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NEWS REPORTING: THE BEGINNING
Unit Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 News Reporting: What it is and what it’s not
1.2.1 What is News Reporting?
1.3 Elements of News
1.4 Methods of Reporting
1.5 Various types of Reporting
1.6 Summary
1.7 Questions
1.8 References
1.0 OBJECTIVES ● To explain what is news
● To understand principles of news reporting
● To discuss readers of the news
● To identify sources of news
1.1 INTRODUCTION Communication is the key for sharing information with people and
ensuring everything is understood by ev eryone to be acted upon. A human
being starts communicating with the first cry that he makes to seek their
parents’ attention. He finds different ways to communicate in different
domains as he grows up. Communication encompasses a mess of
experiences, acti ons, and events. Thus, any convention or occasion or
procession or assembly may be termed as “Communication Event”;
newspaper, radio, cinema and television are “Communication media”,
mobile phones, computers, internet and satellite are “Communication
techn ologies and journalist, advertisers, public relation personnel, camera
crew, and newsreaders are “Communication professionals” The current
age is defined as “Information age”, “Communication age” or “Network
age”. The origin of communication came first wit h “means of transport”
and later with transmission”; in the simplest sense communication is a
human relationship, involving people who come together to share
information. Thus, communication is not just a process or event or act
rather its social or cultur al togetherness.
Gradually, after the second industrial revolution, the term mass media or
mass communication started emerging in society. The sharing or munotes.in

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2 Reporting and Editing
2 transmission of information that has been done through any medium or
media to many people or an audien ce is called mass communication.
Newspapers, radio, television, cinema are those who transfer this
information. News is the type of information that started as the “first”
popular transmission in the mass communication domain. This is where
the Journalism industry emerged and settled up as an industry. The
gathering, assessing, presenting, creating and distributing of news and
information was basic functions of this industry. In the shadow of mass
communication, journalism developed as a process of “Transfo rming
information.”
The process of reporting refers to the activity of gathering,
testing/evaluating, creating and presenting news and information. It is also
a product of these activities. Reporting is different from other activities,
products and forms o f communication. There are certain elements that
separate reporting from other forms of communication. The most
important of them is a "verifying facts" which reporters use to find out the
facts, but also the "truth about the facts". Not only these element s but the
audience/reader at the receiving end of the reporting process also adds to
the process of reporting and so do the reporters. The reader/audience is the
very best end of the newspaper -related process, and a reporter is someone
who is acting as a m ediator between the process and the audience/reader.
News or information which is processed or translated to be sent to the
reader; the reporter plays an important role in processing or creating it. So
the reporting process includes two ends; the reporter having news or
information processing on one hand and the reader/audience on other
hand. This unit will look into depth the concept and process of news
reporting.
1.2 NEWS REPORTING: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT’S NOT Reporting is the core function of the journa listic process. It’s a routine
activity for every news house. But how we can decide what event or
happening is considered to be news and whatnot. Each event or happening
has the potential to become news, only if it fits within the parameters of
news. Befor e moving further let’s define what is news?
What is News?
News is the most difficult term to define. Not because of its nature but the
way it has been perceived. There are many definitions of news as there are
journalists. Even a layman can come up with th e definition of news that is
acceptable. There are a lot of events happenings in the India and world.
“Russia Ukraine War”, “Oil Crisis” “Life after Pandemic” “Election in 5
states” and the list will go on. But all these events will not become news
unless any reporter reports them. In other words, the news is the account
of an event, not the event itself.
The scholars and media professionals have given definitions of news, they
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3 News Reporting: The Beginning William S. Maulsbyl defined:
“News is an accurate, unbiased account of the significant facts of a timely
happening that is of interest to the readers of the newspaper that prints the
account.”
William G. Bleyer defines it like this:
“News is anything timely that interests a number of people; and the best
news is that which has the greatest interest for the greatest number.”
Let’s interpret the definitions of the news:
▪ News is information collected from N = North, E = East, W = West
and S = South.
▪ News is something which is unexpected
▪ News as form of knowledge – News as a form of knowledge is not
primarily concerned either with the past or future but rather with t he
present.
▪ News is the timely report of facts or opinions that hold interest or
importance or both for a considerable number of people.
Finally news can be defined in the following manner:
▪ News is an account of man’s changing relationships
▪ News is a n account of events that disrupts the status quo or have the
potential to cause disruption
▪ News is an event of community consequences
Despite all these definitions and interpretations, we should remember that
the general notions of news vary with people and situations. Despite this
various essential points about the significance of news are universally
recognized.
Nature of News :
At the first look is a flash or announcing the event has happened. So the
nature of news or characteristics of news may be des cribed likewise:
1. News - A Report:
First news is a report. A story composed by the reporter to convey the
happenings. Now, this report is drafted from the reader’s perception. So
news can be hit only when readers perceive it and have had an interest in
it.
2. Ideas, Events and Problems:
Man is the source to generate ideas. This idea can lead to new products
and services, cause conflict. News does the same thing because here the munotes.in

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4 reporter thinks, analyzes and evaluates the event and declares it News. So
news as an idea can generate doubt, confusion or solution in the readers’
mind. As an event new can be anything a murder, a robbery, a marriage or
a funeral etc. Wherever the public is involved, that event has the potential
to be news. Problem is the key her e. If it is misshapen, has a high potential
to be a piece of sensational news.
3. News is real:
This is one of its best pieces of news. News is always a real incident or an
event. It contains facts and details. Which is mentioned after the
verification on the media house. Sometimes a reporter fails because he/she
couldn’t establish a relationship between the facts.
4. News is current:
News is always a concern with the present. What happened today is
important. This timeliness of news makes it vibrant and dy namic. It
happens in a specious present. News being current, possesses
Perishability.
5. News interests people:
News takes place in people’s interest areas. That’s the reason why the
audience of news is fragmented in their own interest.
For e.g.: News re lated to Agriculture may not hit the cosmopolitan
audience or; fashion, Trends related news may not be the favourite of rural
audiences.
1.2.1 What is News Reporting?
News reporting is an important task in the field of reporting. News is
immediate or curre nt. Facts unfold as one gathers them. Reported news
must sound more accurate than sensational; it must tell the truth, not
opinion. That’s why it is important to understand what is news reporting
and how one reports the news.
News reporting means covering any newsworthy event which is factual,
reliable and truthful. Reporting a news story requires special skills like
analytical thinking, fact -checking, and a multi -dimensional approach to
the story. Writing a report of the event is the primary task in news
reporting but what makes it different from other reports is converting it
into the news by applying the above mentioned skills.
Check your progress
1. Define News?
2. What is nature of news?
3. Why do we say news is real?
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5 News Reporting: The Beginning 1.3 ELEMENTS OF NEWS News report ing is always considered as a storyteller’s job. How
effectively you tell your story decides the impact of news on readers’ or
audiences’ minds. To tell the news story there are certain elements of
news. These elements are the core of news storytelling. Le t’s discuss what
they are:
1. Conflict (Tension, surprise):
The first and most relevant element of news is conflict! Without conflict,
it’s very difficult to establish a news story. The element of surprise,
conflict, and contrast in the event creates an e motional impact, a factor
that appeals to many people. Many types of stories have conflict as their
underlying element the struggle against odds. Here are some of these
types:
a. Man’s struggle with nature
b. Struggle between individual and organized socie ty
c. Struggle between political and economic groups i.e. wars,
campaigns, strikes
2. Progress (Triumph, Achievement):
The positive element of news is progress. Stories or events on the
development of a nation in various fields like science & technology,
cultural, social, economic & financial, sports etc. always created a positive
impact on readers/audiences’ minds.
3. Disaster (Defeat or Destruction):
Disaster or destruction leaves a long impact on the human mind. This
element in a news story always has an emotional influence on
readers/audience’s lifestyle. Story of war, bomb blasts, floods,
earthquakes, and road or railway accidents shake society upside down.
These types of stories get maximum attention from readers/audiences’
4. Consequences (effect o n individuals and community):
There are certain events that effects individuals or the entire community.
The consequences of that event are the cause of these effects. Events like
communal or religious riots, Economic breakdown, price hikes in gasoline
and other petroleum products, life after natural calamity etc., are likely to
have major consequences on the community or an individual. So this
element plays a crucial role in news storytelling.
5. Prominence (the well -known or famous) :
Readers always want t o know about the life of celebrities. Prominence is
the element that focuses on the news stories where any well -known
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6 Reporting and Editing
6 fields, especially from Bollywood, sports, politics, music, etc. are the
highlighters of the prominence element stories.
6. Novelty (The unusual, even the bizarre)
Searching for something new every day is the nature of humans. We being
humans always search for something novel in our life. News is also not the
exception to it. The unusual or unexpected happening in society attracts
reporters to cover the exclusive story of novelty. Stories of innovation,
unusual or unexpected have the potential to be novel stories.
7. Human interest (Sex, crime, politics etc.) :
Apart fro m the above -mentioned elements, there are certain areas that
interest humans to look for a story. Areas like politics, crime, sex, violence
etc. are the key human interest areas. According to individuals’ choices,
they consume stories from this field,
1.4 METHODS OF REPORTING: Journalistic Reporting is different from a normal day report writing.
People have skills of reporting but the majority of them can only right a
normal report. Here comes the difference in skills of journalistic reporting
and normal re porting; because reporters spent very less time in actual
report writing. Before that, they plan their report - thinking about the
dimension of the news story and who is going to read it; deciding what to
put in it, and fitting it into space. While writing the final report they
probably spent as much time thinking about how best to present their ideas
and putting them on paper. These people achieved a better standard of
writing the report because they have used methods of News report writing.
Let us underst and the methods of news report writing:
1. The purpose:
The reporter who is writing a news report is always conscious of the
purpose of the story. This leads him/her toward a particular angel or
dimension of the story.
Factual news Writing:
For example; if there is an accident or any public announcement is done
by government officials; there is no need of creating curiosity or suspense
in the story. Here it is expected a straightforward factual report.
Instructional news report:
For example, if there is a ny change introduced, revised tax system or
Revision in Pandemic SOPs; then you need to write a report in a step -by-
step instructional manner. A kind of a descriptive report to tell the people
about the new changes.
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7 News Reporting: The Beginning Leading news report:
When you are tryin g to sell your idea, it may be to persuade. This type is
usually called a leading report. By writing these kinds of reports, you are
leading your readers to make a decision; the one you want or her to make.
2. Identifying the reader or audience:
In reporti ng it is essential to define or identify your audience. They are
generally the sum of all but on other hand, they are very much diversified
in nature. There are three questions that will help to get a clearer picture.
They are; what does the reader know? W hat are the reader's attitudes?
What does the reader really want?
Diversity in society makes it difficult to answer these questions. In such
cases, the focus is always on the important reader - the one who will be
affected more by the news.
3. Material a nd Structure:
While writing a news report, one must understand that selecting material
for the report and structuring it is very important. The readers want easy
and simple information, so they can reach to some conclusion or opinion.
For selecting materi al there are two golden rules:
a. Simplify and be firm on it. Avoid using unnecessary or irrelevant
information. Don't use statements that create doubt in readers' minds.
Use only what is required and essential.
b. Justify your writing with facts and their sources. Be consistent and
logical so the readers can draw certain conclusions.
4. Presentation:
The use of graphs, stats, tables, pie charts etc. makes your news
presentable in both ways, visually and readably. Visual aesthetics grabs
the attention of t he reader. It makes your news report look good. Using
margins, kicker, and indenting subheadings will make the news report
attractive and attend readers’ attention
1.5 VARIOUS TYPES OF REPORTING a. Objective Reporting:
Objective reporting refers to the su btle presentation of facts as they have
happened. Objective reporting does not involve any instructional
description or any persuasive message. It is a straightforward reporting of
what had happened. Here the reporter only reports what he has seen or
obser ved without any kind of subjective input.
Objective reporting can be summarized with the following points:
● Balancing the equivalence in different perspectives of the event. munotes.in

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8 Reporting and Editing
8 ● Accuracy and reality in the news report.
● Covering major points of the event
● Using facts to support the report
● Avoiding slang.
Example of Objective Reporting:
Minister launches 52 Thalli Bidda vehicles in Tirupati
STAFF REPORTER CHITTOORAPRIL 03, 2022 01:26 IST
UPDATED: APRIL 03, 2022 01:26 IST
Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy said that the YSR
Congress Party government was committed to providing quality services
in education, medical and health sectors and top priority was being given
to improve facilities in government hospitals under Nadu -Nedu.
The Minister was speaking at the launch of 52 Thalli Bidda Express
vehicles at SVU stadium at Tirupati on Saturday. The vehicles were
allotted to various primary health centers in Chittoor district.
The Minister said that all the vehicles were equipped with the latest
facilities, including air -conditioning, oxygen supply, and emergency care.
Every pregnant woman would be e scorted by two attendants in the
vehicle. After delivery, the mother and child would be transported back to
their house in the vehicles. They would also get a cash benefit of ₹5,000.
The Minister said that as many as 1,08,104 vehicles were in use all over
the State. All medical bills above ₹100 were included under the Arogyasri
for the benefit of the poor, he added.
Deputy District Medical and Health Officer Aruna Sulochana, Di strict
Immunisation Officer P. Ravi Raju and senior medical and paramedical
staff were present.
Ref: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra -pradesh/minister -
launches -52-thalli -bidda -vehicles -in-tirupati/article65284412.ece 3rd
April, 2022 The Hindu.
b. Interpretative Reporting;
Interpretative reporting is a combination of facts and interpretation. Here
reporter has to interpret the report for a better understanding of the
readers. This means providing background about the incident. Along with
the fac ts gathered from the field, the reporter, sometimes, needs to
illustrate the news with background information so that readers can
understand it well. The full incident may or may not unfold in a day. It is a
continuous process of unfolding a story and it i s observed that one event
leads to another. To understand how the event occurred, we need to
understand the background or the course of events that led to the latest munotes.in

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9 News Reporting: The Beginning one. It’s the reporter who tells the readers about the past history of the
event and relat es it with the currency. Thus, interpretative reporting
brings out the hidden importance of an occasion and separates reality from
falsehood.
Example of Interpretative Reporting:
People, judiciary, Centre have faith in CBI: Rijiju
NEW DELHI: APRIL 03, 2 022 00:00 IST
Minister’s remarks come day after CJI flagged falling credibility of
agency
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday, April 2, 2022, said the
people, judiciary and the Government of India had high expectations from
the Central Bureau of In vestigation (CBI) and had faith and trust in the
agency.
Overall, the agency remained the pride of everbody. The conduct of CBI
officers, right from the constabulary to the Director, was impeccable, said
the Union Minister, according to a release issued by the CBI.
Speaking at the valedictory session of the first -ever Investigating Officers
Conference organised by the CBI, Mr. Rijiju applauded the “professional”
working of CBI officers in achieving a high conviction rate and exhibiting
tremendous team work.
Working under a government that believed in zero tolerance against
corruption added to the efforts of the agency officials while performing
their duties, said Mr. Rijiju.
The Minister’s remarks come a day after Chief Justice of India N.V.
Ramana said, wit h the passage of time, the CBI had come under deep
public scrutiny. Its actions and inactions had raised questions regarding its
credibility, in some cases, he added.
The Union Minister assured the agency of all the help in meeting the
manpower requirement s, including best lawyers. He said the ultimate goal
of various state organs, including the judiciary, government and the law
enforcement agencies like the CBI was to ensure justice to the people. The
government was working towards providing justice at the door step, he
said.
“The Minister expressed hope [that the], trust and faith of people of India
will further enhance as the organisation is conducting initiatives like
Conference held today to hone in CBI skills of its personnel,” said the
agency.
Earlier , the conference was marked by key note address of Delhi High
Court Judge, Justice Talwant Singh, on the theme “Expectation from
Investigators in Electronic Era”. He applauded the working of CBI and munotes.in

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10 Reporting and Editing
10 also called for moving on to paperless and Information Te chnology -driven
investigation as well as prosecution.
He called upon all the personnel to continuously upgrade their skills
which, he said, had become easier with the latest tools, including through
the Internet.
Ref:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national /people -judiciary -centre -
have -faith-in-cbi-rijiju/article65285381.ece 3rd April, 2022 The Hindu.
c. Investigative Reporting:
When a news reporter has to dig into deep past what`s said inside the
tough information with the intention to locate what actual f acts, or, in
short, check out past what meets the bare eye, then it's far referred to as
investigative reporting. Investigative reporting way of investigating any
taking place. Investigative journalism is in intensity and entails long -term
studies and repo rting. It exhibits data now no longer acknowledged to the
public and which others need to preserve secret. Most research is executed
in case of important events taking place or while a large public problem is
worried or in subjects that contain public figu res or celebrities. In any type
of reporting, the reporter does a few forms of research to dig out data that
in any other case isn't available. Without preliminary research, the reporter
cannot make a legitimate reproduction or report. However, in the case of a
few stories, specifically regarding positive scams
The seeds of investigative journalism in India were sown by Arun Shourie,
after he was appointed as the executive editor of The Indian Express in
1979. He was well known to have introduced a new styl e of aggressive,
independent investigative journalism in our country.
Check your progress
1. What are the different types of reporting?
2. What are the methods of reporting?
3. What are the elements of news?
4. “Disaster as an element of news has a higher impact on readers”
Justify.
1.6 SUMMARY ● News can be defined as an account of an event, not the event itself.
News is the information about any event or an incident reported by a
reporter taking care of the readers’/audience.
● Nature is based on certai n qualities such as Reality, Unexpectedness’,
Current, the interest of the people etc.
● Conflict, novelty, disaster, consequence etc. are the elements of the
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11 News Reporting: The Beginning ● Purpose, presentation, material and structure and identifying readers
are the methods of news reporting.
● Objective Reporting, Interpretative Reporting and Investigative
reporting are the types of news reporting.
1.7 QUESTIONS 1. Define news and explain the nature of the news?
2. Describe elements of news in detail.
3. While writing the r eport what methods shall be considered by the
reporter; explain those methods in detail.
4. Write the types of reporting? Explain any case study on investigative
journalism.
1.8 REFERENCES 1. Kumar, Keval J.; Mass Communication in India, Jaico Publishing
House, Fourth edition 2010
2. Ravindranath, P. K.; Indian Regional Journalism, Authorspress
Publications, 2005
3. Shukla, Prakash, The DBS Handbook of Reporting, DBS Publication,
First Edition 2013
4. Singh, Bhanu Pratap, News Writing, A nmol Publication, First
Edition, 2011
5. Bal, Ameya Sunildatta, Introduction to journalism, Sheth Publication,
first edition, Nov 2015


*****

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12 2
NEWS WRITING: ART OF
STORYTELLING
Unit Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 News values
2.3 Principles of News Writing
2.3.1 Elements of news writing
2.3.2 Inverted Pyramid
2.3.3 Types of leads
2.4 Summary
2.5 Questions
2.6 References
2.0 OBJECTIVES ● To ensure that students will understand the news writing
● To enable students with real -life news writing
● To prepare them to write news for various media
2.1 INTRODUCTION So far in the earlier chapter, we have discussed what is news, what is news
repor ting, methods and types of news, and elements of news. Now we
need to understand how news is written in real -time journalism, what are
news values, what are its principles, the importance of headlines, types of
leads, newspaper structure and its audience.
News values are the core structure of news writing and they are the
indicators or parameters of what the news is and what is not. Gatekeeping
is the process through which every news has to go. A reporter or a
journalist or an editor has a certain set of v alues that makes it possible for
them to decide whether the event is newsworthy or not. These values are
the criteria to define or convert an event or incident into news. It does not,
of course, suggest that journalists and editors refer to a list hanging on the
office wall, but subconsciously measure a potential story against these
criteria.

