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Journalistic Reporting&

Editing

Study Material for Students

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Journalistic Reporting & Editing

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN MEDIA WORLD

Mass communication, Advertising and Journalism is institutionalized and sourcespecific. It functions through well-organized professionals and has an everincreasing interlace. Mass media has a global availability and it has converted thewhole world in to a global village. A qualified journalism professional can take up ajob of educating, entertaining, informing, persuading, interpreting, and guiding.Working in print media offers the opportunities to be a news reporter, newspresenter, an editor, a feature writer, a photojournalist, etc. Electronic media offersgreat opportunities of being a news reporter, news editor, newsreader, programmehost, interviewer, cameraman, producer, director, etc.

Other titles of Mass Communication, Advertising and Journalism professionals arescript writer, copy writer, production assistant, technical director, floor manager,lighting director, scenic director, coordinator, creative director, advertiser, mediaplanner, media consultant, public relation officer, counselor, front office executive,event manager and others.





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INTRODUCTION

This book comprise of three units. First unit of this book explains the meaning andsignificance of Journalistic Writing. This unit will differentiate between variousforms of journalistic writing like the editorial, article, feature and news writing.The unit also gives guidelines on writing these journalistic forms.

The second unit will explain the meaning of reporting and further explainsdifferent types of reporting like Crime, courts, health, civil administration, civic,culture, politics, education, business and sport reporting.

Third unit of the book discusses the significance and process of editing. TheSymbols & Usages of various editing and proof reading symbols are also listed inthis unit. The unit further discusses the production steps of the newspaper. Layoutsof different pages in a newspaper are also discussed in this unit.





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INDEX

203 Journalistic reporting & Editing

1 JOURNALISTIC WRITING 6-27

1.1 Introduction1.2 Forms of Journalistic Writing

1.2.1 News Writing1.2.2 Editorial Writing1.2.3 Feature Writing1.2.4 Article Writing

1.3 Summary1.4 Exercises and Questions1.5 Further Reading

2 REPORTING 27-73

2.1 Introduction2.2 Some Tips & Meaning of Reporting2.3 Types of Reporting

2.3.1 Crime Reporting2.3.2 Court Reporting2.3.3 Health Reporting2.3.4 Civic Reporting2.3.5 Political Reporting2.3.6 Business Reporting2.3.7 Science & Technology2.3.8 Sport Reporting2.3.9 Culture Reporting2.3.10 Civil Administration Reporting




: Journalistic Reporting & Editing

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2.3.11 Education Reporting2.3.12 Development Reporting

2.4 Objectivity2.5 Report Writing for all Media

2.5.1 Radio2.5.2 Television2.5.3 Newspaper2.5.4 Magazine2.5.5 Web

2.6 Summary2.7 Exercises and Questions2.8 Further Reading

3 EDITING 73-113

3.1 Introduction3.2 Principles of Editing3.3 Editing & Proofreading3.4 Need & Principles of Editorial Desk3.5 Newspaper Meaning & Production3.6 Newspaper & Magazine3.7 Newspaper Pages3.8 Summary3.9 Exercises and Questions3.10 Further Reading





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SYLLABUS

Journalistic reporting & Editing

Section –1JOURNALISTIC WRITINGMeaningForms News, Editorial, Features, Articles, difference between all formats

Section –2REPORTINGMeaning,Types of ReportingTips on ReportingObjectivityReport writing for all media

Section –3EDITINGMeaning,Symbols & UsagesNeed & Principles of Editorial DeskProof ReadingNewspaper Meaning & its Production StepsDifference between Newspaper and MagazinesPages of Newspaper





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JOURNALISTIC REPORTING & EDITING

UNIT 1- JOURNALISTIC WRITING

Structure

1.0 Unit Objectives1.1 Introduction1.2 Forms of Journalistic Writing

1.2.1 News Writing 1.2.2 Editorial Writing 1.2.3 Feature Writing 1.2.4 Article Writing1.6 Summary1.7 Exercises and Questions1.8 Further Reading

1.0 UNIT OBJECTIVES

To understand the significance of Journalistic writing To discuss the various forms of Journalistic writing To learn the basics of writing an Editorial, Article, News and Feature To understand the difference between various forms of journalistic writing

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Journalistic Writing is closely associated with the practice of reporting the news.Reporting is an art and a craft. Its skills can be taught, learned, and developed as aform of artistic expression. The modern newspaper writing style as a lead-and-summary form. In this form, the news item begins with a round-up of the major factsof the story, and then summarizes subordinate facts arranged in order of decreasingimportance. The final item is often described as a throw-away item because it islowest in importance and is designed to be discarded if necessary to fit the articleinto the news paper, magazine, or journal's physical news space.

For broadcast news, there should be a soft-lead form, that begins with a statementdesigned to give the listener an instant of preparation for stronger phrases that areabout to be presented. Broadcast news writing is typically short, straightforward and





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exceedingly simple in construction. Unlike most written forms, it closely resemblesand is often exactly the same as a typical spoken dialogue: complete with incompletesentences and non-standard grammar.

The difference between the beginning of a lead-and-summary design and a soft leaddesign is ultimately one of perception, and is demonstrated as follows:

The first example places the major attention-grabbing ideas at the beginning theidea of another journey to the moon, followed by a secondary attention -grabbingidea the cost of the project. The second example build s up to the idea of anotherspace journey, and the purpose of the journey, before mentioning the cost.

Example Lead-and-Summary Design:

Humans will be going to the moon again. The NASA announcement came as theagency requested ten gazillion dollars of appropriations for the project. ...

Example Soft-Lead Design:

NASA is proposing another space project. The agency's budget request, announcedtoday, included a plan to send another person to the moon. This time the agencyhopes to establish a long-term facility as a jumping-off point for other spaceadventures. The budget requests approximately ten gazillion dollars for the project.

1.2 FORMS OF JOURNALISTIC WRITING

A Newspaper is a collection of news stories, features, editorials and articles. Anews story provides the typical hard news. It provides information in astraightforward manner. A feature appeals to the emotions. It covers all kinds oftopic and provides the information in an interesting and easy-toread manner. Afeature tries to entertain while informing. Editorial provide the newspaper’s pointof view. Articles, on the other hand, provide the point of view of individualwriters.





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1.2.1 News Writing

As the word implies, news contain much that is new, informing people aboutsomething that has just happened. But this is not happening always as some storiesrun 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 isanything that makes the reader surprised and curious. News is anything that willmake people talk. News is the issue for discussions and debates. Any event, whichaffects most of the people, interest most of the audiences and involves most of thepeople, is news. Thus, news can be called an account of the events written for thepeople who were unable to witness it.

‘News’ is the written, audio, or visual construction of an event or happening or anincident. The news is constantly in search of action, movements, newdevelopments, surprises, and sudden reversals, ups and downs of fate and facts andfollies of the mankind.

On the surface, defining news is a simple task. News is an account of what ishappening around us. It may involve current events, new initiatives or ongoingprojects or issues. But a newspaper does not only print news of the day. It alsoprints background analysis, opinions, and human-interest stories.

Choosing what's news can be harder.

The reporter chooses stories from the flood of information and events happening inthe world and in their community. Stories are normally selected because of theirimportance, emotion, impact, timeliness and interest. Note: all these factors do nothave to coincide in each and every story!

News report writing always starts with the most important fact. When you reporton a football game, you do not start with the kick-off; you begin with the finalscore. A news report has a beginning, middle and an end. News stories in contrastto this will blurt out something and then explain themselves. News reports aremostly active rather than in passive voice and are written in concise language.Paragraphs are short so as to set in newspaper columns. Shorter paragraphs aremore likely to keep the attention of readers. Attribution meaning ‘somebodysaying something’ is used in the news- reports to present a range of views overwhich the reporters can appear to remain neutral.





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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 ofnews copy.

The news reports aim is to meet the requirements of everyday life as lived byeveryday readers. So it largely depends on elements like directness, pace, varietyand information. It aims to state the facts quickly and clearly.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What is the meaning of ‘Attribution’ in news story writing?Q2. What is ‘Kiss and tell’ formula in news report writing?

A news report has three parts:1. The headline2. The first paragraph3. The remainder of the news story

The headline first attracts us. It stands out in bold black type. It message is abruptand often startling. It makes us stop and look. It tells us quickly what the storycovers. Its function is to attract our attention. Though, the headline writing belongsto the copyreader’s province and not to the reporter’s.

The lead remains the primary concern of the news writer. As the present dayreader is the man who both runs and reads, present day newspapers seek tofacilitate his getting the information quickly. The convention has developed oftelling the main facts of a news story in its first lead paragraph. Writing this leadalso involves answering the questions, which would occur to any normal personwhen 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 wouldanswer the questions, ‘What?’ “Fire broke out,” he would write. He would answerthe question, ‘Who?’ and ‘Where?’ by telling whose premises were burnt andgiving their location. He would answer “When” by telling the time the fire brokeout and how long it lasted. ‘Why?”-In this case the cause the usual carelessly





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tossed cigarette butt. The reporter can also answer the ‘How’ in this story inseveral ways by describing the type of fire, or by answering ‘How much’? Here, hewould estimate the probable lost and find out if premises had been covered byinsurance and if so by what amount.

The lead forms the springboard for the reporter’s leap into the story. The journalistshould keep in mind the elements of a good lead as he may flop sadly if the leadturns out to be defective. The best way to gain journalistic facility is to practice thewriting of leads.

The end is the conclusion of the news reports. From the headline and the lead onecomes to the rest of the story. The reporter constructs the model news story afterthis pattern. He selects the most important incident or fact for his lead. Then heproceeds by selecting the next most important incident, fact or detail, the next mostimportant after that, and so on till he reaches least important phase of all. Guidedby his idea of news importance, the story assumes graphically the shape of aninverted pyramid. The end will be at the peak of the inverted pyramid with thefacts or incidents of least value. When writing a news story for an organization youshould 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 ofthe news story.

Thus, the most popular format of news writing is the Inverted Pyramid

All the work of producing a news story is futile if the story does not engage thereader immediately. Writing coaches have identified four key elements that shouldbe present in the first five paragraphs of any news story not necessarily in anyparticular order). They are:

NewsThe newest information: the basic facts of who, what, when, where, why and how... the most relevant information.

ImpactWhat a situation means and who is affected. Tells readers what the news changesabout their lives and, maybe, what they should do.





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ContextThe general perspective that frames the background of the news. It addresses therelationship of things around the news. Context helps readers understand whethersomething is normal or surprising.

EmotionThe human dimension. Takes a story from abstract to reality. Offers personalelements that help readers understand the story.

Reporters usually get assignments from their editor. But the best reporters alsocome up with ideas for their own stories. How? They look, think, ask lots ofquestions, and talk with lots of people.

Topics for stories are everywhere. Do you see a new student in the halls, a newteacher in the classrooms? Has your principal introduced any new programs orschedules that will affect students directly? These are the kinds of questions to askyourself when looking for a news "hook" or angle. And keep in mind thetimeliness of the topic. You may have an interesting subject, but it's not a newsstory unless something is going on that makes your subject of interest today.

Once you have a few ideas for stories you'd like to pursue, probe a little. If youwant to write about new students, for example, ask a school official how many newstudents have enrolled this year. See if any of the students come from far away.Then try to get their names and phone numbers from the principal's office. Learn asmuch as you can before making calls. And think about what you'd like to ask. Thatway, you can prepare questions for your interviews.

While conducting interviews, you may find a whole new angle for the story. Beflexible. The idea you start out with may not make a good news story at all. Andthe next idea you discover may be just the thing! Follow your information — andinstincts — to get the best story.

Always remember to ask: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? These areyour building blocks to getting a good story. Avoid asking questions that can beanswered with a simple yes or no. Such questions don't tell you much, and theycertainly don't give you any good quotes for your story. A good quote not onlyconveys information, it adds life and "color" to a story.





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Finally, verify your facts. You can get information from other news stories on theWeb and in the paper, encyclopedias, and interviews. If you're unsure ofsomething, find out whom you can call to get information verified.

Not everything you find on the Web can be trusted. While it is a useful researchtool, you still have to confirm your information from at least two or three reputablesources: i.e. encyclopedias, government agencies, and/or national newspapers.

You made dozens of phone calls and read every article you could find on the Web.You tracked down experts, scholars; you even interviewed your next-doorneighbor. Now it's time to sit down and write!

Whether you're writing a news story, a book review, or a novel, getting started canbe the toughest part. You need to win over your readers instantly. Otherwise, youmay lose them after the first paragraph.

First, think about your assignment. Let's say your editor has asked you to cover adebate between the presidential candidates. That means you need to write a newsstory. A news story gives readers key information about a recent event.

Put the information in paragraph form, adding details and quotes. This is your"nutgraph" — the reason you're telling the story. A nutgraph can be longer thanone paragraph. It's called a nutgraph because the information in it is considered thecore, or nut, of the story.

Writing Your Lead

Most news stories are told in the inverted pyramid form. An inverted pyramid storybegins with the most important news in the first paragraph and ends with the leastimportant. Before computers, newspaper copy was cut with scissors to fit a spaceon the news page. Editors cut the copy from the bottom up, chopping off the leastimportant information that reporters put on the ends of their stories.

These days, with so much competition from TV, radio, and the Internet, reporterstend to cover their pyramids with cake frosting. They want to hook even the mostdistracted readers.

So they write a lead, or "wow" statement, before the nutgraph. A good lead givesreaders the feeling that they have a front seat for the action and provides a reasonto keep reading.





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Example:

The presidential debates drew a packed audience of local farmers,schoolteachers, and Internet billionaires.

Your readers will want to find out why so many people came to the event and whatthose different groups have in common. Be sure that the rest of your story delivers!

Your TurnNow it's time to write your own story. Before you begin, though, review theexercises in our skills sheet to polish your writing style. Then, gather your researchmaterials and transcripts from your interviews. List the five W's and one H Who?What? When? Where? Why? and How? and answer those questions based on theinformation you collected. Now you can write your nutgraph.

The next few paragraphs should elaborate on the story. Be sure to include bothsides of a controversy, including quotes from as many people involved as possible.Don't forget to talk to the people who will be affected.

Summarize the key information in your final paragraph and you're done. Now getto it as you're on deadline!

HeadlinesNow it's time to give your news story a headline. Few people have time to read allthe text of every article in a newspaper, so they often skim the headlines to see ifthey might want to read more. Your headline is your chance — with a few well-chosen words in large type — to catch their eye.

A few rules: Use the present tense. Always use short, active verbs. There's no roomto say "Faculty Members Engage in Discussions" when you can say "TeachersTalk." Don't write exactly the same thing as in your news lead; that's wasting achance to draw readers in.

In a news article, your headline should summarize straightforwardly what is mostnewsy about it. Don't write "Student Council Holds Meeting" when everyone knewthey were going to meet; write something specific like "Council OKs DanceTheme."

The best writers do it and even the simplest writing needs a revision.





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Tips for News Writing

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 othernewspapers and magazines.

Think of a youth angle to a current news story.

Research a subject that interests you ask yourself what you would like toknow more about.

Talk to people in a specific field to find out what is important to them.

1.2.2 Editorial Writing

Editorial can be defined as:

An article in a newspaper or magazine that expresses the opinion of its editoror publisher

An article, typically short, expressing an opinion or point of view. Often, butby no means always, written by a member of the publication's staff.

A carefully organized piece of writing in which an opinion is expressed.

The editorial expresses an opinion. The editorial page of the newspaper lets thewriter comment on issues in the news. All editorials are personal but the topicsmust still be relevant to the reader. Editorials try to persuade the readers. Itsgoal is to move the readers to some specific action, to get them to agree with thewriter, to support or denounce a cause, etc. It is considered to be the most difficultwriting among all the newspaper types of writing. Editorials are also important asthey interpret and analyze issues for the readers.

An editorial is one of the writing styles used to express an opinion or reaction totimely news, event or an issue of concern. Most editorials are used to influencereaders to think or act the same way the writer does.

Not all editorials take sides on an issue but have one of the following fourpurposes:

1. Inform: The writer gives careful explanations about a complicated issue.





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2. Promote: Writer tries to promote a worthy activity. Get the reader involved.

3. Praise: The writer praises a person or an event.

4. Entertain: The writer encourages or entertains the reader about an importantissue.

Two types of Editorials can be recognized:

Youth beat +/ - 700 words: Youth beats are journalist’s editorial bread andbutter. It's your story, from your point of view. Tell it like it is. Youth beats usuallybut not alw ays 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. Notas likely to be a personal narrative. Christmas "spirit" bugs you? Say why. Had anencounter with a cop that left you sour? Same deal. Be strong. If you don't likesomething, don't beat around the bush. This is a space for you to rant and roll withas much emotive power as possible.

An editorial is a statement or article by a news organization, newspaper ormagazine that expresses the opinion of the editor, editorial board, or publisher. Anop-ed, abbreviated from opposite editorial due to the tradition of newspapersplacing such materials on the page opposite the editorial page, is similar in formand content to an editorial, but represents the opinion of an individual contributor,who is sometimes but not always affiliated with the publication. These two termsare sometimes used interchangeably by the public, although it is important tounderstand that they have different definitions and characteristics.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. Define ‘Editorial’ and what are the two types of Editorials?

Editorial Writing guidelines

Editorials are generally printed either on their own page of a newspaper or in aclearly marked-off column, and are always labeled as editorials to avoid confusionwith news coverage. They often address current events or public controversies.





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Generally, editorials fall into four broad types: news, policy, social, and special.When covering controversial topics such as election issues, some opinion pageeditors will run "dueling" editorials, with each staking out a respective side of theissue.

Many magazines also feature editorials, mainly by the editor or publisher of thepublication. Additionally, most print publications feature an editorial, or letter fromthe editor, followed by a Letters to the Editor section. The American Society ofMagazine Editors has developed a list of editorial guidelines, to which a majorityof magazine editors commonly adhere.

Most editorial pieces take the form of an essay or thesis, using arguments topromote a point of view. Newspapers often publish editorial pieces that are in linewith their editorial slants, though dissenting opinions are often given space topromote balance and discussion. Requirements for article length varies accordingto each publication's guidelines, as do a number of other factors such as style andtopic. An average editorial is 750 words or less.

An editorial is an article that presents the newspaper's opinion on an issue. Itreflects the majority vote of the editorial board, the governing body of thenewspaper made up of editors and business managers. It is usually unsigned. Muchin the same manner of a lawyer, editorial writers build on an argument and try topersuade readers to think the same way they do. Editorials are meant to influencepublic opinion, promote critical thinking, and sometimes cause people to takeaction on an issue. In essence, an editorial is an opinionated news story.

Editorials usually have:

1.Introduction, body and conclusion like other news stories2.An objective explanation of the issue, especially complex issues3.A timely news angle4.Opinions from the opposing viewpoint that refute directly the same issue thewriter addresses5.The opinions of the writer delivered in a professional manner. Good editorialsengage issues, not personalities and refrain from name-calling or other petty tacticsof persuasion.6. Alternative solutions to the problem or issue being criticized. Anyone can gripeabout a problem, but a good editorial should take a pro-active approach to making





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the situation better by using constructive criticism and giving solutions.7. A solid and concise conclusion that powerfully summarizes the writer's opinion.Give it some punch.

