpensive informal access to books
and other self-instructional materials. Many adults have also taken advantage of
the rise in computer ownership and internet access to further their informal
education.
The reporter has to report about the Education reforms. Educational reforms are
plans, programs, or movements which attempts to bring about a systematic change
in educational theory or practice across a community or society. As the public
attention focuses on standards based education reform in response to the high
expense and poor outcomes of education, it is the duty of the reporter to bring forth
such informations.
The teaching method must be teachable! Many educators now believe that
anything that more precisely meets the needs of the child will work better.
Programs that test individual learning, and teach to mastery of a subject have been
proven to be far more effective than group instruction with compromise schedules.
Philosophers identify independent, logical reasoning as a precondition to most

western science, engineering, economic and political theory. Therefore, every
educational program that desires to improve students' outcomes in political, health
and economic behavior should include a Socratically-taught set of classes to teach
logic and critical thinking. Substantial resources and time can be saved by
permitting students to test out of classes. This also increases motivation, directs
individual study, and reduces boredom and disciplinary problems.
To support inexpensive continuing education a community needs a free public

library. It can start modestly as shelves in an attended shop or government
building, with donated books. New programs based on modern learning theories
should be quantitatively investigated for effectiveness.
The education reporter has to report education plans, durations, costs, and
scholarships of various educational programs started by national and international
universities. Thus much research with educationists, institutions and expertise is
required to prepare the report. As always, crosschecking of facts is important.
Also, the education reporter has to present counseling help to the students as they
often get confused because today we have so many options available in the
education and vocational fields.
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Thus, the education reporter must be aware with different departments of

education, have good contacts with colleges and universities and get an insight into
the psyche of the students’ about their preferences and choices. These reporters
have to regularly attend functions like convocations, academic events of colleges
and universities to know the progress and the launch of new educational programs.
4.12.Development Reporting
Development reporting creates an awareness of the rapid transformation of the

society from a poor economy to a highly developed economy by informing the
people of the various programmes of development charted out by the government
and development agencies and to bring to the notices of the government the
problems some of these poorly implemented schemes create so that it can be
considered for remedial measures.
It is through people’s participation that food production is raised, new roads,

railways and houses are constructed, and amenities of safe drinking water,
electricity and communication are provided. Sometimes, development has
disastrous consequences too: air and water pollution, soil degradation and
deforestation. This led to rethinking on what constitutes development and after
much deliberation; ecology too came under its preview. The most important
quality to be inculcated is to have development perspective based on ground
realities and sharpened by a global vision.
A telling tale that is apt to awaken a slumbering government to action and a style
that also spreads awakening among the masses are expected of a development
communicator.
Reporting success stories do motivate people and even the failures teach precious
lessons on how to avoid the mistakes made by others. Development reporters
should not be biased like a section of western media, which sees only the negative
side of India’s achievements. There a hundreds of development stories lying buried
to be discovered by a good development reporter. Government departments and
ministries dole out press releases, newsletters and annual reports, which could give
the lead for a story.
Sustainable development, therefore, represents an opportunity for humanity to

correct a historical error and develop a gentler, more balanced, and stable
relationship with the natural world.
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5. WRITING THE STORY

5.1. Magazine Writing
Most magazines you see on newsstands every day rely on freelance writers for
their content. From fillers to features, most parts of a publication are fair game for
writers hoping to break in. No, you don't have to have a cousin in the publishing
world to see your name in print. You just have to follow the rules like every other
journalist until, one day, the editors start calling you.
As you write for magazines, it will give you increased confidence that you can
write for publication, meet word limits and deadlines. There are many benefits
from writing for magazines.
Some basics to get started while writing for magazines:
Decide on your genre

If all matters foodie particularly drives you, consider being a recipe writer and food
journalist. Or perhaps a reporter on traditional dishes from the four corners of the
earth. Maybe even a critique for restaurants and hotels in your area. There are too
many avenues to begin to list them all, but bear in mind there are very few
magazines and journals that don’t have a recipe in there somewhere and everybody
has to eat… Choose a subject that rings your bell. One that you have good
background knowledge of already will be second nature to start writing about.
Once you have made a start, you will find it is easy to expand to other topics.
Find your angle

Where are you coming from? Are you going to report on the subject or be
innovative and tell others about your ideas? Would you prefer something along a
fictional line? Maybe Q and A and FAQ’s is your bag. Don’t rule anything out, but
get acquainted with a comfortable angle by trying lots of different types of writing
on your chosen subject. The more relaxed you are, the better your quality of work
will be, because it will flow more naturally.
Research your subject

Once you have a focus, look into that field in great depth. See what is available and
topical at the moment, on paper and on the Internet. It will help to know what
people are reading and interested in, before you put pen to paper. Do you feel your
line of thought has not been covered yet? Perhaps that could be a door of
opportunity opening for you. Websites are not difficult to get up and running these
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days – consider setting one up for your chosen subject, with the possibility of an
accompanying newsletter.
Research
Research is, without a doubt, one of the biggest bugbears, but if you are committed
to a career in writing, you might as well make it your best friend, because you are
going to be doing an awful lot of it!
Writer’s guidelines
Your piece might be amazing, with bells on, but if you don’t comply with the
subject line or the addressee; it will more than likely end up in the recycle bin! It is
a laborious task going through them and doing as you are told, especially when
your piece is clearly the hottest thing on the market. Remember, if it were that
easy, everybody would be doing it and besides, there has to be some fun in the
chase.
Keep track of your work

Keep a log of your submissions, query letters and published pieces. Create an
address book of all the editors, fellow writers and useful contacts you make. Don’t
be put off by the response times either. Make up files that allow you to review
what you have sent to whom and keep on top of it.
Remember, a writer must write something every single day, without fail! It keeps
your hand in and makes you look at new angles and ways of self-expression. You
have to be topical, expressive, interesting and informative. It is a big old reading
world out there, don’t be daunted, be focused, be clever and most of all, have fun!
An Anecdote is a short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical

incident. An anecdote is usually based on real life, an incident involving actual
persons, whether famous or not, in real places. However, over time, modification
in reuse may convert a particular anecdote to a fictional piece, one that is retold but
is "too good to be true". Sometimes humorous, anecdotes are not jokes, because
their primary purpose is not simply to evoke laughter, but to reveal a truth more
general than the brief tale itself, or to delineate a character trait or the workings of
an institution in such a light that it strikes in a flash of insight to their very essence.
A brief monologue beginning "A man pops in a bar..." will be a joke. A brief
monologue beginning "Once J. Edgar Hoover popped in a bar..." will be an
anecdote. An anecdote thus is closer to the tradition of the parable than the patently
invented fable with its animal characters and generic human figures— but it is
distinct from the parable in the historical specificity which it claims. An anecdote
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is not a metaphor nor does it bear a moral, a necessity in both parable and fable,
merely an illustrative incident that is in some way an epitome.
Note that in the context of Lithuanian, Bulgarian and Russian humor anecdote
refers to any short humorous story without the need of factual or biographical
origins.
5.2. How to write an Obituary?
An obituary can be as basic as containing only public facts about a person's life,
their birth, family tree, and their death. Also relates to your thoughts, experiences
and memories with them.
It can also be a very personal look at a life. Not only a summation of the public
facts, but a glimpse of the uniqueness; that, when combined with those "facts,"
created a personality. Written by someone who is close to you, an obituary
becomes an intimate view of what made you memorable to others. Written by you,
it becomes your personal life's story.
As much as you love someone, recalling the details of their life at the time of their
death is an overwhelming responsibility. Having the obituary already written and
on file with your funeral provider is not as difficult to do as you may think. Think
about your life and what you would most like remembered.
Preparing Tributes & Obituaries
Obituaries usually come in one of two forms: a short notice; common in local
and regional newspapers and the longer style, more common in national
newspapers giving a detailed history of the person’s life achievements.
Here is a useful guide regarding what to include for you or the person writing the
obituary.
 Check with the newspaper you are going to publish in to see if they have any
length restrictions and what the cost of insertion will be. Make sure you
place the obituary a few days before the funeral.
 Write the full name of the deceased person.
 Write the date and place of death.
 Write down when and where the funeral etc will take place.
 Detail the main life events beginning with the date and place of birth.
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 Include pertinent information relating to education, universities attended and

notable employment.
 Write down any hobbies and involvement with community, charities or other
organisations.
 Include any major achievements.
 Write down the names of those surviving including partners, parents and
children. You can also mention siblings, grandparents and those who have
also died before the deceased.
 Mention where flowers and contributions should be sent to and give the
funeral directors name if relevant.
As a friend or family member you may be asked to give a tribute or eulogy at the
funeral. This is your opportunity to say a very personal goodbye and reflect what
you and others thought of them. It can be quite difficult to write something that is
so emotional, here are some guidelines:
 As a starting point think about what you loved about that person, how you
met them, how your relationship developed and what you will miss about
them.
 Remember this is your personal goodbye and should come from the heart,
not everyone may agree with every sentiment but they will appreciate that
you have taken the time to write and deliver something at a very hard time.
 You don’t have to deliver the most amazing piece of perfect prose – it is a
tribute to someone you love and you can expect to cry when you speak the
words. No one will think badly of you for this.
 Use the people around you to collect information, anecdotes and stories to
include.
 Be honest. It may be a tribute but make sure you speak of someone you all
knew, not an idealised version.
 However, remember this isn’t the time to voice disagreements or vent anger.
 Make sure you write down the eulogy or tribute – you won’t remember it on
the day.
Writing an obituary or eulogy for someone can be your final gift to them – a way
to remember them through your eyes and a gift for everyone else who has suffered
the same loss.
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5.2.1. Article Writing
An article will analyze and interpret and provide arguments and counter-
arguments. An article will go to the root cause of an event or happening and
provide background information. Then it describes the present situation and finally
peeps into the future prospects too. Though it is not necessary that an article will
follow the past-present-future course. An article may start with an insight into the
future and then cover the past and present. It may start with the present situation,
go to the past and then look into the future. Also, it may not be necessary that an
article should always deal with the past or predict the future.
Articles are written on all kinds of topics and many kinds of subjects are dealt with
in an article. They are also written about the past, present and the future. There is
no bar or restrictions on the nature of the topic or issue chosen to write an article.
Articles in a newspaper will mostly follow the various purposes like:
 To analyze the present