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13 News Writing: Art of Storytelling 2.2 NEWS VALUES Many researchers, scholars, sociologists, and media thinkers have
discussed the term Newsworthiness or News values in the field of media
studies. S tuart Hall states that:
“The media do not simply and transparently report events that are
naturally newsworthy in themselves. News is the end product of a
complex process, which begins with systematic sorting and selecting of
events and topics according to a socially constructed set of categories.”
Stuart Hall (in Fowler1991:12)
Around 40 years ago Johan Galtung and Marie Holmboe Ruge had listed
down 12 features of news which afterwards regarded as news values.
Today all 12 may not be applied or few of th em were replaced but still,
they are still considerable and that’s why we are also going to study them
all. The news values defined by Johan Galtung and Marie Holmboe Ruge
are as follows:
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Source: https ://www.galtung -institut.de/wp -
content/uploads/2015/04/Galtung -and-Ruge.png
1. Frequency:
The time span of an incident and its relevance to the ‘frequency’ of
newspaper or news channel schedule. The most recent happening qualifies
to be printed or broadc ast. News like motor accidents, plane crashes,
murders or robbery can fit in the frequency feature as they have a very
simple and straight meaning as well as they have a short duration.
Sometimes political parties used this for their election campaigns, po litical
rallies or any other agenda.
2. Threshold:
The larger the event, the more people it will affect, and the more likely it
is to be reported. The newsworthiness of any event or incident can be
decided by how big that event is! Any incident or disaster where lots of
people got affected makes big news and it has a high potential to appear in
the breaking news segment. Not only the intensity but the involvement of
big personalities or dignitaries also make the event big.
For e.g.: COVID – 19, PNB Scam, Ke darnath Flood etc.
3. Unambiguity:
Events that have one interpretation and easy grasping, make them better
for being reported. The events that have more than one interpretation look
ambiguous and become complex to understand. So it has less
newsworthiness than the others having single and straight interpretations.
Unambiguity in the event makes it possible to be reported and published in
the news. In an Observer article of June 11 2000, Peter Preston quoted the
results of a survey of 300 leading US media pr ofessionals across the US,
conducted by The Columbia Journalism Review, which revealed that the
most regular reason why stories don't appear is that they are too
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15 News Writing: Art of Storytelling 4. Meaningfulness:
This is in relation to cultural proximity. Readers are more in terested in
reading what is happening in their own cultural periphery or happening
about their own people. Stories about people who share the same
language, same lifestyle, same likes and dislikes receive more appearance
than the others.
For e.g.: A recen t news story about an Indian student killed in Canada,
received more attention than the student killed in Australia from another
nationality.
5. Consonance:
Stories that are at par with the media expectations, receive more coverage
than those which contra dict them. Consonance refers to media readiness to
report an event, which they are more likely to do if they are prepared for
it. Indeed, journalists often have a preconceived idea of the angle they
want to report an event, even before they get there.
6. Unexpectedness:
Highly unpredictable events are more likely to make it into the news. The
unpredictability of the event has to be in line with the meaningfulness and
unambiguity. As Charles A. Dana famously put it, "If a dog bites a man,
that's not news. Bu t if a man bites a dog, that is news!''
7. Continuity:
The event once is covered, it is convenient to cover the same with its
further update. Continuity of an event is the principle behind the
preservation of the space in the news domain. This will totall y depend on
the nature of an event.
For. E.g.: Every day we do read news about actions and raids of the
Enforcement Directorate.
8. Composition:
This is a matter of the balance of the news. It's a matter of the editors'
judgement, more than anything els e. If there's a lot of foreign news
around, some of it will be dropped in favour of more domestic news. If
some major event is seizing a huge amount of attention, there will be a
'round -up' of less important stories.
9. Negativity:
The bad news is more ex citing than good news. News stories about a
robbery, bankruptcy, violence, disaster, natural calamity, communal riots,
deaths etc. always have an upper hand over good news. This is one of the
basic and most applicable features of news in real -time, so it i s always
scored high on other news values.
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16 10. Timeliness:
Events that are recent, current, ongoing or about to happen are
newsworthy. The news business is based on this value as timeliness is the
major determinant of the news. The more current, the more chances to be
covered. That is the reason why news channel reporters are always on the
edge of their seats while covering the news.
11. Composition
In news media, stories compete with each other for space. For instance,
the editor always tries to keep ba lance in different types of stories covered.
If there is an excess of crime stories, then the least important crime story
must have to make a way for inconsequential news of social news. In this
way, the prominence given to a story depends not only on its own news
value but also on those of competing stories
12. Personalisation:
People are interested in people. News stories that are central to a particular
person, celebrity or big personality. It even appeals more when these
stories are presented from a hu man interest angle. This news value is
directly connected to the psychology of people. This way of covering
personal stories has a high chance to be published as news.
Check your Progress:
1. What are the news values?
2. What is the role of news values in real-time journalism?
3. What is personalisation?
2.3 PRINCIPLES OF NEWS WRITING News writing is a very serious business. It’s not a natural gift or talent but
it is a scientific art that can be learned by practice and presentation. News
writing is a cont inuous process. There are certain techniques and methods
that a news reporter and writer have to adapt for news writing. There is a
specific structure of news writing but a journalist can use his/her own style
of news writing in order to make the news look distinctive and interesting.
This style can be considered a sign of that journalist in the journalistic
world.
There are certain principles of news writing. These principles are followed
by news correspondents all over the world to maintain uniformity in the
structure of news writing. Effective news writing needs physical, mental
and emotional focus. This skill is not rocket science but can’t be
developed overnight. It is a slow and time -consuming process. An aspiring
reporter shall not get bogged down in the news writing learning by the
exacting nature of it. Instead, he/she should actively try to learn the skills.
Few basic principles of new writing are given below but it must be kept in munotes.in

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17 News Writing: Art of Storytelling mind that these are just guidelines and directive in nature. They are not the
ultimate truth.
1. Keep it simple:
Simplicity is the key to making your news readable. The simplicity of
styles always stands better for the students of journalism or aspiring
journalists. There is a misunderstanding that in news writing, the use of
flowery words or ostentatious vocabulary is the basic principle of good
news writing. Such a writing style does nothing but takes your readers
away from the story. So keeping simplicity in news writing is always
better. Use of 5 W and 1 H, small sen tences helps you to keep your news
simple.
2. Keep it short:
Lengthy news reports always get less attention as readers are not
interested in reading too long statements. Readers are interested in
knowing the overall happening of the event; so keeping the news short
attracts readers and makes it simple for readers to understand what had
happened. The use of small phrases and short sentences helps news reports
to look attractive as well as informative.
3. Avoid the use of jargon, argot:
Every social group or cultural group has its own set of terminology used
that can be understood by the same group only. For example, only
cricketers or cricket fans can understand terminology like fine leg, reverse
swing, and cover drive; not any other sports player or fan. Th us a
journalist shall refrain from using these terminologies in the general news.
A good news writer should endeavour to disseminate his/her message
among various target groups in an unobstructed manner. That is, good
news should have the quality of univer sal comprehensibility
4. Avoid adjectives and adverbs:
The language of the general news report shall not be like literary language
where the adverbs and adjectives are used to make the text interesting.
Journalistic writing is informative writing so a go od journalist shall use
nouns and verbs instead of adverbs and adjectives. Use of adjectives
diminishes the effectiveness of the news message. A good news report
shall be written in very simplistic and informative language; so the readers
are able to under stand it very well in time. There is another point that is to
be considered; that is the diversity of the reader. Newspaper readers have a
huge diversity in reference to their class, education and profession. So
from an auto -rickshaw driver to an industria list reads the news and that
makes a point here to keep news language informative rather than keeping
it scholarly.
5. Continuity:
In every news article, there shall be continuity in reference to thoughts. It
has to be in a proper flow. Every next sentenc e shall have a connection munotes.in

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18 Reporting and Editing
18 with the previous one. An abrupt bunch of sentences never called a news
report. They are useless until they are not arranged in proper sequence. A
good journalist shall follow the discipline of thoughts and write news;
otherwise, the news will be rejected by its audience. Structuring the news
article in the continuity of thoughts is a vital principle of news writing.
6. Objectivity:
The news is a current and comprehensive report of what has been
happening in society. To report the news there must be objectivity in news
writing otherwise it just will be a report of scattered thoughts. While
writing a news report a good journalist shall focus on the objectivity of the
news that is a specific purpose with integrity towards all types of readers.
Objectivity is the soul of news writing.
7. Clarity:
News writing is not literary writing where the writer can take his/her own
freedom and write the news in an imaginary plot. Clarity of writing with
factual analysis is the core of news writin g. Journalists have an obligation
to convey their messages in ‘minimum possible time’ (in case of
electronic media) and in ‘minimum possible space’ (in case of print
media) to the target groups. Lack of attention can be caused due to lack of
clarity in new s.
Above mentioned principles are just guidelines for journalists. If
journalists follow them while news writing; they will definitely going to
achieve their objectives.
2.3.1 Elements of news writing :
Writing the news includes a few basic Elements. Witho ut these elements,
no news will be constructed. These elements are:
● Headlines (main head, deck heads, and summary lines)
● A lead
● Backup for the lead
● Nut graph
● Lead quote
● Impact on the audience
● Attribution
● Background
● Elaboration
● Ending
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19 News Writing: Art of Storytelling 1. The Headline :
The headline is the face of news, in other words, it is the entry point for
the reader. It’s a one -liner of the news which tells the audience what’s
inside the news. It generally contains 5 to 6 words. Sometimes there is
another sentence written below the main headline that is called a subhead.
Headlines act as an index of the contents of the newspaper and a summary
of the information in its stories.
2. The Lead :
The lead is usually defined as the start of a news story. It leads audiences
toward a short description of the event. The lead is the starting point of a
story. The lead is often called a summary lead. The lead contains some of
5 W’s and H, the most important facts of the story. The is always a short
paragraph of 25 to 30 words. Leads should be "tight" - that is, written with
the conscious. A news story with a strong lead is more likely to be read.
Types of leads such as Ironic leads, Great -quote leads, Person -centred
leads, Contrast leads, Play -on-word leads, Situational leads, N ightmare
leads etc. make the news story interesting.
3. The Backup Quote:
Most news stories use backup quotes after lead, to make news
comprehensible and a little entertaining. But the snippet or single column
news will not have such a quote as the size of such news is small. It
enhances the beauty of the news story.
4. Attribution :
All news stories require attribution. Attribution is basically the mention of
news sources. It mostly appears in the story as quotes. All these quotes
have attribution and it helps the audience to whether the facts of the story
have authenticity or not. A news story without attribution is worthless.
5. Reaction :
All news stories that contain controversial statements, should have a
reaction - the comments of someone who is famil iar with the situation, or
of someone with an alternative view of the main thesis of the story. A
representative of the government should have the opportunity to respond.
Fairness requires a reaction.
6. The Nut Graph :
A nut graph informs readers about the context or reference of the story.
The lead will serve the same purpose as the nut graph. A nut graph is
essential to set out for the reader what is going on. For example, if the
news story concerns an overview of deaths due to covid -19 in the year
2021 -2022 in India; nut graph will contain what was the situation before
and now, how it is in India as well as in the globe.
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20 Reporting and Editing
20 7. Background :
Most stories need some background for the reader to understand what's
going on. The more complicated the story, the mor e pressing the need for
background. The background helps explain the action.
8. The Ending :
Sometimes writers end a story with a reference to future action that is
expected. This closing remark is always needed so the audience can’t feel
hanging in between when a story ends.
2.3.2 Inverted Pyramid
Writing a news report is a day to day task for a reporter. The news is
covered by the correspondent and subsequently written in a proper manner
known as a news story/item. News writing is narrative writing, turned
upside down. While constructing a story the narrator emphasizes more on
the end of the story, carefully building up the climax. The news writer
does exactly the opposite i.e. in a news story the most important fact is
told first. The two styles of writing also differ in other aspects. The news
writing style is more of short words, short sentences, short paragraphs, and
generous use of quotes. Sentences and paragraphs in narrative writing tend
to be longer, and the choice of words often is more expansive.
In the news writing, story begins with its climax. There are two reasons
for it:
• The desire to catch the reader’s attention.
• The desire to save reader’s time.
The news writing style and the idea behind it can be graphically shown as
an inverted pyramid . The most important element of given greatest
prominence, the next most important is given somewhat less prominence,
and so on down the story. So the story narrows down from most important
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21 News Writing: Art of Storytelling

The steps of new s writing can be defined as follows:
1st Break : Lead (five Ws and One H)
2nd Break : Explanatory Details
3rd Break : Descriptive details
4th Break : Additional Points
Conclusion : Leaving the thread
The above -mentioned pyramid can also be shown in the following
manner:

Source: https://www.yaagneshwaran.com/blog/inverted -pyramid -content -
writing/

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22 Reporting and Editing
22 Benefits of using an inverted pyramid:
According to a famous journalist of the New York Times, Clark “Inverted
Pyramid Methods provides you the climax at the beginning of the story.”
Advantages:
1. Complete story idea is put in the lead.
2. Story can be edited from the bottom and makes no effect.
3. Giving headlines becomes easy.
4. Para can be inserted in between the story.
How to write in inverted pyramid style:
1. Identify your key points:
Identifying the most relevant points is the key to writing in an inverted
pyramid style. What are the key facts that a reporter wants the audience to
read or to know, that have to be identified first.
2. Rank Secondary Information:
The story outline shall be designed with details and supporting
information. Prioritizing the information which will interest the mass
audience and putting down the list to the smaller and more nuanced
details.
3. Right well and concisely:
Straightforward and simple language is the key here. If the content is
strong then only this structure will help readers. Cut unnecessary
information. The use of short paragraphs and a bulleted list will support
the structure.
4. Front Load all elements of t he content with important information:
The main headline should be descriptive. The story should start with the
main point. Each heading or subheading should be descriptive. The first
sentence of every paragraph should be the most important. The first word s
in each sentence should be information -carrying and indicate what content
will follow.
5. Consider adding a summary or list of highlights:
Summary note and emphasising on the main takeaways from the news
story should be added at the end of the story.
The 5 W’s:
Rudyard Kipling once said – I have 6 honest serving men. They thought
all I know. Their names are What, Why, When and How, Where and Who.
Every new story should answer the question Who? What? When, Where, munotes.in

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23 News Writing: Art of Storytelling Why? And the good measure How? They should be answered as quickly
as possible for the reader. For e.g.: This morning at about 9:30 p.m. at his residence, the Prime Minister, while on a visit to Ayodhya, had to cancel his visit due to a technical glitch in the helicopter. In the above example, What? – Prime minister visit cancelled, When? – Morning 9.30, where? – Prime ministers’ residence, why? – A technical glitch in the helicopter.
This is how reporters use the 5 W’s and H formula and write a news
report.
Check Your Progress:
1. What are the el ements of news?
2. What are the principles of News writing?
3. What is an inverted pyramid?
2.4 SUMMARY ● A reporter or a journalist or an editor has a certain set of values that
makes it possible for them to decide whether the event is newsworthy
or not.
● In news writing, the story begins with its climax. There are two
reasons for it:
 The desire to catch t he reader’s attention.
 The desire to save the reader’s time.
● The news writing style and the idea behind it can be graphically
shown as an inverted pyramid. The story narrows down from most
important to least important and so does the inverted pyramid.
● Every new story should answer the question Who? What? When,
Where, Why? And the good measure How? They should be answered
as quickly as possible for the reader.
2.5 QUESTIONS 1. What are news values? Explain all the news values in detail.
2. “News is the end product of a complex process, which begins with
systematic sorting and selecting of events and topics according to a
socially constructed set of categories.” Justify this statement of
Stuart Hall in the context of the newsworthiness of an event. munotes.in

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24 Reporting and Editing
24 3. Principles of news writing are guidelines for a journalist in the news
writing process. But in real -life situations, there are many factors
that influence news writing or presentation. Describe those factors in
detail.
4. Assignment: Prepare an analytical report on at least 15 news articles,
how inverted pyramid style is used in it?
2.6 REFERENCES 1. Kumar, Keval J.; Mass Communication in India, Jaico Publishing
House, Fourth edition 2010
2. Ravindranath, P. K.; Indian Reg ional Journalism, Authorspress
Publications, 2005
3. Shukla, Prakash, The DBS Handbook of Reporting, DBS Publication,
First Edition 2013
4. Singh, Bhanu Pratap, News Writing, Anmol Publication, First
Edition, 2011
5. Bal, Ameya Sunildatta, Introduction to journalism, Sheth Publication,
first edition, Nov 2015
Weblinks:
 https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/12037624.pdf
 http://toolbox.understanding -
media.eu/downloads/51396_Handout_Galtung_and_Ruge.pdf
 https://www.galtung -institut.de/en/2015/galtung -and-ruge-news -
values -an-update -by-prof-galtung -october -2014/
 https://www.lkouniv.ac.in/site/writereaddata/siteContent/2020040709
48261848mukul_Basic_Principles_of_News_Writing.pdf
 https://asatonline.org/for -media -professionals/ethical -journalism -
autism -treatment/
 https://www.nngroup.com/articles/inverted -
pyramid/#:~:text=In%20journalism%2C%20the%20inve rted%20pyra
mid,supporting%20details%20and%20background%20information .