Functions of Editorials will be:

1. Explain or interpret: Editors often use these editorials to explain the way thenewspaper covered a sensitive or controversial subject. School newspapers mayexplain new school rules or a particular student-body effort like a food drive.2. Criticize: These editorials constructively criticize actions, decisions or situationswhile providing solutions to the problem identified. Immediate purpose is to getreaders to see the problem, not the solution.3. Persuade: Editorials of persuasion aim to immediately see the solution, not theproblem. From the first paragraph, readers will be encouraged to take a specific,positive action. Political endorsements are good examples of editorials ofpersuasion.4. Praise: These editorials commend people and organizations for something donewell. They are not as common as the other three.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What are the four functions of writing an Editorial?

Basics for Writing an Editorial

1. Pick a significant topic that has a current news angle and would interest readers.2. Collect information and facts; include objective reporting; do research3. State your opinion briefly in the fashion of a thesis statement4. Explain the issue objectively as a reporter would and tell why this situation isimportant5. Give opposing viewpoint first with its quotations and facts6. Refute reject the other side and develop your case using facts, det ails, figures,and quotations. Pick apart the other side's logic.7. Concede a point of the opposition — they must have some good points you canacknowledge that would make you look rational.8. Repeat key phrases to reinforce an idea into the reader's minds.9. Give a realistic solutions to the problem that goes beyond common knowledge.Encourage critical thinking and pro-active reaction.10. Wrap it up in a concluding punch that restates your opening remark thesis





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statement.11. Keep it to 500 words; make every work count; never use "I"

Things that could go into the five-paragraph editorial:

1. A personal experience, the thesis statement2. Explanation of the other side of the issue3. Examples to support your point of view4. Reasons for your point of view5. The last paragraph should restate your thesis statement and end on a positive

note

1.2.3 Feature Writing

A news feature takes one step back from the headlines. It explores an issue. Newsfeatures are less time-sensitive than hard news but no less newsworthy. They canbe an effective way to write about complex issues too large for the terse style of ahard news item. Street kids are a perfect example. The stories of their individuallives are full of complexities, which can be reflected, in a longer piece.

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 isabout the people in your community and their struggles, victories and defeats. Afeature takes a certain angle i.e. Black youth returning to church and explores itby interviewing the people involved and drawing conclusions from thatinformation. The writer takes an important issue of the day and explains it to thereader through comments from people involved in the story.

Hint: Remember to "balance" your story. Present the opinions of people on bothsides of an issue and let the readers make their own decision on who to believe. Nopersonal opinions are allowed. The quotes from the people you interview make upthe story. You are the narrator.

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.





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Unlike news, a feature does not have to be tied to a currentevent or a breaking story. But it can grow out of somethingthat’s reported in the news.

It may be a profile of a person or a group -- an athlete, a performer, a politician, ora community worker or a team, a choir or a political organization. Or perhaps it’san in-depth look at a social issue -- like violence in Canadian schools or eatingdisorders among young women. It could also be a story that gives the readerbackground on a topic that’s in the news -- like a story that explains how landmines work and the history of their use in war.

A feature story is usually longer than a news story -- but length is not arequirement! What’s more important is the form the story takes.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What is a ‘feature’ and state its function in a newspaper?

The feature is the journalistic equivalent of an essay and follows theseguidelines:

Start with a premise or theme Present information and opinions that back you point, Bring the reader to a conclusion.

The feature often explores several different points of views, even when the story isabout one particular person.

The news story tells the audience what happened. The feature will tell them whyand how it happened, how the people involved are reacting, and what impact thedecision is having on other people.

Take a look at people from the world of sports, entertainment, politics, science,technology, business, health, international development, community activism,education, the military, the fine arts or any other field that interests you.

You can choose a subject and find out the basic facts of the person’s life and work.What have they learned so far? Are there any surprises? Is there an area of thisperson's life or work that the student would now like to focus on?





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Write your profile by telling your readers the facts of this person's life —while adding the color and details that make them unique.

Talk to the person themselves whenever possible and use their own words tohelp tell their story.

Many of the best stories come from reporters’ observations of the world aroundthem. Here’s just one example of how you can come across a great feature story inyour daily life:

YOU are hanging around with friends at lunchtime and talking about plans for theweekend. Someone says they’ve heard that the town council is considering acurfew for teens. Everyone under 16 has to be off the streets by 11pm on weekends.You have your own curfew - set by your parents - but you are surprised to learnthat the mayor wants to put one in place for everyone.

You talk to some of your friends to find out what they think. You and otherconcerned teens go over to the town hall and ask the mayor or one of thecouncilors why they see the need for a curfew. You surf the Net and find out whatother towns and cities have been doing. You find that this is a bit of trend in NorthAmerica.

What you now have is the basis for a really interesting feature. You have taken alittle piece of information and investigated further to find out what’s going on. Thestory will focus on the issue and the thoughts and feeling of the people involved —namely local teenagers and the people who made the decision about the curfew.

The basic guidelines for good writing apply to all types of writing. However, if youexpect to hold your readers’ attention for 1,000 words or more, your writing mustbe must be lively, specific and clear.

As a student writer you have to start with a lead that captures your reader’sattention.

It could be an anecdote you have heard during the course of yourresearch.

It could be a description of a person, place or thing that draws thereader in and encourages them to learn more.

It could a newsy lead that highlights the point of the story.





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Move your story along with descriptions of what happened, quotes from peopleinvolved in the issue, and details that place the reader in the midst of the action.Make sure your ending is meaningful. Your closing words should make an impacton your readers and tie the various strands of your story together.

When you have finished writing your news or feature article, follow theseguidelines for effective revision:

1. Take a break. Put your article aside for a few minutes and do something else:walk the dog, play a game, and have a snack. When you return and take afresh look at what you've written, you'll probably see things you missedbefore.

2. Read your feature out loud. Sometimes the ear can tell you things the eyedoesn't see. If there's a part of your article that your tongue repeatedlystumbles over, that's a clue that there may be awkward writing that needs tobe reworked.

3. Is the sequence of ideas clear? If it's a news story, does it give the reader theinformation needed to understand new concepts by the time they'reintroduced? If the feature article, does start out with enough to snag thereader's interest, yet save something as a payoff for reading on? Whenyou've completed a draft, you hate to think of changing something as basicas the order in which your points are covered. It feels like throwing awaywork. But take the chance and at least consider it. You may find that adifferent sequence works better, and that the "cutting and pasting" you needto do — on a computer screen, or on paper — really isn't so bad.

4. Put yourself in the reader's shoes. Could your words be misunderstood?Think of the poor guy who wrote the headline about a planned change inScout uniforms: "BOY SCOUTS TO DROP SHORT PANTS." He knewwhat he meant. But he forgot to think about what his words might call tomind for others.

5. Does the feature you have written seem to you to contain any words thataren't fully necessary to your purpose? Does your article containunnecessary words? Look at the two questions you've just read. The first oneneeded pruning; the second is the same question after the pruning has beendone. Now do a similar pruning job on your feature article. Tight writing isusually best.

6. Check your paragraphing. In journalism, short paragraphs of one to twosentences are common. If you find you have changed the subject in mid-paragraph, that's probably a place for a paragraph break.





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7. Use spell-checkers and other programs to check your spelling, grammar, andpunctuation — but don't rely on them alone. Remember: The best computerfor perfecting your writing is the one between your ears!

8. Are you done writing and revising? Before you publish your news story,review all the steps — and check your work one last time.

1.2.4 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 andprovide background information. Then it describes the present situation and finallypeeps into the future prospects too. Though it is not necessary that an article willfollow the past-present-future course. An article may start with an insight into thefuture and than 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 anarticle 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 within an article. They are also written about the past, present and the future. There isno 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 butmay fulfill more than one purposes mentioned above.

Articles writers’ intentions are to analyze, interpret and rationalize and thus there isno place for humor, satire and other such emotions in an article. The contents andtreatment of an article is sober and serious. The basics of newspaper writinglike Consistency, conciseness, completeness; continuity, etc also apply to articlewriting. These basics will be applicable to any piece of writing like the editorial,feature or a news story.





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An element that is absolutely necessary for articles is credibility. Thus, usually,only the experts will write articles. In fact, such established writers regularly writecolumns and are free to write only one subject or a variety of subjects. The readersrarely doubt the creditability of such renowned writers and the articles gets a goodresponse.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What is the intention of writing an ‘Article’?

Guidelines for Article Writing

The topic for an article is mostly selected on the basis of how much interest it cangenerate among the readers. Highly interesting topics and issues will generateinterest and curiosity by the readers. The selected topics must be concrete andbring in the details. These details should be dealt in an interesting manner toprovide all the relevant information in a concrete and complete manner.

An article must be believable and relevant facts should be presented. There shouldbe source credibility, authentic research, original quotes and accuracy in thearticles to make it believable to the newspaper readers. An article writer will try tocover all aspects of the topic and provide more and more support material as proofto 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 usualsteps are planning, research, writing a rough draft, editing, and then writing a finaldraft.

2. Planning an article involves discussing why it is important and what you wantto include. If you decide about length, scope and focus in advance, it will save youtime and effort later.

3. Good articles are descriptive. Draw on your own experience and talk to thosewho have more experience or different experience than you.

4. The best articles help readers solve problems, save time, avoid mishaps and dotheir jobs more effectively. You can’t assume that the reader shares your





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perception of a problem; you may have to sell them the problem before you sellthem a solution.

5. Write your draft the way you would tell the story to one of your friends. Itshould be informal and clear. Short words and short sentences are fine.

6. Readers want articles about things they can actually control and problems theycan solve. Writing an article about a huge problem that is too large or tooexpensive merely raises the reader’s anxiety.

7. Tell real stories. Use actual examples. Readers want to hear about things thathappened. 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 theyshould be. Ideally, everyone follows all the rules all the time, and no mishaps everhappen. In reality, people cut corners, take chances, stop paying attention, fallasleep in class, drive drunk, ignore their supervisor, take the easy way out, get in ahurry, resist learning, and on and on.

9. A magazine article doesn’t repeat official procedures or rules. Readers haveplenty of those things already; the problem is that they don’t follow them. Simplyrepeating the procedures avoids the real problem.

10. "Why" is more interesting than "what”? Defining a problem or a hazard is onlythe starting point.

Structure of an Article

An article has a definite beginning lead or introduction, a body, and an endconclusion. 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 andsustains their interest. It could be a direct lead where information is given in a





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straightforward manner. Articles can also start with a statement or quotation toprovide interest. A statement or a quotation also helps in telling somethingabout 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 questionsalso. Questions arouse curiosity in the minds of the readers and they read further tofind answer to the questions.

Thy body takes up about three quarters of the total space of an article. Here thewriter tries to answer the questions put in the lead. The claims made in the lead aresubstantiated. The statements and quotations made are elaborated. So explanation,description, elaboration, substantiation, etc are what the body of an article is allabout.

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 aresupposed and defended, while opposing viewpoints are attacked. The conclusionportion simply closes the argument and is often brief stating the gist of the wholearticle.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What is the structure and basic format used in writing an Article?

1.3 SUMMARY

News report writing always starts with the most important fact. When you reporton a football game, you do not start with the kick-off; you begin with the finalscore. A news report has a beginning, middle and an end. The news reports aim isto meet the requirements of everyday life as lived by everyday readers. So itlargely depends on elements like directness, pace, variety and information. It aimsto state the facts quickly and clearly.

An editorial is one of the writing styles used to express an opinion or reaction totimely news, event or an issue of concern. Most editorials are used to influencereaders to think or act the same way the writer does. Most editorial pieces take theform 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





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discussion. Requirements for article length varies according to each publication'sguidelines, as do a number of other factors such as style and topic. An averageeditorial is 750 words or less

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 aboutthe people in your community and their struggles, victories and defeats. A featuretakes a certain angle i.e. B lack youth returning to church and explores it byinterviewing the people involved and drawing conclusions from that information.The writer takes an important issue of the day and explains it to the reader throughcomments from people involved in the story.

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 andprovide background information. Then it describes the present situation and finallypeeps into the future prospects too. Though it is not necessary that an article willfollow the past-present-future course. An article may start with a insight into thefuture and than 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 anarticle should always deal with the past or predict the future.

1.4 EXERCISES AND QUESTIONS

Q1. Discuss the significance of Journalistic Writing.Q2.What are the various piece of writing that can be found in a newspaper?Q3.Define Editorial and write basic steps involved in writing of an Editorial.Q4. Write a short note on news report writing.Q5. What is the significance of Article in Journalistic Writing? Discuss thestructure of an article.Q6. Enlist some guidelines for effective revision after writing news or featurearticle.

1.5 FURTHER READING

1. Reporting Methods S.Kundra Anmol Publications Pvt.Ltd2. Outline of Editing M.K.Joseph3. Editing Techniques S.Kundra4. News Reporting and Editing Jan.R.Hakemulder, Fay AC de Jonge, P.P.

Singh





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UNIT 2- REPORTING

Structure

2.0 Unit Objectives2.1 Introduction2.2 Some Tips & Meaning of Reporting2.3 Types of Reporting

2.3.1 Crime Reporting 2.3.2 Court Reporting 2.3.3 Health Reporting 2.3.4 Civic Reporting2.3.5 Political Reporting 2.3.6 Business Reporting 2.3.7 Science & Technology 2.3.8 SportReporting 2.3.9 Culture Reporting 2.3.10 Civil Administration Reporting 2.3.11 EducationReporting 2.3.12 Development Reporting

2.4 Objectivity2.6 Report Writing for all Media

2.5.1 Radio 2.5.2 Television 2.5.3 Newspaper 2.5.4 Magazine 2.5.5 Web2.6 Summary2.7 Exercises and Questions2.8 Further Reading

2.0 UNIT OBJECTIVES

To understand the significance of reporting To discuss the various types of reporting To know the significance of Objectivity in journalism To understand the techniques of report writing for all media

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Journalism has as its main activity the reporting of events — stating who, what,when, where, why and how, and explaining the significance and effect of eventsor trends. Journalism exists in a number of media: newspapers, television, radio,magazines and, most recently, the World Wide Web through the Internet.





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News reporting is a type of journalism, typically written or broadcast in news style.Most news is investigated and presented by journalists or news Reporters, and canbe distributed to various outlets via news agencies. News is often reported by avariety of sources, such as newspapers, television, and radio programs, wireservices, and web sites.

Reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in certaintypes 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 towitness events or interview people.

Most reporters working for major news media outlets are assigned an area to focuson, called a beat or patch. They are encouraged to cultivate sources to improve theirinformation gathering.

News reports are classified into two broad types:1. Straight news reports2. Investigative or interpretative reports

Straight news reports present what has happened in a straightforward, factual andclear manner. They draw no conclusions, nor offer any opinions. There is noattempt to probe deeper than the surface happenings, or they provide elaboratebackground information, or even to examine claims made. The main sources are:Government officials, elite groups, news agencies, eminent people, businessmenand others.

Both these types of news stories merely present the claims, without in any waytrying 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. Theyreport happenings in depth, present fairly all sides of the picture in the context ofthe situation, and generally, put some meaning into the news so that the reader isbetter able to understand and analyze the event.





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Disaster stories e.g. famines and floods get pride of place in the daily press, andthese provide many ‘human interest’ stories.

Developments in science, industry and agriculture are increasingly coming to beconsidered as interesting news, as also the exposure of corruption in high places,the exploitation of the lower classes and workers, and social injustice andinequalities resulting from the social, economic and political structures. Of course,all the news reported is not news of the highest interest to everybody. Politicsinterest some, sports others, crime still others. However, it is rare that newspaperstouch in the information needs and interests of the poorer sections of the society.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What is the duty of a News Reporter?Q2. What are the two types of News Reports?

‘Dog bites man isn’t news. Man bites dog is’. So goes an adage probably as oldas journalism itself. Like many such sayings, it conceals as much as it reveals.People watch television or read the newspaper because they want to know aboutthe happening and events around them. They want to gather all the news fromaround the world.

2.2 SOME TIPS & MEANING OF REPORTING

The press is independent of government. Governments are composed of humanbeings, and human beings can and do commit wrongs. The press and governmentshould not become institutional partners. They are natural adversaries withdifferent functions, and each must respect the role of the other. Sometimes a freepress can be a distinct annoyance and an embarrassment to a particulargovernment, but that is one of the prices of liberty. A free press is responsible toits readers, and to them alone.

Independence is at the very heart of any statement of ethical principles respectingthe conduct of the press. The proprietors of a newspaper may choose to ally it witha particular political party or interest, but an increasing number of newspapers andjournals are politically independent as well as independent of government. Thismeans not that they refrain from endorsing a certain political party or a candidate





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for public office, but rather that they owe no prior allegiance and that they makethe endorsement voluntarily, as an exercise of their independence.

From this it follows that an independent press must cherish that role by resistingpressures of all kinds - from local as well as national government, from specialinterest groups in the community, from powerful individuals, from advertisers.This is a noble standard that is sometimes more difficult to follow in a smallcommunity than in a large one. It may be relatively easy for a large, well-financednewspaper to risk the displeasure of a particular interest group or advertiser. But ona small paper, where the support of such an advertiser or interest has a directbearing on the ability of management to meet the payroll, it takes courage to resistpressure.

From this also flows the point that the newspaper and its staff should exemplifyindependence in their actions. Not only should they be independent in fact, but alsothey must be seen to be independent. A newspaper that rewards its friends withunwarranted, flattering stories or fawning editorials will not long be respected. Anewspaper whose reporters also are on the payroll of a special interest group orwho accept free trips or lavish gifts will find it hard to be convincing in itscriticisms of corruption or other unethical practices in government.

Occasionally, newspapers attempt to justify the acceptance of gifts or services. Areliable 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 businessassociations, and even in local government. Conflicts of interest may arisefrequently.

Journalists cannot expect to be walled apart from the community in which theylive. But neither can they serve two masters with opposing interests. A diligenteditor or reporter will at least be aware of the conflicts and keep his or herprofessional responsibilities foremost in mind.

A newspaper has the right to be captious, or partisan, or untruthful, or bigoted, orwhatever else its conscience allows it to be. And although newspapers areanswerable to the laws of libel, within a very large compass they continue to settheir own responsibilities. The underlying idea is that, from the clash of opinionsand ideas presented by a free press, ultimately something resembling truthemerges.





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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 communitywhere only one newspaper exists, a reader may not encounter differing opinionsunless the newspaper chooses to present them. Radio and television are not alwayseffective substitutes.

Recognition, of the importance of fair and balanced reporting, in which opinionsthat differ from those of the writer, or the newspaper, or a government official arenevertheless accurately portrayed. News stories and analysis are presented on thenews pages, with their origins and sources identified wherever possible. Thenewspaper's own opinions are presented on the editorial page, which may alsocarry signed columns from syndicated writers or staff members of the newspaperitself.

News Reporting needs to guard against undue intrusions on the privacy of personsabout whom they are reporting. A photograph of a person jumping off a building orplunging into a fire may be dramatic, but editors ought to debate long and hardover whether they are violating someone's rights or dignity by publishing it. Doesthe 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 beaggressive in pursuing facts. Indeed, one of the most important functions of a freepress is to serve as a watchdog. But its staff members have no dispensation to berude or discourteous. Television has many sins of its own, but one thing it purveysvery quickly to viewers is whether reporters at a news conference are behavingarrogantly or with unnecessary brusqueness.