 To provide some important information
 To predict the future prospects of an issue
 To present a point of view about a topic
 To interpret a trend
Articles are not written in newspapers as to serve only one selected purpose but
may fulfill more than one purposes mentioned above.
Articles writers’ intentions are to analyze, interpret and rationalize and thus there is
no place for humor, satire and other such emotions in an article. The contents and
treatment of an article is sober and serious. The basics of newspaper writing
like Consistency, conciseness, completeness; continuity, etc also apply to article
writing. These basics will be applicable to any piece of writing like the editorial,
feature or a news story.
An element that is absolutely necessary for articles is credibility. Thus, usually,

only the experts will write articles. In fact, such established writers regularly write
columns and are free to write only one subject or a variety of subjects. The readers
rarely doubt the creditability of such renowned writers and the articles gets a good
response.
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Guidelines for Article Writing
The topic for an article is mostly selected on the basis of how much interest it can
generate among the readers. Highly interesting topics and issues will generate
interest and curiosity by the readers. The selected topics must be concrete and
bring in the details. These details should be dealt in an interesting manner to
provide all the relevant information in a concrete and complete manner.
An article must be believable and relevant facts should be presented. There should
be source credibility, authentic research, original quotes and accuracy in the
articles to make it believable to the newspaper readers. An article writer will try to
cover all aspects of the topic and provide more and more support material as proof
to substantiate the points they are presenting in the article.
Ten Steps to Writing an Article:
1. Realize that writing is a process, not a short burst of frantic activity. The usual
steps are planning, research, writing a rough draft, editing, and then writing a final
draft.
2. Planning an article involves discussing why it is important and what you want
to include. If you decide about length, scope and focus in advance, it will save you
time and effort later.
3. Good articles are descriptive. Draw on your own experience and talk to those
who have more experience or different experience than you.
4. The best articles help readers solve problems, save time, avoid mishaps and do
their jobs more effectively. You can’t assume that the reader shares your
perception of a problem; you may have to sell them the problem before you sell
them a solution.
5. Write your draft the way you would tell the story to one of your friends. It
should be informal and clear. Short words and short sentences are fine.
6. Readers want articles about things they can actually control and problems they
can solve. Writing an article about a huge problem that is too large or too
expensive merely raises the reader’s anxiety.
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7. Tell real stories. Use actual examples. Readers want to hear about things that
happened. They aren’t interested in platitudes, clichés, lectures, or slogans.
Readers want reality, not theory.
8. Magazines are a clutch plate between the way things are and the way they
should be. Ideally, everyone follows all the rules all the time, and no mishaps ever
happen. In reality, people cut corners, take chances, stop paying attention, fall
asleep in class, drive drunk, ignore their supervisor, take the easy way out, and get
in a hurry, resist learning, and on and on.
9. A magazine article doesn’t repeat official procedures or rules. Readers have

plenty of those things already; the problem is that they don’t follow them. Simply
repeating the procedures avoids the real problem.
10. "Why" is more interesting than "what”? Defining a problem or a hazard is only
the starting point.
Structure of an Article
An article has a definite beginning lead or introduction, a body, and an end

conclusion. The basic format used for articles are:
 The chronological format, past -present-future),

 The reverse chronological format future -present-past,
 And the flashback format where the article may start in the present, go back
to the past and then go to the future).
The lead or the introduction, introduces the topic to the readers, arouses and
sustains their interest. It could be a direct lead where information is given in a
straightforward manner. Articles can also start with a statement or quotation to
provide interest. A statement or a quotation also helps in telling something
about the topic of the article.
Some times statistics or numerical data are used in the lead to startle the readers.
Articles can begin with a question. Some times writers use a number of questions
also. Questions arouse curiosity in the minds of the readers and they read further to
find answer to the questions.
Thy body takes up about three quarters of the total space of an article. Here the
writer tries to answer the questions put in the lead. The claims made in the lead are
substantiated. The statements and quotations made are elaborated. So explanation,
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reeporting Techniques & Skills
description, elaboration, substantiation, etc are what the body of an article is all
about.
Writers provide details, statistics, claims and counterclaims in the body to present,
project and promote their point of views. The body of an article is where claims are
supposed and defended, while opposing viewpoints are attacked. The conclusion
portion simply closes the argument and is often brief stating the gist of the whole
article.
An Editorial is a statement or article by a news organization, newspaper or

magazine that expresses the opinion of the editor, editorial board, or publisher. An
op-ed, abbreviated from opposite editorial due to the tradition of newspapers
placing such materials on the page opposite the editorial page, is similar in form
and content to an editorial, but represents the opinion of an individual contributor,
who is sometimes but not always affiliated with the publication. These two terms
are sometimes used interchangeably by the public, although it is important to
understand that they have different definitions and characteristics.
5.3.. Editorial Writing guidelines
Editorials are generally printed either on their own page of a newspaper or in a

clearly marked-off column, and are always labeled as editorials to avoid confusion
with news coverage. They often address current events or public controversies.
Generally, editorials fall into four broad types: news, policy, social, and special.
When covering controversial topics such as election issues, some opinion page
editors will run "dueling" editorials, with each staking out a respective side of the
issue.
Many magazines also feature editorials, mainly by the editor or publisher of the
publication. Additionally, most print publications feature an editorial, or letter from
the editor, followed by a Letters to the Editor section. The American Society of
Magazine Editors has developed a list of editorial guidelines, to which a majority
of magazine editors commonly adhere.
Most editorial pieces take the form of an essay or thesis, using arguments to
promote a point of view. Newspapers often publish editorial pieces that are in line
with their editorial slants, though dissenting opinions are often given space to
promote balance and discussion. Requirements for article length varies according
to each publication's guidelines, as do a number of other factors such as style and
topic. An average editorial is 750 words or less.
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An editorial is an article that presents the newspaper's opinion on an issue. It

reflects the majority vote of the editorial board, the governing body of the
newspaper made up of editors and business managers. It is usually unsigned. Much
in the same manner of a lawyer, editorial writers build on an argument and try to
persuade readers to think the same way they do. Editorials are meant to influence
public opinion, promote critical thinking, and sometimes cause people to take
action on an issue. In essence, an editorial is an opinionated news story.
Editorials usually have:
 Introduction, body and conclusion like other news stories

 An objective explanation of the issue, especially complex issues
 A timely news angle
 Opinions from the opposing viewpoint that refute directly the same issue the
writer addresses
 The opinions of the writer delivered in a professional manner. Good
editorials engage issues, not personalities and refrain from name-calling or
other petty tactics of persuasion.
 Alternative solutions to the problem or issue being criticized. Anyone can
gripe about a problem, but a good editorial should take a pro-active approach
to making the situation better by using constructive criticism and giving
solutions.
 A solid and concise conclusion that powerfully summarizes the writer's
opinion. Give it some punch.
Functions of Editorials will be:
Explain or interpret: Editors often use these editorials to explain the way the
newspaper covered a sensitive or controversial subject. School newspapers may
explain new school rules or a particular student-body effort like a food drive
Criticize: These editorials constructively criticize actions, decisions or situations

while providing solutions to the problem identified. Immediate purpose is to get
readers to see the problem, not the solution.
Persuade: Editorials of persuasion aim to immediately see the solution, not the
problem. From the first paragraph, readers will be encouraged to take a specific,
positive action. Political endorsements are good examples of editorials of
persuasion.
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Praise: These editorials commend people and organizations for something done
well. They are not as common as the other three.
Things that could go into the five-paragraph editorial:
1. A personal experience, the thesis statement

2. Explanation of the other side of the issue
3. Examples to support your point of view
4. Reasons for your point of view
5. The last paragraph should restate your thesis statement and end on a positive
note
5.4. Writing Letter to Editor
In writing a letter to the editor, you have a unique opportunity to discuss issues or
frame the debate on an issue in your own words. For every comment a news outlet
receives, they assume there are hundreds, if not thousands of readers, who feel the
same way. A few quality letters can carry real weight and make a critical
difference. Readers of newspaper editorials and opinion pieces tend to be decision
makers sensitive to public opinion. Presenting information and ideas to them in a
coherent written form helps reach important and influential audiences.
1. Go to your local newspaper’s web site or call for information on how and
where to submit a letter to the editor. Most letters can be e-mailed.
2. Be sure to include your name, email and phone number with the letter to
allow the editorial staff to contact you if they have questions.
3. Do not exceed your newspaper’s word count. Most letters to the editor are
about 200 words, but can vary. Edit the provided template as necessary.
4. Without exceeding the word count, try to personalize the attached sample
letter with a particular comment based upon your area of expertise or personal
experience.
5. Make sure that any additions to the provided template are specific, concise,
and to the point.
Many letters to editors are badly presented, in spite of being written with an eye to
publication. Even if an assistant deals with the letter section, the editor should read
all the letters, either before or after the assistant has worked on the selection to be
published. Most journals that publish correspondence point out that the editor
reserves the right to reject, shorten, excerpt or edit the letters for publication. Editing
should, however, be restricted to removing intemperate statements or examples of
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bad taste. Spelling mistakes should be corrected but the grammar should not be
changed unless the writer’s point is unclear. Letters should be published as soon as
possible after receipt and, except in rare cases, they should be signed. Letters to the
editor rarely need to be refereed. Any letters criticizing a previously published article
should be shown to the author of the article, whose reply should preferably be
published in the same issue as the critical letter.
5.5.. Writing Film Review
Film review writing is not an easy job as many would think. You need patience to
watch a film with a critical eye, perceive all the information about it and then write
a detailed film review. A good review is not just a summary of a film, but a critical
analysis that examines why and how a movie works and whether the film succeeds
in its presentation.
When writing a film review, always consider who the intended audience is for the
film and the audience you are writing for. You should remember that your writing
is intended to be persuasive. Additionally, it should demonstrate clearly that you
not only viewed the movie, but also read the novel or play which formed the basis
of the film.
You should focus your review around a larger argument, such as why the film
works or fails to work and what are both the successful and unsuccessful elements.
Make sure that you have a major thesis and a set of supporting arguments. A good
film review uses scenes and dialogue from the film to support its larger argument.
Moreover, a good review focuses on whether and how a movie works and whether
the reviewer recommends it. Finally, a good reviewer shows how a film works
both psychologically, emotionally, intellectually, and even spiritually.
“Anyone can be a film critic,” French director Francois Truffaut writes in his
book “The Films in My Life.” Whether you watch movies as soon as they arrive at
your local theatre or wait for the video or cable version, your number one reason
for being a critic must be your love of movies. If you’re a real film buff, chances
are you’ll like all types from Hollywood blockbusters to subtitled films with no
special effects.
Be objective: When watching a movie, be it a cartoon or an epic, remain objective.