*****

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25 3
NEWS WRITING AND STRUCTURE OF
NEWS
Unit Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Writing Lead
3.2.1 Types of Leads
3.2.2 What to Avoid?
3.3 Headline Writing
3.3.1 Types of Headline
3.4 Sources of News
3.5 Summary
3.6 Questions
3.7 References
3.0 OBJECTIVES ● To ensure that students will understand the news writing styles
● To enable students with different aspect
● To prepare them to write news for various media
3.1 INTRODUCTION This unit will look into the various news writing styles for various media.
The lead, or opening paragraph, is the most important part of a news story.
The audience is not interested in reading the news unless the first
paragraph grabs their attention; whether it is a newspaper, magazine,
radio, television or a blog. Lead plays an im portant role in seeking the
attention of the audience to a news story. It gives readers the most
important information in a clear, concise, and interesting way. It also
establishes the voice and direction of an article.
How to write a good lead?
Writing a good lead is a skill that can be developed by practising it day by
day. There are some guidelines or key pointers to writing a good lead.
They are as follows:
1. The five W and a H:
Before starting the lead, articulate the important information with the fi ve
W’s and H. At least 4 of these shall be explained in the lead. munotes.in

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26 Reporting and Editing
26 2. Conflict:
While writing lead, the journalist must use the feature of the conflict.
Conflict attracts human attention as psychologically all of us are looking
for it everywhere in society .
3. Specificity:
Be specific with the lead. While summarising the story in lead, try to be
specific so that it will hit readers’ minds.
4. Brevity:
Anyone or everyone who is an audience of the news story is always
interested in why that news is important to them. They can’t wait long to
get the answer so the lead has to be brief i.e., not more than 25 to 30
words. Sometimes it may extend to 40 words.
5. Active Sentences
Strong verbs make your lead lively and interesting. Using active sentences
connects th e text to the emotions of the readers. This may lead your story
and will gain major attention.
6. Audience and context:
Knowing your readers is always better and based on that you have to
structure your story. Due to the internet and social media, the read ers are
already aware of what happened a few minutes ago. So if you are writing
for print then your lead shall do more than merely informing readers.
7. Honesty:
A lead is an implicit promise to your readers. You must be able to deliver
what you promise i n your lead.
3.2.1 Types of Leads
1. Descriptive lead :
A descriptive lead describes how an event happened rather than simply
telling what the event is about. For e.g.: New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart Boris Johnson on Friday set a target of concluding negotiations for a free trade deal by October, and unveiled an expanded defence partnership that envisages easier access to British military hardware and technology. Source: Hindustan Times 22 April 2022
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27 News Writing And Structure Of News 2. Direct Address Lead :
The Direct Access lead is aimed directly at the readers and makes them
collaborators with facts in the story.
For e.g.: Mumbai: Mumbaiites will now get live updates on road
congestions and alternate travel routes via Google maps. Brihanmumbai
Municipal C orporation (BMC) has announced a tie -up with Google and its
partner Lepton to provide real -time updates on road closures in the city.
Source:
https://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Home/ShareArticle?OrgId=23457fccdb
e&imageview=0 22 April 2022
3. Contrast Lead:
A contrast lead combines two or more antithetic elements to make an idea
more significant or interesting. For e.g.: Indian politicians are so dedicated to their work that if there
are no potholes; they will dig it and then fill it again.
4. Pun Lead:
Using novelty to catch the reader’s attention. Something E.g.: Western high’s trash collectors have been down in the dumps lately
5. Punch Lead:
Short and punchy to attract readers. Blunt, explosive statement to
summarize the article. For e.g.: Mumbai never sleeps, Mumbaikar never stops, the spirit of Mumbai is the show must go on.
6. Allusion Lead:
This type of lead is obvious enough that readers can recognise it, as it is
always based on history or past events, a well -known personality. For e.g.: The following was strong. Laxman did follow the footprints of his elder brother Ram to pose a grave challenge to enemies. On the third day of Faisalabad, V.V.S. Laxman made remarkable 90 runs while providing exemplary support to his captain Rahul Dravid.

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28 Reporting and Editing
28 7. One word lead:
Uses only a single word to express the essence of the story. One word =
100 statements. For e.g.: Fabulous! That’s the best term to describe the victory of the Indian Kabaddi team.
8. Miscellaneous freak Lead:
In this type of lead an unu sual statement or a word or phrase is used. For e.g.: For sale: A hunger
The government is thinking about inserting that ad in the newspaper. A
curtailed budget makes it impossible to care for “undernourished
children,” and search for someone who can pur chase the hunger of these
children.
9. Parody lead:
This lead is in mimics of the well -known proverb, quotation, or phrase. For e.g.: Hurry, hurry! Everywhere but no one reaches on time.
10. Staccato lead:
This lead is a series of jerky, exciting phra ses, separated by dots or dashes. For e.g.: Midnight on the road . . . . a shot . . . . a scream . . . . a second, third, fourth shot. This morning police recovered the bodies of four unknown persons, near Yeor hills.
11. Anecdotal lead:
In this type of lead, the writer uses an event to represent the universal
experience or narrates a story to refer to his subjects. For e.g.: Once upon a time. . . or there was once. . .
12. Sequence of narrative lead:
This type of lead starts in the middle of an event, and is full of action
verbs. It carries the readers through the event and generally has a
surprising twist at the end. E.g.: He turned aside and carefully selected the knife. It seemed to shine with a life of his own. Sweating now, he lifted it up and suddenly brought it down. Red, red, red everywhere. munotes.in

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29 News Writing And Structure Of News “Cut!” Shouted the director. Thus ended the first shot of RGV. Three retakes later it was done.
13. Bullet lead:
In this kind of lead, a short sentence or a phrase is used straightforwardly. E.g.: Indira Gandhi is dead and Mahatma Gandhi is no more.
These are the types of lead. The variety and novelty used while writing
lead make it different and catch the audience's attention. The reporter must
know how to treat and write a lead. He/she must be able to use these types
of leads effectively to stick with the readers. Most leads can improve if the
reporter stretches his or her imagination.
3.2.2 What to Avoid?
While writing lead one must avoid a few things that are listed down:
1. Flowery Language:
Lead i s a summarised or introductory version of the news story. You must
be careful about the language of lead. It has to be simple and short.
Flowery language must be avoided in lead.
2. Unnecessary words and phrases:
You shall look for the unnecessary words o r phrases which may waste the
space in the lead. Something very important has to be included but avoid
clutter and cut right to the heart of the story.
3. Formulaic Lead:
The readers want information but they also look for entertainment in the
news. The ma jority of newsroom work was done on a deadline so you may
fall into the trap of writing tired leads which are very cliché or boring.
Resist it and try to focus on fresh writing.
4. It:
Avoid using IT because it sounds clueless and it is not precise. Use of IT
disorients readers.
A story occasionally needs special treatment in sentence structure and
display to catch readers’ attention. Types of lead will help you in all the
ways possible to make your story interesting. But you must be very
careful, not to try to be too clever or too cute. There must be a balance
between novelty and facts because at the end of the day news is fact -based
informative storytelling.
Check your Progress:
1. What is Lead? What are the types of lead? munotes.in

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30 Reporting and Editing
30 2. What are the elements of writing a good lead?
3. What shall be avoided while writing lead?
3.3 HEADLINE WRITING Headline is the head of the news story. It is the label of the story. Headline
tells us what’s inside the story. Headline can be defined as the face of the
news story. The presentation of the news story is primarily dependent on
how and what the headline says! Headline writing is a special art of
writing. Without headlines, news stories will not be able to make their
stand in audiences’ minds.
Apart from this headline s ummarizes the news story as well as classifies
and distinguishes between news stories. Different types and styles of
headlines convey differences in the stories. This also indicates the
importance of news stories, so readers can identify which story to rea d
first and which to be later.
3.3.1 Types of Headline:
1. Direct Headline:
This type of headline is very commonly used in the newspaper. They
usually are fact -based headlines without any creativity or special
treatment. Readers anticipate easily what the y are going to read and see in
the news.
E.g.: Two Karnataka girls who challenged hijab ban return without taking
exam
2. Indirect Headline:
Indirect headline is very much subtle in nature and works on hinting at the
main point of the news. As this is not direct in nature it focuses on readers’
curiosity to discover what is in the news story.
E.g.: “Your vision is our mission” – PM Narendra Modi
3. News Headline:
This type of headline makes an announcement about a policy or an event
or sometimes election results too. As this is purely informative in nature
journalists often use this type of headline to share current information.
E.g.: Maharashtra to lift covid -19 restrictions from April 2
4. How to headline:
This type of headline always suggests somethin g to be learned or explored
or some action to be taken. Journalists use this headline when the story is
exploring new learning. They suggest to their readers that there is
something beneficial for them. This headline starts with “How to” and is
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31 News Writing And Structure Of News E.g.: How shall we approach the New normal.
5. Question headline :
The title itself is self -explanatory. Stories that have this headline are
basically a question asked to the system or organisation or a governing
body or anything that is holding power. Sometimes there is a suggestive
question used to make the masses aware. Readers expect an answer from
the story when a headline is a question headline.
E.g.: Why was justice delayed in the Nirbhaya case?
6. Command Headline:
Command headline tells readers what they are supposed to do or what they
can learn from the article. Feature articles use command headlines
frequently. Command headlines often start with an active verb.
E.g.: Travel Mumbai – Delhi in just 8 hours!
7. The ‘Reason why’ headline:
This headline type suggests to readers why a certain situation occurs. This
type of headline connects what readers’ are thinking and what reality is.
They always try to play with readers’ minds.
E.g.: 5 reasons why you shall invest in EV Company’s share s
8. One -word headline:
The one -word headline is often used when something major or bigger
event has happened. Only a single word adjective suggests what the story
is all about. But it is always supported by one sub -headline. Still, the one
word is itself self-explanatory.
E.g.: FEAR!

Source: https://thewire.in/security/covering -26-11-memories -from -
ground -reporters
9. Two Part headline:
This type of headline uses punctuation marks like colon, hyphen or
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32 Reporting and Editing
32 they come together, they enhance the scope and meaningfulness of the
story. Also, this increases the chances of capturing readers’ attention.
E.g.: Why to book a hotel for an hour or two; when railways provide you
POD.
10. Relational Head line:
Relational headlines connect a reader to the subject of an article by using
second -person language. Relating the topic to the reader helps them
become interested in reading and discovering how this article can help
them.
E.g.: Easy steps, How you ca n make your house a Zero Garbage house.
3.4 SOURCES OF NEWS In the business of news and reporting one question always remains silent;
where does news come from? How does the reporter get the news? Where
does its origin lie? The answer is clear; different types of sources.
Role of the source in News making:
● Any news source is helping hand a journalist as a journalist cannot be
available anywhere or everywhere to collect the news.
● Sources are also one of the verification points of news. Reporters can
confirm the news from their sources.
● Providing extra or out of sight information.
● Curating the news story as a primary witness.
Reporter indeed is the first and primary source, who gathers the news
material, works in the field and composes the news report. But there are
certain things which reporters mu st track out or follow up about the
incident from the external medium. These external mediums are the news
sources. Following are a few important news sources:
1. Various government ministries.
2. Business houses (public, private)
3. Government officials
4. Institutions (Educational and Research)
5. Police stations
6. Local morgues and post mortem centres
7. Social welfare/ NGOs
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33 News Writing And Structure Of News 9. Hospitals and clinics
10. Railway, Bus station and Airports.
The reporter must establish a harmonious relationship w ith all sources, to
get recent updates and the latest news.
Apart from all above mentioned secondary sources, there are three
primary sources which deliver the news with its senses.
1. Reporters:
Reports are full time paid employees of the newspaper, T.V or radio who
gathers the news for the same. Their area is specified by locality or by
beat. Some reporters are specially assigned to cover the event or an
incident so they stand first in the list of primary sources.
2. Correspondence:
A correspondent is a journalist who contributes through a story or report
he/she is not actually a field reporter but always helps the media by
providing new stories which can be further illustrated as news. The key
element here is the correspondent’s network. Most importan tly, the
correspondent must possess good communications skills so that he can
interview the people well and get acquainted with the inner workings of
his allotted area.
3. News Agencies:
In a developing area of news, news agencies are considered to be the most
important source of news. New media is the reason behind the
development and spread of news agencies throughout the world. Reporters
and correspondents and other secondary sources have geographical
restrictions but news has no boundaries. News agencie s plays an important
role in gathering and delivering the news to the news houses. This is the
only virtual source available.
There are two types of news agencies:
1. Wire Services.
2. Syndicates.
Wire Services:
There are news agencies who use to send new s by telex or Teleprompters,
fax etc. they got the name for this as a Wire Services. These agencies
maintain regional, national and state wires for general use. The importance
of these wire services for editors is high in all other sources. He may not
use the story that comes from an unknown source but will use a story that
has come from wire services.
Although there are many local and regional news agencies; only five
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34 Reporting and Editing
34 ● The Associated Press USA
● United Press International USA
● TASS Russia
● Reuters UK
● Agencies France Presse France
List of Indian Wire services
● PTI – Press Trust of India
● UNI – United News of India
● IANS – Indo Asian News Services
K.C Ro y was a pioneer of Indian news agencies, including the Associated
Press of India. The free press of the Indian news agency was established
by S. Sadanand. The Orient press, The Globe -News Agency, The NAFEN,
The United News of India these agencies later dev eloped in India.
Syndicates:
Syndicates is the service where the news or articles are to be sent by mail,
rather than wire services. This includes human interest stories, fashion
features, food, child, health care, education etc. that is interesting or
unusual.
Some of the syndicates are:
Hillroad Media News
Z – Features :
After the introduction of new media, the news source has changed its
traditional ways. Now anytime, anywhere whatever happens, immediately
reaches the globe through live internet channels , news channels etc.
Citizen journalists are another source which spreads the news on new
media channels.
The credibility of Sources:
In the periphery of news, business sources play an important role. But it is
necessary to check the authenticity of a new s source. The ideal
relationship between a reporter and his sources is the Trust. This mutual
trust develops from past behaviour. A reporter should rely on the source
only when the credibility is established. If the source is reliable and has
provided the correct and accurate information, the reporter would be able
to file an authentic report.
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35 News Writing And Structure Of News There are nine points on which you can check the authenticity of the
source:
1. Who is the source? Is that clear to the audience?
2. Does a source is an expert from t he said area?
3. When did the source get the knowledge? Is it current or old?
4. Where does the source get the knowledge? Does he or she have a
degree in the field or work experience?
5. Whether the source is involved first -hand?
6. Why only this source? I s this the only source available?
7. What is the past reliability of the Source?
8. What is the motive of the source behind providing information?
9. How transparent is the source?
These 9 questions help the reporter to check the credibility of the sources
they are dealing with. The field of journalism is sensitive in the context of
new reporting and presentation. A reporter not only reports the news but
also carries the accountability of the same. So it is always needed to check
the authenticity of the sou rce and validity of the news. Because one small
negligence and reporter may last all his/her image and reputation.
Check your progress:
1. What are the types of headlines?
2. What are the different sources of news?
3. What points should be considered wh ile checking the authenticity of
news sources?
3.5 SUMMARY ● Lead is very important in news writing as it’s the store opening and
the first informative paragraph about the news. So you must be careful
while writing a lead. There are some do’s and don’ts f or lead writing.
● There are many types of lead which may be used by reporters while
writing news.
● Headline is the face of the news and shall be written in many ways.
To keep novelty and uniqueness there are many types by which
headlines can be written.
● Where does news come from? How does the reporter get the news?
Where does its origin lie? The answer is clear; different types of
sources. There are two basic types of news sources, Primary Sources munotes.in

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36 Reporting and Editing
36 and Secondary Sources. There are two types of news agenc ies: a)
Wire Services. b) Syndicates.
3.6 QUESTIONS 1. What is lead? Explain its types in detail.
2. What is the headline? Explain its types in detail.
3. ‘Authenticity of the news is based on the source of news’ Justify this
statement.
4. Describe wh at shall be avoided while writing a lead?
3.7 REFERENCES  Saxena, Dr. Ambarish, Fundamentals of Reporting and Editing,
Kanishka Publishers, First edition, 2007
 Saeed, Saima, (2013). Screening the Public Sphere: Media and
Democracy
 in India, New Delhi and London: Routledge
 Allan, Stuart, (2004). News Culture, 2nd Edition, Open University
Press: New York .