Apart from eccentric behavior, newspapers also may be affected by a phenomenonthat called "prizemanship" - the presentation of stories by a reporter or by abroader division of newspaper management in a fashion calculated to win one ofthe prizes now offered to newspapers and to individual journalists. A few yearsago, the Washington Post, won a Pulitzer Prize for a story about an eight-year-oldnarcotics addict. Subsequent investigation by others led to an acknowledgment bythe reporter that she had made up the story in order to illustrate a situation. Sheresigned, and the newspaper returned the prize in embarrassment. There is nodoubt that there are similar fictional stories not identified.





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Prizes are not bad, but the best ones are those that are conferred by outsiders,without the knowledge or the participation of the journalist or newspaper.Conscientious journalists and newspapers must resist the temptation to display ordoctor a story in such a way as to advance a purpose not directly related to thenews.

Beat reporting is the craft of reporting on an issue or particular sector,organization or institution over time. Beat reporters build up a base of knowledgeon and gain familiarity with the sector, allowing them to provide insight andcommentary in addition to reporting straight facts. This distinguishes them fromother journalists who might cover similar stories from time to time.

A news beat is an institutional or issue area that generates enough news and readerinterest to make it worthwhile for a newspaper to assign a reporter to cover it on aregular basis. Traditional beats are government agencies, such as the policedepartment, courts, schools, and city hall. Certain issue areas such as health,business, and environment are also regular beats on most newspapers. Beats couldalso be imagined quite differently. For example, if they chose to do it, newspaperscould assign reporters to explore and write regularly about, say, childhood, work,ethics, psychology, or any other area or field that might help readers understand theworld they live in.

What makes a beat a good beat for both writer and reader is variation in levels ofanalysis. That is, a good beat has stories that can be told with lots of concrete detailbut also with broad themes that speak to abstract issues and ideas. Beats are placesliterally or figuratively where ideas flourish as well as where events happen. Agood beat reporter always operates at both the micro level and the macro level ofanalysis. To paraphrase the old 1960s slogan, you have to think globally, reportlocally.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What do you understand by ‘Beat Reporting’?





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2.3 TYPES OF REPORTING

2.3.1 Crime Reporting

There are tremendous public interests in crime stories and no newspaper can affordto ignore them without damage to circulation and credibility. Crime is a part of lifeand it is newspaper’s duty to inform the readers of what crimes are going on intheir city, state or country. However, crime reporting should not aim at satisfyingmorbid curiosity or sensation mongering.

Although crime reporting is usually assigned to one of the junior reporters in anewspaper, it is a highly responsible and specialized job. The reporter should notonly have the ability to sift the grain from the chaff, and the truth from lies, heshould also have good contacts in the police and other departments of theadministration as well as working knowledge of the penal codes and law on libeland other relevant matters.

Besides, he must observe a code of honour. He should be as objective and ashumanly as possible so as to avoid resorting to sensationalism or cheap gimmicksto catch the attention of the readers or the viewers. He should not suppress news ofpublic interest. Nor should he seek to settle personal scores with police officers orlawyers or judges. And he must be careful that in the course of his work, he doesnot unnecessarily invade a citizen’s privacy.

There has been much criticism of press reporting of crime and not all of it isbaseless. Some reporters have been found guilty of unethical standards, thuscausing much pain and sorrow to their victims or their families and friends.

Crime Reporters try to glorify the activities of criminals or sometimes make heroesof 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.

FiresThe reporter must get his facts correct about the essential elements of a fire storythe number of persons killed or injured, the extent of damage to property, the loss





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of valuables, etc. he must also find out if the fire brigade responded in time or wasguilty of delaying the fire-operations through sheer lethargy or incompetence orlack of water supply. He should question eyewitnesses about any acts of bravery orcowardice. All these are essential ingredients of a fire story.

The lead in a fire story would normally suggest itself. If, for instance, lives havebeen lost, it needs highlighting in the lead. If possible, the reporter must list thenames of the dead and the injured.

HomicidesIn cases of a major murder, the reporter should rush to the scene as soon aspossible after receiving a tip and gather all the relevant facts. In nine cases out often, crime reporters, say, in Delhi depend on police information about murders andthere 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 ofcausing offence.

In reporting dowry deaths or alleged dowry deaths, the reporter must refrain fromleveling uncorroborated statements by one party or the other. He must therefore gethis facts correct by talking to the investigation police officer, the girl’s in laws andher parents, and, if possible, with the neighbors.

AccidentsMost accidents are reported on the basis of police bulletins or information supplied‘by police spokesmen’. However, wherever possible the crime reporter must rushto the scene of a major accident to give authenticity to his story.

ArrestsIt is a serious matter to report that a person has been placed under arrest. Whensuch a report is made, the exact charge against the arrested person could be givenand it should be documented by either a record or attribution to a responsibleofficial. If such documentation cannot be obtained, the reporter has better to checkthe facts. The person in question may not have been under arrest at all. In manystates an arrest is not formally accomplished until a prisoner is booked. The news,in any case, must be handled with care.





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AccusationsIt is commonly written that someone is being sought for robbery, suspected ofarson or tried for murder. This is journalistic shorthand, which has gainedacceptance through usage, but it is neither precise nor correct.

Persons are sought in connection with a robbery, unless a charge has actually beenmade, in which case they are charged with robbery. Persons under suspicion arenot necessarily going to be charged with a crime and it is generally not privilegedmatter to indicate that suspicion is attached to any individual by name. Where thepolice suspect someone, but lack proof, that person may be held as materialwitness- that is far different from being accused of as a criminal. Therefore, casesof suspicion are not usually given too extensive and detailed news treatment if noprivileged material is available for use. The practice of reporting that a defendant isbeing ‘tried for murder’, while widely used, is obviously prejudicial and could bemore accurately, if less drama stated, as ‘being tried as a charge of murder’.

ConfessionsThe use of the word ‘confession’ to describe statements made by a person to thepolice or the prosecuting authorities is dangerous when it is not a matter of publicrecord. The fact that a police chief or a prosecutor has claimed to have aconfession, except in open court, may be used only at the risk of the newsorganization. Most press-bar voluntary agreements forbid the use of confessionsuntil they are admitted in open court. The records are full of supposed confessionsthat backfired later for a variety of reasons and of persons who admitted crimesthey could not possibly have committed. Unless and until it is established in factthat a person has confessed, approved procedure for reporters is to use such termsas ‘statement’, ‘admission’, ‘description’ or ‘explanation’. They convey the shadeof meaning that is warranted by circumstances and do not subject the newsorganization to unnecessary risks.

There are a few fundamental precautions which a crime reporter must takeaccount of:

The first is that the police and prosecutors rarely will give them informationon a silver platter. That means, a tremendous amount of interviewing andresearch must be done in a very short time so that a coherent story may bewritten





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There is no guarantee of police accuracy; and therefore police versions ofnames, addresses and other facts must be checked

Police and journalistic terminology are not identical. The legal term for aslaying is a homicide, but many news organizations loosely and incorrectlyrefer to such crimes automatically as murder.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. Explain crime reporting beat.

2.3.2 Court Reporting

Even the big newspapers of India do not have the resources to cover all thecourts of their main circulation area. The reason being that there are too manycourts. Newspapers neither have the time nor the space to cover everything thathappens in the courts. Paper covers only those stories in which their readers areinterested.

A country governed by laws needs many courts, each with a differentjurisdiction. 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 arejammed with cases, the suits remain pending there for several years and it isassumed that in the mean time, members of the public would lose whateverinterest they may have showed initially.

If we go through the old files of a newspaper, we will find that the volume ofcourt reporting has increased in recent years. One of the reasons for the increasemay be the courts are now getting more active in the field of social justice. Publicinterest litigations are also increasing. As the number of petitions increase, onenotices a corresponding increase in the coverage of courts and the judgmentsthey deliver.

There are only a few big newspapers in India who have full time correspondentsor reporters exclusively for their court beat. These reporters generally haveadequate legal background. Other newspapers mostly hire stringers to covercourt stories. In journalism, a stringer is a freelance journalist, who is paid foreach piece of published or broadcast work, rather than receiving a regular salary.They are heavily relied upon by most television news organizations

Many of the stringers are professional advocates. Many part-timers also coverstories in their respective areas and come from teaching, law and other





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professions. A newspaper, which does not have a full time law reporter, may sendits regular staff correspondent to cover an important court story.

The first time that one covers the court beat as a court reporter; one usually feelsamidst the technicalities and complex language. A trainee reporter aiming to be afuture court reporter must at first acquire some understanding of the courtjurisdictions, its procedures and its hierarchy. At the apex we have the SupremeCourt 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 caneasily locate the specific court for a particular matter. Similarly, if one is familiarwith the hierarchy in the courts; one can easily guess where the appeal would befiled.

Much of a reporter’s success in the coverage of the courts depends on one’scontact and sources, and one’s ability to gain access quickly to records. For areporter, the key person in a court is the clerk of the court. A court clerk preparesand keeps the records. He can make available copies of transcript for a fee. Courtreporting involves diligent checking of records. The judge who presides a trial isseldom one’s source. But a reporter should, as soon as possible, introduce oneselfin person to the judge. A court reporter should also have good contacts with thelawyers working on a case and if possible with the respective parties. Where acase attracts much public attention, reporters may be under pressure from rivallawyers for a more favorable description of their individual positions. The reportermust then ensure impartial reportage in all fairness to the proceedings in court.

Court reporters must understand the judicial process from beginning to end. Theyshould know what happens when a suspect is arrested, charged, arraigned, tried,and sentenced or released. Experienced reporters say the best way to learn theprocess is to spend time at the courthouse. As stated before, begin with the courtclerks, who keep track — the list of cases — and the calendar. Find out how to getcopies of the court record, filings, and testimony. Read the case files — includingmotions and pleadings before the trial — and keep track of what's reported aboutthe 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 onwhich they are working. Do your best to understand legal jargon, but avoid using itin your stories. If you don't know what something means, ask the person you'reinterviewing to explain it.





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2.3.3 Health Reporting

Health reporter usually informs the public about major epidemics, diseases andtheir cures, new medical discoveries, medical irregularities, etc. they are eitherspecialized in their field of medical of take the assistance of doctors, medicalpractitioner, etc. the common man cannot understand most of the medical terms soit is the duty of the health reporter to explain these terms and present the reportwhich is easily understood by the common man.

Every change of season witness some major breakouts of epidemics and thus thepeople must be informed about these diseases and the necessary measures to betaken to avoid the occurrence of these diseases. The health reporter in no wayshould frighten the common man but present remedies and cures for the diseases.Crosschecking is extremely necessary if the reporter is not specialized in themedical 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 ofmedicine and pharmaceuticals and new experiments in medicine and medicalsurgery. He collects this information from different departments of medicalfraternity.

Many well-known health and medical science reporters writing in a few majornewspapers have become the primary source for secondary pick-ups by manyradio, 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 fieldof 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 intheir reporting, subject to competitive pressures, and ignorant of the scientificprocess. Journalists accuse the medical community of limiting access toinformation and erecting barriers to the public dissemination of medical research.In many areas of health news reporting, the underlying problem is an interactivedynamic that involves scientists and journalists. Both parties share theresponsibility for accurate communication to the public.

Health Reporters usually deliver medical news as if they are reporting on a hostagecrisis. Information is delivered rapidly, but little time is taken to provide a context





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for the story. Instead, the reporting is sensationalized: The journalist overstates ascientific finding and, as a result, the public is misled about the implications of thatfinding. This sort of reporting has its roots in newsroom pressures to dramatizestories by sounding alarms.

To avoid inaccurate stories, health reporters need to examine the credibility andbiases of scientific sources. Such examination is often not done, however, possiblybecause reporters are misled when the public relations efforts of scientists,institutions. The major sources for a health reporter are the doctors or medicalofficers.

A journalist's audience should be told explicitly whether the journalist's source ofinformation could benefit financially from the media attention or whether thesource is funded or employed by an institution that will benefit. However, suchconflicts of interest are often not apparent to reporters or their audiences.

The public is generally unaware of the scientific process and is therefore likely togive more importance to awareness and full details of diseases and remedies by arenowned medical practitioner. This follow-up should be done, because journaliststhemselves may not completely know the complete medical process works. Certainmedical terms are likely to be misinterpreted and thus it is the duty of the healthreporter to clarify such doubts. The health science community should promotecontact with the media when confirmatory or no confirmatory studies emerge in anarea that has already received attention from the press. General assignmentreporters typically wrote medical news stories and Reporters who specificallycover medicines are now commonly found at many major news organizations.Thus, Those who understand the complexities of newsworthy issues in medicineand public health should

Examining the media's coverage of medicine seems to show that medical newsreporting is less than ideal. Medical scientists and journalists share theresponsibility for this problem. Thus, the medical science community canencourage accurate medical reporting and reporters will also have to take activemeasures to improve the situation.

Health Reporters should be able to assume that press releases are accurate, findingsare not overstated, and conflicts of interest are acknowledged. The health reportershould deal with failures to be accurate, to identify vested interests, to follow up onstories, and to cover important health issues as the patients are the ones who stand





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to suffer the most. The health reporter must remember that it is the public thatultimately benefits from medical scientists' contributions to improved mediacoverage.

2.3.4 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 democraticcommunity life cities and towns. These days, however, the media and theiraudiences have been so thoroughly fragmented that the newspaper seems on theverge of becoming just another specialized commercial product for a niche market.

Together, the people and the journalists work on efforts to fight attempts to weakenthe civil justice system, to protect the rights of all to the right to trial by jury, and toforce 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 avariety of cases: products liability, medical malpractice, cases involving children,cases involving drugs or medical devices for women, cases where punitivedamages were awarded, cases where defendants withheld documents or engaged inother types of abuse or misconduct, and cases where discovery documents ortestimony revealed a company decision to risk foreseeable injuries or deaths inorder to save money or increase profits.

Reporters around the country are increasingly turning to civic journalism to findbetter stories and report them in ways that re-establish a bond with readers, viewersand 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 tocover local news, administration problems and important judgments of the districtcourts. A senior reporter assigns the coverage among the junior reporters whoactually go into the field and bring news of local interest. There may be a fire or





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theft or important crime to report like a murder or dacoity. Then there may be courtproceedings of a sensational nature wherein important crime cases are heard andadjudged upon. These reporters are called district reporters. Each reporter has anarea assigned to him, which may include one or more large towns with the additionof smaller towns and larger villages. In some cases, a district office is establishedin prominent towns to enable the reporters to cover the ground with a seniorreporter in charge. The senior man also acts as the manager of the office, whokeeps 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 thechain of news collection of interest to the newspaper. The senior as well as thejunior reporters keep their respective diary of engagements and see that nothing ismissed which may give the lead to other newspapers. If the locality or the town islarge one, the reporter may find himself, with a full diary of routine engagementsevery day.

The civic reporter needs to be active men who have the opportunity of making awide circle of friends. They develop influence in the local administration and candig their news ahead of other contemporaries representing other newspapers. Oneimportant qualification of a local or civic reporter is knowledge of law so that hedoes not commit any errors leading to libel. He must be above board and not haveextreme likes and dislikes of individuals, businessmen or influential personalitiesin the area.

The telephone is a very important means of receiving and collecting informationabout any event-taking place in the area. A civic reporter has his link with policeofficers and corporation administrators who inform him of anything importanttaking place around. However, it is not advisable to simply depend on one or theother individual source for making the story.

Immediately on receiving the hint of an important event, the civic reporter issupposed to either rush himself or send his juniors, depending on the importance ofthe news, to cover it. If necessary, a photographer may also be taken alongalthough many newspapers prefer junior reporters to know as to how to handle thecamera and have working knowledge of photography. In the case of importantnews, even movie cameras are sometimes maintained by newspapers to obtain TVfilms for supply to the TV Organizations on specific charges.





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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. Why are Reporters around the country are increasingly turning to civicjournalist?

2.3.5 Political Reporting

Political reporters in a democracy have one central mission: to provide citizenswith the information they need to make an informed choice between the candidatesfor elective office. To do that, journalists need to examine the candidates'backgrounds and qualifications, their positions on the key issues, and what thecandidates are saying in campaign appearances and advertising. Reporters whocover politics look at the candidates' supporters, too, since their interests can oftenshed light on what a politician will do if elected.

A political reporter should have intelligence, instinctive perception of groundrealities, good judgment of people and a strong historic sense. Since politics is themain focus of newspapers, too many new entrances would like to be politicalreporters 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 whohave the skills to report insight, and do reporting that captures in flesh and bloodof the players in the political field. A skilled political reporter is able to expose thenaked ambitions of political leaders and the hypocrisy of political parties.

Politics is the game for power, a game for supremacy and ironically this game isplayed in the name of the people for evoking national greatness. The majority ofpoliticians in India have acquired office because they were misfits everywhereelse 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 whoguide the destiny of some 900 million people. Bereft of ideas, intelligence andcharacter, they exploit caste, religion and language to stay in power and thecountry slip from crisis to crisis.

Therefore, it is the duty of the political reporter to never glorify a minister or apolitician but truthfully present their achievements and failures. Programmes ofpolitical parties should be critically evaluated and the flaws commented upon, sothat the people are not carried away by their patriotic portrayal. The performanceof government needs constant review and herein is the wisdom and maturity ofthe political reporter set on a national spectacle.





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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 isvisible to the outside world but the tip of an iceberg. The real challenge ofpolitical 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 normalreporting events. But to add news value to these the reporter should have ‘inside’information or exclusive stories. The best selling newspapers in any country arethose with a strong political bureau satisfying the political curiosity of the readers.Inadequate political coverage usually judged by the quality of reporting, bringsdown the circulation of a newspaper. The honest and well-meaning politiciandeserves the support of the reporter and the people’s support. One of the basicduties of political reporting is to bring to national focus such deserving leadersand to warn the nation against criminals in political garment.

The political reporter must have a sound knowledge of history and the ability tosee the chain of events before it happened and the wisdom to translate thethoughts into memorable words.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. How is reporting for Politics done?

2.3.6 Business Reporting

The focus of business reporting is the state of business, depending on the country’seconomic climate. The stock market, capital market, the wholesale and consumerprice, metals and gold prices, industries and agricultural production, consumerbehavior, 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 andbust. The markets hit a low during bust, characterized by low demand, piling up ofgoods 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





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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 optimumlevel of investment. The developing nations, called the Third World, need massiveinvestments to generate employment and they also need the latest technology tocatch up with the developed world.

Business, industry and agriculture, year after year, look to the finance minister’spresentation of the union Budget that could change the business climate. Taxincentives to industry and agriculture can boost production, and surplus productioncan lead to export and prosperity. Exporting nations like Japan, Taiwan, andSingapore in Asia enjoy a higher standard of living than many economic laggardsof the continent, some of whom face miserable living conditions. The budget is apowerful instrument of transformation in the hands of an able finance minister.

A business reporter should have a masterly understanding of economic at themacro and micro levels to interpret economic data and tell how they are going toaffect business. He should sound an alarm when the economy is heading for aslump or recession.

Also, when the economic outlook is bright, he should bring cheer to industry. Buthe should desist from creating a panic in the stock market where people haveinvested 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 economicbrains of the country that may be in the finance ministry, universities, researchorganizations and even corporate houses. The reporter should watch out forcorporate newsmakers. Entrepreneurs are of two kinds, those with a broad visionand 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 transformthe way people live, work and spend their leisure.