Don’t be swayed by who’s in it. Pay no attention to the director. Ignore any stories
or rumors you might have heard about the filming of it. Be completely absorbed in
the movie, concentrating on the events unfolding onscreen. If you’re launching a
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career as a film critic and want to use the first person, then use it right from the
start. Make your opinions count and do so in a way that’s forceful. Be stern and
unwavering! Or be funny. Just make sure you can handle being the “I” behind all
your opinions. You’ll gain many admirers and detractors, but if you’ve
comfortable with writing in the first person then go ahead—you’re the critic!
Comparing movies: To compare the current movie you’re reviewing to one that is
already on video/cable or has been around for dozens of years is a very common
practice. This shows that A you know about movies and B) allows people who
have seen the earlier movie to know what you’re writing about.
Assume nothing: Depending on your audience, whether it’s a college newspaper,

a local daily, weekly or monthly publication or an Internet website, use your
clearest style of writing. You never know who’ll happen to read your review. That
person might be the president of a movie studio or a grade-schooler. If you’re
doing a comparison, be precise but not overly so. Not everyone in the world has
seen the movie “Psycho” so should you use this movie as an example, you might
want to preface it with: “classic horror film” or “director Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960
movie starring Anthony Perkins,” etc. Add a few words to introduce a new reader
or refresh an older reader’s memory.
The story: What is this movie about? After assigning a category such as drama,
action/adventure, horror, comedy, etc., you must give a synopsis of the tale. Is it a
man vs. man saga? Man vs. nature: “The Perfect Storm.” Man vs. the supernatural?
“The Haunting” and any horror flick
The actors & actresses: Without them, we wouldn’t have a movie—or much of
one! Don’t get their personal lives mixed up with what they do onscreen. Analyze
their performance in relation to the story. Mention past films if appropriate, as this
gives the reader an opportunity to explore their earlier works. Respect the thespian
for what they’ve done, but not excessively. If an actor has destroyed an otherwise
good film due to many situations such as being inappropriately cast, wavering
accent[s], wrong age/size for the part, etc. point it out in a diplomatic way. Not
every actor/actress is cast in the right part!
If the actor/actress steals the movie, please indicate this. If you should favor one
actor over another personally, don’t allow this to ruin a critique. Stay rational! You
may think a certain performer is wonderful, that they can do no wrong. They’re
still just human beings! Keep your perspective. You’re writing a review, not a love
letter!
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The Director: The leader behind the movie, this person has enormous
responsibilities and can range from being invisible to being in the movie. Directors
can also be hyphenates such as director-producer, actor-director, director-
screenwriter, etc. Analyze the hyphenate the same way you would the average one-
titled director. Keep in mind that this person has a huge undertaking but oftentimes
not the complete power over the project that he/she would like to have. Things to
watch for: how the director interprets the story. Are there lots of close-ups or is the
camera kept at a distance? Is the film in color or black and white – or both? If
color, does one color stand out? Does the camera move around or remain
stationery? If the movie takes place in an earlier time period, do you feel like
you’ve stepped backwards through a time machine? In science fiction, do you get a
sense of a future world that’s very different from our 21st century? If this is a
contemporary story, do you feel as though everything’s accurate?
The screenwriter: More invisible than the director and usually under-appreciated,
the writer is finally getting a little more recognition for their screenplays. When
watching opening credits, you’ll notice that [since 1998] the screenwriter gets
credit just before the director, rather than before the producer. Think of famous
movies from any decade -- whether it’s an epic like “Gone With the Wind” or a
comedy like “Groundhog Day.” Every movie originates with the writer. Not only
must a writer be able to describe the action you see on screen, it must be done
succinctly as the powers that be [producers, agents, directors] like to read scripts
that are preferably under 130 pages. The screenwriter has to be able to write
dialogue that moves the story along and also sounds realistic.
The Producer: This is the persons who gets the movie made, has all the money
contacts and ranges from hands off to being involved in all facets from pre-
production to post-production and even publicity.
Some common terms: Genre: action/adventure, comedy, drama, horror, romantic

comedy, science fiction, tragedy, religious, historical, documentary, thriller,
western, war, martial arts, teen or musical.
Others: Long shot, Flashback, Narration, Cinematography, Editing Montage,

Lighting and composition, Close-up, Tracking shot
3 Types of movies: 1.Foreign. Always mention whether it’s sub-titled or dubbed.

2. Mainstream: Big budget Hollywood.
3. Independent a/k/a/ India: Low budget.
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Your rating system: You’ve seen those number ratings, the stars, and the thumbs
up or down, letter grades. You need to come up with something unique—
something that represents your love of movies as well as your own style.
Some reviewers highlight a movie’s rating and the amount of violence/bad

language/sex or adult situations it contains. Other reviewers don’t care to do this;
they’re only interested in reviewing the movie.
5.6.Writing Book Review
Every newspaper has a panel of book reviewers, usually specialists on the subjects,
to do book reviewing for their book review feature. The most important
qualification of a book reviewer is knowledge on the subject and general ability to
assess the utility of the book from the reader’s point of view. The reviewer conveys
the comments about the book in a readable and acceptable manner.
A small review of a book is generally of three to five paragraphs. The review

usually starts with the name of the book, the name of the publisher, the number of
pages and the price.
Following tips about book reviewing are important:
i A brief description of the objectives of the book

ii Something about the author if the work involves original research or the
author has a standing and status
iii A brief account of what the book tries to highlight
iv A comparison of the book with other important books in the same field
v An appraisal preferably indirect through description and exposition in
terms of the aims and purposes of the author
The book reviewer’s function is to tell the readers succinctly and readably whether
book is worth reading and if so, why. This is an expert’s job and is done by an
authority on the subject matter of the book. Since the review may make or mar the
popularity of the book the reviewer has on him a serious responsibility to discharge
with due consideration while giving him comments without fear or favour. He
must take an unbiased view and guide the readers about the utility or otherwise of
the book. One important task of the book reviewer is to bring out the main points
of the book in a few sentences and apprise the readers of what the author has tried
to say and bring out in this respect the reviewer analysis can be a brief capsule of
the book, making the review self sufficient by way of its giving a brief summary
both of the contents and argument contained in the book.
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The skills of the reviewer lies in his ability to hit off his points in a pithy, arresting
opening sentence or paragraph which at once sums up the objectives of the book
and give a glimpse of the nature and content of the publication. A good review is
generally self-contained and takes the reader along on the journey through the
book. By reading the review the reader should get to know what the book is about,
what is new or innovating in it, what is the quality of the writing and such other
details.
An ideal reviewer should convey to its readers a sense of what the book is about,
its plot, characters, whether or not the author has accomplished what he intended to
and some evaluation based upon the reviewer’s standard of writing, taste and
experience. The reviewer’s task is to give the reader enough information to enable
him to decide whether or not he wants to read the volume under discussion.
Writing Sport Review
Anybody who undertakes to write about sports must have an intimate knowledge
of the assignment. The three greatest necessities are accuracy, restraint and decent
respect for the language. Sports reviewers invariably pride themselves on being
experts. They like to hear and rear about ‘inside’ strategy, just as the literacy
gossips endlessly about the famous people on whom characters in a sensational
new novel are supposedly patterned. Some games are easier to describe than
others- and that depends on the patterns of the sports.
An essentially simple game like baseball is easy to be reviewed. The games play
by- play, the result and the reasons for it can be quickly summarized and then
documented with a description of the key players. A few other details and the
account are complete enough for a post game electronic round up. But the written
sports must be different and it must have more details.
Boxing and horse riding have essentially simple patterns and need not be told in
too complicated fashion. What matters particularly is the detail that makes the tiny
images- blow up. It is clear, therefore, that the patterns of sport reviewing have
much to do with the pattern of sports journalism. The big-money sports such as
hours racing, boxing, baseball, and football are the ones with the most public
appeal in general, professional sports have the widest following, but college sports
also attracts millions of followers.
Clarity and Accuracy
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Some principles of news writing you must apply every time you attempt to put
words on paper include accuracy, brevity, clarity, coherence, emphasis,
objectivity and unity. Accuracy If a writer has to pick one principle that should
never be violated, this should be the one. To fall down in this area is to discredit
your entire writing effort. As a reporter, you will be working with facts. These
facts will involve persons, places and things. They will involve names, ages, titles,
rank or ratings, addresses and descriptions. You will work with facts that are
both familiar and unfamiliar to you. You cannot afford to be casual in your
approach to facts.
Your readers will often judge on what you say and how you say it. An easy way to
lose the public’s respect and confidence is by being careless in your handling of
facts. When you send a story to a newspaper, the editor depends on you for
accuracy in every fact. The news release heading that appears on every story
you distribute means the information it contains is reliable and has been
approved officially by the source. A mistake in a news story implies that the source
is careless and undependable. Datelines tell when and where the story is written
and should appear on all stories written for release. In the text of the story, when
and where may refer to the dateline. Attribution relates to accuracy. It means that
you name the person who makes any statement that may be challenged.
Good quotations liven a story, give it color and aid in development of coherence.
Attribution also ensures that the reader does not get the impression the statement is
the writer’s personal opinion. However, attribution should never be used in a story
merely to flatter a person by publicizing his or her name. Brevity- The question is
often asked, “Should I be brief in my writing or complete?” By all means, be brief,
but not at the expense of completeness. The key is to boil down your writing and
eliminate garbage. A compact piece of writing is frequently much stronger than a
lengthy story. Clarity- Nothing is more discouraging than reading an article
and then realizing that you do not know what you read. A similar frustration arises
when you are trying to follow directions on assembling a toy, particularly when the
instructions read, “...even a 5-year-old can assemble this toy,” and you cannot
do it, because the directions read as if they were written in a foreign
language. Assume that if there is any chance of misunderstanding, readers will
misunderstand. Reread what you have written looking for points that could
lead to readers’ misunderstanding.
Credibility is indeed the very life-blood of the press, no matter which government
is in power. Journalism is an awesome responsibility, which rests on the shoulders
of journalists because in the final analysis they are the custodians of the freedom of
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press. If they prefer careerism to standing up for their rights, they are letting down
their profession. Unfortunately, journalists are inclined to accept many favors from
government and therefore, their news stories will ultimately favor that particular
government.
5.7. New paradigm features
 Journalism, have a role in society to link the individual to the world. The
journalists need to give the audience a sense of what it is to be in the place
they are reporting and connected to the world.
 Our audience is diverse and complex. So there needs to be a consciousness
of diversity: not just in terms of race and gender but also class, rural/urban
and youth/aged.
 Journalism must emphasize context; interpretation; research; investigation;
complete reporting and analysis.
 The journalists must foreground the storyteller the individual and the media
organization.
 They should respect the audiences and engage in dialogue.
 In our use of sources the journalists should move beyond “the authorities”.
Audiences are also sources. They must remember to foreground and situate
who the sources are.
 Ownership: symbolically the audience needs to feel they “own” the medium.
 Ownership: economic -this needs to be diverse and needs participation by all
stakeholders in media.
 Control and structures within media organizations – there should be respect
for storytellers and storytelling and these should be given status and
compensation. From this we drafted the policy statement which reads: “In
recognition of our role in society as storytellers; as the link between citizens
and the world; we strive to promote:
 Stories, told in a multiplicity of voices that are well researched;
conceptualized; analytical; interpretive; in dialogue with, are considered
respectful.
Part – III
6.1. Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism the collecting, editing,