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37 4
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND
NARRATIVES OF NEWS
Unit Structure
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Structure of news house
4.2.1 Newspaper Structure
4.2.2 News channel Structure
4.3 Narrative journalism
4.3.1 Multimodal and Multivariate Narratives
4.3.2 Newspaper as pedagogical and Andragogical tool
4.4 Summary
4.5 Questions
4.6 References
4.0 OBJECTIVES ● To ensure that students will be aware of a newspaper organisation
structure
● To inform students about different narratives of the news
● To make them aware of the hierarchy in newspapers and news
channels.
4.1 INTRODUCTION In this unit we will explore t he organisation structure of a news
organisation and the narrative of news. As the newspaper industry is a
business, management's first goal is to make sure of smooth and effective
operations for the organisation to gain maximum profit and maintain a
good reputation for its publication. With this in mind, newspaper owners
structure their organizations in a particular way so that all extremely
important newspaper functions are carried out as effectively as possible.
Some of the most important and common func tions of a news company,
given by Professor Herbert Lee Williams:
● Decision Making
● Media Planning & Buying
● Communicating and Coordination with internal and outside
stakeholders
● Organizing the publication and circulation work munotes.in

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38 Reporting and Editing
38 ● Staffing
● Controlli ng news flow and filtering it
● Directing different departments
● Innovation in design, marketing and sales
4.2 STRUCTURE OF NEWS HOUSE News houses today have a very strong corporate structure and hierarchy.
This structure has a slight difference and varie s from company to company
but there are few common departments without any news house that can’t
process in real life. First, we will look at the newspaper’s organisation
structure, followed by the news channel structure.
4.2.1 Newspaper’s Organisational s tructure:
In today’s newspaper unit, generally, there are five distinct departments
that run the organisation. They are:
1. Editorial Department
2. Printing and Production department
3. Business department
4. Technical Department
5. Sales and circulation department
1. Editorial Department:
The editorial department is the soul of the newspaper industry. In fact, the
entire newspaper business is totally dependent on the effective and smooth
functioning of this department. The functions of this department are very
crucial and important.
The core function of the editorial department is to collect, receive, process
and deliver the news and all other journalistic writing for newspaper
publication. Through this department, the news is collected, drafted and
solic ited by newspapers from different parts of the world. Indeed the
efficiency and accountability of this department are very high in this
department.
For an efficient collection of news, making it fit for the presentation to the
readers in a readable, attrac tive and designed manner, the editorial
department has to work hard. There are three main operations of this
department:
1. Newsroom:
Editing and processing the news on the editing desk;
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39 Organisational Structure And Narratives Of News 2. Newsgathering:
The editorial department looks after newsgather ing from the various parts
of the city, other parts of the country and other countries. The area or field
that are covered under this are political; economic; finance and business;
sports; crime; social; educational; cultural; health and environment. All
this news may come from state assembly/Parliament, BSE/NSE, municipal
corporations, railways, courts, hospitals, universities, police, social and
cultural organizations and so on. Anything happening anywhere in any
part of the globe in the readers could be perceived to be interesting and
needs to be covered in newspapers.
3. Views and Opinions:
The editorial page of the newspaper reflects its agenda. On each national
or international event newspapers have their own stand. The owner of the
newspaper determi nes this agenda and opinions have to be in conformity
with this newspaper's agenda. The chief editor or editor as the head of the
editorial department has to ensure that opinions expressed in editorials are
in line with the publication's policy. The editor ial page or section carries
material such as editorials, special articles, letters to the editor, special
columns and cartoons.
Editor is the boss in the newsroom. He takes care that the editorial team
works smoothly and effectively. The editor makes arran gements and
deputes duty to everyone in receiving the news from news agencies,
reporters, correspondents and other sources. Chief sub -editor, sub -editors
and copy editors assist the editor in chief in his work. This is the team that
finalises the pages of each newspaper issue.
The Editorial Page :
The editor is in charge of the editorial page. The editor is supported by a
staff of assistant editors who are experts in various areas of current events
on which the newspaper is expected to comment and publish e ditorial
articles. Political, social, economic, national, international, sports,
technology, science, travel, women, children, and crime are only a few
examples. Readers' letters are also received by the editors, and freelance
writers and special correspon dents assist in the news collecting process.
These will be assessed by the editor before being used. The editor is the
one who makes the final decision on news articles and editorials. The
editor is also the one who approaches specialists in other fields t o write a
column for the newspaper.




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40 Reporting and Editing
40 Basic structure and departments of Newspaper

Source: http://www.journogyan.com/2017/02/structure -functions -of-
various.html
2. The business department:
The sales of space, advertising, and printed copies, or circulation , are
handled by the business department in the newspaper house. The
advertising sector is responsible for obtaining advertisements from a
variety of sources, including advertising agencies, businesses, and the
general public. Advertisers from large corpor ations and small businesses.
It is the responsibility of the advertising revenue collectors to collect
advertising income. Similarly, the circulation division is in charge of
arranging a network of hawkers selling agents at the station where the
newspaper or magazine is published and other locations where copies
might be sold for the sale of the newspaper/magazine.
The business department has two major wings:
1. Advertising and 2. Circulation
The functionaries of this department are as follows:
1. Advertis ing Manager 2. Circulation Manager
Display advertising Manager Transportation Manager munotes.in

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41 Organisational Structure And Narratives Of News Classified Ad. Manager Packing and Dispatch manager
Billing and Collection Postal Subscription
Space selling or Marketing Ad. Agency relations
Billing and collec tion
Print order
Circulation audit
3. Other departments:
Other departments are responsible for their own tasks. Composing, make -
up, paste -up printing, and newspaper/magazine production are all
organised by the print and production department. The un it's sales and
public relations activities must be promoted on a regular basis. Personnel
from the newspaper's sales promotion and public relations section are in
charge of this.
Here's a quick rundown of the overall organisation of these
wings/sections/de partments. It's important to keep in mind that the
arrangement of these sections differs slightly amongst newspapers
Technological advancement:
Newspaper administration and organisation are undergoing rapid
technological advances, etc. In India, newspaper establishments are taking
a long time to adapt to these changes. However, it is apparent that India's
newspaper management, organisation, and structure are about to undergo a
radical shift. All newspapers are not created equal, and there are sure to be
differences between small and large publications. The owners of small and
medium -sized newspapers around the country have a tendency to combine
two or more departments and make the processes operate.
Newspaper administration and organisation are undergoing ra pid
technological advances, etc. In India, newspaper establishments are taking
a long time to adapt to these changes. However, it is apparent that India's
newspaper management, organisation, and structure are about to undergo a
radical shift. All newspaper s are not created equal, and there are sure to be
differences between small and large publications. The owners of small and
medium -sized newspapers around the country have a tendency to combine
two or more departments and make the processes operate.
4.2.2 News channel Structure:
A newsroom structure is the centre workplace in a media organisation
where editors, news reporters, directors, and producers gather to publish
news, whether it's in a magazine, newspaper, radio, or television. It could
be live or re corded shoot. The process of disseminating news in journalism
is frequently a collaborative endeavour including all members of the team.
The newsroom, often known as the City room, requires all of the experts
to work together to bring a story to life. Vari ous groups of people labour munotes.in

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42 Reporting and Editing
42 to ensure that news is published. There is a group of persons known as
gatekeepers. This group of persons is particularly useful when a regular
news broadcast, whether in print or on television, is required. When it
comes to pub lishing news online, on the other hand, the services of
gatekeepers may not be as necessary.
A newsroom can be divided into two categories. There is a newsroom for
broadcasting, as well as a newsroom for newspapers. Despite their
similarities, the two news rooms differ in that they both have separate
spaces where video and audio editing is done. The radio and television
studios are also near to the newsroom and newspaper room. Reporters at a
newspaper or print publication room are required to sit at the desk s
supplied, gather information, news, and articles to be published, and
transmit them to the news editors for inspection, a final compilation, and,
in some cases, rewriting.
A basic structure of the news channel:

Source: https://example.ng/wp -content/upl oads/2020/11/Newsroom -
Structure.png
A news channel also has almost the same departments and functions as a
newspaper has. The difference here is the input and out department and
PCR, MCR. As a news channel is an audio -visual medium, video,
graphics, input and output sections are the key departments here. But other
departments function the same as the newspaper organisation department
functions. Following are the basic sections of the news channel:
1. News:
A television station's local face is the news sect ion. News anchors,
reporters, meteorologists, and sports anchors become household names in munotes.in

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43 Organisational Structure And Narratives Of News most places. Other people, including as the news director, makeup artists,
and a variety of producers, editors, and content writers, labour behind the
scenes to make news coverage feasible. Entry -level staff work on the news
assignment desk, for example, and are on the front lines of the news
gathering activity. They take news tips over the phone, listen in on police
scanners, comb through emails and press releases, a nd assist editors and
producers with article assignments and interview scheduling.
2. Programming :
In the programming department, there is a manager and an assistant. The
manager communicates with other departments, particularly the
production and engineer ing departments, to ensure that scheduling and
local television listings are proper and up to date. This individual also
collaborates with parent companies to secure new show airing rights.
However, many large stations have decreased programming sections a s a
result of content being pre -determined at corporate levels, according to the
National Broadcasters Association. A similar function is served by the
traffic department, which establishes the advertising schedule and assists
in the construction and editi ng of a station's master list of programmes.
3. Engineering :
This area is in charge of the technical aspects of broadcasting as well as
on-air time. Managers, engineers, and studio crew members who report to
a chief engineer, also known as the director of broadcasting operations,
include show directors, cameramen, audio board operators, teleprompter
operators, photographers, videographers, and tape room editors, and
engineering technicians. Master control supervisors supervise the master
control room and al l switchboard operators. They monitor transmitter
readings, align satellite receiver equipment, and make sure video is sent in
the proper sequence.
4. Advertising and Sales:
This is the television channel's revenue -generating department. The
director of sa les supervises sales managers such as the national sales
manager and the local sales manager. The former works with national
advertising sales agents who are under pressure to book air time for high -
profile clients on a tight deadline. The latter is in com mand of a group of
sales account executives. Account executives, who are frequently paid on
commission, focus on the local market, cultivating relationships with local
businesses and organisations in order to sell advertising. Advertising
departments may h ire art directors, electronic graphic artists, and voice
talent, as well as market researchers who review and interpret evaluations.
5. Business Administration:
The day -to-day operations of a television station are handled by the
business administration de partment. Under the direction of the general
manager, office managers or station managers supervise clerks,
receptionists, and other support workers. Controllers are in charge of the munotes.in

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44 Reporting and Editing
44 station's financial transactions, reporting, and budgets. They are usuall y
certified public accountants. Concerning cash flow and expenditures, they
consult with other department heads. In all departments, the human
resources or people manager employs staff and provides a safe working
environment. Building maintenance staff, fr om the studio to the restrooms,
may be housed in the business administration department.
4.3 NARRATIVE JOURNALISM Narrative journalism is defined in a variety of ways. Some prefer the name
"literary journalism" to stress the use of literary methods and tec hniques,
while others refer to the genre as "creative nonfiction" to separate it from
"hard" journalism. Simply explained, the narrative is the process of telling
a story through a specific point of view and sequence of events. The
Nieman Program on Narrat ive Journalism, which began in 2001, aspires to
serve as a hub for narrative journalism education, learning, and practice.
The Nieman Foundation defines story journalism as a complicated genre
with various levels and settings that, when done correctly, has the
potential to reform newspapers and make them necessary and captivating.
The following are some of the most important aspects of narrative
journalism in general:
● It is enjoyable to read and contains factual, well -researched material.
● It examines fascinating people, human emotions, and real -life
scenarios. It tells the private side of the public story.
● It goes beyond the usual by combining factual reporting wi th a
fictional writing style.
It's "journalism that doesn't assume the reader is a robot, that admits the
reader understands a lot and feels and snickers and gets wild," says Mark
Kramer, former head of the Nieman Program on Narrative Journalism.
The value of voice is stressed by Kramer. In the morning, he says, readers
drink coffee while reading the newspaper. They want to understand and
even identify with the news voice; but, traditional news reporting is
nameless and constrained, leaving the reader lonel y. When you have a
diverse audience, it appears virtuous to cater to the lowest common
denominator and simplify discussing the facts. However, the news voice
becomes depersonalised; narrative journalism tries to restore the human
voice to the breakfast tab le. Narrative journalism, according to Kramer, is
writing that has the following elements (Wikipedia):
● Set scenes
● Characters
● Action that unfolds over time
● Voice that has personality
● A relationship with the audience munotes.in

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45 Organisational Structure And Narratives Of News ● Destination – a theme, a purp ose, and a reason.
Narrative journalism has brought a new dimension to the traditional
journalistic nature. Its ideology hints toward the multimodal and
multivariate approach of the news. The POV is key in this approach. Let’s
see what these two approaches are!
Check your Progress:
1. Define the organizational structure of the news house.
2. Define the organizational structure of the news channel.
3. What is narrative Journalism?
4.3.1 Multimodal Approach:
A multimodality is an interdisciplinary approach t o communication and
representation that sees communication and representation as more than
just a matter of language. It was created during the last ten years to
comprehensively address hotly disputed concerns about societal
developments, such as new media and technologies.
Theoretical premises :
Multimodality is based on three interconnected theoretical principles.
1. Multimodality assumes that representation and communication always
use a range of modes, each of which contributes to meaning. It
focuses o n analysing and describing the full repertoire of meaning -
making resources that people employ in various contexts (visual,
spoken, gestural, written, three -dimensional, and others, depending on
the domain of representation), as well as developing methods t o
demonstrate how these are organised to produce meaning.
2. Second, multimodality holds that resources are socially transformed
over time to become meaning -making resources that articulate the
(social, individual/affective) meanings required by distinct societies.
Modes are organised sets of semiotic resources for producing
meaning that realise communicative labour in various ways, making
mode choosing an important aspect of interaction and meaning. The
more a set of resources is employed in a community's social life, the
more fully and beautifully represented it becomes. For something to
'be a mode' within a community, it must have a shared cultural notion
of a collection of resources and how they could be ordered to
actualize meaning.
3. Finally, people organise meaning by selecting and configuring modes,
highlighting the significance of mode interaction. As a result, the
motivations and interests of people in a certain social setting, as well
as the rules and conventions in place at the moment of sign
generation, impact all communicational activities.
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46 Reporting and Editing
46 Applicability of Multimodality in journalism:
Large amounts of multilingual and multimedia content are now available
thanks to the rapid advancement of information technologies and the low
cost of recordin g media. The primary mediums of disseminating Big Data
material worldwide are television, radio, newspapers, blogs, and social
media. In this environment, all media businesses have made substantial
attempts to embrace the new sources that have emerged over the last
decade, and have attempted to incorporate social media into their
workflows and output. However, the abundance of sources, along with
language obstacles, limit journalists' access to limited media resources,
putting each isolated area's populace in its own "filtered bubble," with no
actual opportunity to appreciate the perspectives generated in other areas
or countries. (Front. Robot. AI, 29 October 2018 |
https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2018.00123)
To break this isolation, new technologies with inn ovative and effective
functionalities are needed to provide integrated access to multilingual and
multicultural news articles across countries, ensure context -aware,
spatiotemporal, semantic interpretation, and correlate and summarise the
collected content into a coherent whole. These technologies should, in
particular, record, interpret, and relate different subjective perspectives on
news information supplied by TV, radio, newspapers, blogs, and social
media. (Front. Robot. AI, 29 October 2018 |
https://d oi.org/10.3389/frobt.2018.00123)
Journalists are primarily interested in discovering news or angles that may
have eluded their competitors' notice. Journalists also seek to determine
and comprehend the level of audience interest in a given story, as well a s
gather and transmit news in text, video, or audio format. (Front. Robot. AI,
29 October 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2018.00123)
4.3.2 Newspaper as Pedagogical and Andragogical tool :
Pedagogical Tool:
Newspapers, in other ways, are the documentat ion of current events and
happenings. It covers almost all the areas, fields that are associated with
society and human beings. We, as ultimate users of newspapers, do
discuss something that has been printed in the newspaper. Discussion is
the key here. Ac cording to Park (1940) ‘News is a source of knowledge’.
Considering Park’s approach , if news is a source of knowledge, then
newspapers are a learning tool.
Let’s look at few points about how newspaper can be learning tool:
1. Newspapers are all about the happenings in the world, so it can act as
a bridge between the classroom & real world.
2. It can play major role in discussion and debate as it is updating every
day
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47 Organisational Structure And Narratives Of News 4. Teachers wil l keep themselves updated through newspapers and share
information in class wherever applicable.
Andragogical Learning:
Andragogy refers to a type of learning which is self –guided or self -
directed. This is also known as adult learning. In our day to day li fe, we
learn many things on our own; consciously or unconsciously. There are
certain social and civic mannerisms which we learn through observing
others and determining our actions. Andragogical learning reflects the
same learning. Andragogical learning fo cuses on learning what we want to
learn, not what the institute offers us. In this type of learning, the role of
the newspaper is vital. Newspapers as the source of knowledge help
adults to learn about their own society. It not only informs them of what i s
happening around them but also helps them to analyse the social pattern,
social consciousness and their identity or status in the society.
Here are a few points on how newspaper helps in andragogy:
1. Newspaper articles, news and editorials direct masse s, where they
shall move. This helps people to form their opinion about certain
things.
2. Awareness is another function that is explored by newspapers
amongst the masses. Awareness about political hegemony, power,
economics, social change and many other t hings.
3. To educate on new developments and how to respond to them,
innovation, discoveries, success and failure etc.
4. Newspapers also help individuals curate self -esteem and how to
behave in civic affairs. Newspaper is the first and very old medium of
connecting people with different cultures, regions and society.
4.4 SUMMARY ● Newspapers and news channels have the almost same organisational
structure with a slight difference in it. The role of the editor and
editorial team is very vital in both media types.
● As both mediums are business -oriented, the sales promotion and
adver tising department also have a role to play in the progress of news
houses.
● Narrative journalism has brought a new dimension to the traditional
journalistic nature. Its ideology hints toward the multimodal and multi
variant approach of the news. The POV is key in this approach.
● Multimodality and Multidisciplinary approach refe r to the multi -
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48 Reporting and Editing
48 ● In the learning process newspaper can be cited as a Pedagogical and
Andragogical tool which comprises both, the teaching and learning
axis.
4.5 QUESTIONS 1. What are the var ious departments of the newspaper house? Describe
the function of the newspaper house?
2. ‘Editor is the caption of the ship’ - Explain this statement in the
context of the importance of the editorial department in news houses.
3. ‘Narrative journalism brou ght new trends in journalistic writing’ Yes
or no? Justify with examples.
4. Newspaper as a pedagogical tool, explain its effectiveness in
classroom teaching?
4.6 REFERENCES ● Saxena, Dr. Amberish; Fundamentals of Reporting and Editing,
Kanishka Publisher s, 2007
● Kumar, Keval J.; Mass Communication in India, Jaico Publishing
House, Fourth edition 2010
● Ravindranath, P. K.; Indian Regional Journalism, Authorspress
Publications, 2005
● Allan, Stuart; Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives, Peter Lang
Publications, 2009
● Kamath, M. V.; Professional Journalism, Vikas Publications
● Kelley, Allen C., The Newspaper Can Be an Effective Teaching Tool,
The Journal of Economic Education Vol. 14, No. 4 (Autumn, 1983),
pp. 56 -58 (3 pages)
● Bal, Ameya Sunildatta, I ntroduction to journalism, Sheth Publication,
first edition, Nov 2015
Weblinks:
https://jmcstudyhub.com/structure -of-newspaper -organisation/
https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/7285/1/Unit -1.pdf
https://example.ng/what -is-a-newsroom -structure/
https://careertrend.com/facts -5744951 -organizational -structure -tv-
station.html munotes.in

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49 Organisational Structure And Narratives Of News https://mode.ioe.ac.uk/2012/02/16/what -
ismultimodality/#:~:text=Multimodality%20is%20an%20inter%2Ddiscipli
nary,to%20new20media%20and%20technologies
https://www.frontiersin.org/artic les/10.3389/frobt.2018.00123/full
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_journalism#:~:text=Narrative%20j
ournalism%2C%20also%20referred%20to,accurate%2C%20well%2Drese
arched%20information.