Another breed of newsmakers is the corporate raider who buys the shares ofcompanies 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 byholding meetings at sites most of them cannot reach or by deliberately delaying theintimation letters for such meetings.





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Market-linked technology watch may signal the arrival of new products,impending competition and phasing out of old models. Computer and car marketsare changing dramatically and will keep changing in the years ahead. Exposingbusiness frauds and manipulators is the high calling of business journalism, butfavoring them for a pittance could tarnish the image of the profession.

Keep a tab on major stock market players, chairman of blue chip companies andCEOs who could always spring a surprise. PROs of business houses and privatesecretaries of market players could be of help in getting the lead for a story, butthese stories must be properly filtered for news.

Like the politician who generates political news, the corporate houses generatemost 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 reportersvery busy.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What are the qualities required to be a business reporter?

2.3.7 Science & Technology Reporting

The age of science is the age of reason, and it is by reasoning that human beingshave unlocked the secrets of nature. Science reporters are driven by a curiosity andgoverned by scientific temper. The first step to becoming a science reporter is todevelop well-grounded awareness of science by reading good popular sciencebooks and journals. Keep watching popular science programmes on foreign andIndian television channels.

Half-truths, bluffs and blisters are not part of science reporting, which is based onverifiable technological facts. Verify your facts from other sources, referencebooks and journals before you report. Credibility and clarity are the catchwords inscience reporting.

Specialists speak in technical language popularly called jargons. Befriend theleading scientist and engineers of your town and ask them about the latestdevelopment in their fields-inventions, applications and research. Attend seminarsand conferences regularly and write interpretative reports for the knowledge –





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hungry readers. Publishing interviews of eminent scientists not only enhances theprestige of the newspaper/magazine but also promotes science awareness insociety.

Age of computers is rapidly changing the way we live computers are installed inbanks, railway stations, airports, operation theatres of hospitals, public health, andwater supply and electricity departments and real estate agencies. Creatingenvironmental awareness is one of the duties of the science reporter. Crusading fora better environment is the hallmark of dedicated science reporter.

Science reporting calls for greater precision and logical progression of ideas. Thepopular science writers have amazing clarity of thought and expression and anirresistibly fascinating manner of presentation. Exaggeration and sensationalism donot belong to science reporting which is basically an exercise in precision writing.

2.3.8 Sport Reporting

Sport reporting demands for an exceptional interest in the field of sports and agood writing style. Sports reporters are conversant with the rules of the game andhave good relations with players and coaches. They are also knowledgeable aboutthe 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 sportreporter too works under pressure, but there is too much action in succession forhim to recapitulate that it makes his job uniquely challenging. So, to become asuccessful sports reporter, one should keep a sports diary. Renowned sportsjournalists have the habit of jotting down every idea or scrap of information, whichthey later skillfully weave into their reports and columns.

Keep a clipping library of reports and articles of special interest to you, which youhave come across in newspapers and magazines. This could be a ready referencelibrary for facts and figures and back grounders. Classify under different names ofgames like ‘cricket’, ‘hockey’, ‘athletics’, etc to make it handy.The reporter must make his report descriptive enough for those who have not seenthe match and analytical enough for those who have seen it on television but areseeking something more to it. Develop a racy style that befits the game,





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recapturing the players in their best action, which is the difference between a goodreport and a bad report.

Sports reporting differ from general reporting in that sports reporters enjoy greaterfreedom for self-expression, which includes the use of superlatives. The famousamong them do enjoy special privileges in keeping with their professional status.Sport reporting provides details on the fitness of players, points of play, individualperformances, tactics and strategies adopted in the contest and crowd reaction.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What things should a sports reporter always keep with him?

2.3.9 Culture Reporting

The term “The Culture Beat” refers to the way a newspaper will assign reporters tocover various sites where news originates-city hall, the police reports, sports,entertainment, local, etc.

Culture reporting is characterized by its punchy style, rough language, andostensible disregard for conventional journalistic writing forms and customs. Thereporter 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 popularmagazines. 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, othernotable 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 peoplewho do something newsworthy.

Culture reporting today is the province of newspaper gossip columnists and gossipmagazines and has become the focus of national tabloid newspapers like theNational Enquirer, magazines like People and Us Weekly, syndicated televisionshows like Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, The Insider, Access Hollywood,and Extra, cable networks like E!, and numerous other television productions.





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It differs from feature writing in that it focuses on people who are either alreadyfamous or are especially attractive, and in that it often covers celebritiesobsessively, to the point of these journalists behaving unethically in order toprovide coverage. Paparazzi, photographers who would follow celebritiesincessantly to obtain potentially embarrassing photographs, have come tocharacterize celebrity journalism.

It is the most common kind of reporting where reporters are placed at the moststrategic news-breaking points like hospitals, courtrooms, police headquaters,airports, railway stations, universities, government and corporate offices and healthand recration centers. Unlike editorial writing, the culture reporting is impersonal.

A culture reporter is should essentially be an honest storyteller, who should riseabove his prejudices and subjectivity. He should be fair and impartial and presentin all aspects of the story. Complete objectivity may be required as the primary jobof a reporter in any beat is to tell the truth.

2.3.10 Civil Administration Reporting

The government establishes the civil administration and the area concerned arethe local, municipal, social and national levels of the society. Civil administrationreporting will thus carry news stories relating to all these sections of a country.Civil administration of a country exercise certain authority normally in thefunction 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 civilianpopulations in the area of operations.

Civil administration reporters are the specialists who can quickly andsystematically identify critical requirements needed by local citizens in badsituations. They can also locate civil resources to support help operations, helpsupport national assistance activities. The reporters report on the plan to establishand 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, publicsafety, public health, legal systems, labor management, public welfare, publicfinance, public education, civil defense, public works and utilities, publiccommunications, public transportation, logistics, food and agricultural services,





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economics, property control, cultural affairs, civil information, and managingdislocated persons.

One of the main components of civil administration is the police who are appointedwith the duties to keep a check on the society. Reporting police news is difficultand potentially dangerous. But if reporters and editors are properly prepared andsufficiently cautious, mistakes will be held to a minimum. Police news tells usabout ourselves, and how we handle police news tells us something about ourjournalistic ability. Ideally, police news is used to inform the public, not to aiddirectly in conviction. Keeping this perspective is important in handling policenews effectively.

Police reporters need to know exactly how crimes are defined in the communitythey cover. In the United States, for example, a "burglary" and a "robbery" are notthe same thing. Burglary involves breaking into a building to commit a crime.Robbery is stealing money or property by force. Developing a glossary of essentialterms can prevent embarrassing mistakes. A police press release may provide thebasic facts about a crime, but good reporters dig deeper. They go to the scene tolook for details and to talk with neighbors or eyewitnesses, whenever possible.

The coverage of civil disorder imposed major responsibilities on the reporters. Onthe one hand, they must expose themselves to danger if necessary to determine themagnitude of any street incident. But whatever they do, they must always beconscious that careless reporting or the provocative appearance of still ortelevision cameras can cause untold harm in a tense situation, particularly in thecrowded inner cores of many cities and towns.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What are the duties of a Police Reporter?

2.3.11 Education Reporting

As Education, is the organized teaching and training of students, the reporter’s jobwill revolve around these areas. Education is a body of theoretical and appliedresearch relating to teaching and learning. Thus, the reporter has to focus on theseboth areas of education. The education reporter works in different areas ordisciplines such as psychology, philosophy, computer science, linguistics,neuroscience, sociology and anthropology





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The education reporter focus on the education systems as these can be used topromote doctrines or ideals as well as knowledge, and this can lead to abuse of thesystem. These days, the education reporters focus on adult education as they havebecome widespread in many countries. However, education is still seen by many assomething aimed at children, and adult education is often branded as adult learningor lifelong learning.

Adult education takes on many forms, from formal class-based learning to self-directed learning. Lending libraries provide inexpensive informal access to booksand other self-instructional materials. Many adults have also taken advantage ofthe rise in computer ownership and internet access to further their informaleducation.

The reporter has to report about the Education reforms. Educational reforms areplans, programs, or movements which attempts to bring about a systematic changein educational theory or practice across a community or society. As the publicattention focuses on standards based education reform in response to the highexpense and poor outcomes of education, it is the duty of the reporter to bring forthsuch informations.

The teaching method must be teachable! Many educators now believe thatanything 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 beenproven to be far more effective than group instruction with compromise schedules.

Philosophers identify independent, logical reasoning as a precondition to mostwestern science, engineering, economic and political theory. Therefore, everyeducational program that desires to improve students' outcomes in political, healthand economic behavior should include a Socratically-taught set of classes to teachlogic and critical thinking. Substantial resources and time can be saved bypermitting students to test out of classes. This also increases motivation, directsindividual study, and reduces boredom and disciplinary problems.

To support inexpensive continuing education a community needs a free publiclibrary. It can start modestly as shelves in an attended shop or governmentbuilding, with donated books. New programs based on modern learning theoriesshould be quantitatively investigated for effectiveness.





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The education reporter has to report education plans, durations, costs, andscholarships of various educational programs started by national and internationaluniversities. Thus much research with educationists, institutions and expertise isrequired to prepare the report. As always, crosschecking of facts is important.Also, the education reporter has to present counseling help to the students as theyoften get confused because today we have so many options available in theeducation and vocational fields.

Thus, the education reporter must be aware with different departments ofeducation, have good contacts with colleges and universities and get an insight intothe psyche of the students’ about their preferences and choices. These reportershave to regularly attend functions like convocations, academic events of collegesand universities to know the progress and the launch of new educational programs.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What does a reporter of Education Beat do?

2.3.12 Development Reporting

Development reporting creates an awareness of the rapid transformation of thesociety from a poor economy to a highly developed economy by informing thepeople of the various programmes of development charted out by the governmentand development agencies and to bring to the notices of the government theproblems some of these poorly implemented schemes create so that it can beconsidered 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 hasdisastrous consequences too: air and water pollution, soil degradation anddeforestation. This led to rethinking on what constitutes development and aftermuch deliberation; ecology too came under its preview. The most importantquality to be inculcated is to have development perspective based on groundrealities and sharpened by a global vision.

A telling tale that is apt to awaken a slumbering government to action and a stylethat also spreads awakening among the masses are expected of a developmentcommunicator.





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Reporting success stories do motivate people and even the failures teach preciouslessons on how to avoid the mistakes made by others. Development reportersshould not be biased like a section of western media, which sees only the negativeside of India’s achievements. There a hundreds of development stories lying buriedto be discovered by a good development reporter. Government departments andministries dole out press releases, newsletters and annual reports, which could givethe lead for a story.

Sustainable development, therefore, represents an opportunity for humanity tocorrect a historical error and develop a gentler, more balanced, and stablerelationship with the natural world.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. How can a Development Reporter motivate the society?

2.4 OBJECTIVITY

News is a factual report of an event, not a report as seen by a biased person, orseen as a reporter might wish it to be seen. The reporter should be as impartial andhonest as possible. In fact, if a reporter does have a bias, sometimes he or shedeclines to do the story, or, more often, bends over backwards to make sure bothsides are covered equally. Is total objectivity humanly possible? We all havebackgrounds, biases, and emotions that help make up who we are as people, andturning them off completely is pretty impossible. Sometimes biased reporting canhappen inadvertently because the reporter tries to be clever or make a story moreinteresting.

Objectivity is a significant principle of journalistic professionalism. Accordingto scholars, objectivity may refer to fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, andnonpartisanship. The term therefore lacks a single meaning as journalists and thepublic use it in these varied ways. In many countries, advocacy journalism isconsidered as a legitimate sort of professional journalism.

According to scholars of journalism, journalists and publics often tend to identifyobjectivity in its absence. Few journalists would make a claim to total neutrality orimpartiality. However, most strive toward a certain modicum of detachment fromtheir own personal biases in their news work. In Discovering the News 1978,





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sociologist Michael Schudson argues that "the belief in objectivity is a faith in'facts,' a distrust in 'values,' and a commitment to their segregation." In theUnited States, an objective story is typically considered to be one that steers amiddle path between two poles of political rhetoric. The tenets of objectivity areviolated to the degree to which the story appears to favor one pole over the other.

According to some, it refers to the prevailing ideology of newsgathering andreporting that emphasizes eyewitness accounts of events, corroboration of factswith multiple sources and "balance." It also implies an institutional role forjournalists as a fourth estate, a body that exists apart from government and largeinterest groups.

Others hold it should mean reporting things without bias, as if one just came toEarth from another planet and had no preconceived opinions about our behavior orways. This form of journalism is rarely practiced, although some argue it wouldlead to radical changes in reporting.

Still others hold it to mean that journalists should have something like a neutralpoint of view, not taking a stand on any issues on which there is somedisagreement. Instead, journalists are simply to report what "both sides" of an issuetell them. Some even extend this standard to the journalist's personal life,prohibiting them from getting involved in political activities, which necessarilyrequires taking a stand.[

There is some dispute about whether objectivity can really exist. How do we knowthe truth? Well, objectivity is like virtue; it's the thing you always fall short of,but the thing you always strive toward. Opinion journalists have to be objectivejust as much as straight reporters. Opinion journalists, too, have to be able to seereality wholly and truly. As George Orwell said, they have to face unpleasant factsjust as much as anybody else.

What are the stages of getting to objectivity? The first stage is what somebodycalled negative capacity — the ability to suspend judgment while you'relooking at the facts. Sometimes when we look at a set of facts we like to choosethe facts that make us feel good because it confirms our worldview. But if you'regoing to be objective — and this is for journalists or anybody else — surely thefirst stage is the ability to look at all the facts, whether they make you feel good ornot.





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The second stage is modesty. And here one of the great models of journalism issomeone we just saw at a Senate confirmation hearing — Chief Justice JohnRoberts. He was asked by the Senators to emote. Senator Dianne Feinstein, forinstance, asked him how he would react as a father to a certain case. It was as ifshe and other Senators wanted him to weep on camera. They wanted him to do thesentimental thing, in order to make them feel that he was one of them. But heabsolutely refused, because his ethos as a lawyer and as a judge is not about self-exposure. It's about self-control. It's about playing a role in society — a sociallyuseful role. Roberts kept explaining that judges wear black robes because it's notabout them; it's not about self-importance. It's about doing a job for society. Judgeshave to suppress some of themselves in order to read the law fairly and notprejudge cases.

The same thing has to happen for journalists. They live in an age of self-exposure.But journalists have to suppress their egos so that they can see the whole truth,whether they like it or not.

The third stage of objectivity is the ability to process data — to take all thefacts that you've accumulated and honestly process them into a pattern. Thisis a mysterious activity called judgment. How do you take all the facts that are infront of you and fit them into one pattern? If you pick up a cup of coffee, one partof your brain senses how heavy it is. Another part of your brain senses how hot itis. Another part of your brain senses the shape of the cup. Another part of yourbrain knows that you're shaking, which creates ripples across the surface of thecoffee. All these parts are disconnected and we have no idea how the human brainprocesses that information. But some people are really good at connecting the dotsand seeing the patterns and other people are not. And surely that's the third stage ofobjectivity — the ability to take all the data, not just the data you like, and form itinto, a generalize whole.

The fourth stage of objectivity is the ability to betray friends. In Washington,there's loyalty to the truth and loyalty to your team. And in government, loyalty toyour team is sometimes more important than loyalty to the truth. If you're a U.S.Senator, you can't tell the truth all the time. If you work for an administration, youcan't tell the truth all the time, because government is a team sport. The only wayyou can get something done is collectively — as a group. It takes a majority to passa piece of legislation. It takes an administration working together to promulgate apolicy. And that’s fine. Politicians betray the truth all the time in favor of loyalty toa higher good for them. But for journalists and for most citizens, loyalty to the





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truth should succeed loyalty to the team. And frankly, that no longer happensenough.

The fifth stage of objectivity is the ability to ignore stereotypes. This is theoldest rule of journalism. Walter Lipmann once noted that most journalism is aboutthe confirmation of stereotypes — preexisting generalizations we all have in ourheads. The ability to ignore these stereotypes is crucial to objectivity.

And the last bit, the sixth stage is a willingness to be a little dull. It's easy towrite a lambasting, hurtful attack on someone. But usually — unless that personis Adolf Hitler — that's not fair.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What do you understand by ‘Objectivity’ in Journalism?

2.5 REPORT WRITING FOR ALL MEDIA

News report writing always starts with the most important fact. When you reporton a football game, you do not start with the kick-off; you begin with the finalscore. A news report has a beginning, middle and an end. News stories in contrastto this will blurt out something and then explain themselves. News reports aremostly active rather than in passive voice and are written in concise language.Paragraphs are short so as to set in newspaper columns. Shorter paragraphs aremore likely to keep the attention of readers. Attribution meaning ‘somebodysaying something’ is used in the news- reports to present a range of views overwhich 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 ofnews copy. News reports structure should have-

Stories should have the main idea given to the journalist for covering of anincident.

Content of the news report should be comprehensive and balanced.





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The intro should contain the main point of the story and should be clearlydeveloped 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 byeveryday readers. So it largely depends on elements like directness, pace, varietyand information. It aims to state the facts quickly and clearly.A news report has three parts:

The headline The first paragraph The remainder of the news story

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What are the basics of news report writing?

2.5.1 Radio

A. GENERAL1. Write accurately, impartially.2. Confine the whole story to one page if possible, but not at the expense

of well-spaced presentation. If you need a second page, start it with anew paragraph. Don't overrun a paragraph from one page to the next.

3. Make each sentence a new paragraph.B. FOR BOTH EASE OF HEARING AND EASE OF READING

1. Write simply. Avoid parenthetical clauses, no awkward sentenceconstructions; don't clutter with details; avoid pedantic construction.

2. Write with clarity of meaning, so that the newsreader and listenerswill be left in no doubt.

3. Write language as it's spoken, not as it's normally written for silentreading.

4. Avoid strings of adjectives. They're often hard to read aloud in onebreath, and they take the listener's mind away from the main point.

5. Avoid lists of figures. They're hard to read aloud and even harder onthe listener.

C. FOR EASE OF READING ALOUD





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1. Make sure your copy is cleanly typed. Retype after makingalterations.

2. Triple space between lines.3. Use conversational not slangy language. Contractions of verbs help

make it conversational e.g. It's been established - not It has beenestablished. You're going there - not You are going there).

4. Don't use quotation marks, and don't use ‘I’ or ‘we’ unless it meansthe person reading the item or the radio station.

5. Don't type capitals, except where capitals are normally used.6. Avoid words that are hard to sight-read.7. Spell names as they sound, if they're unusual.8. Use first names instead of initials.9. Avoid alliteration.10.Don't use the word that unnecessarily.11.Don't use abbreviated form of nay word that has to be read in full New

Zealand instead of N.Z..12.September the 28th not September 28.13.Spell out numbers if more than two figures - e.g. 1048 = one thousand

and 48. 148 = one hundred and 48.14.Read your copy back to yourself aloud as if you're the newsreader.