and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast that creates images in
order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images,
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and in some cases to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is

distinguished from other close branches of photography such as documentary
photography, street photography or celebrity photography by the qualities of:
Timeliness — the images have meaning in the context of a published

chronological record of events.
Objectivity — the situation implied by the images is a fair and accurate
representation of the events they depict.
Narrative — the images combine with other news elements, to inform and give
insight to the viewer or reader.
Photojournalists must make decisions instantly and carry photographic equipment,

often while exposed to the same risks war, rioting, etc. that are faced by text -only
journalists. The fact that they rarely have the option to stand back or wait until the
dangerous parts of an event are over means they may take even more risks.
Photojournalism as a descriptive term often implies the use of a certain bluntness

of style or approach to image-making. The photojournalist approach to candid
photography is becoming popular as a unique style of commercial photography.
For example, many weddings today are shot in photojournalism style resulting in
candid images that chronicle the events of the wedding day.
Sometimes a photograph says what an entire news report cannot. Whether it's a
riot-stricken city or people displaced by natural calamities, it is often the
photojournalist who braves his surroundings for that perfect frame.
A great journalist cares about people and an ideal world. A great journalist can
approach a topic as vast as the universe and make it simple and interesting to both
Einstein and the new immigrant, who is trying to learn the language.
The written word has power. With skill, reporters can expose the dark deeds of the
world and bring them into the light. However, journalism is limited to non-
apathetic, monolinguistic people with some time to kill and a few neurons still
firing. Enter photojournalism. It destroys almost all barriers. Justice can draw its
sword in the time it takes an eye to scan an image. An image has no age, language
or intelligence limits.
6.2. What is a photojournalist?
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A journalist tells stories. A photographer takes pictures of nouns people, places

and things. A photojournalist takes the best of both and locks it into the most
powerful medium available - a single frozen image.
Photojournalists capture "verbs." This sounds simple, but a room of professional

photographers was dumbfounded by this realization. Even after a full-length
lecture with documentation and visual evidence, half of the photographers still had
no clue what the difference was."So, what's the difference between photography
and photojournalism?" "Verbs!"
Although photojournalists can take properly exposed and well composed

photographs all day long, they hunt verbs. They hunt them, shoot them and show
them to their readers. Then, they hunt more.
A photojournalist has thousands of pairs of eyes looking over his shoulder

constantly. The readers are insistent: "What are they doing?" "What did you see?"
and "What happened?"
To tell a story, a sentence needs a subject, a verb and a direct object. News photos
need the same construction. Photojournalists tell stories with their images. Also,
words are always used in conjunction with photojournalist's images.
The words below a photo are called a cutline. One has to write the cutlines that go
with most of my images. At many newspapers, photographers provide names and
nothing else. They don't write cutlines because they sometimes can't write a lead
for a story. To be a photojournalist, we must understand the relationship between
the image and these basic elements of language.
The girl hits or misses the ball.
There are no other options. The girl is easy to photograph. The ball is easy to
photograph. The verb is the hard part.
As a servant of the citizens, it's the photojournalist's OBLIGATION to capture the

entire sentence involved in EVERY event. There are no excuses. It's hit or missed.
Some photographers don't care. They have a picture of the bat. "Hey, that's what
tried to hit the ball." They just don't get it.
A photojournalist is a visual reporter of facts. The public places trust in its

reporters to tell the truth. The same trust is extended to photojournalists as visual
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reporters. This responsibility is paramount to a photojournalist. At all times, we

have many thousands of people seeing through our eyes and expecting to see the
truth. Most people immediately understand an image.
In today's world of grocery store tabloids and digital manipulation of images,

the photojournalist must still tell the truth. The photojournalist constantly hunts
for the images or verbs, which tell of the day -to-day struggles and
accomplishments of his community. These occurrences happen naturally. There is
no need to "set up" reality. There is no need to lie to a community that bestows its
trust.
The photojournalist simply wants to hang around, be forgotten and wait for the
right moment. Then, the hunt begins anew. Like the police officer or firefighter,
the photojournalist's concern is his community even if that means sacrificing
comfort or life. Many photojournalists die every year in the process of collecting
visual information, which lets the public know of atrocities, dangers and the
mundane.
6.3. What makes a photojournalist different from a photographer?
Photographers take pictures of nouns people, places and things. Photojournalists

shoot action verbs "kicks," "ex plodes," "cries," etc.. Photojournalists do shoot
some nouns. These nouns can be standard photos of people portraits, places
proposed zoning areas or construction sites and things name it. However, the
nouns we seek still must tell a story.
Assignments and image holes
Assignments are honored on a first-come basis with exceptions. Once a section has
its initial image quota, priority shifts to another section until each section is "safe."
Then additional images are collected for future issues. Primarily, editorial news
judgment is applied to image priority murder is more important than other planned
occurrences. However, unlike text -based reporters, visual reporters must be on
location when events occur. Therefore, events with flexible times fall lower on a
fixed priority scale, but have a greater overall editorial priority and may bump
other items under time restrictions.
Additionally, anything with front page potential usually has priority over section
front and inside images.
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In a newspaper, the loose shooting priorities may be as follows:

 Breaking news murders, hostages, natural disasters, major wrecks, etc.
 General news funerals, courts, perp walks, dignitary visits, etc.
 Photo essays
 Major feature events
 Sporting events
 Festivals
 Educational events
 Feature photos
 Advertising non -spec.
 Illustrations
 Mug shots
 Spec. items
 "Photo ops" and other garbage to make a singular reader happy.
Consequently, additional enthusiasm and effort goes toward potentially
competitive images more than non-competitive images.
Photography is the process of making pictures by means of capturing light on a

light-sensitive medium, such as a sensor or film. Light patterns reflected or emitted
from objects are recorded onto a sensitive medium or storage chip through a timed
exposure. The most common process is done through mechanical, chemical or
digital devices known as cameras.
The word comes from the Greek words phos "light", and graphis "stylus",
"paintbrush" or "re presentation by means of lines" or "drawing", together
meaning "drawing with light." Traditionally the product of photography has been
called a photograph. The term photo is an abbreviation; many people also call them
pictures. In digital photography, the term image has begun to replace photograph
the term image is traditional in geometric optics.
6.4. Uses of Photography
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Photography gained the interest of many scientists and artists from its inception.
Scientists have used photography to record and study movements, such as
Eadweard Muybridge's study of human and animal locomotion in 1887. Artists are
equally interested by these aspects but also try to explore avenues other than the
photo-mechanical representation of reality, such as the pictorialist movement.
Military, police and security forces use photography for surveillance, recognition
and data storage. Photography is used to preserve memories of favorites and as a
source of entertainment.
In its simplest definition, a composition is a combination, or arrangement, of

elements. A photographic composition is the arrangement of visual elements and
as such is the product of a photographer's vision and their skill in seeing,
identifying, arranging, and framing the finished image. This is a clearly distinct
skill from those necessary to successfully operate a camera or calculate exposure.
In general, good pictures result from careful attention to some basic elements of
composition, together with appropriate lighting and an interesting subject. There is,
however, no "right" way to take a picture. Three photographers recording the same
scene may create equally appealing photographs with entirely different
composition.
Photography is practiced on a professional level for portraiture and for various

commercial and industrial applications, including the preparation of photographs
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for advertising, illustration, display, and record-keeping. Press photography is for

newspaper and magazine illustrations of topical events and objects. Photography is
used at several levels in the graphic arts to convert original photographs or other
illustrations into printing plates for high-quality reproduction in quantity. Industrial
photography includes the generation and reproduction of engineering drawings,
high-speed photography, and many other forms of technical photography, which
can aid in the development, design, and manufacture of various products. Aerial
photography is used for military investigation and mapping, civilian mapping,
urban and highway planning, and surveys of material resources. Biomedical
photography is used to reveal or record biological structures, often of significance
in medical research, diagnosis, or treatment. Photography is widely applied to
preparing projection slides and other displays for teaching through visual
education.
Photography is one of the most important tools in scientific and technical fields. It
extends the range of vision, allowing records to be made of things or events which
are difficult or impossible to see because they are too faint, too brief, too small, or
too distant, or associated with radiation to which the eye is insensitive. Technical
photographs can be studied at leisure, measured, and stored for reference or
security. The acquisition and interpretation of images in scientific and technical
photography usually requires direct participation by the scientist or skilled
technicians.
6.4.1 Elements of Photography
Photography gained the interest of many scientists and artists from its inception.
Scientists have used photography to record and study movements, such as
Eadweard Muybridge's study of human and animal locomotion in 1887. Artists are
equally interested by these aspects but also try to explore avenues other than the
photo-mechanical representation of reality, such as the pictorialist movement.
Military, police and security forces use photography for surveillance, recognition
and data storage. Photography is used to preserve memories of favorites and as a
source of entertainment.
In its simplest definition, a composition is a combination, or arrangement, of

elements. A photographic composition is the arrangement of visual elements and
as such is the product of a photographer's vision and their skill in seeing,
identifying, arranging, and framing the finished image. This is a clearly distinct
skill from those necessary to successfully operate a camera or calculate exposure.
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In general, good pictures result from careful attention to some basic elements of
composition, together with appropriate lighting and an interesting subject. There is,
however, no "right" way to take a picture. Three photographers recording the same
scene may create equally appealing photographs with entirely different
composition.
6.4.2. Point of Interest
Identify a primary point of interest before taking the picture. When you’ve
determined which area is the most important to you, you can compose to
emphasize it. Studying advertising photographs is a good way to get acquainted
with emphasis in composition.
Simplicity
Be sure that only the things you want the viewer to see appear in the picture. If
there are numerous objects cluttering up the background, your message will be
lost. If you can’t find an angle or framing to isolate your subject, consider using
depth of field control to keep the background out of focus.
Contrast
A light subject will have more impact if placed against a dark background and vice
versa. Contrasting colors may be used for emphasis, but can become distracting if
not considered carefully.
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Balance
Generally, asymmetric or informal balance is considered more pleasing in a
photograph than symmetric formal balance. In other words, placing the main
subject off-center and balancing the "weight" with other objects smaller or lower
impact will be more effective than placing the subject in the center.
Framing
A "frame" in a photograph is something in the foreground that leads you into the
picture or gives you a sense of where the viewer is. For example, a branch and
some leaves framing a shot of rolling hills and a valley, or the edge of an imposing
rock face leading into a shot of a canyon. Framing can usually improve a picture.
The "frame" doesn’t need to be sharply focused. In fact if it is too sharply detailed,
it could be a distraction.
Viewpoint
You can often change a picture dramatically by moving the camera up or down or,
stepping to one side. One of the best ways to come up with a prize-winning
photograph is to find an "unusual" point of view.
Direction of Movement
When the subject is capable of movement, such as an animal or person, it is best to
leave space in front of the subject so it appears to be moving into, rather than out
of, the photograph.
Diagonals
Linear elements such as roads, waterways, and fences placed diagonally are
generally perceived as more dynamic than horizontals.
Rule of Thirds
Last, but not least, is something called the "rule of thirds." This is a principle
taught in graphic design and photography and is based on the theory that the eye
goes naturally to a point about two-thirds up the page. Also, by visually dividing
the image into thirds either vertically or horizontally you achieve the informal or
asymmetric balance mentioned above.
Although there are many ways a photograph can be composed effectively by