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50 5
TRANSLATION IN NEWS MEDIA
Unit Structure
5.0 Objectives
5.1 Introduction
5.2 What is translation?
5.2.1 Types of translation
5.2.2 Translation in Mass Media
5.3 Who is the Translator?
5.3.1 Qualities of a good translator
5.4 Actual news translation .
5.5 Summary
5.6 Questions
5.7 References
5.0 OBJECTIVES ● To ensure that students will learn media translation
● To enable students to different media text translation
5.1 INTRODUCTION This unit will focus on the importance of translation in news media. India
as a nation always stood different in the world. Ind ian culture, Indian food,
Indian tradition, Indian music etc. are unique in their nature. Their
diversity is the basic quality which makes them distinct from others. Out
of all, there is a huge area of Indian culture that has been always in the
discussion by everyone who visits India and that is Indian Languages. The
diversification in Indian languages is itself a unique quality that any nation
can have. Thus this diversification was the second main inspiration behind
the regional press establishment, the f irst is obviously the freedom
struggle.
Rather than the post -1947 nation -state of India, this page focuses on the
history of translation in the Indian subcontinent. The subcontinent is a
roughly diamond -shaped landmass stretching 1,500 miles north to sout h
and 1,500 miles east to west, limited to the north by the Himalayan
mountains and to the south by the sea. The languages spoken in this area
are divided into two groups. About 70% of the population speaks Indo -
European languages derived directly from San skrit, like as Hindi, Punjabi,
Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, and Nepali, which are mostly spoken in the
northern part. This group also includes Sinhalese, which is spoken in Sri
Lanka. Dravidian languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and munotes.in

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51 Translation In News Media Malayalam, are s poken by another 20% of the population, mostly in the
south.
In India, multilingual media is very much successful. It may be
newspapers, radio, television, film etc. all have their own presence in at
least one of the Indian languages. So the need for tran slation and
translators has emerged. From news, translation to copy translation and
snippets to feature stories everything can be translated well if there is a
good translation. Let’s see what translation is.
5.1.3 What is Translation?
● "The interpretatio n of verbal signs by means of some other language,"
defined Roman Jakobson, a famous linguist and noted expert on the
subject of translation.
Texts in one language are changed into texts in another language with the
same meaning through this process of tr anslation. These elements range
from single words in a language to large networks of sentences found in
philosophical literature.
● 'The process of translating words or text from one language into
another,' according to Oxford University.
● The transmissi on of the meaning of a text in a source language (SL)
into a comprehensive version of the target language (TL) without
losing the original message is known as translation. It is a common
misconception that being multilingual automatically qualifies one as a
skilled translator. This is not the case. People who have high
communication and writing skills in both languages, as well as being
bilingual, can be effective translators.
Nature of Translation:
The act of translating entails an act of interpretation. T he character of the
document determines the nature of the translation. A technical or
promotional document translation is easier and requires less skill and
knowledge than a literary work. The vocabulary, grammatical rules, and
sentence patterns in the doc ument would be appropriate for the paper's
purpose, source language, and target audience. A successful translation
satisfies the needs of the target audience, whether in terms of correct
structures or forms, or adequate meaning transfer from the source to the
target text.
A successful translation should be fluent in both the source and target
languages, as well as have a knack for writing in the target language and
an understanding of the socio -cultural context in which the work is set. A
successful transla tion is more than just the mechanical translation of a text.
S/he employs all of his/her ingenuity and goes deep into the subject. We
can see him/her as a co -creator of the target language text, almost
reconstructing it to reflect his culture and personali ty as the translated text.
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52 5.2.1 Types of Translation:
The field of translation is vast, and globalisation has made it a crucial
component of many sectors' operations. As a result of this variety, there
are many different types of translation, each with i ts own set of
methodologies and requirements. Regardless of their differences, they all
have the same goal: to assist individuals in communicating across
language barriers.
Translators usually specialise in a specific type of translation, allowing
them to give clients with the expertise they want for the best results. Legal
documents and commercial contracts, as well as movies, art, and poetry,
are among the types of content they handle. Each specialisation has its
own set of terms and procedures to follow, with the five most frequent
types of translation being:
1. Literary Translation:
The process of translating literary works such as plays, novels, and poems
into another language is known as literary translation. The primary
challenge with these works is t hat you must translate the meaning while
also considering the author's literary style.
Stylistic devices are one of the most important aspects of literary texts.
Everything from the rhythm and metre to the word choices, imagery, and
sentence balance contai ns them. There's also the issue of puns, humour,
and rhyme to consider. There is typically no direct equivalency between
the source and target languages, and they all make specific use of the
source language.
2. Technical Translation
In order to meet loca l and international regulations, businesses must have
technical documentation. In the age of globalization, technical translation
encompasses a wide range of text types, including patents, manuals, user
guides, tender documents, catalogues, technical drawi ngs, and Material
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Due to the large range of text types, technical
translation is necessary in nearly every industry, from engineering and
construction to life sciences and pharmaceuticals. Due to the large
diversity of issue fiel ds, each with its own specialised language, technical
translation is particularly difficult. Translators must also be well -versed in
the mechanics of technical writing, as well as their nature and legal
ramifications.
3. Administrative Translation:
The adm inistrative translation is important in management since the
administrative department is in charge of the company's day -to-day
operations. Contracts, bulletins, bills, and letters are all examples of
business procedures and daily activity documents.
Busin esses wanting to establish or maintain a global presence frequently
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53 Translation In News Media barriers in the global market, expanding their alternatives and welcoming
a multi -cultural workforce. This ensures t hat all business partners,
investors, and employees are on the same page, resulting in more effective
operations and clear communication channels.
4. Financial Translation:
In today's global marketplace, financial translation is essential for banks,
insura nce firms, and other financial organisations. It enables them to
broaden access to their services and increase client trust while adhering to
international rules.
The demand for high -quality financial translation is growing as financial
organisations expan d into emerging areas. This field encompasses a wide
range of papers, from annual and tax reports to profit and loss statements
and corporate accounts, all of which necessitate versatile language
specialists with industry -specific expertise. Because these financial
documents are heavily regulated, translators must be well -versed in local
laws and regulations. They will be able to distinguish between the source
and target documents and ensure that the target content adheres to the
target market's regulations .
5. Legal Translation :
Legal translation is one of the more difficult types of professional
translation, and it involves the translation of any legal documents.
Contracts, company or government proposals, court transcripts, service -
level agreements (SLAs) , legislation, witness testimony, notarized
documents, and a variety of other documents are just a few examples.
You must guarantee that your legal documents are understood, accepted,
and legally binding for all audiences as you grow into new foreign
marke ts. As a result, the translator must be aware of the legal text's
political, legal, and socio -cultural background. This will enable them to
translate it into a language that anyone from a variety of cultural, political,
and socioeconomic backgrounds can gr asp.
Legal documents must be accurately translated while still adhering to the
target language's writing conventions. A professional legal translation can
only be produced by a translation service that is familiar with both the
source and target cultures. However, even the tiniest grammatical error
might have severe repercussions. As a result, even skilled translators will
obtain legal advice to ensure that the target text provides the same legal
protection as the original.
Check your Progress:
1. Define tr anslation and explain its types.
2. Write a note on Nature of Translation.
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54 5.3 WHO IS TRANSLATOR? A competent translator is cultivated rather than born. A person can
develop the skills of a good translator with little effort and care. The
following are some of the characteristics that distinguish a good and
effective translator from a bad or failed translator.
5.3.1 Qualities of Translator:
Faithfulness to the Original Text and the Author:
A great translator alw ays tries to get into the mind of the writer. S/He
should also fully understand the sense and meaning of the original author.
Expert and experienced translators are aware of a text's requirements and
make alterations to ensure that the style and essence of the text are
communicated with minimal deviations from the original. While
attempting to remain loyal to the original text, s/he should avoid
attempting to discover difficult equivalent words in the hopes of
improving the quality of the translation. A loy al translator should behave
as the author's spokesperson, completely understanding and knowing
everything the original author has said in his text. The translation should
be as simple as the original piece.
Technical Expert:
The translator must be an analy tical individual with the requisite
flexibility, adaptability, and technological skills to be able to pay close
attention to all aspects and modify as needed. Furthermore, he or she
should be well -versed in the issue under discussion. A person translating a
great personality biography should have a full understanding of the
person's life and accomplishments.
Using the Right tool :
Experienced translators understand how to use resources such as good
monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, encyclopaedias, e -dictionaries,
glossaries of technical and standard publications, and other resources
related to the SL text and style guides to assist them in challenging
situations. It is best to begin utilising them right away so that it becomes
easier to locate analogous terms over time without spending a lot of time
and effort. Having dictionaries on your computer can save you a lot of
time and effort.
Focus on Creativity:
Expert translators are continually coming up with new ideas. They always
aim to repackage the text in the target language in a unique and appealing
manner in order to make it more appealing to the target language
audience. They accomplish this by adding new vocabulary, idioms, and
structures to the translated text as needed to make it more appealing to the
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55 Translation In News Media fulfilling and intellectually engaging because of the creative component
and the level of freedom involved in the act of translation.
Focus on Reading:
A diligent translator should rea d extensively in order to gain a thorough
awareness of the intricacies of the languages he or she works with (both
the source language and the target language). This is an important habit
for a translator to develop as they learn the language. In the list of reading
materials, one may put the classics, newspapers and digital material
available online on the internet. .
Linguistic Competence
A skilled translator should be familiar with the grammatical, syntactic,
semantic, and pragmatic elements of both the source and destination
languages, as well as the socio -cultural settings. He may interpret a
concept in a different way, but he should never try to include his or her
own ideas or personal impressions into the new product. Furthermore, s/he
must ensure tha t the translation style chosen is acceptable for the target
audience and that the translated material seems natural and spontaneous to
the readers.
Specialisation :
A good translator should be well -versed in the field in which the target
text is written, es pecially if the material contains a lot of technical jargon.
You should be aware of the most recent terminology and developments in
the field in which you work. If one's skill is in translating literary writings
then interpreting medical, business, or tech nical reports will be
challenging.
Giving Finishing Touch:
You should have enough patience and execute the work honestly when
translating. You could also want to talk to the people you think are
qualified to help you with your concerns. You should check ov er the
translated work two or three times before generating the final product to
see if any last -minute changes can be made to make it more accessible and
acceptable. To increase the quality, you might want to modify a few
words, idioms, or forms. Before r eleasing the work for publication,
double -check that it is appropriate for the intended purpose and audience.
Depending on the audience and objective, you may need to adjust the style
or wording.
5.4 ACTUAL TRANSLATION SAMPLES English to Hindi : munotes.in

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56

Translati on Exercise:
Translate the following in Hindi or Marathi
Democracy is commonly defined as a government of the people, by the
people and for the people. Freedom and democracy walk hand in hand.
Democracy in my view is only compatible with a free economy. Li ke a
fish to water, democracy can only exist in an atmosphere of freedom of
action; it is completely incompatible with a system that provides for a
governing authority with coercive power. We live in society today were
media plays a vital role in how we se e the world, and how are opinion are
formed, whether it is from what we watch on television or what we gather
from newspaper.
Media acts as an interface between the common man and the government.
It is a very powerful tool with the ability to make and brea k the opinion of
people. If media tells the public that this picture is being demanded as the
most wanted terrorists, people will regard him as one blindly. It has the
capacity to swing perceptions or evoke emotions. This is what it has
gained - faith or pu blic.
5.5 SUMMARY ● 'The process of translating words or text from one language into
another is called translation. There are two languages needed for any
type of translation.
● The language in which text has to be translated is called the Target
language and the original text language is the source language.
● There are five major types of Translation i.e. Literary, Technical,
Financial, Administrative and legal translation. munotes.in

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57 Translation In News Media ● The translator must be well versed with the certain qualities that
he/she possesses.
5.6 QUESTIONS 1. What is translation? explain its nature.
2. Explain the types of Translation.
3. Who is the translator? Explain qualities of good translator.
5.7 REFERENC ES  http://osou.ac.in/eresources/CIT -01-Unit-01-
Meaning,%20Nature%20and%20Scope%20of%20Translation.pdf
 https://www.intertranslations.co.uk/what -are-the-5-most -common -
types -of-translation/
 https://jmcstudyhub.com/structure -of-newspaper -organisation/
 https:/ /egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/7285/1/Unit -1.pdf
 https://example.ng/what -is-a-newsroom -structure/
 https://careertrend.com/facts -5744951 -organizational -structure -tv-
station.html
 https://mode.ioe.ac.uk/2012/02/16/what -
ismultimodality/#:~:text=Multimoda lity%20is%20an%20inter%2Ddis
ciplinary,to%20new20media%20and%20technologies
 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2018.00123/full
5.7 REFERENCES Abend -David, D. (Ed.). (2014). Media and Translation: An
Interdisciplinary Approach. Bloomsbury Publish ing.
Gambier, Y., & Gottlieb, H. (Eds.). (2001). (Multi) Media Translation:
Concepts, Practices, and Research. J. Benjamins.
Zanettin, F. (2021). News Media Translation. Cambridge University Press.

*****


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58 6
INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM - I
Unit Structure
6.0 Objectives
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Principles of Journalism
6.2.1 Role of Journalism
6.2.2 Beats in Journalism
6.2.3 Citizen Journalism
6.3 Types of journalistic writing
6.3.1 Writing News Releases
6.3.2 Broadcast news writing
6.4 Summary
6.5 Questions
6.6 References
6.0 OBJECTIVES ● To make students aware of real -life reporting experience
● To enable students to write different journalistic writing
6.1 INTRODUCTION In reporting what we write or publish or broadcast falls under only one big
umbrella which is Journalistic writing. J ournalistic writing has many
shades and types. News, feature articles, editorials, Obituary, interview
etc. are different types of journalistic writing which reporter has to
perform every day as a part of their profession. Let’s see these types in
little d etail.
6.2 PRINCIPLES OF JOURNALISM The core principles of journalism set out below provide an excellent base
for everyone who aspires to launch themselves into the public information
sphere to show responsibility in how they use information. There are
hundreds of codes of conduct, charters and statements made by media and
professional groups outlining the principles, values and obligations of the
craft of journalism. Most focus on five common themes:
Principles of Journalism :
Truth and Accuracy :
Journalist s cannot always guarantee ‘truth’, but getting the facts right is
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59 Introduction To Journalism give all the relevant facts we have and ensure that they have been checked.
When we cannot corroborate information we should say so.
Independence :
Journalists must be independent voices; we should not act, formally or
informally, on behalf of special interests whether political, corporate or
cultural. We should declare to our editors – or the audience – any of our
political affiliations, financial arrangements or other personal information
that might constitute a conflict of interest.
Fairness and Impartiality :
Most stories have at least two sides. While there is no obligation to present
every side in every piece, stor ies should be balanced and add context.
Objectivity is not always possible, and may not always be desirable (in the
face for example of brutality or inhumanity), but impartial reporting builds
trust and confidence.
Humanity :
Journalists should do no harm. What we publish or broadcast may be
hurtful, but we should be aware of the impact of our words and images on
the lives of others.
Accountability :
A sure sign of professionalism and responsible journalism is the ability to
hold ourselves accountable. When w e commit errors we must correct them
and our expressions of regret must be sincere not cynical. We listen to the
concerns of our audience. We may not change what readers write or say
but we will always provide remedies when we are unfair.
6.2.1 Role of Jou rnalism
With the above -mentioned principles of Journalism, journalism has a role
to play in society. The basic role of journalism is to Educate. From
education to entertainment, the role of journalism is widely spread. Here
are few of the role of journalis m:
1. Watch Dog Role:
News media always deals between classes and masses. It always serves
public as watchdog. It keep checks on political administration whether it is
working for public welfare or not. News media always keep eye on
political proceedings. If they feel something against the public is
happening, they are the ultimate source through which information is
spread amongst the masses. So politicians always have the pressure of
media.
2. Developmental Role:
In the development of nation news media pl ays an important role.
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60 publishes it and make people of nation aware of it. If somewhere the
development is stuck or its static, media informs it to public and that
pressure of people causes th e dynamic change in the development.
3. Social Role:
As media is a product of society it has a role to play in society. By reading
and listening what is good or what is bad, what is right or what is wrong
and by making judgements people try to evaluate the ir society. By
watching or by reading about any celebrities people are try to imitate them
or access what is written, there by transmitting values.
4. Role of Edutainment:
Media is not limited to educate but it also entertain people. Using this
feature of media, in 21st century the role is combined that is Edutainment.
This role of media is most essential role when we talk about the diversity
in India. Media not only educates but with help of entertainment it uplifts
the awareness program about any issues o f the society. Many campaigns
in media are informative as well as entertaining, which is known as
infotainment. Edutainment is a step ahead of it. The only reason behind all
these role of journalism is the reach and acceptance we have in our society
for me dia.
6.2.2 Beats and Types in Journalism :
As we have seen the dynamics and the reach of journalism, it has come
with various opportunities in career. Journalism with new media possess
different types and beats. Now a day’s people who are willing to pursue
journalism as a career they have definite type or the beat in their mind
where they want to work. Here are these types and beats:
Types By Medium
Some journalists are defined by how they present their story. They may
not focus on a single aspect of the ne ws, instead covering a wide range of
issues while using the same media.
Print Journalism:
Journalists who work for newspapers or magazines are known as print
journalists. They could work as full -time reporters for a single publication
or as freelance write rs for a range of periodicals. A print journalist is
frequently coupled with a photojournalist who will shoot photographs to
accompany the written piece.
Photojournalism:
Photojournalists differ from regular photographers in that they are more
concerned wi th capturing photographs that convey a story than with
producing images that simply look good. Photojournalists are usually
highly skilled photographers who have previously worked in traditional
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61 Introduction To Journalism Broadcast Jour nalism:
Television and radio news are both considered broadcast journalism.
Journalists can work in broadcast journalism in one of two ways: behind
the scenes or on the air. Behind -the-scenes journalists conduct extensive
investigation and reporting, but t heir faces and voices will not be
broadcast. On -air journalists can either undertake their own reporting or
read pieces written by their co -workers.
Multimedia Journalism :
This is the newest and fastest -growing branch in journalism. Because a
web page can contain a written tale, still photographs, video, and audio,
multimedia journalism can encompass all of the categories described
above. Multimedia journalists are expected to have a diverse set of
storytelling skills in addition to well -defined technical c ompetencies.
Types by Message:
Some journalists are defined by the type of stories they tell rather than the
media they use to tell them. Journalists are frequently allocated 'beats,' or
specific topics that they will cover exclusively. These journalists can gain
a high level of knowledge in their beats while also making crucial contacts
in the field. Some of the beats are:
1. Sports
2. Business
3. Politics
4. Arts and culture
5. Education
6. Crime
7. Entertainment
8. Economics
9. Social
10. Music
11. Travel
6.3 TYPES OF JOURNALISTIC WRITING: Newspaper writing has different types according to the differences in the
writing style. They are as follows:

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62 1. News (hard and soft) :
News is the core element of a newspaper, in other words, it is considered
the soul of the newspaper. It’s the day to day report of what is happening
around. It is based on the facts and narrates the incident in very limited
words. Report writers are not allowed to express their own views on it.
The news report is always written in third person format.
2. Feature articles:
Other than news newspaper consist of series of articles which explores or
express something. This articles can be on any human interest subject but
the basic difference is these articles have no limit of time an d space. These
articles are in lighter form than news. Writer can express his/her view in
these articles.
For e.g.: fashion feature, sports feature etc.
3. Editorials:
Editorials are a combination of news and feature articles. An Editorial can
be defined a s a newspaper article expressing the editor's opinion on a
topical issue. Editorial is the space where the editor can comment on any
current issue and express his opinions. It needs a lot of homework and an
analytical mind which can define the issue subtly .
4. Interviews:
Interviews are featuring a person with his success, glory or achievements.
There are many personalities amongst us who are like us only but their
work, and dedication in a particular field makes them different from us. So
to motivate other s and put forward the great work of these personalities’
media houses interview them. There are diversified fields in which
reporters are supposed to work and that is a challenge to any reporter
because he/she has to study not only the person’s work but hi s/her field
also.
Along with above mention writing topics, there are some more types like
an obituary, column, book review, and film review etc., published in news
and broadcast media.
6.3.1 Writing News Release:
What is a press/News release?
A press rele ase is a written or recorded formal statement issued by an
organisation to the news media and others. We're always talking about the
same basic thing whether we call it a "press release," a "press statement," a
"news release," or a "media release."
While a ction verbs should be in the headline, the first paragraph should
address the questions "who," "what," "why," and "where." A quote and
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63 Introduction To Journalism How to write a press release:
We now consume more ne ws than we ever have before. Whether it's to
stay up with the newest health news or to pass the time, we're using social
media and news apps to explore and learn. This provides a fantastic
opportunity for firms to get the attention of their target audience .
However, there are a few caveats to this possibility.
Today, there are fewer reporters available to meet this tremendous demand
for content. As a result, newsrooms are working harder and quicker than
they have ever been. Reporters require news items in o rder to keep their
pipelines full. Reporters are constantly on the lookout for interesting and
valuable news and information to share with their audiences.
Create and disseminate a full news package, which includes a press release
with a powerful, relevant title, valuable data points, and multimedia
graphics targeted at news media readers rather than your company's
marketing audiences. To write a news release, follow these steps:
● Be concise – try to keep your headline to 5 -8 words
● Focus on your audience , not your company or product
● Use an exciting verb
● Skip adjectives and adverbs
Consider using Google Trends to see if your chosen words match user
search queries if you're targeting online audiences.
Make a strong first impression with your sub -headlin e.
Because sub -headlines aren't visible until the press release is opened, don't
hide important information here. Instead, utilise this area to continue the
tale started in your title. Keep it short, ideally a single sentence.
Make a multimedia connection.
Now, the entire globe communicates through images. Images are used by
reporters to entice viewers. You must incorporate a visual aspect in your
press release to boost the chances of your news being covered by the
media. Without one, reporters are unable t o post a piece. Instead of
repurposing your company's marketing materials, include an image or
video developed just for journalists.
Make the body copy readable.
1st Paragraph: The opening paragraph of your news release should
contain a brief (30 -word) ove rview of your announcement. This should
include a description of your news as well as its impact. It should be self -
contained and able to tell your entire tale if they decide not to read any
further. Because a section of this line is frequently displayed i n search
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64 Reporting and Editing
64 simply restate who you are. Include a link to your company's website as
well as important landing pages.
2nd paragraph: Your supporting quotes from within your organisati on
should be included in the second paragraph of the press release. This could
be your CEO or product manager, and he or she is typically portrayed as
the company's expert or leader. This quote explains why your product and
service exist.
3rd paragraph: Your supporting statistics should be presented in the third
paragraph of your press release. Provide product specifications, usage
data, or outside feedback on your product and service in this section. This
might be expert data, customer quotes, or a combina tion of the two. Use
bullets when providing data support for your stories to make it easier for
reporters to understand.
4th paragraph: Your announcement concludes with a brief explanation
of the primary rationales and implications. Remember to give hyperl inks
to any more relevant information.
5th paragraph: This is your boilerplate paragraph. This is an overview of
your business with connections to your most important landing pages.
Include your phone number and email address.
Make it simple to contact you . Every useful news release includes contact
information so that the reporter may simply get further information or
specifics from someone at your company. Include a phone number or
email address that is frequently checked to ensure that you are aware of
and responding to these inquiries in real -time.
Source: Serena Ehrlich, Director of Product Marketing
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65 Introduction To Journalism Template of the press release:
Source: https://www.myperfectwords.com/images/press -release -examples -
1.jpg
6.3.2 Writing for broadcast:
News writing for broadcast is a way different that whatever we have learnt
till now for press news writing. The broadcast medium is a step ahead of
print media in its basic characteristics of presenting news. We have to
make efforts to hold a newspaper or magazine and rea d it but in broadcast
media one already reading the news for us, we just have to listen.
Broadcast media makes our efforts less to consume the news by making us
ready to have listened.
The following are major differences in Broadcast and Print mediums: Print Media Broadcast Media Meant to be read Meant to be heard Limited by space Limited by Time Longer in length Shorter in Length Past tense Present tense Broad vocabulary Simple words 5 W and an H Conversational Lead Inverted Pyramid Diamond Style
Broadcast News Leads:
Summary Lead:
A boy cleverly escaped injury today when he met an off -road car today at
Eastern Express highway
Teaser Lead:
It was a close call today at E -way today
Question Lead:
Who’s luck it was?
Staccato lead:
Writing for Ear:
Broadcast writing can be tested on certain simple rules and techniques
given by media experts. They are:
1. The KISS Rule: Keep it Short Simple
2. The AAA rule:
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66 Reporting and Editing
66 Audience – Centred
Action – Focused
Reading news Script:
Writing for e lectronic media differs significantly from writing for print.
The strategies for writing effective web pages are outlined on the next
page. People can work faster, more accurately, and more comfortably with
better -written technical papers. The usability fa ctor is used to assess these
attributes. Sun Microsystems researchers were able to increase the
usability of a tourism website by 127 per cent and a technical website by
149 percent by using various simple writing methodologies to test web
pages (1 -2). Acc ording to their findings, electronic documents should be:
● Short
● Top – Heavy
● Scannable
● Navigable
● Straightforward
Some of the abbreviations and cues in radio script reading:
● SLUG (brief story title)
● TRT (Total run time)
● SOT (sound on tape)
● VO (Voice -over)
● CG (Character Generator)
● SUPER (superimposed)
● IN or INQ (in – cue)
● OUT or OUT Q (Last word)
● LS, TS, CU (long shot, Tight Shot, Close up shot)
● OS (Over the shoulders)
Guidelines on writing scripts for Broadcasting:
Writing for ne ws radio programmes can be challenging, especially for
writers who are used to writing for print. However, writing for the ear is
not the same as writing for the eye. Writing for radio has its own set of
guidelines that must be adhered to in order for the broadcast to be
effective and professional.
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67 Introduction To Journalism Use correct format:
Format standards differ by radio station, but scripts should be written in all
caps and double spaced in general. Sound cuts should also be described,
including the speaker, the sort of cut (actuality, wrap, voicer), the length,
and the outcue.
Write in a conversational tone:
Radio scripts should be written in a conversational tone. This differs
significantly from written writing, as material prepared for print is
typically more formal. In s hort speak like you are telling story to your
friend
Write in a conversational tone:
Radio scripts should be written in a conversational tone. This differs
significantly from written writing, as material prepared for print is
typically more formal. In oth er words, write as though you're telling a
friend the story.
Use fewer words:
If a message can be conveyed successfully with five words, don't use ten.
Use the present tense:
The emphasis on news radio is on what is happening right now. As a
result, all scripts should be written in the present.
Short sentences should be used:
Spoken English is made up of short sentences, and radio scripts should
reflect this. Short phrases will also aid the radio anchor with delivery, as
it's tough to predict the directi on of a long, run -on sentence.
For acronyms that are written out, use dashes:
You'd write "AIDS" in the instance of "AIDS," because that's how it's
said. If an acronym must be written out, such as CBS, it should be written
"C-B-S."
● Always remember to me ntion the network affiliation when using
reporter - or network -generated sound clips.
● Don't repeat information mentioned in the cut: When writing
around sound cuts in a reporter -or anchor -read wrap, don't repeat
information mentioned in the cut. This redu ndant information is a
waste of time. Instead, the lead -in should provide a preview of what
the listeners can expect.
● Avoid using clichés or "groaners" in your writing: These phrases
might be extremely distracting and meaningless. When the listener's
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68 Reporting and Editing
68 ● When referring to more than one person in a screenplay, always
refer to them by name or title to avoid "he/she" ambiguity. Using
"he" or "she" can be confusing, especially when there are numerous
charact ers in the story.
● Ensure clarity and flow: What is clear in a newspaper piece may
not be clear when spoken aloud on the radio. A story may have a
good flow when it's written, but it's not conversational. So, before
submitting any scripts, read them out l oud.
● Only include the information that is required: Long, in -depth
pieces should be reserved for newspapers. Only the most important
information in a story are broadcast on news radio. In addition to
wasting valuable airtime, including unneeded material will bore
listeners.
Check your Progress:
1. What is the role of journalism?
2. What are the beats of journalism?
3. What is broadcasting?
6.3.3 Defining Citizen Journalism:
Access to various communication tools is necessary for the production of
effective , hard -hitting journalism. The face of journalism began to shift
radically after the mobile phone was launched into the mainstream. Not
only did mobile phones make information more accessible, but they also
allowed ordinary people to enter what had previou sly been an elite, close -
knit field of journalism. This section examines how modern mobile
phones are changing ordinary people into journalists, and how, as a result,
the world of "conventional" media is being turned upside down. The act of
citizens "takin g an active role in the process of collecting, reporting,
evaluating, and disseminating news and information" is known as citizen
journalism. According to the seminal report We Media: How Audiences
are shaping the Future of News and Information, by Shayne Bowman and
Chris Willis. They say, “The intent of this participation is to provide
independent, reliable, accurate, wide -ranging and relevant information that
a democracy requires.”
Rise of Citizen Journalism:
No one can trace the perfect year or the date of Rise of Citizen Journalism;
but through the evidence that is available, it may have started in the mid
1960's. More noticeable with the rise of Social media and online world;
more prevalent with rise of Web 2.0
Channel and Platforms of Citizen Journali sm:
There are various channels and platforms available through which citizen
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69 Introduction To Journalism Citizen Journalism websites:
There are official citizen journalism websites available where people share
videos, stories, images, fea tures and show active participation. These sites
are intended as complements or supplements to the development of
stories.
For e.g.: Worldwide sites – The Third Report, Global Voices Online, All
Voices, News point
Indian Sites :
It's Not Yellow - A Citiz en Driven Social News Platform
The Viewspaper (Paper run entirely by the Indian youth)
India's active e -newspaper for citizen journalism
CGnet: Peoples website of Chhattisgarh, A citizen Journalism initiative in
the state of Chhattisgarh in Central tribal India
Participatory Citizen Journalism: merinews (India)
Social Media:
Social media provides a more dynamic platform for the citizens to
participate. It has a wide range of audiences and it is more frequent in
terms of use. Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, YouTu be, Reddit are some of the
day to day examples.
Special Sections:
Special sections for Citizen Journalism by mainstream media. Just like
IBN7, TOI etc. TOI have a separate tab on their website named Citizen
Journalists’ Report
Advantages of Citizen Journal ism:
Faster than professional journalism :
Yes Indeed. It’s not always everywhere journalist is available or reach on
time to cover the news. Citizen journalism given the opportunity for
citizens to cover the happening has spread it through new media channe ls.
It has not required the post production. So it become faster in nature.
Reports the thing which was not covered by Main stream Media :
Many times due to the lack of space and time few news events might have
missed have by professionals; that can be cove red by Citizen Journalist.
Editorial Independence :
In a professional media house there are lots of restrictions to journalists
about the content; but citizen journalists can take a little bit more liberty in
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70 Reporting and Editing
70 Common Man’s Voice :
Citizen Journalism is an opportunity given by New Media; where the
suppressed voice of Common man can be raised through various modern
mediums. It’s a platform where citizens can open up against any issue of
their life.
Disadvantages of Citizen Journalism:
Less Influence :
As mainstream media has lots of influence on people, the citizen
journalism influence on people is always subjective. The authenticity
which mainstream media acquired citizen journalism is bit behind in it. So
it has not that much influential value that the mainstream media has got.
Lack of Professional Training :
Citizen journalists are not trained in the typical hard – hitting media or
deadline habitat. Which results in a lack of professional approach. It leads
to misleading or misinterpretation of the news .
Bias or Lack of Objectivity :
Many times just to be expressed on a larger platform, this kind of
journalism may lead to fully biased or false news coverage. It also lacks
objectivity. Sometimes it can lead to negative publicity.
Taking into consideration the types and the beats there are several
opportunities for the young media entrant to do best in the field of
Journalism. A journalist's primary responsibility is to conduct research,
document, write, and deliver news in an honest, ethical, and unbiased
manner. Although the way news is reported is evolving, the demand for
bright, certified, and educated journalists remains constant. Hard labour,
ethics, great writing, and, above all, a willingness to convey the truth are
still required in a journalist’s jo b description. As a journalist, you may find
yourself doing things like:
• Interviewing people in a variety of situations
• Creating contacts and sources for future stories
• Fact-checking material is given to you by a source • preparing content
for p ublication on a tight date
Composing blog articles :
The basic job duties remain the same whether you work for a print, on -air,
or internet newspaper. Experience and education in one area of journalism
can easily transfer into other occupations and related fields, such as
photojournalism, broadcast journalism, sports journalism, or social media.
Discover what it means to be a top journalist by exploring your
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71 Introduction To Journalism Today, the canvas of a journalism career is bigger than earlier. It star ts
from a blog writer to News Anchor and ends up w ith freelancing,
photojournalist or production head in any news channel. The era which
was started with Guttenberg’s printing machine has come down to news
on a fingertip. The media industry in India is a faster -growing industry
than ever. It will reach Rs .2.26 trillion by 2020. So it is not like that the
media has no future but yes all media entrants make sure that they should
hit the bull’s eye.
Check Your Progress:
1. What is Citizen Journalism?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Citizen Jou rnalism?
3. Why is bias necessary to be studied?
6.4 SUMMARY ● Different types of journalistic writing requires special skills to write it
down in real -time journalism
● Press Release writing, make it simple to contact you. Every useful
news release includ es contact information so that the reporter may
simply get further information or specifics from someone at your
company. Include a phone number or email address that is frequently
checked to ensure that you are aware of and responding to these
inquiries i n real -time.
● Writing for news radio programmes can be challenging, especially for
writers who are used to writing for print. However, writing for the ear
is not the same as writing for the eye. Writing for radio has its own set
of guidelines that must be adhered to i n order for the broadcast to be
effective and professional
● There are hundreds of codes of conduct, charters and statements made
by media and professional groups outlining the principles, values and
obligations of the craft of journalism. Most common are five – Truth,
Fairness, Accountability, Humanity and Independency
6.5 QUESTIONS 1. What are the Principles of Journalism?
2. ‘Truth and Fairness are easy to achieve but difficult to perform in a
real-time situation’ Do you agree? Justify with examples.
3. Describe the role of journalism.
4. How shall we write a better script for broadcast, explained in detail?
5. How did citizen journalism bring new work to the news -making
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72 Reporting and Editing
72 6.6 REFERENCE ● Singh, Bhanu Pratap, News Writing, Anmol Publication, First Edition
2011
● Saxena, Dr. Amberish; Fundamentals of Reporting and Editing,
Kanishka Publishers, 2007
● Ravindranath, P. K.; Indian Regional Journalism, Authorspress
Publications, 2005
● Allan, Stuart; Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives, Peter Lang
Publications, 2009
● Kamath, M. V.; Professional Journalism, Vikas Publications
● Kelley, Allen C., The Newspaper Can Be an Effective Teaching Tool,
The Journal of Economic Education Vol. 14, No. 4 (Autumn, 1983),
pp. 56 -58 (3 pages)
● Bal, Ameya Sunildatta, Introduction to journalism, Sheth Publication,
first edition, Nov 2015
Weblinks:
 https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/press -release -template -ht
 https://blog.businesswire.com/how -to-write -a-news -release -in-2020