Simplify it as necessary, and then retype.D. FOR EASE OF LISTENING

1. Write briefly, concisely - avoid flamboyance, verbosity andunnecessary adjectives.

2. Generally speaking, first sentences of not more than 18 words. Othersentences not much longer - vary length.

3. Set the scene quickly.4. Avoid presenting more than one main idea in one sentence.5. Use active verbs wherever possible - not passive.6. Don't use press-style reported speech unnecessarily. Where possible,

put verbs of saying into present tense. If you have good reason to putthem in the past tense, put the other verbs in the present tense where itdoesn't alter the meaning.

7. Don't use the most important word right at the beginning of the firstsentence Police in Milan, not Milan Police) unless you're repeating itlater. It's not too easy for listeners to miss the first word, unless ithappens to be one that's pronounced strongly.





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8. Use slight repetition as a memory jogger After the first mention of,say, the Auckland University Students' Association write the Students'Association on one occasion later in the story, instead of merely theassociation.

Writing for Radio

Keep it short and fast!

Every second counts. Write short sentences with one basic idea in each. We aretrying to cram information into peoples' ears, one short line at a time. Long,complicated sentences full of big words don't make you sound smart. Say whatyou mean, throw away all unnecessary words, and try to maintain a conversationalstyle.

Put the subject at the front of each sentence of your news report:

subject) + verb) + object) + ...all other stuff

e.g. "The White House + denies + the charge."

Long, newspaper-style sentences should be broken up into smaller sentences:

"For the fifth night in a row, denizens of the tunnels underneath Penn Station, the"Mole People", are worrying that the police might barge in and evict them fortrespassing on City property."

The above is not a bad sentence, but it's a mouthful to read and understand. Itshould be broken up into smaller ones:

Sentences should be written in the positive, as opposed to the negative sense, asoften as possible. Avoid using "not", "no", "don't", "doesn't", "won't", etc.

"The union leadership doesn't accept that version of the story."

...can be rewritten in the positive:

"The union leadership says the story is a lie."

"Union leaders refuse to accept that version of the story."





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Write in the present tense, whenever possible:

"The White House denies the charge," is easier for the listener to understand andfaster to read than these common alternatives:

"The White House is denying the charge."

Write around your sound. The actualities are the most important part of yourstory; so after you've chosen them, see Choosing Actualities, below transcribethem word-for-word onto the page. The rest of your writing task amounts simplybridging the gaps between your bites.

Start and end your story with a person, a personal story, and an illustrativeanecdote...something that the listener can understand and relate to immediately.

Remind your listeners of the subject of your story as you go along, and again nearthe end. If you are having a hard time coming up with a definitive generalstatement for the conclusion of your story, conclude by telling the listener whatthey can expect to happen next.

When you are done with your Report script, make sure you have answered the"Five W's": Who, What, Where, Why, When. It's easy to forget one of these, andleave the listener wondering, "Who are they talking about?", "What country is thisstory taking place in?"

Words to avoid in radio writing, whenever possible:

All forms of the verb TO BE is, am, are, were, will be, have been , being, willhave been, etc.

"Raines is asking the officer for his one phone call."

...can be written with more color, without "is

"Raines pleads with the officer for his one phone call."

Use an action verb!

Adverbs, those words that usually end in -LY. easily, happily, angrily, etc.Adverbs are usually unnecessary, they often convey information you cannot





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confirm, and they tend to betray the reporter's allegiances to one side of the story.Note the last sentence contained two adverbs, sor ry!

"The White House hastily issued a denial."

...would be better written,

"The White House issued a denial 15 minutes later."

Note that "hastily" makes a value judgment for the listener--one that you cannotprove-- while "15 minutes later" allows the listener to make up her own mind.

Avoid common cliches in your writing, overused phrases and sentenceconstructions:

"...in the wake of September 11..."

"This, as police announced..."

"…against the backdrop of clan violence..."

These are often referred to as "groaners", because they make many radio listenersgroan to hear them. A groaner can't be easily defined, and some cannot always beavoided. Many lists of these terms can be found on the web.

Let the sources give the examples, and if possible) draw the conclusions. Thereporter should state the general fact/trend/phenomenon, then the sourceshould illustrate: No matter how important a source's point, if it's not wellarticulated, don't use it. Explain it yourself, and next time get bettertape! Successful reporters today have to adjust to the emphasis on shorter, harderpieces and breaking news. News staffers must be "part of the solution" andunderstand that they are not working in some perfect world where everyassignment is great and they have all the time in the world to execute it.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What things must be kept in mind while writing a news report for the radio?

2.5.2 Report writing for TV





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Few techniques that can be applied successfully more often to hard news reportwriting are:

Find a person to tell a story.

Telling the story through a person establishes an emotional connection with theviewer. Weave the hard facts of the bigger story through the person. Make thepiece bigger by adding small details, for instance, a line that humanizes the person.

Learn to ask the right questions to produce the best sound bites.Encouraging a person to talk openly in a compelling manner on camera is the mostimportant prerequisite for developing characters in television news stories. Theymust be comfortable and speaking their minds. There are many techniques thereporter should be ready to use. For instance, challenge your subjects. If a subjectsounds flat, boring, or too rehearsed, the interviewer shouldn't be afraid tochallenge the person, no matter what the circumstances.

Organize your elements in various ways to see which is most effective.Stories have beginnings, middles, endings and timelines."There are all kinds of different structures. If you want to be creative in journalism,and you want to tell a story well, look at the timeline," he says.Stories may have three timelines:1. The order of the events as they unfold.2. The order in which you record them.3. The order in which you present them in the story.

The beginning of the event isn't necessarily the beginning of the story."You should find the most compelling way to adjust the timeline. You can begin astory at the ending, you can begin it at the middle, or you can split it," he says.Endings leave impressions. No matter how strong the rest of your material maybe, a weak ending guarantees a weak piece.

Look for spontaneous "moments."If you're lucky, you'll find a spontaneous moment, and work off of that. It may besomething as simple as a woman looking at the wreckage of her burned house. Youtake that moment and elaborate on it.The pictures and sound don't have to be perfect. Viewers like to be witnesses,seeing an event happen.





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Look for something to peg the story on --- it could be a person, or a moment, amood or an emotion. It can be a lot of things that are outside the conventional box.

Look for the simple truth.Bring it home and make the story relevant to viewers.It's not enough to report the facts. You must make people feel something, and that'sthe challenge.Don't over-stuff the story with too many facts, figures, twists and turns. You riskobscuring the message.

Don't over-produce a story. It's easy to do too much simply because you have thetechnical capacity to do so.You want to produce memorable pieces, but not contrived.You want to do something a little different, but not to do something that callsattention to itself for the sake of calling attention to itself.Also, photographers who over-cut a piece and the result is the craftsmanshipgetting in the way of the story.A story should be seamless. You shouldn't notice the process that went into it. Youshould notice the story.Over-producing or over-writing the story is a mistake reporters make all the time.

Report what you find, not what was imagined beforehand.Too often in the morning meetings producers decide what they want, and they sendthe reporters out to get it.Then the reporter struggles to make that concept happen. When, in fact, if you area reporter, you are entrusted to go out and come back with reality --- whatever thatmight be. Don't make the facts fit the story; make the story fit the facts.It's a reporter's job to make it into something that will be a good story, and then togo back to the newsroom and fight for it.

Working effectively in the real world

Reporters can still do creative work on the tight schedule given them by theassignment desk. It’s only a question of approaching the job in the right way.

Don't over-shoot.It is suggests not shooting more than 60 seconds of raw video from any one place.Being conservative in the amount of tape you shoot saves time previewing andediting. Discipline yourself to know what you want, get it, and move on.





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Vary the look by varying the backgrounds during interviews.Change the scene. You don't need to overshoot. You can shoot one shot at alocation and an interview, and move on, and it looks like you spent all day there.The story should be moving forward and to give it different looks. A story hasscenes, just like a movie.

Shooting stories that can't be shot

The pressure of daily newsgathering --- with finite resources only so manyphotographers --- routinely produces situations where the people in the field willbe lucky to get anything on tape, never mind something strong. With a positiveattitude sometimes the seemingly impossible can be turned into a compellingpiece.1. Never give up.

2. Recognize opportunities.3. Be willing to change plans at a moment's notice.

Avoid cliches spoken only on TV

Television people should speak like real people. Speak normally!If you want to come across as an approachable, believable person on television,write the way you speak.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. Write the basic guidelines for Television writing.

2.5.3 Newspaper report writing

A story is much like a conversation. It begins with the most interesting piece ofinformation or a summary of the highlights and works its way down to the leastinteresting facts. There are words or phrases that take you from one topic ofconversation to another. Before you know it, you're finished.

You should be very familiar with the inverted pyramid style of writing whilewriting your news report. You'll likely use it every day. For example, when youcall a friend to tell him or her about a big date, you begin by telling the mostinteresting and important things first. The least important information is saved for





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the end of the conversation, and depending on how much time you have to talk,that information may not get into the conversation.

That concept also applies to news stories. The lead is the first paragraph of a newsstory. Usually, the lead is one sentence long and summarizes the facts of the newsstory in order of most newsworthy to least newsworthy. The reader should know atfirst glance what the story is about and what its emphasis is.

Who, What, Where, When, Why and How ... The five Ws and an H

Depending on the elements of news value, the summary news lead emphasizes andincludes some or all of the five Ws and H.

Who names the subjects of the story. The who, a noun, can refer to a person, agroup, a building, an institution, a concept -- anything about which a story can bewritten.

The ‘what’ is the action taking place. It is a verb that tells ‘what’ the ‘who’ isdoing. Reporters should always use active voice and action verbs for the ‘what’because they make the wording direct and lively.

The lead sets the structure for the rest of the story. If the lead is good, the rest ofthe story comes together easily. Many reporters spend half their writing time on thelead alone. One guiding principle behind story organization is: The structure of thestory can help the reader understand what you are writing about. The structureshould lead the reader from idea to idea simply and clearly. The object is to givereaders information, and wow them with convoluted style.

With one-sentence paragraphs consisting of only one idea -- block paragraphs -- itwould be easy for a story to appear as a series of statements without any smoothflow from one idea to the next. Block paragraphing makes the use of effectivetransitions important. Transitions are words or phrases that link two ideas,making the movement from one to the other clear and easy. Obvioustransitional phrases are: thus, therefore, on the other hand, next, then, and so on.

Transitions in news stories are generally done by repeating a word or phrase orusing a synonym for a key word in the preceding paragraph. Think of block graphsas islands tied together with transition bridges of repeated words or phrases.

You should use direct quotes:





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if a source's language is particularly colorful or picturesque

when it is important for written information -- especially official information -- tocome from an obviously authoritative voice to answer the questions ``why, how, who, or what?''

Use a direct quote after a summary statement that needs amplification, verificationor example.

Remember, a direct quote repeats exactly what the interviewee said. If you don'thave a person's exact words, you can paraphrase, but you cannot change themeaning of a person's words. And when you paraphrase, you must never usequotation marks.

Writing is a process, a logical sequence of steps. You follow a pattern in gettingdressed each day, in baking a cake or in changing a flat tyre. In the same way, yourwriting should be the product of a logical process. The successful writer gathers,focuses, orders, drafts and revises.1. The first step in the process is gathering. Good writing begins with goodreporting. The writer must find the details that reveal meaning. You can't writewriting; you have to have facts.

2. Once you have the facts, decide on a focus or theme. Each news story shouldhave one dominant idea. That is the focus or reason for writing the story. Without afocus, stories wander and confuse the reader. To find the focus, ask yourself,what's the point? Imagine that you had to write a six-word headline for the story.What one sentence tells the meaning of the story?

3. Next, decide which of your facts are most important and place them in a logicalorder. Discard all facts that don't flow from your focus statement. Like a blueprint,each story needs a plan. Each point should grow from the previous point and leadto the next one. Poor organization loses more readers than anything else. For thereader, the easiest thing is to stop reading.

4. Write quickly from beginning to end so that you can spend time with the middleof your story and with the ending.

5. After you have written, edit your story to make it more powerful. Make sure thatyou have written what you intended to write. Read it aloud to someone. Take a





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break, then come back to it and revise. Be merciless in removing anything thatdoesn't belong.

6. This process is not necessarily a straight line from gathering to revising. Thewriter will go back and forth, including other facts as she is revising, or changingthe order as she gathers. A key point to remember is that much of the work inwriting a news story is done before the first words are put to paper.

2.5.4 Magazine Writing

Most magazines you see on newsstands every day rely on freelance writers fortheir content. From fillers to features, most parts of a publication are fair game forwriters hoping to break in. No, you don't have to have a cousin in the publishingworld to see your name in print. You just have to follow the rules like every otherjournalist until, one day, the editors start calling you.

As you write for magazines, it will give you increased confidence that you canwrite for publication, meet word limits and deadlines. There are many benefitsfrom writing for magazines.

Some basics to get started while writing for magazines:

Decide on your genreIf all matters foodie particularly drives you, consider being a recipe writer and foodjournalist. Or perhaps a reporter on traditional dishes from the four corners of theearth. Maybe even a critique for restaurants and hotels in your area. There are toomany avenues to begin to list them all, but bear in mind there are very fewmagazines and journals that don’t have a recipe in there somewhere and everybodyhas to eat… Choose a subject that rings your bell. One that you have goodbackground 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 angleWhere are you coming from? Are you going to report on the subject or beinnovative and tell others about your ideas? Would you prefer something along afictional line? Maybe Q and A and FAQ’s is your bag. Don’t rule anything out, butget acquainted with a comfortable angle by trying lots of different types of writingon your chosen subject. The more relaxed you are, the better your quality of workwill be, because it will flow more naturally.





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Research your subjectOnce you have a focus, look into that field in great depth. See what is available andtopical at the moment, on paper and on the Internet. It will help to know whatpeople are reading and interested in, before you put pen to paper. Do you feel yourline of thought has not been covered yet? Perhaps that could be a door ofopportunity opening for you. Websites are not difficult to get up and running thesedays – consider setting one up for your chosen subject, with the possibility of anaccompanying newsletter.

ResearchResearch is, without a doubt, one of the biggest bugbears, but if you are committedto a career in writing, you might as well make it your best friend, because you aregoing to be doing an awful lot of it!

Writer’s guidelinesYour piece might be amazing, with bells on, but if you don’t comply with thesubject line or the addressee; it will more than likely end up in the recycle bin! It isa laborious task going through them and doing as you are told, especially whenyour piece is clearly the hottest thing on the market. Remember, if it were thateasy, everybody would be doing it and besides, there has to be some fun in thechase.

Keep track of your workKeep a log of your submissions, query letters and published pieces. Create anaddress book of all the editors, fellow writers and useful contacts you make. Don’tbe put off by the response times either. Make up files that allow you to reviewwhat you have sent to whom and keep on top of it.

Remember, a writer must write something every single day, without fail! It keepsyour hand in and makes you look at new angles and ways of self-expression. Youhave to be topical, expressive, interesting and informative. It is a big old readingworld out there, don’t be daunted, be focused, be clever and most of all, have fun!

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. How is Magazine report writing done?

2.5.5 Web writing





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Among the Web's many peculiarities is its writing genre. Most Web documentsfollow a style that you may not normally use in your writing. One of an author'stasks, however, is to write in the language and style of the reader. You cannotafford to bury your message so deep that the typical Web reader scanning yourpages will either skip over it or not even bother to find it. The following approachwill help ensure that Web readers will find your information:

Summarize first. Put the main points of your document in the paragraph, sothat readers scanning your pages will not miss your first points.

Be concise. Use lists rather than paragraphs, but only when your prose lendsitself to such treatment. Readers can pick out information more easily from alist than from within a paragraph.

Write for scanning. Most web readers scan pages for relevant materialsrather than reading through a document word by word.

Guide the reader by highlighting the salient points in your document usingheadings, lists, and typographical emphasis.

Page length. Chunking provides a way to limit the length of your Web Access. Your content list should already be composed of information

chunks, because the definition of a content item is any piece of informationthat needs to be accessed individually. Consider how users will interact withyour materials: What items will they want to access directly?

Define your information chunks to accommodate the expected usagepatterns of your users pages: Web readers generally prefer shorter pages.Don't arbitrarily divide a document, however, and don't divide a documentthat is likely to be printed anyway.

Printing. Don't break your narrative into small segments if you expectPrinting. Don't break your narrative into small segments if you expect thatmost users will want to print the information.

Documents are easier to print from a single Web page. Or, if usage isdifficult to predict, offer both a Web version and a link to an easy-to-printpage or printing alternative, such as a downloadable PDF file.

2.6 SUMMARY

News reporting is a type of journalism, typically written or broadcast in news style.Most news is investigated and presented by journalists or news Reporters, and canbe distributed to various outlets via news agencies. News is often reported by a





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variety of sources, such as newspapers, television, and radio programs, wireservices, and web sites.

There are tremendous public interests in crime stories and no newspaper can affordto ignore them without damage to circulation and credibility. Crime is a part of lifeand it is newspaper’s duty to inform the readers of what crimes are going on intheir city, state or country. However, crime reporting should not aim at satisfyingmorbid curiosity or sensation mongering.

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 theSupreme Court. The media are less interested in covering Civil Courts. One of thereason 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 meantime, members of the public would lose whatever interest they may have showedinitially.

Health reporter usually informs the public about major epidemics, diseases andtheir cures, new medical discoveries, medical irregularities, etc. they are eitherspecialized in their field of medical of take the assistance of doctors, medicalpractitioner, etc. the common man cannot understand most of the medical terms soit is the duty of the health reporter to explain these terms and present the reportwhich is easily understood by the common man.

Reporters around the country are increasingly turning to civic journalism to findbetter stories and report them in ways that re-establish a bond with readers,viewers and listeners.

Political reporters in a democracy have one central mission: to provide citizenswith the information they need to make an informed choice between the candidatesfor elective office. To do that, journalists need to examine the candidates'backgrounds and qualifications, their positions on the key issues, and what thecandidates are saying in campaign appearances and advertising. Reporters whocover politics look at the candidates' supporters, too, since their interests can oftenshed light on what a politician will do if elected.

The focus of business reporting is the state of business, depending on thecountry’s economic climate. The stock market, capital market, the wholesale andconsumer price, metals and gold prices, industries and agricultural production,





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consumer behavior, inflation, money supply foreign and Indian investments,unemployment, wages and labor, all are areas of interest to the business reporter.

Half-truths, bluffs and blisters are not part of science reporting, which is based onverifiable technological facts. Verify your facts from other sources, referencebooks and journals before you report. Credibility and clarity are the catchwords inscience reporting.

Sport reporting demands for an exceptional interest in the field of sports and agood writing style. Sports reporters are conversant with the rules of the game andhave good relations with players and coaches. They are also knowledgeable aboutthe lives of top players to dish out interesting anecdotes in sports features.

Culture reporting is characterized by its punchy style, rough language, andostensible disregard for conventional journalistic writing forms and customs. Thereporter 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 popularmagazines. It has a good deal of entertainment value.

Civil administration reporters are the specialists who can quickly andsystematically identify critical requirements needed by local citizens in badsituations. They can also locate civil resources to support help operations, helpsupport national assistance activities. The reporters report on the plan to establishand maintain liaison or dialogue with civilians and private organizations.

The education reporter focus on the education systems as these can be used topromote doctrines or ideals as well as knowledge, and this can lead to abuse of thesystem. These days, the education reporters focus on adult education as they havebecome widespread in many countries.