basing it on the use of "thirds," the most common example is the placement of the
horizon line in landscape photography. If the area of interest is land or water, the
horizon line will usually be two-thirds up from the bottom. On the other hand, if
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the sky is the area of emphasis, the horizon line may be one-third up from the
bottom, leaving the sky to occupy the top two-thirds.
6.5. Role of Visualizations
It has been said that a really good photographer can make a picture with a pinhole
camera made from a shoe box. Currently, a good photographer can make a good
image of anything that he can see. But seeing requires an "eye." One has to "see"
the picture before the shutter is released. Not everyone sees the subject in the same
way, and not everyone can see the picture. But most people can learn to "see"
through training and experience. It is a slow process that has its own reward.
The point in "seeing" is well illustrated when we come upon an interesting subject.
The immediate reaction is to make several exposures on the spot. But it is far better
to pause and examine the subject from different points of view, from different
angles, and to walk around it if it is not too big or at least to view it over 180
degrees.
Observe the lighting as you change positions; observe the foreground, the
background, and the composition. Use a punched out ready mount for framing, and
by moving it back and forth you will know how long a lens you need. This is
where the zoom lens is better since you can fill the frame exactly without moving.
Then, with the camera on a tripod, make your exposure. Do not hand hold; the best
lens will not produce a critically sharp image if there is the slightest movement of
the camera.
How many slides of the same subject do you need? Two or three at the most if they
are intended for competition. It is quality, not quantity that counts. The latter is a
waste of film. It has been heard about people bragging that they shot 60 rolls of
film on a 12-day trip. That is five rolls per day, 180 exposures. Certainly there
were not 180 subjects; so many shots had to be made of each subject. It is true that
we are often advised to take lots of film, twice as much as we think we need. But
that does not mean that we should use all of it. It is simply insurance that we do not
run out of film.
Bracketing is good insurance for the best results in difficult lighting situations, but
hardly necessary for everything. However, it is good photography to make more
than one shot of a subject from different angles and at different image sizes with a
zoom lens.
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What about indoor workshops and home setups where the photographer has
complete control over everything? Visualization plays an important part in still
life photography as well. We usually visualize the image before setting up the
subject and photographing it. Many great photographs have been made this way.
Another technique is to create a subject from workshop materials.
Visualization means to form a mental image. Please note that there is no such
word as pre-visualization. When you have complete control there is no need to
bracket exposures. To do so shows uncertainty of technique.
The art of seeing extends also to competition, both in the camera club and in other
competitions, including international exhibitions, where some judges are long on
"rules" and short on creativity; long on triteness; short on constructive criticism
and weak on aesthetics. Have you heard a judge say "I don't know what this is"
when an abstract, creative image appears on the screen, such as crystals? He/she is
at a loss for words. At least the judge could comment on compositional elements
such as line, color and mass. New concepts appear from time to time and represent
progress. We must be on the alert for them and be objective and free from bias.
Cameras at the top of the line are expensive precision instruments for both
advanced amateur and professional photographers. Such cameras should not be
bought for status symbols. When all is said and done about photography, precision
cameras are still only sophisticated tools. Less expensive cameras can produce
equally good photographs for the average worker. A skillful, creative and
aesthetic person is required in order to utilize the camera's features to full
advantage. Simply pointing and shooting, letting the camera do the rest
automatically often does not produce prize winning images. The camera does not
think, but is the tool of the thinking photographer who can formulate in his/her
mind a superior image.
Photography is a language. Like the written or spoken word, photography has its
own vocabulary and its own grammar. Photography might be called an art of
selection. A photographer works with a vocabulary made up of the visual elements
that exist all around us. Anything we see can be a visual element.
The grammar of photography is the order in which visual elements are selected,
isolated, related to other elements, or otherwise emphasized in a photograph. The
choice and arrangement of visual elements are techniques a photographer uses to
communicate an idea.
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6.6. Photo Editing in newspaper
Photo editing is an art and craft for effective communication with the help of
journalistic photographs by selection, cropping, enlarging blowing up, reducing,
sizing, retouching, reproduction, insetting, grouping, clubbing, etc for appeal
presentation.
Selection: selection of a photo is an extremely important job, as the valuable space

available in the newspaper should in no way, be wasted. The selected photograph
should be able to depict a scene and to follow the old slogan that ‘a picture speaks
more than a thousand words’. If the picture provided by the photographer, provides
nothing to the understanding of the reader, it should be rejected.
In some pictures, the emotions are very well captured by the photographer and in
some both the pictures and words will provide perfect combination. A creative and
capable picture editor, experienced in visual communication, provides necessary
guidance for successful use of pictures. Small and local newspapers usually turn to
the photographer for advice, but mostly it is the news editor or copy editor who
makes the decision.
Selection procedure may differ from newspaper to newspaper. Some allow the
photographer to make the decision of selecting the photos and the pictures
submitted by him/her are considered for publication. Some newspaper work
closely both with the photo editor and the photographer to make the best
selections.
Cropping: this process involves the cutting of the unwanted part of a photograph.
Earlier the photographs provided by the photographers were either selected or
completely rejected but these days a photographer has the tools to select the
relevant content of a photo while the rest is cropped off.
Enlarging: also called as blowing up, involves the procedure of enlarging a

photograph. Some photos are very small in size, but of great relevance and value to
the news story. Such photos need to be enlarged or blown-up.
Reducing: it’s just the opposite of enlarging. Both the newspapers and the
magazines run into space crisis and at these times some photographs needs to be
reduced in size so as to be accommodated on the page. Reducing will mostly
depend on the relevance, importance and degree of news value.
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Sizing: the sizing of a picture should be preferably determined by the value of the
photograph and not by the space available. Many a times, the newspaper editor
tries to reduce a photograph to fit a space and destroy the impact of the photo in the
process. It is obvious that a photograph of about 10 people will be ineffective in a
two-column photo and thus this photo will need at least three columns.
The biggest danger while sizing a photo is to make it appear too small. A skillful
and rational photo editor will opt for a three-column photo if given a choice
between two columns and three-column space.
Sizing of any picture is very significant job, but sizing of pictures on multi-
photograph packages is especially significant. In such packages, one photograph
should be dominant. These multiple pictures allow the photo editor a lot of
flexibility that may not be available in single-photo situations. Dramatic size
contrast is an effective device to use in multi-picture packages. A photo editor
trained in visual communication understands the usefulness of reversing normal
sizing patterns for added impact.
Retouching: it is a process of toning down or eliminating extraneous distractions

within the frame. Retouching can improve some pictures. It can be accomplished
with an airbrush, an instrument that applies a liquid pigment to a surface by means
of compressed air. Retouching can also be done by brushing on a retouching liquid
or paste or by using retouching pencils of varying colours.
Retouching should be done so minutely and meticulously that the meaning and
content of the picture are not changed. Retouching a picture to change its meaning
is unethical as changing a direct quotation to alter the meaning of a speech.
Reproduction: there are four main mechanical processes of reproduction. These

processes are 1 metal engraining 2 plastic plates 3 screened positives 4
windows and photo negatives.
Insetting: insetting is an innovative and creative way of photojournalism. For

example, there was some fatal incident at a particular city. The people affected by
the incident are shown in the picture. At the same time, a map of the city is inserted
in the picture indicating where that particular city is located in the country.
Grouping: when two or three or even more photographs are joined without
overlapping one another, the process is called grouping.
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Clubbing: clubbing is a very creative, imaginative and innovative way with a

sense of graphics. The photojournalist moves through four steps in handling a
story:
 Idea generation
 Planning
 Observation
 Writing captions
The photojournalist develops an idea or concept, decides on the appropriate lenses,

speed and aperture and selects locations from where to shoot; decides when to
shoot, and then does the darkroom work that will enhance to story. For a feature,
the photojournalist moves carefully and deliberately through these stages on a
breaking news event, the thinking and the decisions come quickly and
instinctively.
If the camera does not tell the truth, skepticism about the media arises in the minds
of readers. A picture may be striking and it may be narrative. But if it conveys a
false or distorted impression it would be better left unpublished. Picture editors
usually will select the picture showing the figures more favorably.
6.7. INDIA'S TOP PHOTO JOURNALISTS
Pablo Bartholomew born 1955 is an award -

winning Indian photojournalist.
Pablo
Bartholomew is an independent photographer
based in New Delhi, India. He is noted for his
photography, as an educator running
photography workshops, and as manager of a
software company specializing in photo
database solutions and server-based digital
archiving systems like Net photograph.
Represented by Gamma Liaison for over 20 years, he worked as

a photojournalist recording societies in conflict and transition. His works have
been published in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, Business Week, National
Geographic and GEO, amongst other prestigious magazines and journals.
Bartholomew then began photographing people in transition in different parts of
the world.
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He has held a number of fellowships, including one from the Asian Cultural
Council, New York 1991, to photograph Indian immigrants in the USA, and one
from the Institute of Comparative Studies in Human Culture, Norway 1995, to
photograph the Naga tribes in India. Between 2001 and 2003 he ran a photography
workshop for emerging photographers in India with the support of the World Press
Photo Foundation in Amsterdam. Among his photo essays are "The Chinese in
Calcutta," "The Indians in America," and "The Naga Tribes of Northeast India".
Pablo Bartholomew at the age of 19 won the World Press Photo award for his
series on Morphine Addicts in India 1975 and the World Press Photo of the
Year for the Bhopal Gas Tragedy1984.
Some pictures from ‘Morphine Addicts in India’ 1975)
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108
N. Thiagarajan 1933 - 2008 was an