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73 7
INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM - II
Unit Structure
7.0 Objectives
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Interview Preparation
7.2.1 Interview techniques
7.2.2 Do’s and Don’ts in Interview
7.3 Covering Speeches, meeting, press conferences
7.4 Investigative journalism
7.5 Summary
7.6 Questions
7.7 References
7.0 OBJECTIVES ● To prepare students to cover different events
● To enable students to be able to write and prepare for Interviews,
public meetings, speeches
7.1 INTRODUCTION The concept of Journalism, its role, principles were explored in the earlier
unit. In this unit , we are going to study how reporters shall prepare
themselves to conduct interviews, how to cover public meetings, and how
to write a speech report. All three are very different in nature but there is a
common thread, all of them have an impact and influe nce the masses and
their opinion. Any journalistic writing does that but the above mentioned
three have a specific reason. In Public meetings, speeches and interviews
there is the direct involvement of political leaders, business tycoons,
celebrities and o ther famous personalities. These all are the opinion
leaders or influencers of the masses, so coverage of their interviews or a
public meeting has to be covered well or else it will be misinterpreted by
the audience. That’s why the reporter’s role is vital in covering all these
events.
7.2 INTERVIEW PREPARATION To begin with, let’s study how to prepare for an Interview! In a real
situation, all stories that are published in the newspaper are the results of
the interview itself. That is why reporters must k now what to ask, whom
to ask and how to ask effectively. There is a certain point of inquiry that
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74 Reporting and Editing
74 Taking someone’s bite for a piece of news is also a short interview. Thus
the intervie w is not a new thing for a reporter.
Coming to the personal interview, the reporter in the personal interview
tale is attempting to bring the subject to life on paper. In addition to
providing basic biographical information, the reporter strives to convey
the subject's demeanour and attitude to the reader, as well as elicit replies
to queries that will provide the reader with extra insight into that
individual. To do so effectively, the reporter must be able to ask
appropriate, often controversial question s and keep a close eye on the
topic. Additional information is frequently gathered from the subjects'
relatives, friends, co -workers, admirers, and even detractors if any exist.
In order to have a successful interview, you must prepare ahead of time. A
reporter will be in over his or her head if they don't have it. This concept
can be beautifully shown by the author of this book's experience. On a
reporting assignment, one of my colleagues asked an Indian film celebrity
to name a handful of his best -known f ilms. The reporter was completely
unaware of the actor's accomplishments, which caused him a great deal of
shame. If the article is going to be a huge personality interview, every
reporter has to know at least a few key facts about the person he or she is
going to interview. A brief biography may be found in several Who's Who
books. Photographs and biographical information may be found in news
dipping or press bureau material in the newspaper's collection. Most
libraries have a plethora of other reference v olumes covering notable
figures in nearly every discipline. It's not uncommon for only one or two
reference books to be useful. If no standard reference material exists for
the individual the reporter will be interviewing, a phone call to someone in
the ci ty may be able to provide the necessary history. With even a small
amount of material, a reporter can begin to construct a few interview
questions.
7.2.1 Interview techniques:
1. Research the person you’re interviewing ahead of time:
Today if you wish to i nterview someone, it’s very easy to get his/her
information from google. But you shall focus on what angle you are going
to keep through the discussion with the interviewee. Study well and keep
all required information about the interviewee with you so any time in the
middle of the interview if you are blank you can take help of that
information for flawless discussion.
2. Scope out a solid location for the interview:
Quiet place . . . unlimited coffee and zero background noise . . . this
sounds to be a go od place to conduct an interview. But we rarely get such
a place. So it is advisable that it is better to find a calm place which is
nearer to both the parties rather than wasting a time in finding the perfect
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75 Introduction To Journalism - II Whenever possible, meet at the other person's office for in -person
meetings. By doing so, you may be able to acquire vital insight into who
that person is. Meeting in a neutral environment, such as a park, library, or
neighbourhood coffee shop, might also be beneficial. Especially if it isn' t a
busy time of day.
You don't have time to meet in person? It's no problem. Zoom and other
video conferencing tools make it simple to interview someone from afar. It
even has a recording capability built -in. If you want to video chat, find a
quiet locati on in your house or reserve a private conference room at your
company where you won't be disturbed.
3. Write down the questions you plan to ask in advance:
An interview begins long before you sit across from the other person at the
table. Before going into an interview, you should have a rough concept of
what you want to ask. Make a list of 5 -10 open -ended questions depending
on the facts you're looking for and your study.
Google Docs, Evernote, or a good old -fashioned notebook are all options.
Just make su re to write down your list of questions. The list you make
should help guide your conversation, but you should also be prepared to
ask follow -up questions based on how things are going. Don't feel
pressured to answer all of the questions on your list. You' re unlikely to
succeed.
4. Use a recording device so you can be fully engaged in the
conversation:
When possible, record instead of frantically taking notes. Not only will
recording your interviews help you capture more of what the other person
is saying, but it will also motivate you to ask more insightful follow -up
questions. You'll be more interested in what the other person has to say
rather than getting an exact quote.
5. Transcribe your recording to make sure you don’t miss anything
good
It's amazing how minor details jump out that you might not have seen
before when you take a break and then revisit the interview. Review a
transcript of your interview afterward to locate the most relevant
information and quotes for your project. You might even come up with
some new ideas for follow -up questions or tales.
Transcription is a time -consuming process, but it's essential if you want to
get the most out of your interviews. You may choose to transcribe the
interview yourself, use an automatic speech to text se rvice, or engage a
professional to do it for you, depending on your time and budget limits.
7.2.2 Do’s and Don’ts while conducting Interviews
Be nice and friendly, appear genuine, and show an interest in what is
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76 Reporting and Editing
76 according to Christopher Dobson in The Freelance Journalist
(Butterworth -Heinemann, 1994), observed in an interview: 'Most of the
finest stories depend on finding the right and an air of genuineness work
wonders.' Bernard Clark i s a television producer. You must earn their
friendship before they may rest. You must be yourself, a completely
authentic individual. People enjoy conversing. Arrive on time and in
proper attire. Many people would believe that unpredictable timing and
attire foreshadow erratic reporting. Introduce yourself and explain why
you're interested in learning what you're interested in learning. Say so if
you want to record the interview. You can also utilise an MP3 player with
a microphone. The sound quality is im proved by using a separate
microphone that is not built into the recorder. (Spark David, Harris
Geoffrey)
Don't be smarmy or rude. Some journalists have an uncanny ability to get
along with strangers. Some people have a courteous self -assurance that
impres ses the powerful. This is difficult to pull off unless you are from a
prestigious publication. It is better to be nice and unassuming while
dealing with a complete stranger - not familiar, patronising, or subservient.
Show that you're interested. If you're going to interview a clock specialist,
you should be interested in clocks. With inquiries, challenge your
informant's point of view, but don't get into a fight or be unpleasant.
You're there to report on your informant, not to promote your own
viewpoints. If your informant sees you as a friend, he or she will be more
open with you. This is why, despite the distractions of other people having
lunch and the difficulty of taking notes, conducting interviews over lunch
can be beneficial - even if the workplace calendar is too full these days to
enable it. You are an equal at the lunch table, regardless of how well -
known your lunch mate is. (Spark David, Harris Geoffrey)
7.3 COVERING SPEECHES, MEETINGS AND PRESS CONFERENCES ● Investigate the subject (and speaker, if he or she is unfamiliar). Find
out more about the topics being addressed and read articles that have
already been published about them.
● Even if you have a recording, take notes. When it comes to
capturing precis e wording, recordings are ideal. There's a chance the
speaker will say something contentious, or other media will be
present, and you'll want quotes that match theirs. But you'll also
need notes to help you arrange and separate what's vital from what
isn't.
● Don't rehash the whole speech. The majority of talks are dull and
only convey a few key points. Don't try to answer all of the speaker's
questions. Concentrate on the most critical details. That is what the
reader is interested in knowing.
● Keep an ear out for the takeaway moment. Many speeches are
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77 Introduction To Journalism - II statement or proposes an unconventional course of action. If the
audience reacts strongly to something uttered, it's likely a takeaway
momen t. The major takeaway moment is one you should start with
and expand on later in your story. (If you're covering a national
speech for a local audience, you might want to watch it in a lounge
with people from your target audience to get a better sense of h ow
they react.)
● The tale is being written. Reporters have two responsibilities: to
convey the speaker's message and to assist readers in analysing that
message. Remember that what's noteworthy may not be what the
speaker feels should be reported or what your piece is about. It's also
possible that what's newsworthy isn't what was said during the
speech, but what wasn't mentioned. For initiatives other than our
State of the Union exercise, the news may be how the audience
reacted to the remarks. What's new sworthy may or may not be
mentioned in the speech. The news may come after the speech, when
the speaker is fielding questions, in coverage other than what we're
doing with the State of the Union. Lead with the most fascinating
piece of information provided by a response. Only include the most
important sections of the speech, not the entire speech. Make
thorough notes in order to include exact quotes in your tale. Check
that all of the names and titles are right. As soon as possible, begin
writing the story . The material is more accurately recorded if the
account is written as soon as feasible.
● Stay for the rest of the in -person speeches. This isn't something we'll
be doing for the State of the Union speech, but it's something you
could do for other speech es. After the speech, don't leave right away.
Inquire about the reactions of the crowd. If there is a reception area,
go there and talk to the folks who work there. If at all feasible, grab
the speaker and ask follow -up questions or clarify points he said.
You can be sure you understand what he was saying this way. Don't
be afraid to ask difficult questions.
● People frequently give speeches in situations where they feel at ease
and where they know they will be surrounded by their supporters.
As a result, t he audience's reaction could be quite partisan.
● Talk to anyone who was influenced by the speech, even if they
weren't present. If the college president, for example, announces that
tuition will be raised at an alumni reception, this will have no effect
on alumni. However, it will have an impact on kids who will most
likely be absent. Get feedback from the students. This is some of
what we plan to do with our State of the Union project follow -up
idea.
Check your Progress:
1. What are the techniques to pre pare for an interview?
2. How to cover speeches, meetings, press conferences etc.? munotes.in

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78 Reporting and Editing
78 3. What is transcribing?
7.4 INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM: Investigative journalism entails locating, reporting, and presenting
information that others strive to conceal. It's c omparable to traditional
news reporting, except the people at the centre of the story are unlikely to
assist you and may even try to prevent you from doing your job.
Journalists' goal is to inform people about what is going on in their town,
society, and t he world. Journalists accomplish this by gathering
information and relaying it to their readers or listeners. The facts can be
found in a variety of venues, including courts and parliaments, disasters,
public meetings, churches, and athletic events. The ma jority of the time,
people are delighted to supply news to journalists. Thousands of people
work full -time in public relations in numerous nations, providing remarks,
comments, press releases, and other forms of information to journalists.
However, there a re still a lot of things going on throughout the world that
people want to keep hidden. Most of the time, these are personal matters
that have no bearing on others, such as family relationships or a poor
school report. These private matters can be kept pri vate.
Investigative reporting :
The Tehelka Expose, as well as a slew of other swindles and scandals, has
compelled commentators to divide investigative journalism into three
categories. The following are some of them:
1. Revealing What Is Inadvertently Hid den:
Some news and events aren't emphasised by accident because the stakes
for those involved are minimal. This first type of investigative journalism
aims to uncover what has remained hidden owing to social apathy,
distance issues, or a lack of communica tion.
2. Revealing What Is Deliberately Hidden:
Some news and events are kept under wraps because the stakes for those
concerned are so great. This second type of investigative journalism aims
to expose what some people in society are trying to keep hidde n. These
elements do so for fear of being trapped and having the axe fall on them.
For e.g.: Harshad Mehta Scandal, Aadarsh Scam.
3. Exposing Natural Inclinations rather than Revealing What Hasn't
Happened:
Some fictitious news and events are staged in or der to uncover the targets'
innate activities, goals, intentions, and behaviour patterns. As a result, the
third type of investigative journalism shows a person's or company's true
worth. The Tehelka affair, the Judeo tape scandal, and the Ajit Jogi
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79 Introduction To Journalism - II Qualities and traits of an Investigative Journalist:
● He must be at the right time at the right place with the right person
(source of information) to gather news or information. (Spark).
● Inquisitiveness is an innate trait of every investigative Journo:
(Spark).
● He must have an incisive mind to find ou t what is significant (Spark)
● Through persistence, he should be able to help people discover
information that they would not otherwise have discovered (Tony
Collins)
● He must have the courage to face criminals, police and extremists, lest
he should fai l in his duty due to fear. He must be a fearless person by
nature.
● He should be single -minded.
● He should have basic knowledge of scientific concepts.
● He must have perseverance and patience; results may not be achieved
in at least 25 -50 per cent of in vestigative stints.
● He must look inconspicuous; no one should know what he is planning
to do.
● He has to develop good rapport with common people, especially with
those who have low profiles but can give lots of data about an event.
● They cannot afford to be irascible or short -tempered. The stage of ego
satiation or achievement would come only after they have delivered.
In most cases, they have to lead secret lives, away from cameras and
lights. If they lose their temper, they would be brought under the
focus of attention. In that case, they would not be able to achieve their
objectives.
● They must not hurt the privacy of the objects they are studying.
Investigative journalism is required to unearth crucial stories that people
would like to keep hidden. All of the abilities of general reporting are
required of investigative journalists, but they are especially important:
● An active intellect capable of recognising story concepts and vital
details that others are attempting to conceal an organised mind to take
notes, file information, and piece together a large number of facts
patience to keep searching for information good relationships
throughout society courage to face threats from those you're
investigating.
● You must acquire supporting proof in addi tion to gathering
information in case your story is contested. You must safeguard
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80 Reporting and Editing
80 ● If you have any doubts regarding the legality of what you're doing or
writing, get legal advice.
7.5 SUMMARY ● In a real situation, all stories th at are published in the newspaper are
the results of the interview itself. That is why reporters must know
what to ask, whom to ask and how to ask effectively.
● Investigative journalism entails locating, reporting, and presenting
information that others s trive to conceal. It's comparable to traditional
news reporting, except the people at the centre of the story are
unlikely to assist you and may even try to prevent you from doing
your job.
● Investigative journalism is required to unearth crucial stories that
people would like to keep hidden.
7.6 QUESTIONS 1. How shall the reporter prepare for an interview?
2. What are the dos and don’ts for conducting an interview?
3. What is investigative journalism? Explain the qualities needed to be
an investigative journalist.
4. What precaution shall we take while covering meetings, speeches and
events?
7.7 REFERENCES ● Singh, Bhanu Pratap, News Writing, Anmol Publication, First Edition
2011
● Saxena, Dr. Amberish; Fundamentals of Reporting and Editing,
Kanishka Publishers, 2007
● Ravindranath, P. K.; Indian Regional Journalism, Authorspress
Publications, 2005
● Allan, Stuart; Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives, Peter Lang
Publications, 2009
● Kamath, M. V.; Professional Journalism, Vikas Publications
● Kelley, Allen C., The Newspaper Can Be an Effective Teaching Tool,
The Journal of Economic Education Vol. 14, No. 4 (Autumn, 1983),
pp. 56 -58 (3 pages)
● Bal, Ameya Sunildatta, Introduction to journalism, Sheth Publication,
first edition, Nov 2015
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81 Introduction To Journalism - II Webli nks:
https://www.rev.com/blog/journalist -interview -tips
https://journalism.web.illinois.edu/210/?page_id=267
https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals%20Volume%202/volume2_39.
htm

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82 8
COVERING BEATS IN NEWS
Unit Structure
8.0 Objectives
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Reporting Disaster, accidents
8.3 Writing Obituaries
8.4 Writing Business Stories
8.5 Summary
8.6 Questions
8.7 References
8.0 OBJECTIVES ● To prepare students to cover differ ent beats
● To enable students to be able to write and prepare for the day to day
news writing on special beats
8.1 INTRODUCTION The main goal of a news organisation is to gather information, and it
employs qualified reporters to do so effectively. Newsga thering is a never -
ending process. North, East, West, and South are all sources of
information. When we look at the spatial relationship between the
geographical region and media organisation, we can see that covering
news in a large country like India is tough, hence news organisations
normally create bureaus/reporting rooms and different reporting beats to
help them. This separation is necessary and unavoidable for the press to
run smoothly and efficiently.
What does it mean to report on beats?
The answer is the same for every newspaper reporter’s beat is his/he own
land. It's undoubtedly one of the first things a young journalist learns, and
it's something he or she keeps in touch with for the rest of his or her
career. 'Reporting beats are nothing more t han a reporter's normal news
coverage zone.' Every reporter chooses a beat based on his or her interests,
such as the civil/local bodies beat, the crime beat, the education beat, the
legal beat, the cultural beat, the health beat, the religion/festival bea t, and
so on. Covering a beat isn't enough to be successful. A reporter shall
produce quality writing, develop a unique style of writing, innovation in
thoughts, command of language and grammar. These qualities make a
difference in the style of the reporte r’s writing and enhance the calibre of
the reporter. Now let’s discuss how to report disasters and accidents. munotes.in

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83 Covering Beats In News 8.2 REPORTING DISASTERS AND ACCIDENTS Disasters and accidents are unpredictable by nature. None of us can
predict it and so the reporter. But on ce they happen the reporter has to go
through a tiring experience. He/she has to compete with time. In the digital
age, the level of competition is 10x more. The scenario is totally different
from the regular news coverage. The intensity of the disaster de fines how
big that event is going to be.
It's possible that getting to the scene of the emergency will be difficult. If
the incident is limited to a local area, it may be possible to travel by
automobile or cab, though authorities may restrict access due t o the
emergency. This is where forethought comes into play. An official pass or
citing the name of a senior officer on the scene will almost certainly get
you through any barriers. If the roads are congested, you may have to walk
or hail a passing emergenc y car for assistance.
How to write a disaster or accident news:
Although there may be simply one narrative (as in a vehicle accident),
significant disasters frequently require multiple stories to describe all of
the details. Typically, there will be one l ead story that summarises the
overall picture, followed by a slew of other stories focusing on various
aspects, such as the rescue operation, eyewitness testimonies, background
information, and sympathy letters. Maintain a straightforward and simple
writin g style. Keep your phrases short so they're easy to grasp and move
about inside the story if you decide to rewrite it. Before you publish or
broadcast, always make a last check to update the death toll.
You need to give the following kinds of details:
● Casualties - numbers of dead and injured, types of injury, where
casualties were taken, any well -known names, people who escaped.
● Damage - the extent, and estimate of the cost, what kind of damage,
any well -known buildings.
● Description - of the event itself, eyewitness stories, the scene
afterwards.
● Rescue and relief - the people involved, the action being taken, the
facilities, any problems (such as weather), evacuations, any acts of
heroism.
● Cause - what the experts say, eyewitness accounts, who sounded the
alarm and was there any warning?
● Follow -up action - will there be post mortems or inquiries, legal
action, rebuilding?
Source: The news manual, Chapter 43: Reporting death & disaster
(thenewsmanual.net) munotes.in