Reporting success stories do motivate people and even the failures teach preciouslessons on how to avoid the mistakes made by others. Development reportersshould not be biased like a section of western media, which sees only the negativeside of India’s achievements. There a hundreds of development stories lying buriedto be discovered by a good development reporter.





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Objectivity is a significant principle of journalistic professionalism. According toscholars, objectivity may refer to fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, andnonpartisanship. The term therefore lacks a single meaning as journalists and thepublic use it in these varied ways.

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 ofnews copy. News reports structure should have-

Stories should have the main idea given to the journalist for covering of anincident.

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.


Q1. Discuss the significance of news reporting.Q2.Write short notes on:

i Crime Reportingii Political Reportingiii Sports Reportingiv Culture Reportingv Business Reporting

Q3. How far can the journalist be Objective in reporting an incident? DoesObjectivity exist in today’s journalism profession?Q4. Write a short note on report writing for:

i Televisionii Radioiii Newspaperiv Magazinev Web





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2.8 FURTHER READING

1. Reporting Methods S.Kundra Anmol Publications Pvt.Ltd2. Outline of Editing M.K.Joseph3. Editing Techniques S.Kundra4. News Reporting and Editing Jan.R.Hakemulder, Fay AC de Jonge, P.P.

Singh

UNIT 3- EDITING

Structure

3.0 Unit Objectives3.1 Introduction3.2 Principles of Editing3.3 Editing & Proofreading3.4 Need & Principles of Editorial Desk3.5 Newspaper Meaning & Production3.6 Newspaper & Magazine3.7 Newspaper Pages3.8 Summary3.9 Exercises and Questions3.10 Further Reading

3.0 UNIT OBJECTIVES

To understand the significance of Editing in print media To discuss the principles of Editing To know the Editing & Proofreading Symbols To learn the usage of these symbols To know the Production steps of the newspaper To understand the difference in the production of Newspaper and

Magazine





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3.1 INTRODUCTION

Meaning of Editing

Editing is the process of preparing language, images, or sound for presentationthrough correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications. A personwho edits, especially professionally or as a hobby, is called an editor.There are various levels of editorial positions in publishing. Typically one findsjunior editorial assistants reporting to the senior level editorial managers anddirectors, who themselves report to senior executive editors responsible for projectdevelopment to final releases. Human editors in the print publishing industry includepeople who are responsible for:

Newspapers and wire services. Organizing anthologies and other compilations. Organizing and publishing a magazine. The top editor may be called editor-in-

chief. Those who get the magazine into the hands of readers and subscribers,even, have editorial titles and are called circulation editors. Frequent andesteemed contributors to a magazine may acquire the title editor at-large.

Producing a definitive edition of a classic author's works—a scholarly editor. Organizing and managing contributions to a multi-author book — symposium

editor or volume editor. Finding marketable ideas and presenting them to appropriate authors — a

sponsoring editor. Obtaining copy or recruiting authors — such as the acquisitions editor or

commissioning editor for a publishing house. Improving an author's writing so that they indeed say what they want to say,

in an effective manner — a substantive editor. Depending on the writer's skill,this editing can sometimes turn into ghost writing. Substantive editing isseldom a title. Many types of editors do this type of work, either in-house at apublisher or on an independent basis.

Correcting spelling, grammar, and matters of house style—a copyeditor. Butcopy editors at newspapers usually also have greater and higherresponsibilities, which may include the design of pages and the selection ofnews stories for inclusion. At UK newspapers, the term is "sub-editor."

Choosing the layout of the publication and communicating with the printer —a production editor. This and similar jobs are also called "layout editor,"r—more so in the past—"makeup editor."





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The smaller the publication, the more these roles run together. In particular, thesubstantive editor and copy editor often overlap: Fact-checking and rewriting can bethe responsibility of either.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. Define ‘Editing’?Q2. Enlist the different Editors working for the print publishing industry.

3.2 PRINCIPLES OF EDITING

The main consideration in editing is to tell the story in the fewest words possible.Condensation is essential because there is more material than can be used. Thesecond consideration is clarity, which is obtained by avoiding intricate sentencestructure and by using familiar words. The third consideration is forcefulexpression. The sub-editor must constantly seek the most effective way to expressthe ideas of the story. The forth consideration is respect for accuracy. It meanslooking out for small factual errors, which disfigure an otherwise good story.

Editing involves more than making sure words are spelled correctly, language isused properly, punctuation is in the right places and spelling is accurate. These,however, are important details that separate a polished publication from a sloppyone. As gatekeepers of a publication, editors must have a clear idea about what themission is. So part of editing involves being missionaries and a part also involvesbeing ambassadors of ideas.

It is with experience that the best ideas most often come from the bottom up, notfrom the top down. So editors should be encouraging writers to pursue their ownstory ideas. This is done with prompting, nudging, cajoling, pushing--whateverworks.

Editing requires good listening. The writer should be heard first, then the editorresponds. The conversation process enriches stories, because two heads are betterthan one. Conversation should be taking place when the idea is first beingformulated; it should take place during and after the reporting phase; it should takeplace before the story is written and it should take place after the editor has fullyprocessed the story. At each stage the editor should bear in mind that it is thereporter's story on the one hand, but it also is the reader's story. It is not theeditor's story.





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Story ideas are similar to loaves of bread. All of the elements need to be broughttogether and kneaded. Then the dough is popped into the oven until it rises and isready to eat. The punctuation has an important function in a story. Its function is tohelp guide the reader through the sentence or paragraph in a way that will make thewording more understandable.

Revision

Editorial changes, normally made in ink for the printer, are better made clearly inpencil on the typescript if the writer is going to see the changes. A reasonablylegible photocopy can then be sent to the author for checking and revision process.The editor can draw attention to doubtful points with a marginal note.

Structural Reorganization

Reorganizing a whole write up, argument or section ought to be the writer’sresponsibility, but the editor must have good reasons for asking for majorreorganization, and they should suggest how it should be done.

Expansion

If a step in the argument is missing, or if further experimental evidence is needed,only the writer can supply the missing material.

Shortening

Shortening an article to a given length may be done by the author but is oftenbetter done in the editorial office. If the writer is asked to do the work the editormust indicate how it might be done, which sections, paragraphs, tables orillustrations could be deleted, which part could be condensed, and whichmarginally relevant theme might be cut out.

The Title

A title that conveys the main subject or the message in a few words as possible iseasy retrieval. Since editors know more about the use of titles in informationretrieval than most writers, editors should have a major say in re-titling storieswhere necessary.

Spellings





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The difference between American and British spelling produce problems in thesedays of international journals largely in English. If the editor, publisher or printercannot accept inconsistency between articles, the editor or copy-editor shouldchange the spelling, where necessary, to whichever version is more common in thecountry of publication.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What are the basic principles of Editing?

Guidelines for Rewriting, Revising and some Basic Principles of Editing:

1. Give the main points of the news in the first paragraph2. Tell the story in headline and use a verb to give it vigor3. Check names, titles, facts, figures, dates, and address where ever slightest

doubt exists. The sub-editor know the reference book which will clear thedoubt

4. Both sides of the story in a dispute must be given5. Use short sentences and short paragraphs6. Repeat names in court cases rather than refer to them as accused, witness,

etc7. Indicate correctness of doubtful spelling by saying ‘correct’ within brackets8. Beware of foreign names9. Define long, unfamiliar words, especially scientific and medical terms10.Do not begin sentences with words like ‘despite’ or ‘because’11.Do not use vague phrases like a ‘ serous charge’ or a ‘certain offence’12.Reporters to give a rather artificial flow to the story ‘meanwhile’ often use

the word. Cut it out13.Use concrete words, words that make the reader see, hear, smell or taste.

Test the story for concrete images and visual word pictures14.Be careful about pronouns. The misuse of the relative pronoun and

punctuation are the most common grammatical errors in the news stories.15.Editorializing any trace of personal opinion or a value judgment should be

eliminated from the copy unless it is a feature or news analysis

3.3 EDITING & PROOF READING SYMBOLS





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Proof reading is a final proofing of the manuscript, usually focused on cleaning upany typographical errors before the manuscript is typeset. It is the process ofreading composed copy in order to identify and correct errors. It also involvesverifying that text has been entered correctly, as well as looking for spelling andpunctuation errors. Proofreading is not an innate ability; it is an acquired skill.

Tips for successful proofreading:

Cultivate a healthy sense of doubt. If there are types of errors you know youtend to make, double check for those.

Read very slowly. If possible, read out loud. Read one word at a time. Read what is actually on the page, not what you think is there. This is the

most difficult sub-skill to acquire, particularly if you wrote what you arereading.

Proofread more than once. If possible, work with someone else.

There are two sources of unconscious error:

1. Faulty information from the kinesthetic memory. If you have alwaysmisspelled a word like "accommodate", you will unthinkingly misspell itagain.

2. A split second of inattention. The mind works far faster than the pen ortypewriter.

It is the unconscious nature of the worst that makes proofreading so difficult. Thestudent who turned in a paper saying, "I like girdle cakes for breakfast" did nothave a perverted digestion. He thought he had written, "griddle cakes" and becausethat's what he was sure he had written, that's what he "saw" when he proofread. Ifhe had slowed down and read word by word, out loud, he might have caught theerror. You have to doubt every word in order to catch every mistake.

Another reason for deliberately slowing down is that when you read normally, youoften see only the shells of words -- the first and last few letters, perhaps. You "fixyour eyes" on the print only three or four times per line, or less. You take in thewords between your fixation points with your peripheral vision, which gets lessaccurate the farther it is from the point. The average reader can only take in sixletters accurately with one fixation. This means you have to fix your eyes on





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almost every word you have written and do it twice in longer words, in order toproofread accurately. You have to look at the word, not slide over it.

In proofreading, you can take nothing for granted, because unconsciousmistakes are so easy to make. It helps to read out loud, because 1 you are forcedto slow down and 2 you hear what you are reading as well as seeing it, so you areusing two senses. It is often possible to hear a mistake, such as an omitted orrepeated word that you have not seen.

Professional editors proofread as many as ten times. Publishing houses hireteams of readers to work in pairs, out loud. And still errors occur.

Remember that it is twice as hard to detect mistakes in your own work as insomeone else's!

General tips for Proofing and Editing

Read it out loud and also silently. Read it backwards to focus on the spelling of words. Read it upside down to focus on typology. Use a spell checker and grammar checker as a first screening, but don'tdepend on them. Have others read it. Read it slowly. Use a screen a blank sheet of paper to cover the material not yet proofed. Point with your finger to read one word at a time. Don't proof for every type of mistake at once—do one proof for spelling,another for missing/additional spaces, consistency of word usage, font sizes,etc. Print it out and read it. Read down columns in a table, even if you're supposed to read across thetable to use the information. Columns may be easier to deal with than rows. Use editor's flags. Put #s in the document where reviewers need to payspecial attention, or next to items that need to be double-checked before thefinal proof print. Do a final search for all # flags and remove them. Give a copy of the document to another person and keep a copy yourself.Take turns reading it out loud to each other. While one of you reads, the other





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one follows along to catch any errors and awkward-sounding phrases. Thismethod also works well when proofing numbers and codes. First, proof the body of the text. Then go back and proof the headings.Headings are prone to error because copy editors often don't focus on them. Double check fonts that are unusual italic, bold, or otherwise different. Carefully read type in very tiny font. Be careful that your eyes don't skip from one error to the next obvious error,missing subtle errors in between. Double check proper names. Double-check little words: "or," "of," "it," and "is" are often interchanged. Double check boilerplate text, like the company letterhead. Just becauseit's frequently used doesn't mean it's been carefully checked. Double check whenever you're sure something is right-certainty isdangerous. Closely review page numbers and other footer/header material for accuracyand correct order.

Editing for content

Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why, and how when reading forcontent. Does the text answer all the questions you think it should?

Highlight the sentences that best answer these questions, just so you can seeif the facts flow in logical order.

Do the math, do the math, and then do the math again. Somewhere betweenthe screen and the printer 2+2 often becomes 3.

Actually do every step in procedures to make sure they are complete,accurate, and in correct order.

Count the number of steps a list promises to make sure they are all there. Check that figure numbers match their references in the text and are

sequential. Check that illustrations, pictographs, and models are right-side up.

Preparation to Proof or Edit

Write at the end of the day; edit first thing in the morning. Listen to music or chew gum. Proofing can be boring business and it

doesn't require much critical thinking, though it does require extreme





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focus and concentration. Anything that can relieve your mind of someof the pressure, while allowing you to still keep focused, is a benefit.

Don't use fluorescent lighting when proofing. The flicker rate isactually slower than standard lighting. Your eyes can't pick upinconsistencies as easily under fluorescent lighting.

Spend a half-hour a month reviewing grammar rules. Read something else between edits. This helps clear your head of

what you expect to read and allows you to read what really is on thepage.

Make a list of things to watch for—a kind of "to do" list—as you edit.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. Define ‘Proofreading’?

Proofreading

The following marks are standard proofreading and editing marks. A professionalproofreader puts a mark usually a line or caret in the line and writes thecorrection in the margin. An editor makes corrections within the line rather than inthe margin in part because an editor's changes are typically more extensive),which is why editors prefer to work with double-spaced copy.





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83 PUNJAB TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY





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3.4NEED & PRINCIPLES OF EDITORIAL DESK

Editors at newspapers supervise journalists and improve their work. Newspaperediting encompasses a variety of titles and functions. These include:

Copyeditors Department editors Managing editors and assistant or deputy managing editors the managing

editor is often second in line after the top editor) News editors, who oversee the news desks Photo or picture editors Section editors and their assistants, such as for business, features, and sports




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Editorial Page Editor who oversees the coverage on the editorial page. Thisincludes chairing the Editorial Board and assigning editorial writingresponsibilities. The editorial page editor may also oversee the op-ed page orthose duties are assigned to a separate op-ed editor.

Top editors, who may be called editor in chief or executive editor Readers' editors, sometimes known as the ombudsman, who arbitrate

complaints Wire editors, who choose and edit articles from various international wire

services, and are usually part of the copy desk Administrative editors who actually don't edit but perform duties such as

recruiting and directing training

Copy editing is the process by which an editor makes formatting changes and otherimprovements to text. Copy, in this case a noun, refers to material such ashandwritten or typewritten pages to be set as in typesetting for printing. A personwho performs the task of copy editing is called a copy editor.

The editorial department actually has two sides, and usually these are separatelyresponsible to the publisher. They are ‘news’ and ‘editorial’. The news side isusually under the supervision of a managing or executive editor. The editorial pagecrew consists of editorial writers and is directed by a ‘chief editorial writer’ and‘editor’ or ‘editor in chief’, or sometimes an ‘editorial page editor’.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What is ‘Copy Editing’?

Chief Sub-Editor

Chief Sub-Editor is the person who directs and supervises the editorial side of thenewspaper. The primary role of the editor is:

To manage the newspaper. Determines whether a submitted manuscript is appropriate for publishing. Selects expert reviewers and an area editor to evaluate the submitted

manuscript. Renders a final editorial decision on each manuscript based on the

recommendation, journal priorities, other similar manuscripts in process andrelated considerations.





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Communicates directly with the author and the review team. Schedule accepted manuscripts for publication. Balance workloads for the area editors and reviewers. Resolve any conflicts.

Chief Sub Editors or Editors review, rewrite, and edit the work of writers. Theymay also do original writing. An editor’s responsibilities vary with the employerand type and level of editorial position held. Editorial duties may include planningthe content of books, technical journals, trade magazines, and other general-interestpublications. Editors also decide what material will appeal to readers, review andedit drafts of books and articles, offer comments to improve the work, and suggestpossible titles. In addition, they may oversee the production of the publications. Inthe book-publishing industry, an editor’s primary responsibility is to reviewproposals for books and decide whether to buy the publication rights from theauthor.

The duties of an editor range from deciding what will be published to ensuring thatwriting is free of grammar, usage and punctuation errors. Written material for amass audience, even on the Web, should meet the conventions of standardAmerican English. An editor works with a writer to ensure that the story or articleachieves what the writer and publication intend. The story must be accurate, thewriting to the point and well organized. The editor ensures that the article fits thestyle and tone of the publication. An editor tries to maintain a reader's trust orconfidence in a publication. A newspaper must be accurate and timely, and amagazine must stay abreast of the trends in a particular field.

Editors must know what is worth publishing, what is timely, what is important toreaders. A newspaper editor can sense when a tepid story is going to heat up.Editors on top of their game sent correspondents to those countries when smallchanges hinted at big changes ahead. The skill is to know the difference betweensignificant events and minor wrinkles.

Editing for grammar and usage on a copy desk and deciding whether to send twoor three correspondents to a foreign country at a cost of hundreds of thousands ofdollars are both within the province of editing. The job is always interesting and, attimes, can be exciting.

Major newspapers and newsmagazines usually employ several types of editors.The executive editor oversees assistant editors, who have responsibility for





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particular subjects, such as local news, international news, feature stories, orsports. Executive editors generally have the final say about what stories arepublished and how they are covered. The managing editor usually is responsiblefor the daily operation of the news department. Assignment editors determinewhich reporters will cover a given story. Copy editors mostly review and edit areporter’s copy for accuracy, content, grammar, and style.

In smaller organizations, such as small daily or weekly newspapers or themembership or publications departments of nonprofit or similar organizations, asingle editor may do everything or share responsibility with only a few otherpeople. Executive and managing editors typically hire writers, reporters, and otheremployees. They also plan budgets and negotiate contracts with freelance writers,sometimes called “stringers” in the news industry. In broadcasting companies,program directors have similar responsibilities.

Editors and program directors often have assistants, many of whom hold entry-level jobs. These assistants, such as copy editors and production assistants, reviewcopy for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling and check the copy forreadability, style, and agreement with editorial policy. They suggest revisions, suchas changing words and rearranging sentences, to improve clarity or accuracy. Theyalso carry out research for writers and verify facts, dates, and statistics. Productionassistants arrange page layouts of articles, photographs, and advertising; composeheadlines; and prepare copy for printing. Publication assistants who work forpublishing houses may read and evaluate manuscripts submitted by freelancewriters, proofread printers’, and answer letters about published material.Production assistants on small newspapers or in radio stations compile articlesavailable from wire services or the Internet, answer phones, and make photocopies.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. Who is the Chief-sub-Editor and what role does he plays?

Sub-Editor

Press sub-editors are journalists who work for:

National daily or weekly newspapers; Local and regional newspapers; Magazines.





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They are responsible for ensuring that the tone, style and layout of final copymatch the publication's house style and target market.

The role involves processing all the copy before it is published to ensure that it isaccurate, makes sense and reads well. They also lay out the story on the page andmay also be involved with overall page design.

As with many roles in journalism, sub-editing is a demanding role that requiresconstant attention to detail within a fast-paced working environment.

Work activities vary and can depend on the extent to which production and layoutwork falls within a sub-editor's remit. Only senior sub-editors would be expected tohave much legal knowledge.