Indian photojournalist and photographer who described himself as "a pictorial
photojournalist."From 2002 to 2004 he was a member of the Press Council of India
but it was in the field, as a practicing photojournalist, and later as photo-editor, that
N. Thiagarajan made his name.
For many years he worked for The Hindustan Times but spent time at The Hindu,
Sport and Pastime and the Times of India."I have always said that
a photojournalist or a journalist should be committed to journalism, but should not
be a ‘committed journalist’. Like many embedded war photographers or
correspondents,” he said, famously.
His big break came in 1955 with the visit to India of the Soviet leadership, Nikita
Khrushchev and his Prime Minister Nikolai Bulganin. He went on to photograph
many of the great names of world politics, including Fidel Castro, Indira
Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. His coverage of the 1971 war, in Bangladesh, where
Kishore Parekh and Raghu Rai were also active, and the Bhopal gas tragedy are
widely remembered.
He also wanted to move away from portraying India in a negative manner, as a

land of beggars and snake charmers. "I want to show that real India exists far away
from all of this. The rich cultural heritage and the diversity of the country is what I
wanted to portray in my images," he said. His legacy is his body of work, family
and the Academy of Visual Media, which promotes photography and art.
Altaf Qadri born in Srinagar, the summer capital of Kashmir, is an

outstanding photojournalist of his generation. Altaf studied science at Kashmir
University and began his working life as an engineer before he
took photography as a profession. It was not long before Altaf gained his first
freelance assignment and, in 2001, he became a staff photographer on a local
newspaper. In 2003, he joined the "European Press photo Agency", for which he
provided extensive coverage of the conflict in Kashmir till May 2008 and joined
"The Associated Press" in September 2008. His photographs and stories from
events in Kashmir have appeared in newspapers around the globe
including Time, The Guardian, New York Times, International Herald
Tribune, Washington Post and The Times among others. He has had many
exhibitions in several cities like, Los Angeles, Washington DC, San Francisco,
New Mexico, Cambodia, Houston, New York, Beijing, France, New Delhi and
Mumbai.
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 Winner of First place in General News Story category in India Press Photo
Contest 2008 by The Indian Express Ramnath Goenka Foundation
 Winner of the All Roads Photography Program by National Geographic
Society for the year 2007.
 His photo story titled Kashmir: Paradise in Pain won the bronze prize in the
War & Disaster News category in the China International Press Photo
CHIPP) Contest 2007.
 First Prize in "One Weeks Work" category by Pictures of the
Year International POYi 2007.
 His picture of Kashmir village children playing cricket gave him the First
prize in Sports Action and Feature category in the ‘India Press Photo 2006
by The Indian Express Ramnath Goenka Foundation.
 Outstanding Award in Spot News at the 2nd China International Press Photo
Contest CHIPP) 2006.
 Outstanding Award in General News at the 2nd China International Press
Photo Contest CHI PP) 2006.
Raghu Rai born 1942 is an Indian photographer and photojournalist. Rai became
a photographer in 1965, and a year later joined the staff of The Statesman, a New
Delhi publication. In 1976, he left the paper and became a freelance photographer.
From 1982 up until 1992, Rai was the director of photography for India Today. He
has served on the jury for World Press Photo three times.
Raghu Rai took up photography in 1965, and the following year joined "The
Statesman" newspaper as its chief photographer. Rai left "The Statesman" in 1976
to work as picture editor for "Sunday," a weekly news magazine published in
Calcutta. Impressed by an exhibit of his work in Paris in 1971, Henri Cartier-
Bresson nominated Rai to join Magnum Photos in 1977. Rai left "Sunday" in 1980
and worked as Picture Editor/Visualizer/Photographer of "India Today", India’s
leading news magazine, during its formative years. From 1982 to 1991, he worked
on special issues and designs, contributing trailblazing picture essays on social,
political and cultural themes, many of which became the talking point of the
magazine.
Rai has specialized in extensive coverage of India. He has produced more than 18
books, including Raghu Rai’s Delhi, The Sikhs, Calcutta, Khajuraho, Taj Mahal,
Tibet in Exile, India, and Mother Teresa. His photo essays have appeared in many
of the world’s leading magazines and newspapers including Time, Life, GEO, The
New York Times, Sunday Times, Newsweek, The Independent, and the New Yorker.
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For Greenpeace, he has completed an in-depth documentary project on the

chemical disaster at Bhopal in 1984, and on its ongoing effects on the lives of gas
victims. This work resulted in a book and three exhibitions that have been touring
Europe, America, India and Southeast Asia since 2004, the 20th anniversary of the
disaster. Rai hopes that the exhibition can support the many survivors through
creating greater awareness, both about the tragedy, and about the victims – many
who are still uncompensated – who continue to live in the contaminated
environment around Bhopal. He has served three times on the jury of the World
Press Photo and twice on the jury of UNESCO's International Photo Contest.
Awards:-
 Padmashree’ in 1971
 National Geographic cover story “Human Management of Wildlife in India”
won him widespread critical acclaim for the piece. 1992
 Photographer of the Year from USA 1992
Subhash Sharma is an award winning freelance photographer based

in Mumbai, India contributing to various publications, specializing in humanistic
and documentary photography. His photographs are regularly published in
photographic journals, illustrative books and magazines like TIME
magazine USA, Nikkei Japan, Venerdi Italy, The Globe and Mail Canada, Quebec
Science, IEEE Spectrum USA, Courier International Paris, The National
Newspaper Abu Dhabi, Hindustan Times, Marwar magazine, G2
magazine, ROUGH Travel Guide to India etc. To capture the Magic of everyday
life, the day to day existence of ordinary unimportant people who despite
their hardships face life with utmost dignity and courage, photographing them in
their daily environment and circumstances is what gives him the utmost joy and
fulfillment.
A mechanical engineer by qualification, he discovered photography at an early age.

While he was studying for his M.B.A. degree, he realized that his creative self was
not at all satisfied. He then left the course to give all his time to his love for
photography, which is now his passion.
His first book titled “Digital Glimpses of India” was also widely received and
appreciated. His next book “The Land of The Holymen “is currently under print
and explores the lifestyle of the Naga Sadhus Naked saints Of India. A sensitive
artist, Subhash Sharma is not only inspired by the works of photographers but
also painters, poets, ancient Indian art and philosophy, and filmmakers.” There are
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always many sources of inspiration for the one who wants to create. It is just a
matter of sensing it and reacting to It.” he says.
Awards-
 2008: 1st prize INDIAN PRESS PHOTO AWARD, sports feature story
category.
 2006: 1st prize HUMANITY PHOTO AWARD, CHINA, traditional sports
Category sponsored by UNESCO.
 2005: 2nd place in the United Nations, Switzerland WHO ICF International
Photo Contest themed
Other India’s Photojournalists

• Ramnath Goenka IPP Picture of the Year Award 2006: Vipin Pawar DNA
• Spot News Single) Amit Dave Reuters
• General News Single) Aziz Bhutta Rajasthan Patrika
• General News Picture Story Rafiq Maqbool Associated Press
• Sports Action Feature Single) Altaf Qadri European Press Photo Agency
• People in the News Single) Prashant Nadkar The Indian Express
• People in the News Story Yasin Dar, freelancer
• Nature and Environment, Single) Ashima Narain, freelancer
• Daily Life Single) Manish Swarup, Associated Press
• Daily Life Story Sohrab Hura, freelancer
• Arts and Entertainment Single) Mahendra Parikh, The Indian Express
• Contemporary Issue Single) Arvind Jain The Week
• Contemporary Issue Story Samkit S hah freelancer
6.8. Cartooning
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. Much of this work is

humorous, intended primarily for entertainment purposes. Many print cartoons are
of the single-panel variety and are published in print media of various kinds.
Cartoonists may work in many different formats: single-panel gag
cartoons, editorial cartoons, comic strips, comic books, graphic novels
or animation. A cartoonist traditionally developed rough sketches into finished
pencil drawings and then, for reproduction purposes, completed the artwork in
black ink, using either a brush or a metal-nibbed pen. Today, cartoonists
increasingly work in digital media.
Cartooning that is an art which was introduced in India by the British, and has
come a long way. Today, cartooning is an integral part of every newspaper. A
cartoonist has to be alert and sensitive.
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While photojournalists in India once saw their job as a source of livelihood, today
they understand their social, political and moral responsibilities as professional
lens men.
However, the Indian photojournalism scenario has been plagued by lack of

opportunity to showcase and recognize talent, lack of motivation and international
exposure.
With the credibility of the media challenged time and again, we are still able to
identify brave men and women who continue to report events as they are. Cartoons
were very much needed in a healthy democracy and politicians should also
welcome then so that hey could correct their functioning.
India’s top Cartoonists
Mario De Miranda:
Mario, who has held exhibitions in several cities of the world, does not limit
himself to cartooning. His sketches and drawings have graced the books of Dom
Moraes, Kushwant Singh, Manohar Malgoankar and Ruskin Bond. He has also
illustrated children's books for India Book House. His drawings on Bombay,
Mysore and Bangalore, are well known.
S. D. Phadnis:
He is from a rare species of cartoonists who have not done political cartooning,
"The Visual Experience offered by society is rich and universal and I enjoy it more
than any thing else," His cartoons have a stylized grace and gentle humor is
presented with finesse. Phadnis is a rarity; some of his best cartoons don't have
captions. That way he cuts language barriers.
C. J. Yesudasan
He drew his first cartoons for Janayugom, the communist party organ, in 1960 and
three years later joined the Shanker's weekly He has won about a dozen of awards
including The Cartoonist of The Year Award of National Film Academy in 1998,
Millennium Award for Best Cartoonist 2000 and Cartoonist of The Decade Award
from the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam.
Pran:
It was in 1960s that young Pran thought of creating Indian comics having our own
characters and based on local themes. Thus came into life adventurous teenage boy
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Daabu and Prof. Adhikari. But the character that made Pran popular was Chacha
Chaudhary.
Chacha Chaudhary is one of the most famous Indian comic characters. He was created by
Pran Kumar Sharma in 1969 though he first appeared in the Hindi
comic magazine “LotPot” in 1971. His first comic was “Chacha Chaudhary and the Pocket
Thief”. Chacha means uncle in Hindi. From then on he has come a long way selling almost
ten million copies and being published in ten different Indian languages.
Chacha Chaudhary is portrayed as a middle class, old man. Physically he is not strong but
his strength lies in his brain. He is always shown as holding a stick and wearing a red
turban. His family includes his wife, Bini, more famously known simply as Chachi Hindi
for aunt. His companions include Rocket, who is a street dog and Sabu who is a giant from
the planet Jupiter. Sabu decided to stay permanently on Earth after tasting delicious food
made by Chachi’s hands. When need arises Sabu helps Chacha Ji with his physical
strength. Chacha Chaudhary is remarkably different from other superheroes whether
Indian or foreign that he does not have a single superpower to his credit except of course
his mind about which it is said that “Chacha Ji’s brain is sharper than a needle and works
faster than a supercomputer”. Chacha Ji has solved more than eighty cases till now, most of
them involving around supernatural or scientific threats. He has a red convertible as his
car.
Bapu: His main achievements are the production of an illustrated book of

