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Journalism is the profession in which one collects, verifies, reports and analyzes
information about current events, including trends, issues and people. Those who
practice journalism are known as journalists.
Hard news – This is a factual and timely story that provides an account of what
J happened. The story answers as many of the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why)
U and how questions as possible.
N Feature – This kind of article tells a story in greater depth and often in a
different style than the straight-ahead news story. A feature is not necessarily
I based on current events—it can be a story about a person or a place and can be
O written to both entertain and to inform.
R
Getting Started
J Before you begin writing an article, research the topic and gather information by
various means so that you have a strong foundation of knowledge.
O
U The Internet, the newspaper, the library
R Although the Internet is an excellent source with a lot of
N valuable information, you will always need to evaluate the
authority of the information you are accessing because
A there is no overall quality control.
L Here are some questions to consider when evaluating the
I reliability of your online source:
Interviews
The second method of gathering information is through interviews. Depending on the
story you are writing, first create a list of people you will contact. It is generally a good
idea to talk to more sources than you will actually quote in your story so that you have
J
J more information and research with which to work.
U
U Get the list of people you will talk to by reading past articles on your topic to see who is
N already speaking out on the issue, event, etc. Again, depending on the story, you will
N want to talk to experts or regular citizens to get knowledgeable and general opinions
I alike. Experts include academics or teachers, people or organizations working in a
I
O specific area of focus.
O
R It is a smart idea to have a prepared list of questions. If you are speaking to an expert, a
R politician or other public figure with whom you are making direct contact (as opposed
to speaking to random people on the streets), make sure you know a little bit about the
J person and his or her work and/or stand on the issue.
J
O Be sure to record your interviews or take very good notes. If you are not sure about
O what you have written, do not hesitate to ask your source to repeat him or herself, or
U read back what you have written to confirm that you wrote it down correctly.
U
R Visit www.journalism.org/resources/tools/reporting/interviewing/tips.asp?from=print
R
N for Ten Tips for a Better Interview. Although each one is explained in more detail on
N the website, tips include:
A
A
L 10 Tips
10 TIPSfor
FORaABetter Interview
BETTER INTERVIEW
L
I
I 1. Be prepared.
S 2. Set the rules of the interview right up front.
S 3. Be on time.
T 4. Be observant.
T 5. Be polite.
6. Listen but don't be afraid to interrupt when you don't understand.
7. Silence is golden.
8. Maintain eye contact.
9. Before your leave, ask your source if there is anything that you may have forgotten
to ask.
10. Review your notes right after the interview.
To determine what is more important over what is of lesser importance, check to see
which facts answer the 5Ws.
• to back up the lead and/or other points of the story and to support or lend
credibility to the story
• when they succinctly and accurately describe the events/story better than you
can
• if they express emotion better than by paraphrasing
J • when the statement is or could be considered controversial
U • the words spoken are so forceful, they should not be altered in any way by the
reporter
N
Do not use direct quotes:
I
•
O •
that repeat what has already been paraphrased
just because you have not used a quote in several paragraphs
R • when it does not have anything to do with the story, even if it is a really good
one
• if it is really long or has nothing in it that enhances the story, except for a word
or phrase—in this case, just use the parts you want, in quotation marks, in an
J otherwise paraphrased sentence
O • as the lead of your story
U You can work some more colour in to your story by describing people (who are
providing quotes), the environment, etc. While the extra colour helps to take the reader
R to the place, do not go overboard.
N
A Getting Organized
L
Use the following three phases, based on a system developed by Len Reed of The
I Oregonian, to help you sort through information and get organized:
S
T D REPORT
• Gather
• Search
• Ask
• Interview
• Sort
D SORT
•
•
What is this information?
What does it mean?
• What does it signify?
• What is the headline?
• What is the lead?
• What is its context - with what does it connect?
• So what?
• Who cares?
• How can you quickly tell it to the clueless and make it count?
D WRITE
•
•
You've got a lead, now order a sequence in telling: organize.
Write quickly and stay on track – you can go back and tweak.
•
J •
As you write, periodically ask yourself: Who cares?
When you finish, go back and edit—cut words and sentences.
U
N Attribution and Plagiarism
I
A cardinal rule in journalism is that you always give the source for facts and never
O represent other people's work as your own. When using facts you should always include
R the source; if you are quoting someone or rewriting material from another report, you
must name the original source of the information, for example, the "Toronto Star
reported…" or "according to the UNESCO website…."
J
O Preparing multimedia stories
U Many of the above guidelines, tips and resources apply to any piece of journalism,
R whether it is print, audio or visual.
N Audio
A In an audio piece, bring in some background sounds to help take
L the listener to where you are. These sounds also help provide life
and colour to a story that would otherwise rely on voices alone.
I Make sure the sounds do not drown out what you or your
interviewees are saying. Listen to a news station on the radio to get
S a sense of what radio news stories sound like. Some radio stations
T also have archives of old stories you can listen to off of the Internet.
Always use short sentences when writing copy for an audio news story.
Visual
In a visual piece, whether it is photojournalism or a hand-held
(digital) camcorder, film interviews so that they appear as natural as
possible. Use the sights and sounds as extra footage to help fill out
your story without someone talking the whole time. Watch the
news on television to get a feel for how news stories are filmed.
Sources: Journalism.org
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/writing/lessons/blackbox.asp?from=print
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/writing/lessons/background.asp?from=print
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/reporting/interviewing/tips.asp?from=print