Qualities of a good

Reporter

Pushker Srivastava
B.Tech., MBA, PGDCA, MMC, Ph.D.

Director (Projects), ADIWISE Incl, USA

Director (Projects), City360 News Network
Chief Advisor, Ceasefire magazine on Defence Journalism
Ex-Production Manager, Steel Authority of India (SAIL), Govt. of India
Ex-Sr. Manager (Media services & Post-Production- O & M)

Visiting Professor - Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of
Delhi, GGS IP University, EMPI Business University, AMITY International University

Consultant UNICEF, BBC, SIEMENS, CNEB TV

Corporate Trainer Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Armed Forces, Indian Police Academy, BSF, Indian
Information Service
Intelligence:
to be able to understand
complex issues.
NOSE FOR NEWS
Knowledge:
broad general knowledge
and experience in order
to understand a number
of different areas and
have the ability to go
from one area to another
easily.
Effective:
the ability to get
things done; work
under pressure; work
well with others under
pressure; be well
organized.
Curiosity:
the need to be curious
enough to go beyond the
surface; look at things in a
questioning manner; to
seek information to find
out about people, events,
activities and to
Comprehension:
the ability to analyze
information, sort the
important from the
unimportant; understand
what you're writing about.
Unbiased
Ability to be neutral and
unbiased. Should not report
in any bodys favour, report
the actual happenings and
the facts only. He should
not mingle his own opinion
in the story and also must
try to find all sides to a
Judgment:
gather information and
learn to sort the important
from the unimportant
effectively; be able to weed
out information,
determining what readers
need to know, what will
make a complete, accurate
Guts
You need to be brave enough to write
the truth, no matter what the
consequences. Sometimes its not easy.
You end up almost becoming friends
with your sources over time, and then
one day you may be forced to write
something negative about someone
who thought they were your friend.
Thats just the nature of the business.
Also, sometimes you have to get mean
with people who try to stonewall you
and hide the truth.
Persistent:
knowing when to continue
to seek or push for
information, when to give
up; the need to be
energetic; not stopping
just because someone
says "no"
(remember reporters Woodward and Bernstein and
Literacy:
grammatical skills;
reading ability
coupled with
comprehension;
acceptable writing
Motivation:
the drive to work
beyond the normal 8-
hour day; journalists
must cover the story
when it occurs; news is
a perishable
Personal Stability:
keeping your head when the
world around seems to be
falling apart; ability to
remain professional and do
the job even though you
may be witnessing
unpleasantness.
One still-famous example is the radio reporter who was
broadcasting when a large dirigible (blimp), the Hindenburg,
exploded just before landing in 1937 in New Jersey. Although
Good PR
good reporter should
know and make good
relations with all the
famous personalities of
his or her defined area.
Meeting
Deadlines:
He should have
an ability to work
under pressure to
meet deadlines.
News Sense
He should have an
ability to ask critical
questions to the
source.
News Sense
Reporters have to have an eye
for what is newsworthy, what
the hook is in a story. Editors
are there to help reporters
develop good news judgment,
but there are times when
reporter will have to make
snap decisions on their own
and find the proper focus for a
story.
Communication
Skills
You have to be able to
communicate with
people, interpret what
information they give
you, and present it to
Integrity-
This goes without
explanation. Be
loyal to your
 drpushker@live.in
shkersrivastava@gmail.com

9811092548