Ramayana for children, one-man art show at National Film Theater in London
1978 and over 250 one -man shows throughout Andhra Pradesh.
Gopulu: Sri Gopulu joined Ananda Vikatan in 1945 under the leadership and
inspiration of the great master Sri. Mali. Gopulu started to draw journalists’
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illustrations, cartoons, caricatures, and jokes etc. that are part and parcel of Tamil
Journalism.
R. K. Laxman: Childhood, for R.K. Laxman, was a happy series of doodles in a

large family, and he practiced with chalk on the floors of his house. When he learnt
to wield a pen and pencil comfortably, he began to generously supply beards,
moustaches and shaggy eyebrows to photographs or sketches, which appeared in
books and magazines. Awards and accolades have been showered on Laxman: The
Padma Bhushan, Ramon Magsaysay award, numerous doctorates.
Cartoon by R.K. Laxman
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GLOSSARY OF JOURNALISM TERMS
1. ABC: Audit Bureau of Circulation, which has the task of certifying, audited
statistics on the circulation of a publication. This is highly respected
watchdog body.
2. Add: additions of any kind to news story. If copy sent down to the printing
has to be supplemented by additional material, this is done by marking the
news copy with the connotation ‘add to’
3. AP: Associated press
4. Assignment: A particular job given to reporters by editors. Sometimes
reporters suggest their own assignments, but they must get an editor's
approval before beginning work.
5. Advertisement: A public notice or announcement usually paid for, about
things for sale.
6. Angle: To give a specific aspect, bias, or point of view to a story or report.
7. Article: A complete piece of writing on a single subject; it is nonfiction.
8. Attribute - to write the name of source of your information when using a
quote, of book, or a part of any copyrighted work.
9. Banner: A headline stretching across all the columns on the top of the front
page.
10.Beat: The exclusive territory assigned to reporter or a series of places visited
by a reporter to gather news.
11.Body: Part of a story that follows the lead. Also the name of the type in
which regular newspaper reading matter is set.
12.Bleed: When an illustration of photograph runs bleed into the edge of the
page. Instruction given to printer to follow this direction.
13.Blurb: Publicity material.
14.Broadcast - communicating near and far using radio and television.
15.Byline: A line between the headline and the article, telling who wrote the
article.
16.Caption: The copy what is written underneath a photograph
17.Caps: Capital letters
18.Closed question - This type of question doesn't help an interviewee to open
up! Closed questions usually prompt a person to answer with simple "yes" or
"no". But keep in mind that they can be the right questions to ask at certain
points in an interview. They help you pin down important information and
get a definite answer.
19.Clip - a segment of audio or videotape that's included in a story that is
broadcast on radio or television or on the Web.
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20.Copy - material for a newspaper or magazine article.

21.Copy Desk: Where copy is edited, cut and headlined.
22.Correspondent: A reported who is out of town on duty, who corresponds
with his head office
23.Cover: Covering an event, that is, reporting it in full
24.Credit line: To name the source of a picture, illustration, photograph, giving
credit to the person responsible
25.Cartoon or Comic Strip: A drawing, as in a newspaper, caricaturing or
symbolizing, often satirically, some event, situation, or person of interest. Or
a humorous drawing, often with a caption.
26.Column: An article that appears regularly. It is written by one writer or
about a special subject.
27.Communications: A giving or exchanging of information, signals, or
messages by talk, gestures, writing, etc. Or a system for sending and
receiving messages, as by telephone, radio, etc.
28.Crop: Cutting out nonessential parts of a photograph to sharpen the visual
impact
29.Cut line - sentences at the bottom of a photo that describe what happened in
it, which usually relate to a story. Also called a caption.
30.Dateline: The place-names at the beginning of a story that tell the reader
where the story occurred. A dateline includes the name of a city or town, and
sometimes the country. Before high-speed transmission of data, it also
included the date, which is why it is called a "dateline."
31.Deadline: A time given to a reporter by which he/she must turn in a story.
32.Desk: The sub editor’s desk
33.Download - to take files from another computer or server for use on your
own.
34.Drop: Used to indicate that a letter should be in larger type, it is the first
letter in the first paragraph of a story and is set thus for purpose of effective
display
35.Draft - Most journalists will write a draft of an article before submitting it.
After completing this draft, they will edit their own work for content and
mistakes before submitting it to the editor.
36.Dummy: A drawing usually freehand, outlining the position of news stories
on a page, along with advertisements and illustrations
37.Editor: A journalist who works closely with reporters, giving out
assignments and deadlines and helping them craft their stories.
38.Edition: Remake or revision of some of the pages of a newspaper
39.Editing - the process of reviewing a news story, revising the writing and
checking it for mistakes before it is published or broadcast.
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40.Editorial: A column written by the editor that expresses his or her opinion
about a particular subject of interest
41.Embargo: Mandatory deadline for the release of a story
42.Encoding videos - the process of changing video camera footage into digital
footage, which can be read and displayed by a computer. i.e. —Real Video
material
43.Ethics in Journalism: The code of morals that journalists are supposed to
uphold. These include a commitment to revealing the truth, objectively and
without being influenced by self-interest, maintaining the secrecy of sources,
and attributing what is said to the appropriate source.
44.Exclusive: A story that is not carried by any other newspaper on a particular
day, a scoop
45."Execution at Dawn" - These are groups of people lined up against the
wall to be shot with a camera of course)! For large groups, cut lines end up
being long lists of people from ‘left to right'.
46.Feature: A carefully researched article, that explains, interprets and/or
provides background or tells of interesting, unusual occurrences that interest
the reader. Feature stories sometimes have emotional, personal, and/or
humorous slants.
47.Filler: Small items used to fill out columns where needed
48.Flush: Set copy without para indenting
49.Feature: A feature takes an in-depth look at what's going on behind the
news. It gets into the lives of people. It tries to explain why and how a trend
developed. Unlike news, a feature does not have to be tied to a current event
or a breaking story. But it can grow out of something that's reported in the
news.
50.FTP - File Transfer Protocol this is a program used to upload files and
WebPages from a personal computer to a server. After an individual creates
a website, they must upload transfer) this page to a server so that it can be
viewed by others.
51.Headline: The title of the article or column.
52.HTML - Hyper Text Markup Language HTML is the lingua franca for
publishing hypertext on the World Wide Web. It is a non-proprietary format,
based upon SGML and can be created and processed in a wide range of tools
from simple plain text editors to sophisticated authoring tools. HTML uses
tags like <h1> and </h1> to structure text into headings, paragraphs, lists,
hypertext links and more.
53.Hyperlinks - The text you find on a Web site, which can be "clicked on"
with a mouse, which in turn will take you to another Web page or a different
area of the same Web page. Hyperlinks are created or "coded" in HTML.
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They are also used to load multimedia files such as AVI movies and AU
sound files.
54.Hypertext -A system of writing and displaying text that enables the text to
be linked in multiple ways, to be available at several levels of detail, and
to contain links to related documents. It refers to a nonlinear system of
information browsing and retrieval that contains associative links to other
related documents. The World Wide Web uses hypertext transfer protocol
HTTP to provide links to pages and multimedia files.
55.Interview: A meeting in which a person is asked about views, activities; as
by a reporter on a radio or a published account.
56.Investigative Reporting: Reporting that requires a careful search to uncover
facts and determine the truth.
57.Info-bahn - the information super highway info, as in information and
bahn, as in German for highway.
58.*. Jpeg *.gif - These two file extensions are the most common types of
picture files. If you were to scan a picture into a computer yourself, you
would need to convert the file to one of these formats for use on a web page.
59.Journalism: The work of gathering, writing, editing, and publishing or
disseminating news, as through newspapers and magazines or by radio and
television.
60.Journalist: Someone who works in the news gathering business, such as a
photographer, editor or reporter.
61.Layout: The way the newspaper is designed and laid out on the page.
62.Leading questions - These questions try to lead an interviewee in a certain
direction.
63.Lead - the first and most important sentence of the story. It sets up what the
story is going to be about.
64.Loaded words - words that leave people with a distinct and often negative
impression. That can prompt your source to get defensive or to disagree with
your question – and that won't help you get an answer to your question!
65.Mass Media: Those means of communication that reach and influence large
numbers of people, especially newspapers, popular magazines, radio and
television.
66.Morgue: News library, also known as reference section
67.Newsroom: An office where journalists work.
68.Neutral questions - A neutral question is straightforward. It doesn't have
your opinion in it. You aren't assuming you know the answer already. Your
question is clear and gets right to the point. In return, you will probably get
an informative answer.
119
69.News article: It presents, as objectively as possible, the facts about the latest
news events.
70.News brief or News Item : The basic structure for a newspaper article.
71.Objectivity: The state or quality of being without bias or prejudice;
detached, impersonal. The journalist's job is to report the facts, not colored
by his personal opinion; except in the case of opinions or editorials.
72.Obit: Short for obituary, an announcement of a death
73.Opinion: Letters or articles that express the subjective opinion of the writer.
74.Open-ended questions - these questions encourage the person to talk and
share their thoughts and feelings on a subject. It allows them to tell their own
story without much prompting from the reporter.
75.Off the record - this is what people say when they want the information
they tell you to be unmentioned. This means that they don't want their names
or quotes to be said to anyone or printed in your story.
76.On the record - the opposite of "off the record". This means that you are
allowed to use the person's name and quotes for your story.
77.Online journalism - stories that are written specifically for the Web instead
of newspaper, radio, television or magazine. It can include the use of text,
photos, graphics, hypertext, audio and video to tell stories.
78.Photographer: A journalist who takes photos.
79.Pulitzer Prize: Pulitzer Prizes are annual awards for achievements in
American journalism, letters, drama and music. The prizes have been
awarded by Columbia University in New York City since 1917, on the
recommendation of a Pulitzer Prize Board. Fourteen prizes are given in
journalism. The award is named after Joseph Pulitzer, American newspaper
publisher, who endowed the journalism school and the awards.
80.Photography: Each article must be accompanied by an appropriate
photograph and caption. Photographs should be colorful, interesting, clear
and well composed.
81.Pix: Picture
82.Plagiarism: The act of taking ideas and writings from another and passing
them off as one's own.
83.Profile: A short biography of an interesting person. It is usually based on an
interview with the person.
84.Proof Reader: One who reads proofs to make corrections in setting and
sends it back for revision
85.Pack journalism - this refers to large groups of reporters from different
newspapers or broadcasting stations that are all after the same big story. You
usually find mobs of journalists outside courthouses, city halls, or at the
scene of an accident or disaster, to get comments from the important
120
sources. Compare this to a pack of hungry wolves: they're all hunting one
thing, the story, but they're all so hungry that they want to move in to get the
biggest piece for themselves.
86.Photographs "Grip and Grin" - These are photos of people receiving
awards or diplomas, cutting ribbons or passing out cheques. They just do the
‘handshake' pose and smile at the camera.
87.Publish - to produce or release a written work for the public to see or hear.
88.Put to bed: When all pages have been locked up and the press is ready to
print it.
89.Report: An article meant to tell a story and inform.
90.Review: An article that presents a critic's opinion about an artist's work for
example: books, plays, movies, television and dance).
91.Reporter: A journalist who gathers information and writes news stories.
92.Real Video - The format of video files displayed on most Internet sites, such
as SNN.
93.Running Story: A chronological story of an event topped by successive
leads as the news changes
94.Scoop: An advantage gained over competitors by publishing a news item
first. Often, a news item itself is a called a scoop when no one else has that
news item.
95.Source: A person who gives information to a reporter or editor.
96.Survey: It collects the demographic profile of the reader and their opinions
about a subject that has been chosen for study.
97.Subjectivity: The state or quality of being effected by the feelings or
temperament of the subject or person thinking. It is extremely important for
us to teach our students to distinguish between subjective and objective
journalism. Even though it is presented in black and white that does not
mean that it is free from the writer's opinion.
98.Scrum - The gathering of reporters around a person who is important to a
particular story. When a scrum occurs, all the reporters shout questions to
the person in an attempt to further their own story. This situation is much
more informal then a Press Conference.
99.Source -a person, written article, book, song, video or film from which to
get information
100. Search engine: a program used by an Internet browser to look for
specific words and sort them for information.
101. Server - A computer in a network shared by multiple users. The term
may refer to both the hardware and software or just the software that
performs the service. For example, Web server may refer to the Web server
software in a computer that also runs other applications, or, it may refer to a
121
computer system dedicated only to the Web server application. There would
be several dedicated Web servers in a large Web site.
102. Syntax - the way those words are put together to make sentences.
103. Target Audience: Who are the readers of the newspaper? The editors
and journalists must gear themselves towards writing what will interest this
population, in order for the newspaper to be successful.
104. Tail piece: Usually paragraph with finishing touches, a joke at the
end, something added on to enliven a column
105. Upload: to transfer files from your computer to another computer or
server.
106. Wire: A source of information for Journalists. You may have heard a
reporter say that they got their information "off the wire". The wire itself is
an up-to-the-minute source of information for other reporters.
107. Wrap-up questions - help you make sure you have all the
information you need. You can ask your source questions like this to end the
interview and clarify information he has given you during the course of your
conversation.
108. Web cast - a video or audio broadcast that's transmitted over the
World Wide Web.
109. Wire Service: News Agency
110. Yellow Journalism: The use of cheaply sensational or unscrupulous
methods in newspapers to attract and influence the readers. The New York
World of 1895 would print the "Yellow Kid" comic strip in yellow ink to
attract readers.
SUMMARY
The Press is independent of government. Governments are composed of human