Common activities that form much of the work of most Sub-Editors include:

Editing copy to remove spelling mistakes and grammatical errors; Rewriting material so that it flows or reads better and adheres to the house

style of a particular publication; Ensuring that a story fits a particular word count by cutting or expanding

material as necessary; Writing headlines that capture the essence of the story or are clever or

amusing; Writing stand-firsts brief introductions which sum up the story; Liaising with reporters or journalists to clarify facts and details about a

story; Editing press releases or reports; Compiling routine information, such as tables of sports results or financial

data; Checking stories to ensure they are accurate, do not break the law or go

against the publication's policy; Cropping photos and deciding where to use them for best effect; Writing the captions for pictures; Discussing concerns with editors; Proofreading complete pages produced by other sub-editors; Working to a page plan to ensure that the right stories appear in the correct

place on each page; Laying out pages and, depending on the nature of the role, playing a part in

page design;





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Adding last minute news stories; Keeping up to date with sector issues, e.g. by reading related publications.

Sub-Editor at work

The sub is a versatile man in the newspaper. He knows something of everythingand everything of something. He can be depended upon to handle any kind ofcopy-home, foreign, financial, and commercial, sports, etc. His sound generaleducation and training will help him edit easily and efficiently all kinds of copyfull of technical terms and complicated issues.

The sub is saddled with his weapons-pencil, paste, and a pair of scissors. With a setof symbols he marks his copy for the printer. These symbols signify the alterationsto be made in the news story. He gives a hurried look at the story and grasps thecontents. He checks up whether an adequate lead was given by the reporter,answering the reader’s questions, Who? When? What? Why? Where? He alsofinds out whether the most important feature or talking point has been given thefirst place in the lead, and the body of the story has been developed fully givingunimportant details at the end.

Assistant Editor

Assistant Editor may also be called as assistant editor; associate editor.

Prepares written material for publication, performing any combination of followingduties: Reads copy to detect errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax. Verifiesfacts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources. Rewrites or modifiescopy to conform to publication's style and editorial policy and marks copy fortypesetter, using standard symbols to indicate how type should be set. Reads galleyand page proofs to detect errors and indicates corrections, using standardproofreading symbols. May confer with authors regarding changes made tomanuscript, select and crop photographs and illustrative materials to conform tospace and subject matter requirements and may also prepare page layouts toposition and space articles and illustrations. He may write or rewrite headlines,captions, columns, articles, and stories according to publication requirements.





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The Editor EDThe primary role of the Editor is to manage the journal.

Determines whether a submitted manuscript is appropriate for MarketingScience.

Selects expert reviewers and an area editor to evaluate the submittedmanuscript.

Renders a final editorial decision on each manuscript based on the AErecommendation, journal priorities, other similar manuscripts in process andrelated considerations.

Communicates directly with the author and the review team. Schedules accepted manuscripts for publication. Balances workloads for the area editors and reviewers. Resolves any conflicts.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. Enlist the duties and responsibilities of the Editor.

3.5 NEWSPAPER MEANING & PRODUCTION STEPS

A newsroom is the place where journalists, either reporters, editors, producers andother staffers work to gather news to be published in a newspaper or magazine orbroadcast on television, cable or radio. Some journalism organizations refer to thenewsroom as the city room.

After all news stories have been edited and headlined and finally composed, theprocess of making-up starts. It is done according to plan. The dummy is the guide.The sub-editor gives directions to finalize the make-up. He tries to display the mostimportant news stories of the day above the fold, and almost all-important storieson the front page. His acquaintance with the art of printing, newspaper make-upand of writing; work in help of both to produce an attractive and readablenewspaper.

Indian newspapers usually have a set style of make-up, and as such things gosmoothly unless big news of some magnitude breaks at the eleventh hournecessitating hurried conferences among the executive heads and quick decision toalter the plan.





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Before the chief sub-editor gives the print order he goes through the ‘blanketproofs’ quickly. He discovers that a story has been repeated, a headline has beenplaced on wrong side of story, a dateline has been misplaced, and he marks theblemishes with his blue pencil. The printer makes the necessary correction.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What are the activities of the ‘Newsroom’?

Newspaper Production Steps

Co-ordination Process:Bruce Westley divides newspaper work into three basic categories. Each of thesedepartments is distinctly different yet each is wholly dependent on the smoothfunctioning of the others. These areas of responsibility are usually referred to as‘business’, ‘mechanical’ and ‘editorial’. Working newsmen are more likely tocall them in order, ‘the front office’, ‘the back office’ and the ‘newsroom’.

Newspaper editing is actually only one operation among several in the ‘thenewsroom’ but the editors, particularly, must know how other branches of the totalnewspaper operate in order to do their job with maximum efficiency. The copydesk is essentially the ‘crossroads’ between the editorial and mechanical branchesof the business. The copy editor must know the mechanical phase prettythoroughly in order to perform his editorial function.

Business Administration

The business office is the ‘counting house’ of the newspaper profession. It has anobvious duty to keep the organization afloat financially.

The newspaper business office operates pretty much like any other business office.Ordinarily, it has major divisions: an advertising department which might bebroken down into two autonomous departments, classified and displayadvertising, a circulation department, a promotion department, and an accountingor auditing department. A major officer of the business staff typically heads eachof these branches. Usually a ‘business manager’, to whom each of thesedepartment heads is responsible, directs the entire, operation. The publisher





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himself often handles the business manager function, especially in the case ofsmaller dailies.

Advertising Department: the advertising department, headed by an advertisingmanager, ordinarily has four divisions:

1. The local or retail division consists of a staff of specialist who solicit, layout, correct, and sometimes ‘merchandise’ local advertising accounts. Thiscan be expected to be the largest of the advertising department sub divisionsand offers the most creative employment in newspaper, advertising forjournalism graduates with advertising training.

2. Another group of specialists concerns itself with obtaining and handling‘foreign’ or ‘national’ advertising accounts. The division deals, directly withadvertising agencies, which handle the accounts of the big advertisers,usually with the help of an advertising representative in metropolitan cities,a service, which intercedes for the newspaper directly with the agencies.

3. Another concern of the advertising manager is ‘classified’ although this maybe a separate department. Classified ads have gained steadily in recent yearsas a source of newspaper revenue and hence are receiving increasingattention by newspaper executives.

4. A fourth division of an advertising department is the ‘merchandising’ or‘service’ division. Its purpose is to assist the advertiser in getting maximumreturn on his advertising budget. This is the most recent and rapidly growingphase of newspaper advertising and ranges from a part-time trouble-shooterto a complex research organization ready to provide a potential advertiserwith detailed information on the buying habits of the newspaper’s readerswith reference to his particular product.

The advertising manager coordinates all these activities and is the person ordinarilyresponsible to the business manager, and sometimes directly to the publisher, fortheir successful operation.

Circulation Department: Circulation is another major division of the businessoffice and is usually headed by a major executive, the circulation manager, sincethe newspaper ultimately stands or falls on the basis of the number of steadyreaders that can be enrolled.The circulation manager may have any or all of the following subdivisions underhis supervision:





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City Circulation- it involves the maintenance of circulation records for thecity of publication, the recruitment, supervisor and reimbursement, thesupervision of district men who oversee circulation by subdivision of thecity, taking responsibility for moving papers the news stands, relations withnews-stand operators, etc.

Area Circulation- responsibilities here include getting papers destined forthe surrounding area into the mail and operation of a fleet of tempo/taxis tocarry the papers into surrounding area as where mail service is not rapidenough. The circulation manager is also in charge of moving the papers intothe appropriate distribution channels as they move into the mailing roomfrom the pressroom.

Sales Promotion- it involves the direction of an office staff to keep records,notifying subscribers when their subscription need renewing, the handling ofcomplaints, new subscriptions and renewals over the counter, by mail, etc.promotion is essentially the ‘public relations’ department of the newspaper.Where a separate promotion department exists, it usually is responsible forinitiating promotion policies, subject to the approval of the publisher, andusually coordinates the promotional activities of other departments.

Mechanical DepartmentThe entire mechanical operation is usually under the supervision of plantsuperintendent who is directly responsible to the publisher. In a typical situation,he will have five departments under his control, the composing room, thestereotype department, the pressroom, the engraving department, and the proofdesk.The basic functions of each are:

1. Composing Room- this is the point of chief contact between the editorialside and the mechanical side. It is in this department that ‘copy’ is set intotype and the type is assembled into newspaper pages. The type is ‘set’ byautomatic typesetting machines such as the linotype ‘straight matter’ or bodytype is set according to instructions on news copy sent from the newsroom,headlines are set from similar directions, ads are first set into type and thenassembles on the basis of instructions on advertising copy from theadvertising department. All of these materials are then assembled intonewspaper pages, following the instructions on page ‘dummies’, whichshow where each element is to go.The composing room is often subdivided, especially in the larger plants, topermit the greater efficiency that specialization makes possible. Hence, there





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may be an ‘ad alley’ where ads are made up before they are put intonewspaper pages.

2. Stereotype Department- here newspaper pages are run through a series ofsteps which prepare them to be clamped as curved plates of metal ontotoday’s high speed rotary presses.Some small dailies papers still use ‘flatbed’ or ‘cylinder’ presses and othersuse ‘duplex’ presses. In both cases the papers are printed directly from typeand hence there is no need for a full-scale stereotype department. Vastmajority of dailies use rotary, web-perfecting presses, which means that thenewspaper is printed on paper that feeds from huge rolls and the impressionis applied from curved plates which rotate at high speed.The stereotype department has two major operations, first, to roll out areverse impression of the newspaper page onto a papier-mâché ‘mat’ then to‘cast’ into a curve by pouring molten metal against the curved surface of themat. After the cast has cooled and been trimmed, it is ready to be clampedonto the press.

3. Engraving Department- many smaller newspapers have insufficient needfor ‘art’ to operate an engraving department, having the work donecommercially instead. However, most large newspapers find it economicalto do their own work. Photoengraving reduces news pictures and othernewspaper art to a form in which they can be printed. In the case of aphotograph, the job is to ‘screen’ the picture in such a way that an etchedmetal plate is produced with a surface of dots. The dots vary in size toproduce shadings of black and white that can be impressed on paper.

4. Pressroom- rotary presses can turn out newspapers at phenomenal speeds.They not only print but also cut, fold and trim the papers and deliver themdirectly to the mailing room.

5. Proof Desk- in a sense, proof desk lies by the side of the mechanical,editorial and advertising departments but is usually responsible to themechanical superintendent. Its object is to correct all typographical errors. A‘proof’ is taken of all material set in the composing room, including ads andeditorial matter, by inking the type and taking an impression of it on a rathersimple ‘proof press’. These proofs are then compared with the ‘copy’ tomake sure that the two conform. Proof reading is hence a more or lessmechanical operation, unlike copy reading.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What is the ‘dummy of the newspaper’?




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Editorial DepartmentThe primary concern of the copy editor in the organizational chart of thenewspaper is, of course, the editorial department. Here the description is not soeasy, since very marked differences are discernible from the one newspaper toanother. However, a typical organizational scheme would go something like this:The editorial department actually has two sides, and usually these are separatelyresponsible to the publisher. They are ‘news’ and ‘editorial’. The news side isusually under the supervision of a managing or executive editor. The editorial pagecrew consists of editorial writers and is directed by a ‘chief editorial writer’ and‘editor’ or ‘editor- in- chief’ or sometimes an ‘editorial page editor’.

1. The News Desk- all stories destined for the newspaper, whether they comefrom the typewriters of reporters and rewrite men or from the several wireservices, teleprinters and other sources, requires editing. This duty fallschiefly on the copyreader who sits on the horseshoe shape table called thedesk. The city editor and other editors read all the copy. The editors with acrew of men edit the news designated as cable, teleprinter, city beats,society, business, finance, sports, and reserve news. In larger newspapersthere is a separate desk for international news. This copyreader, ‘also calledthe deskman, rim man or ‘mechanic’ of the editorial room, is theanonymous and frequently unappreciated collaborator of the writer.

Copyreaders are generally paid higher than reporters. The work holds outattractions for men with editorial ability. The work is mainly two-fold: the editingof the story and the construction of a suitable headline for it. The amount of thiswork varies with each paper and even at different timings on each day. On a bigdesk the copyreader may edit from 10 to 15 columns. The copy reader usuallyfaces three problems:

To tighten up the story and thereby speed up the action To cut out the excess matter To reduce the story so that a telegraphic editor could splash it in a

page one box if he chose to handle it that way.

The art of the Headline- although the copyreader works anonymously, when heconstructs a good headline, he feels the pleasure of a creative artist. With shortwords and in short compass, he can tell a whole story. He knows that the headline




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must fulfill two requirement-it must attract attention to the story; it must announcethe story’s main facts. He sees to it that each headline he gives, does both.

You could write a short book on this subject.

But here's a very simple headline-writing tip that has helped me a great deal overthe years.

Spend less time stressing over how to write the headline, and invest 90% ofyour time in figuring out what to say.

Saying the wrong thing beautifully will do you no good at all.

Saying the right thing, even imperfectly, will serve you much better.

There is a temptation for copywriters to give in to their own ego and vanity. Toomany copywriters want to write a clever headline. A headline that shows what awonderful, talented copywriter they are.

This is not good. This means you are spending too much time thinking about HOWto write the headline. Clever words, clever puns, being funny etc.

Copywriting Tips for Designers and Non-Writers

The job of the headline is to get attention. A good headline makes the reader wantto find out more by reading the article, brochure, or ad. To help your headline dothis, try one of these techniques:

Create curiosity Promise answers to a question or solutions to a problem Include a key benefit

Have fun with itYou can create curiosity by asking a provocative question or making a seeminglyoutrageous statement. Word play, alliteration, or take-offs on familiar phrases orcliches can create some eye-catching and often amusing headlines. However, avoidambiguity or at least use eyebrows, subheads, or decks small er headlines above orbelow the main headline to clarify or explain. If your reader has to guess at whatyou mean or at what the article or ad is all about, they'll be saying, "I guess you





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don't want me to read this article." Some examples of word play, alliteration, andtake-offs:

For headlines to be accurate the headline writer must understand the articlethoroughly before writing the headline; the copy editor who doesn't have a goodview of what the article says isn't likely to write a headline that communicatesclearly and accurately.

Accuracy tips:

1.Spell check after writing the display type.2.In particular, double-check any proper names or any numbers.

The headline should sell the article to the reader. Tell readers why theyshould be interested.Every news story headline should have an active Verb; headlines on featurestories can be more creative. But aim for complete thoughts. Tell the story,but avoid the "clears hurdle" or "man dies" phenomena. Get the mostimportant element first, the least important head element last.

Attribute heads that convey opinion. If the lead needs attribution, chancesare the headline will, too. Most times, attribution will go at the end of theheadline.

Headlines should be accurate in Tone: don't put a light headline on aserious 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 themeter is exactly the same. The headline will ring falsely otherwise. If youuse 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 surpriseending.Be aware of any unintended double meanings: Real-life examples of someheadlines that were published: Old man winter sticks icy finger intoVirginia. Teens indicted for drowning in lake; FBI ordered to assist Atlantain child slayings.





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Avoid Bad Breaks at the end of lines, such as dangling prepositions orconjunctions.

Avoid Headinese: Words such as mull, eye, rap, hit, slam, vie, assail, andseen and bid are headline weaklings. Alter your approach to get away fromthem. Look for a fresh approach.

Don't go for the obvious. On fire-related stories, for example, stay awayfrom verbs such as spark and snuff; on storm stories, stay away from verbssuch as spawn, dump, blow, churn. In articles, hurricanes always seem tochurn, and tornadoes are always spawned.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1. What are the main departments of a Newspaper Organization?

In page layout

The layout editor should make the headlines work with the graphics and theart on the page. Most reader surveys show that newspaper readers look firstat photos on a page, then headlines.

The page designer should leave AMPLE ROOM so writers can create goodheadlines. Also, the layout editor should vary the SIZE and SHAPE ofheadlines to accurately grade the news elements for the reader.

Some basic TYPES of headlines: banner streamer), hammer, kicker oreyebrow above the main headline), sidesaddle, deck usually half the pointsize of the main headline), drop, read-in, read-out, jump heads.

Some Headline Technicalities

Best headline writers are spontaneous and creative; the best headlinesinstantly come to you.

Headline writers have to be the best writers at the newspaper. Many times, the best headlines you come up with cannot be printed! Continuity leads to better headlines; one must write them day after day to get

good at it. Read others' headlines to get ideas, but doing so isn't necessarily going to

make you a better headline writer.





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The most-effective headlines are those that give an old cliche a new twist;readers are familiar with the cliche, but something different about it will reelthem in.

The more conversational the headline, the more the readers will like it. Don't be so quick to abandon using articles such as "a," "and" and "the";

sometimes these words are needed for clarity. Also, headline styles changeover time.

Guidelines for Rewriting, Revising and some Basic Principles of Editing:

Give the main points of the news in the first paragraph Tell the story in headline and use a verb to give it vigor Check names, titles, facts, figures, dates, and address where ever slightest

doubt exists. The sub-editor know the reference book which will clear thedoubt

Both sides of the story in a dispute must be given Use short sentences and short paragraphs Repeat names in court cases rather than refer to them as accused, witness,

etc Indicate correctness of doubtful spelling by saying ‘correct’ within brackets Beware of foreign names Define long, unfamiliar words, especially scientific and medical terms Do not begin sentences with words like ‘despite’ or ‘because’ Do not use vague phrases like a ‘serious charge’ or a ‘certain offence’ Reporters to give a rather artificial flow to the story ‘meanwhile’ often use

the word. Cut it out Use concrete words, words that make the reader see, hear, smell or taste.

Test the story for concrete images and visual word pictures Be careful about pronouns. The misuse of the relative pronoun and

punctuation are the most common grammatical errors in the news stories. Editorializing any trace of personal opinion or a value judgment should be

eliminated from the copy unless it is a feature or news analysis





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3.6 NEWSPAPER & MAGAZINE

Difference between Newspapers and MagazinesNewspaper Make – Up

The front page of a newspaper is like a beautiful face. If it is attractive, it will holdthe attention. It is indeed true that the front paper of the newspaper make thenewspaper successful. For a newspaper, to report news is a normal function, butthere is something special about the fact that the news is printed on its front page.The front page is the ‘face’ of the newspaper.The newspaper has a name and the uniqueness lies in different styles the differentnewspapers will write their names.

The Masthead

On observing the front page of a newspaper closely, we can see that the masthead ofa newspaper is much more than just the name of the newspaper. Some of itscharacteristics are:

It is in distinctive bold print It is in a big type-size It has a fixed place on the front page and It remains in the same form for years

Headlines

Newspapers sell news and headlines are a means to attract the readers towards thenews items. For a page designer, each headline is a new and unique challenge. Theheadline of the news items are much more then just a set of words. It is theresponsibility of the page-designer to make each headline as distinctive as possiblewithin the given newspaper format.

The sub-editor/ copy editors give headlines generally. The page make-up personcannot change them, but can increase or decrease the display value, readability orimportance of the news item by using different techniques such as typeface or size,placement, making it run horizontally across more columns. Most newspaperseveryday give, a four or five column bottom- spread on their front page; it is doneto give a solid base to the whole page.





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Placement of Photo graphs and Cartoons

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. On the same basis, it can be saidthat a good cartoon is worth at least two thousand words.From a page designer’s point of view, it is important to realize that photographs,cartoons and graphic have a special significance. Placing a picture or cartoon atwrong place may not only reduce its utility, but also reduce the design appeal ofthe total page.Pictures, cartoon and graphics are, usually, evaluated on the basis of:

Subject matter Topicality Clarity News value, significance

A page designer has to examine whether the pictures, cartoon, graphic, chart, hasan independent value or it has to be juxtaposed with a particular news story. Thesize may have to be adjusted due to placement or space consideration.