beings, and human beings can and do commit wrongs. The press and government
should not become institutional partners. They are natural adversaries with
different functions, and each must respect the role of the other. Sometimes a free
press can be a distinct annoyance and an embarrassment to a particular
government, but that is one of the prices of liberty. A free press is responsible to
its readers and to them alone.
A Reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in

certain types of mass media. Reporters gather their information in a variety of
ways, including tips, press releases, and witnessing events. They perform research
through interviews, public records, and other sources. The information-gathering
part of the job is sometimes called "reporting" as distinct from the production part
122
of the job, such as writing articles. Reporters generally split their time between
working in a newsroom and going out to witness events or interview people.
Fairness is the foundation of good journalism. Fairness and balance is giving both
sides of the picture, while fairness is not taking sides. It also means not providing
support to political parties, institutions, communities or individuals, etc through the
columns of the newspaper. It is the attribute of a professional reporter and the duty
of a sub editor to implement it.
‘Sources of news are everywhere’. A journalist is surrounded by sources of

potential news stories ore features. A conversation with a friend, a poster on a wall,
an unexpected juxtaposition-all might result in a story if you keep your eyes, ears
and mind open. Some sources will be routine points of contact for journalists while
others may be one-offs, some will be proactive, approaching journalists because
they want news access for their views or events, while other sources may not even
be aware that they are sources. A journalist should maintain a contact book having
list of people categorized and carrying vital information.
News report writing always starts with the most important fact. When you report
on a football game, you do not start with the kick-off; you begin with the final
score. A news report has a beginning, middle and an end. News stories in contrast
to this will blurt out something and then explain themselves. News reports are
mostly active rather than in passive voice and are written in concise language.
Paragraphs are short so as to set in newspaper columns. Shorter paragraphs are
more likely to keep the attention of readers. Attribution meaning ‘somebody saying
something’ is used in the news- reports to present a range of views over which the
reporters can appear to remain neutral. Most news reports follow the ‘Kiss and tell’
formula- Kiss standing either for ‘keep it short and simple’ or ‘keep it simple,
stupid.’ Complexity, abstract notions, ambiguity and unanswered questions tend to
be frowned upon and deleted out of news copy.
Every news story has to have a focus, which could be a person or an event. The
story emerges sharper when the focus is clear and blurred when the focus is
unclear. A news story is built on a central idea theme), sometimes on two or
three central ideas. So it is called as single element story or two-element story or
three-element story depending on the number of themes it has. Journalists use
many different kinds of frameworks for organizing stories. Journalists may tell
some stories chronologically. Other stories may read like a good suspense novel
that culminates with the revelation of some dramatic piece of information at the
end. Still other stories will start in the present, then flashback to the past to fill in
123
details important to a fuller understanding of the story. All are good approaches
under particular circumstances.
An article will analyze and interpret and provide arguments and counter-
arguments. An article will go to the root cause of an event or happening and
provide background information. Then it describes the present situation and finally
peeps into the future prospects too. Though it is not necessary that an article will
follow the past-present-future course. An article may start with an insight into the
future and then cover the past and present. It may start with the present situation,
go to the past and then look into the future. Also, it may not be necessary that an
article should always deal with the past or predict the future.
An Editorial is a statement or article by a news organization, newspaper or

magazine that expresses the opinion of the editor, editorial board, or publisher. An
op-ed, abbreviated from opposite editorial due to the tradition of newspapers
placing such materials on the page opposite the editorial page, is similar in form
and content to an editorial, but represents the opinion of an individual contributor,
who is sometimes but not always affiliated with the publication. These two terms
are sometimes used interchangeably by the public, although it is important to
understand that they have different definitions and characteristics.
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism the collecting, editing, and

presenting of news material for publication or broadcast that creates images in
order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images,
and in some cases to video used in broadcast journalism.
QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE
1. What training and qualifications are required to be a news reporter?

2. How to take Notes while reporting?
3. What are the skills required for writing news?
4. What are the newsgathering skills required by a news reporter?
5. What are the various kinds of interviews which a reporter takes while doing
reporting?
6. What are the various beats/kinds of reporting?
7. ‘Headline is window to the news’. Comment.
8. What is the importance of a good lead in a news story?
9. What things should be kept in mind while writing letters to the Editor?
10.Write short notes on:
 Photojournalism
124
 Inverted pyramid style of news writing

 Editorial
 Article
 Cartooning
 Film review
SUGGESTED READING
1. Media and Journalism by J.K. Singh APH Publishing Corporations

2. The Indian Press at the Crossroads by J.P.Chaturvedi Media Research
Associates
3. Journalism by Jayapalan Atlantic Publishers & Distributors
4. Professional Journalism by M.V. Kamath Vikas, New Delhi
5. Professional Journalism by Patanjali Sethi Orient Longman, Mumbai
6. Journalism Editing & Reporting by M.H. Syed Anmol Publication Pvt .
125

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Reporting Techniques & Skills

Study Material for Students

Reporting Techniques & Skills

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN MEDIA WORLD

Mass communication and Journalism is institutionalized and source specific. It

Other titles of Mass Communication and Journalism professionals are script

: Reporting Techniques & Skills

Reporting Techniques & Skills

3. Skills for Writing News: 25-60

4. Types of Reporting: 60-79

Reporting Techniques & Skills

5. Writing the Story: 80- 96

Suggested reading 128

Reporting Techniques & Skills

UNIT 1. The Business of Mass Media & Reporter.

Reporting Techniques & Skills

REPORTING TECHNIQUES & SKILLS

 To understand the techniques of reporting

UNIT 1. THE BUSINESS OF MASS MEDIA & REPORTER

Journalism is not a profession that is founded on starry-eyed optimism. It scorns

Reporting Techniques & Skills

The Press is independent of government. Governments are composed of human

Independence is at the very heart of any statement of ethical principles respecting

Reporting Techniques & Skills

Occasionally, newspapers attempt to justify the acceptance of gifts or services. A

A newspaper has the right to be captious, or partisan, or untruthful, or bigoted, or

Recognition, of the importance of fair and balanced reporting, in which opinions

Reporting Techniques & Skills

A Reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in

Reporters gather their information in a variety of ways, including tips, press

Reporting Techniques & Skills

UNIT 2. GATHERING THE NEWS

2.1. Training & Qualifications to be a Reporter

News analysts, or newscasters or news anchors, harness and interpret news to be

Reporting Techniques & Skills

2.3. Where Reporters work?

Reporting Techniques & Skills

A college degree in journalism is preferred. Some employers hire graduates with

Employment of news analysts, reporters, and correspondents is expected to decline

2.4.Reporting for Newspapers

Reporting Techniques & Skills

Generally the following will interest the reader:

2.5. Taking notes in Reporting is very important!

You must be able to provide evidence of everything you include in an article or

How to Take Notes?

Reporting Techniques & Skills

9. This problem is usually caused by two common weaknesses in note-taking

 Transcribing too much of the original

10. There are two possible solutions to this problem:

Reporting Techniques & Skills

Reporting Techniques & Skills

Every interview has a common problem; how is it to be recorded? The sight of a

Checking, verifying, analyzing & interpreting information is extremely

This one is as difficult, in practice, as accuracy is simple. Fairness is often in the

Ultimately, fairness emerges from a state of mind. We should be aware of what

Reporting Techniques & Skills

Journalists might see themselves as satisfying their professional commitment

 Looking at both sides of a story

Analyzing Quantitative and Qualitative data is often the topic of advanced

 Read through all the data in your news story.

Planning and Conducting Interviews