Over all pages design

Having closely examined some of the major components of the front page of yournewspaper, individually, let us now take a look at the architecture of the page or theoverall page design. For this, we have to look at the page from some distance. One-way is to do a comparatively study of two or more papers.

Hang two or more papers of the same date on the wall, and stand at a distance totake a critical look at these. As you look at these pages, study the structural outlineof the news stories, bold headlines, pictures, cartoons, placement of box item, etc.take a look at the whole page from the masthead to the bottom line. Look at thepage, as if you were trying to study a painting or sculpture. You will notice thatthere is a design in the page, a form and a structure. Each page designer has ownconcept of beauty and page structure. To bring it out, he/she uses different typesize, white spaces, placement of pictures, graphs, charts, cartoons, etc.

Planning Of Pages

Inside pages of a daily newspaper differ from the front page in their format,structure, and presentation of contents. If you open a daily newspaper, you will see





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that on top of the page, there may be indications about the topics covered on thatpage-international news, national news, state news, sports news, business andeconomy, etc.

Even if there is no indication on the top, one can notice the news items on thatpage have a common link. It helps the readers in their search for a news item. Alsoby grouping news items on specific pages we are able to give the newspaper astructure. The inside pages under one group often tend to cover as many newsitems as possible. Hence, often these pages may seem cluttered.

The Editorial Page

One common feature in all daily newspapers is the editorial page. The format of thispage looks similar in many newspapers in India and aboard. On this page, you willnotice that there is a section where the editor writes their analysis of the majornational and international news items. These are often referred to as the ‘newspaper’point of view.

Each newspaper has a fixed spot for general information items such as the weatherforecast, entertainment, cinema, radio, television, etc. the design of the insidepages of a newspaper is relatively much more structured than the front page, whichis dependent on the major happenings during the past few hours.

Readability and overall Appeal

Newspapers are meant to be read. Anything that obstructs or reduce the convenienceof the reader must be avoided. As far as possible, the news items should becontained in a neatly defined area. Look at the page of a newspaper as a reader, andask yourself: are the news items displayed in a nice, readable manner? Could yousuggest any improvements?

Each letter, each word and each story has special significance. Headlines,photographs, cartoons, box items, charts and graphics-are all these importantingredients of the newspaper page designs.

Cropping of Pictures

The intelligent photo editors adopt different creative cropping techniques to bringout the exact point of emphasis a ‘pix’ term used for pictures. They try to enlarge





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the main image, which will have a better visual impact. For instance, a survivingchild in an accident was picked up by the policemen and the photographer took apix, which almost looked like a group, involved in the rescue operations, holding thebaby, this pix should not be published as it is. The subject of the main interest is thechild, and the readers would like to see its condition and how it looked like after theaccident. Here comes the job of a photo editor to do the cropping in such a way thatthe child stands out prominently in the pix. Many a times, the photographers do theirjob mechanically, giving, relevance only to technical qualities, and having noinstinct for news. A photo editor, who keeps track of the news, also highlights theportions in the photograph, which has news value.

A photo editor studies the picture carefully, and decided about the cropping. First,he crops the pictures mentally visualizing how it would look like), and thendecides on the final edited photograph. Badly cropped pix cannot be repaired andthe person who does such a job for the cropping sake gets the nickname of a‘butcher’ from the photographers.

A good photo editor is one who can visualize how the pix will look like when it iscropped and printed in different sizes and shapes. Generally, as a rule, a badquality picture should be enlarged to the maximum size to enable the readers to seethe details in the photograph, whereas a good quality print will show up clearlyeven in a smaller space.

Emerging Trends in Newspaper Presentation

Generally, the main focus with newspaper design is not on quickly changingtrends, but on the improvement of readability and reader guidance within thepaper. For this reason, the front page is used as display for the entire product. Newsections are given larger section heads and some papers have even introduced colorguide systems to introduce the readers effectively into topics of interest.

In the whole of Europe a trend to use color photos is discernible. And it is not thequantity that counts nowadays, but the quality: few large and well-cut photos perpage will do. Surveys among readers and tests - like those that were carried outwith an eye-track camera - are meant to help newspapers to take the readers’ needsinto account when redesigning their publication. It has been proved, for example,that framed-in articles do not attract the readers’ attention, so that somenewspapers do without frames now. Other tests have shown that readers avoidlengthy articles, which has led to the European trend of topical pages. Such a page





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is devoted to a single topic, which is then presented by means of different articles,photos and info graphics.

Every newspaper tries to create their own distinctive appearance by means oftypography. In the area of headlines, therefore, there is great typographicalversatility. It is not a certain typeface that is trendy, but a highly individual andunused one.

The front page serves as the newspaper’s display. Important topics appear inteasers and color guide systems help the readers find their way through the paper.Extreme cuts guide the readers’ view and create curiosity. When usedconsequently, extreme cuts contribute to a paper’s unmistakable look.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What is the ‘Masthead’ of the Newspaper?Q2. How is cropping of a picture done in newspaper production?

A Style sheet is a form of separation of presentation and content in desktoppublishing programs that store and apply formatting to text. Style sheets are acommon feature in most popular desktop publishing and word processingprograms, including Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, QuarkXPress and MicrosoftWord, though they may be referred to using slightly different terminology.

To apply a style to a portion of text, most programs allow users to select the textwith their mouse and then click on the desired style in the style sheet window. Theprogram than applies the stored formatting instantly.

Style sheets help publications maintain consistency, so common elements such asstory text, headlines and bylines always appear the same. Style sheets also helpsave time allowing a design to click once rather than having to apply each elementone at a time and risking using an incorrect value.

Finally, style sheets are also useful if a publication decides to make changes to adesign - say, make the story text slightly smaller. A user with proper administrativeaccess can make the change to the master style sheet and then "send" the revisedstyle sheets to all users and the change is automatically reflected.





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Each newspaper has its set of rules that generally are strictly enforced. These arecontained in something called a stylebook. At some smaller newspapers, this maybe no more than a sheet of paper. At larger newspapers, the stylebook may consistof up to two hundred pages and resemble a dictionary. The chief keepers of thestylebook rules are the newspaper’s copy editors.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q1.What is Style Sheet?

Magazines Editing and Makeup Techniques

Magazines are considered more than a storehouse of a variety of articles, storiesand features. There is a personal relationship built between the magazines and itsreaders. Both magazines editing and makeup is done towards encouraging andmaintaining this relationship, which is hard earned and takes a long time to beestablished.

Modern magazines exist in a visual age they compete with the highly visual andentertaining medium of television. Emergence of the Internet has added to thiscompetition. Readers today have been converted into more of ‘viewers’ who relyon images for their information and entertainment.

With everything becoming so much image-oriented, we can safely modify MarshalMcLuhan’s ‘Medium is the message’ into ‘Image is the message’. Withreadership and understanding dependent on the visual aspects of presentation,magazines editors and designers must be experts in the art of communicating bymeans of pictures, layouts and other such means.

While photographs are the most important illustrations for a magazine, there aremany other visual elements too. We use black and white, colour, and duotonephotographs with different types of treatments or special effects. Pencil sketches,line drawings, watercolours, oil paintings, etc. are also used.

Using the illustration can have five functions. These are: attracting attention,illustrating a point, telling a story by itself, telling a story along with otherillustration, and give visual relief to a design. Any illustration usuallyaccomplishes one or more of these purposes.





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Use of colour in magazines

Almost everything on a magazine page, from text, visuals, borders, etc can be incolour. But colour for colour’s sake is not a good practice. For example, body textin colour does not have as much of contrast as black body text. Certain practices inthe use of colour adopted by designers are:

Use of colour for display types headlines, sub headlines, etc) Use of colour for lines and borders to separate and dramatize the stories Use of colour for typographical dingbats like initial letters, etc Use of duotone photos instead of black and white photos Colour enhancements of graphs and charts Use of coloured screens

Visual personality of Magazines

A magazine to be successful needs to find out its target audience and provide thecontent needed by the audience in the way they want it. As different magazines aredirected at different audiences, they should have different personalities. Accordingto the audience it is directed at, a magazine could be conservative or traditional,modern, action-oriented, classical, fashionable, etc.

Here designers look for what is called the ‘intensity of interest’ on part of theaudience members. For technical magazines or other serious magazines, thereaders want more information and less entertainment. So ‘flashy’ designs areavoided in such magazines.

In case of film magazines or fashion magazines where the readers want moreentertainment and less information, then the magazine should be ‘dynamic’ inphysical appearance to be able to get attention, keep them interested, and the createa long-lasting impression.

The visual personality of a magazine depends on many factors. One is the use ofcolour, how much colour and in what manner colour is used. The secondconsideration is the number and variety of illustrations. Another factor is the typeof paper used. Although it is a technical aspect, but type of paper plays animportant role in creating the personality of the magazine.





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Redesign

In today’s fast and evolving world, the magazines also need to change to adapt tochanging times and changing audiences. Such changes could be cosmetic orsuperficial which keep old readers while attracting new readers. Sometimes boldchanges are also brought about. Many magazines have undergone change orredesigning in the past two decades.

These include the Time, Ms, Esquire, Fortune, etc. in India, the India Today hasbeen making subtle changes while The Week recently underwent a drastic andcomplete design overhauling. This redesign trend was in full force in the 1990s andwill continue in the times to come. One of the most important redesign practices isthe increased emphasis on providing more graphic power for the pages. But this isnot done at the cost of editorial content. In fact, improving editorial quality alsohas got equal maybe more) emphasis and more of efforts.

Format

This is one thing that remains constant over a long period of time. Format includesthe size and shape of the magazine. The different magazine formats are:

Miniature: 4%” X 6” Books: 6” X 9” Basic: 8 ½ X 11” Pictorials: 10 ½” X 13” Sunday Supplement: 11” X 13”

The most common among these is the basic format. This size can cut withoutany wastage and is easy to handle. It allows dramatization of pictures sizes andother elements.

Magazine cover

A magazine front cover is the most important page. It is like the magazine’s face; itcreates the all-important first impression and is the primary indicator of themagazines personally. Magazine covers are not changed for long periods of timeunless of course there is a complete editorial personality reshaping.





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A magazine cover could be a self-cover printed on the same paper as the insidepages and printed along with the other pages. But mostly magazines have separatecovers printed on usually glossy papers and separately form the other pages.Magazine covers set the tone for its personality. It has to draw the attention of thereaders, tell something about the contents of the issue by showcasing the majorarticles or features published. It should help the magazine stand out from theclutter in magazine stands.

The front cover also contains continuing characteristics that identify it from issueto issue. At the same time, it has to be flexible enough to accommodate subtlechanges in every issue. A magazine cover could be ‘type only’ with no illustrationor it could be a combination of type and illustration. Whatever the practice, amagazine cover should not be cluttered with a lot of elements. It should not alsohave a ‘light’ or ‘loose’ look. By blending type elements, visuals and white orcolour-space the page should look inviting.

Page Structure

A magazine may have fixed or flexible page structures. The page structure refers tothe ‘type page’ space inside the margins, the number of columns, the columnswidths, etc. magazines usually have two, three or four columns. Many magazinestoday do not use a fixed number of columns for all pages. For different pages theyuse different number of columns. Also a lot of bleeding illustrations intruding intospace of text matter and vice versa) is done.

Typographical policy of Magazines

The most important consideration for selecting typefaces for magazines is ease ofreading legibility and readability. Traditional magazines used fixed typefaces andthis policy provided continuity. But contemporary magazines use a wide variety oftypefaces, sizes, and variations to give different looks for different stories orarticles. Other practices include use of dingbats decorative type devices like stars,bullets, and raised or drop letters.

Basic steps in magazine layout are:

Determining the exact amount of space available for a story or article





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Deciding how many columns to be used Determining the space to be used for the text and the visuals respectively Designing and positioning display types for headlines, etc Positioning body text and illustrations Deciding what typographical devices to be used

Earlier makeup personnel designed through the various stages of layout. Theydrew thumbnail sketches, made roughs, created comprehensive layouts, and finallymade the artwork, which was ready for printing. But now computer have made thelayout job much easier. Any kind of effect in layout can be created by pressing afew keys or at the click of the mouse.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. What are the basic functions of using illustrations in a magazine?Q2. What is the importance of Magazine Cover?

3.7 PAGES OF NEWSPAPER

Newspapers contain many different types of content. There are many differenttypes of news. Then there are editorials, features, articles, etc. in addition to thetext material, there are sizeable amount of visuals also. Newspapers are usuallydivided into several segments for accommodating the wide variety of material.

First there is the front page. It is the window to a newspaper. So a lot of importanceis given to designing this page. The other important pages are the editorial pageand the sports pages. The other pages are business pages, pages for local news,pages for regional news, pages for national news, pages for international news.With increased emphasis on entertainment, there are leisure and entertainmentpages. Finally, there are the special pages that come daily, weekly or fortnightly.

Front page of the newspaper

In the past, front-page makeup practice was very traditional. It was old-fashionedand looked artificial and unattractive. Unfortunately, front-page makeup in theearlier days was highly inflexible. The reasons behind this were unplanned andhaphazard placement of stories and photos, and non-adherence of any designprinciple.





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Modern front-page make up is highly functional, well-designed, attractive and veryflexible. The front page is the showcase of a newspaper. Thus it should be easy toread, attractive and inviting. It should be orderly, and have a distinctive personalityof its own.

One way of getting a well-designed front page is to use the principle of artisticdominance. Front page, being showcases; carry a lot of important stories, whichcompete with each other for attention. This kind of a situation is confusing for thereaders. So the front page has to have a point of dominance. It could be a story,with accompanying picture, or a group of similar stories clubbed together.Dominance can be achieved by way of size, shape, and placement, etc.

Some basic guidelines for more readable front page include:

Creation of an open page with lot of white space between columns, betweenstories, pictures, etc.

Using a news summary rather than having many small stories on the frontpage

Making the bottom half as interesting as the top half by using largerpictures, boxed stories, etc

Avoiding too many boxes, lines and other attention getting devices likeasterix marks, screens, etc) that pull the reader’s away from the stories

Using clearer, easy-to-read typefaces Incorporating a sense of freshness and vitality to the page by making small

changes to the basic format on different days Creating an elegant but different look by having columns of different widths Use of simpler nameplate

Inside page of the Newspaper

Inside pages almost always have advertisements. As ads bring revenue, they aregiven priority above the news here. In fact, it is the ads that are first placed on thepages. The remaining space or the ‘news hole’ is left for the editorial matter. Asthe number and total space taken by advertisements each day are different, makeuppersonnel have to deal with different amounts of space everyday. This makes thejob of a page makeup artist very difficult.





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Inside pages cover a variety of content. And the editorial content decides thedesign pattern within the available space. The structural position of advertisementsalso needs to be considered for bringing about a harmonious blend between theadvertising and editorial content. Often makeup personnel have no or little controlover the placement of advertisements. But it is wise to consult with the advertisingdepartment and suggest about advertising placement on the pages in such a waythat allows proper designing of editorial content on these pages.

Page makeup for Editorial Page of a Newspaper

The editorial page is often shabbily made-up. But life can be injected into editorialpages. This is despite the content-wise sober and serious nature of the editorialpages.The techniques of brightening the editorial pages are:

Setting the editorials in larger types than ordinary body type used for news Setting editorials in wider columns Boxing editorials and other stories or articles Use of more white space Placing the masthead at a lower position removing it from the top left

corner where it doesn’t compete for attention with the editorials Using photographs on the editorial pages though this is not a traditional

practice but it would enhance the ‘look’ of the page Use of flush-left and right-ragged style of setting to make it distinct from

other pages

Makeup of Sports page of a Newspaper

With a wide variety of editorial content and photographs, one expects the makeupof sports pages to be exciting. But this is not always the case. This is because thelarge number of sports stories often create problem for the makeup people.

The best solution here is the grid concept. Use of photographs in large sizes andwith careful cropping can enhance the look of the sports pages. But smaller photoscluttered together make a page look unattractive and repulsive. Also sports photoscan be cropped to exciting shapes and enlarged to emphatic sizes.Lifestyle and feature pages





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The lifestyle pages and the feature pages strike a balance between serious andsober topics, the hard news and soft news, and always try to involve the readers.Such pages also serve those readers who only scan newspaper by having a lot ofquotes, subheads, and boxes and also by breaking stories in to small segments.

The key to successful feature page designing include the following steps:1. Stop the reader2. Sustain his/her interest, and3. Surprise them

All three things everyday of the week is difficult. But still designers try to achievethis by using certain techniques. The first such technique is the center of visualimpact. This could be text matter at a dominant position or a large or prominentphotograph or an illustration. This center of visual impact attracts the attention ofthe reader and sustains it. Other techniques include use of modules, use of widercolumns, use of informational graphics, use of colour, etc.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESSQ1. Enlist some basic guidelines for brightening the Editorial page.Q2. How can the front page of the newspaper be made more readable?

3.8 SUMMARY

Editing is the process of preparing language, images, or sound for presentationthrough correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications. A personwho edits, especially professionally or as a hobby, is called an editor.

The main consideration in editing is to tell the story in the fewest words possible.Condensation is essential because there is more material than can be used. Thesecond consideration is clarity, which is obtained by avoiding intricate sentencestructure and by using familiar words. The third consideration is forcefulexpression. The sub-editor must constantly seek the most effective way to expressthe ideas of the story. The forth consideration is respect for accuracy. It meanslooking out for small factual errors, which disfigure an otherwise good story.

A newsroom is the place where journalists, either reporters, editors, producers andother staffers work to gather news to be published in a newspaper or magazine or




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broadcast on television, cable or radio. Some journalism organizations refer to thenewsroom as the city room.Newspaper editing is actually only one operation among several in the ‘thenewsroom’ but the editors, particularly, must know how other branches of the totalnewspaper operate in order to do their job with maximum efficiency. The copydesk is essentially the ‘crossroads;’ between the editorial and mechanical branchesof the business. The copy editor must know the mechanical phase prettythoroughly in order to perform his editorial function.

The editorial department actually has two sides, and usually these are separateresponsible to the publisher. They are ‘news’ and ‘editorial’. The news side isusually under the supervision of a managing or executive editor. The editorial pagecrew consists of editorial writers and is directed by a ‘chief editorial writer’ and‘editor’ or ‘editor- in- chief’ or sometimes an ‘editorial page editor’.

The front page of a newspaper is like a beautiful face. If it is attractive, it will holdthe attention. It is indeed true that the front paper of the newspaper make thenewspaper successful. For a newspaper, to report news is a normal function, butthere is something special about the fact that the news is printed on its front page.The front page is the ‘face’ of the newspaper.


Q1. Discuss the significance of Editing in Print media.Q2.What are the main considerations while editing a news story?Q3. Explain the layout style of the Newspaper.Q4. How is the layout of Magazine different from the layout of a Newspaper?Q5. Enlist the responsibilities and duties of various persons working in theEditorial Department of a Newspaper.Q6. What are the different categories of Editors in the Print Publishing Industry?

3.10 FURTHER READING

1. Reporting Methods S.Kundra Anmol Publications Pvt.Ltd2. Outline of Editing M.K.Joseph3. Editing Techniques S.Kundra4. News Reporting and Editing Jan.R.Hakemulder, Fay AC de Jonge, P.P.Singh