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84 Reporting and Editing
84 While summing up the reporting disaste r and accidents, you must keep a
few things in mind. You and your news house must be adequately
prepared; emergency procedures must be established before they are
required. It is critical to maintain good communication with the
emergency services. Check al l equipment on a regular basis to ensure that
it is in good operating order. Always try to plan ahead of time, taking into
account probable issues and solutions. Keep the news desk informed about
what's going on at all times. Keep your story short and swee t, and leave
out any personal feelings. Be aware of other people's pain.
Examples of Disaster stories: 22 dead, several injured in Mumbai landslides after heavy rains At least 22 people were killed and several others injured in Mumbai and one of its suburbs after they were trapped under houses that collapsed due to landslides following heavy rains that lashed the city and nearby areas on Saturday night and on Sunday morning, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths in Chembur and Vikhroli and announced the victims' families will be given 200,000 each. "Saddened by the loss of lives due to wall collapses in Chembur and Vikhroli in Mumbai. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. Praying that those who are injured have a speedy recovery," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. Source: Hindustan Times, 18 July 2018 Maha floods toll 209; 8 still missing Surendra P Gangan surendra.gangan@hindustantimes.com Mumbai : The death toll in the flood-ravaged districts of Konkan and western Maharashtra on Tuesday rose to 209 after addition of 17 more deaths, officials said. Eight people are still missing. The state is expected to announce a relief package for flood-affected people after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. According to preliminary estimates, losses to public and private properties are over ₹4,000 crore. Losses due to flooding in Kolhapur and Sangli are ₹ 700 crore. Electricity infrastructure worth ₹1,200 crore has been damaged, while damage to roads and bridges is over ₹1,500 crore. Crops across 338,000 hectares have been damaged in western Maharashtra and Konkan. The state relief is expected to cover all affected elements by widening the scope of the set norms. “The traders who have suffered losses may be given waiver in GST and electricity munotes.in

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85 Covering Beats In News bills, besides helping them in getting the losses recovered from insurance coverage. The traders may also be given loans from district cooperative banks at low interest rates,” an official said. CM Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with deputy CM Ajit Pawar, relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar, agriculture minister Dadaji Bhuse on Friday. He had held a review meeting with senior officials on Monday. “The broader outline of the package has been finalised. The relief for losses of crops, domestic structures and belongings will be compensated at a higher rate than the set norms of the National Disaster Response Fund,” said an official from the relief and rehabilitation department. “The state had given additional compensation by keeping the norms aside during the Nisarga and Tauktae cyclones in the past two years. Apart from it, the state is also expected to grant a relief package to traders and labourers who have sustained losses due to the flooding,” said an official from the relief and rehabilitation department. The district administrations have been directed to identify land for the rehabilitation of the villages that were devastated because of the landslide. At least 11 landslides were reported in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Satara, claiming several lives. “Funds would not be the problem for the rehabilitation of these villages as we have decided to utilise CSR funds of the corporate houses, along with the central funding. The identification of the land for the relocation of these villages would be a challenging job as many parameters need to be complied with, to ensure that the villages do not meet with a similar fate in future,” an official from the CMO said. Among the 209 deaths, the highest (95) are from Raigad, which has witnessed three landslides, followed by 45 in Satara and 35 in Ratnagiri. Three people are still missing in Satara, while one each is missing in Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Pune and Thane. 434,181 people from eight-affected districts have been shifted to safer places. Among them 211,808 are from Sangli, 162,564 are from Kolhapur, 49,149 are from Satara and the remaining from other districts. 251,304 of them have been put up at the shelters erected by the government and NGOs, while remaining have been staying at their relatives’ homes. Minister of state and Raigad’s guardian minister Aditi Tatkare has said that she had requested the government to consider compensation to the next of kin of the people who have gone missing. NDRF has called off the search and rescue operation from all the landslide sites and has also withdrawn a few more companies on Tuesday. After withdrawing 12 of the total 34 companies on Monday, six more companies were withdrawn on Tuesday. 16 NDRF teams are still deployed with the highest, six, being in Kolhapur and 4 in Sangli. Though water level in most of the rivers in western Maharashtra has receded, the Panchaganga river in Kolhapur is still flowing at 45 feet against its danger level of 43 feet. munotes.in

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86 Reporting and Editing
86 Districts in Konkan are on orange alert for Thursday and in the wake of the alert, the NDRF teams are expected to stay put for a few more days as a precautionary measure. “In the wake of the orange alert for the Konkan on Thursday, teams of NDRF will be kept stationed in the affected districts. Similarly, the people who have been evacuated to safer places will not be allowed to go back to their respective homes for few days.” said an official from Mantralaya. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced to constitute a committee under retired bureaucrat Eknath Patil to study the measures needed. Source: Hindustan Times, 28 July 2021
Check your progress
1. How does one write for various beats?
2. How does one write for accidents and disasters?
3. Find one accident story in any online newspaper app.
8.3 WRITING OBITUARIES An obituary is often the first – and for many, t he final – thing readers read
in the newspaper each day. Rather than just saying "goodbye," it is a
farewell that chronicles the deceased's life in chronological order. An
obituary also acts as a notice that someone has died, as well as information
about a ny memorial ceremonies that are planned. Because the cost of
running an obituary varies depending on its length, once you have an idea
of what you want to publish, we'll submit it and provide you with a quote.
If any changes are required to save money, we can make them at that time
and resubmit.
How to Write a Newspaper Obituary
1. Basic Elements of an Obituary
● Full name of the deceased
● City where they resided
● Surviving family
● Date, time and address of memorial service
● Date, time and address of bu rial service
● Officiating clergy
● Memorial contributions to be made in lieu of flowers to:
● Photo – if there’s room
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87 Covering Beats In News 2. A Life Lives:
While it is necessary to include essential information about the person,
such as his or her surviving relatives and buri al plans, it is also necessary
to recount the person's narrative in an engaging and intriguing manner.
Concentrate on the accomplishments he or she has done and the
contributions he or she has made to the community. Because the writer
must customize the ob ituary to the expense and limit of the publication, it
is usual for obituaries to be bland and stiff. It is not, however, a
justification to minimize the person's accomplishments, especially if he or
she has played a significant role in the community.
3. Facts to include:
The name and/or nickname of the dead, the town or city of residence, the
place and cause of death, the person's age, and the day he or she died,
including the year, are all basic details to include in an obituary. It's
crucial to include h is or her date and place of birth, as well as his or her
parents, in an obituary. Include details about the person's education,
siblings, and close friends. Include his or her major accomplishments,
places where he or she worked or ran a business, and huma nitarian causes.
4. Listing Family Members:
Make a list of the family members in ascending order. If there isn't enough
room, start with the deceased's spouse and where they currently live. List
the children in birth order, along with their spouses, if an y, grandkids,
great -grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, in -laws,
nephews or nieces, and parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, in -laws,
nephews or nieces. You can also include the deceased's pets if he or she
was a pet lover.
5. Fun eral Arrangements:
The location, day, hour, and date of the funeral or memorial ceremony
should all be included. List the name of the person who will officiate the
service and, if applicable, the names of the pallbearers. Include the dates
and hours of any open casket viewings if the family chooses to do so.
Include the location, day, time, and date of any planned graveside
services. Include the funeral home in charge of the arrangements, as well
as who to contact for more information about the upcoming ser vices.





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88 Reporting and Editing
88 6. Sample of Obituary writing:

Source:
https://www.smartads.in/resources/assets/uploads/product_group/Newspap
er/Time_of_India_Obituary.jpg
8.4 WRITING BUSINESS STORIES Every story in the media serves a purpose, and business and economic
tales are no exception. The following are some of the expected functions
of business stories in society.
1. Economic data should be presented to the public and suitably
interpreted.
2. Should, whenever possible, include a human interest angle in its
findings.
3. New company policies and labour rules should be discussed, as well
as how they influence the average citizen.
4. Should conduct a detailed analysis of business and economic issues
for the benefit of both knowledgeable and uninitiated audiences.
5. It should provide the audience with the most up -to-date information
on business and economic challenges.
6. The audience should be able to understand the meaning and
implications of technical words linked to business and the economy.
Qualities of a Business Re porter:
1. A good business and economy reporter should have the attributes of a
reporter, which have already been discussed in depth. These are
fundamental features. The ones that come after are extras due to the
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89 Covering Beats In News 2. A skilled business and economy reporter must be passionate about
business and economic matters and cover them thoroughly.
3. A skilled business and economy reporter should have a firm grasp on
the meaning of economic and business terms. He or she must also
have a thorough awareness of the stock market and be able to provide
a full explanation of market events to the audience.
4. The business and economy reporter is a specialist who is comfortable
with numbers and is unfazed by lengthy reports and news r eleases,
which frequently contain rates, percentages, business and consumer
indices, and business jargon.
5. A business and economy reporter must possess the abilities and
attitudes necessary to recognise the power that business wields and to
become a stro ng interrogator.
6. He or she must also have a healthy scepticism that prevents them from
being intimidated by the power and money that comes with
commercial power.
7. Despite the fact that the business and economy reporter is a specialist,
he or she must be well -versed in areas other than money. He or she
should be well -versed in related fields and subjects as well
8. A corporate raider should be the business and economy reporter.
1. He should treat money managers and manipulators with the same
objectivity and distance that any reporter would when working on a
story.
9. He or she should have a thorough understanding of how the economy
and business world work. He or she should be well -versed in market
forces as well as the intricacies of the financial world.
10. He or she should have a basic tertiary degree in business
administration, economics, accounting, banking and finance, and
other related subjects.
11. In addition to being research -savvy, a competent business and
economy writer must be analytical, prec ise, and critical in his or her
writings.
Tips on How to Cover the Business Beat
The following are some suggestions from Henry Dubroff, a veteran
business editor as cited in Mencher (2010) on how to cover the business
beat better:
1. Cultivate a financial news habit. Even if there is no obvious local or
linking connection to the article, pay attention to happenings on your
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90 Reporting and Editing
90 2. Look for hidden hooks in press releases and earnings reports. Hint:
Start with the last line.
3. Look for insights rather tha n quotes from your sources.
4. Have a basic understanding of financial jargon.
5. Don't be hesitant to contact a corporation or a source two or three
times in order to acquire the complete picture.
6. The best stories are frequently those that come out lat e in your beat.
7. Study prominent newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes,
and Barron's not just for content but also for how they handle a large
research project or tell a narrative by reading and revisiting them.
8. It is always preferable to get off the phone and walk down the street to
examine how a firm operates up and personal.
There is no doubt, that the business beat is unique and necessitates specific
attention. As a result, the reporter covering this beat should be a true
expert in the field and be engaged in the difficulties that arise throughout
his assignment. Local spot news items, features, and interpretative articles
are also expected of the business and economy writer.
8.5 SUMMARY ● 'Reporting beats are nothing more than a reporter's normal news
coverage zone.' Every reporter chooses a beat based on his or her
interests, such as the civil/local bodies beat, the crime beat, the
education beat, the legal beat, the cultural beat, the h ealth beat, the
religion/festival beat, and so on.
● You and your news house must be adequately prepared; emergency
procedures must be established before they are required. It is critical
to maintaining good communication with the emergency services.
Check all equipment on a regular basis to ensure that it is in good
operating order. Always strive to plan ahead of time; consider
potential problems and solutions.
● There is no doubt that the business beat is unique and necessitates
specific attention. As a r esult, the reporter covering this beat should
be a true expert in the field and be engaged in the difficulties that arise
throughout his assignment.
8.6 QUESTIONS 1. What shall be the writing technique while writing disaster news?
2. Write a sample obit uary with help of points given in the unit.
3. Discuss 10 qualities expected of a good business reporter. munotes.in

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91 Covering Beats In News 4. How will a reporter cultivate some of the sources presented in this
unit for business and economy reporting?
8.7 REFERENCES ● Singh, Bhanu Prat ap, News Writing, Anmol Publication, First
Edition 2011
● Saxena, Dr. Amberish; Fundamentals of Reporting and Editing,
Kanishka Publishers, 2007
● Course material, News Writing and Reporting, NATIONAL OPEN
UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA
Weblinks:
https://www.thenew smanual.net/Manuals%20Volume%202/volume2_43.
htm
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how -to-write -an-obituary -1132597
https://www.connelly -mckinley.com/writing -an-obituary/
https://journalistsresource.org/home/writin -better -business -stories/


*****
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92 9
COVERING CRIME, SPORTS AND
WRITING FOR ONLINE MEDIA
Unit Structure
9.0 Objectives
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Reporting Crime stories and court
9.3 Reporting Sports stories
9.4 Writing for Online
9.5 Summary
9.6 Questions
9.7 References
9.0 OBJECTIVES ● To explain how to report crime, court, sports stories
● Identify the checklist for writing stories in a beat
● To understand how to write for online media
9.1 INTRODUCTION Another distinctive area of coverage in the media industry is crime
reporting. "The public is in desperate need of such news," Obe (2005)
writes, "and the editors are willing to supply it, but the attorneys and the
police have resolved to limit it." Most newspapers that publish a lot of
crime stories have a better probability of making th e front page of the
tabloid." The same may be said about judicial cases, which require
specific care. In this unit, we will concentrate on these two areas. We will
also discuss how to write fir online media.
9.2 REPORTING CRIME STORIES When writing crime s tories, a crime reporter should be mindful to avoid
telling a story that differs from the police reports. This is one of the main
reasons why crime reporters are encouraged to cooperate closely with cops
during their reporting. This is backed by the fact t hat in composing their
tales, crime reporters rely on three key sources of information: police
records, the people involved, and eyewitnesses, as well as a description of
the occurrence.
Before you start writing the actual crime report, you should figure o ut
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93 Covering Crime, Sports And Writing For Online Media This will aid in deciding which of the three key sources should be
prioritised. However, you should be aware that many crimes are
perpetrated without the presence of eyewitnesses. Then yo u must
investigate those who may have heard a weird sound, movement, or
person. This might be where you start writing your story.
You must also exercise caution when naming the people who have been
arrested in your report. Use extra caution here because mo st people who
are caught offer police fictitious names, which may turn out to be the
names of movie stars or celebrities. If their names appear in your
newspaper as having been arrested for a crime, they may file a lawsuit.
Make sure you understand how cri mes are classified and reflect this in
your reports and stories. Violations, offences, and crimes are the three
types of crimes. Violations are low -level offences that carry minimal
penalties or brief prison sentences. Misdemeanours are more serious
offenc es that can result in a sentence of less than a year in prison. Felonies
are serious offences that carry a penalty of more than a year in prison.
Contents of a Police Reports :
Brian Brooks et al. cited in Obe (2005) identify the information contained
in police reports thus.
1. A description of what happened
2. The location of the incident
3. The name, age and address of the victim
4. The name, age and address of the suspect, if any
5. The exact offence with which the suspect is charged
6. The extent o f injuries, if any
7. The names, ages and addresses of the witnesses
Checklists are the information a reporter should have before writing his or
her stories.
Checklist for homicide as compiled by Mencher (2010):
1. Victim, identification
2. Time, dat e, place of death
3. Weapon used
4. Official cause of death or authoritative comment
5. Who discovered the body
6. Clues, any identification of slayer
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94 Reporting and Editing
94 8. Comments from neighbours, friends
9. Any po lice record a for the victim; any connection with criminal
activity
10. Consequences to victim’s family, others
A reporter can also talk to the persons who know the victim or the accused
as well as their family members. Crime reporters should also try to
develop their personal contacts or hidden sources.
Areas Covered under Crime Reporting:
A crime reporter or anyone assigned the beat of crime reporting should
have reasonable knowledge of various kinds of acts which come within
the purview of crime. Area s coming under crime reporting:
1. Offences relating to the human body:
(a) Murder, assassination
(b) Culpable homicide -act done with the knowledge that it is likely to
cause death, with or without the intention of doing so.
(c) Causing death by rash or ne gligent act.
(d) Abetment of suicide committed by child, more insane, idiot, delirious
or intoxicated person.
(e) Attempt to murder.
(f) Attempt to commit suicide.
(g) Being a thug.
(h) Wrongful restraint or confinement.
(i) Kidnapping, abduction, slavery and forced labour.
(j) Rape.
2. Offences against property:
(a) Theft.
(b) Extortion -blackmail, obtaining illegal compensation.
(c) Robbery and dacoity.
(d) Criminal misappropriation of property.
(e) Criminal breach of trust. (Receiving stolen property, or assisting in its
concealment or disposal.
(f) Cheating by impersonation.
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95 Covering Crime, Sports And Writing For Online Media (h) Arson/fire.
3. Offences relating to documents and trade property:
(a) Criminal breach of contracts of service.
(b) Defamation or printed matter is known to be
(c) Criminal intimidation, insult and annoyance.
(d) Defamatory.
4. Obstructing Justice:
(a) Interfering with an officer.
(b) Perjury.
(c) Bribery
(d) Contempt of court.
5. Conspiracy in Crime:
(a) Accessory before act.
(b) Accessory after act.
6. Oth ers:
(a) Terrorist violence.
(b) Genocide.
(c) Manufacture, possession or sale of illegal beverages and drugs.
(d) Disturbing peace, group fighting, riots.
(e) Sexual crimes.
(f) Criminal rebel.
(g) Accidents.
(h) Police encounters.
Court Reporting:
Court Reporters: There are far too many courts, and newspapers simply
do not have the time or space to cover all that occurs in them. Newspapers
only cover stories that their audience is interested in. Only a few major
newspapers in India employ full -time corres pondents dedicated solely to
the court beat. These correspondents, on the whole, have solid legal
credentials. Stringers are usually hired by other newspapers to cover court
cases. A newspaper without a full -time law reporter may dispatch one of
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96 Reporting and Editing
96 A New Law Reporter's Must -Have:
One would assume that the Law Reporter is well -versed in legal subjects.
The following is a list of the kind of information that one should have at
their fingertips:
Knowl edge of Court Jurisdictions, Procedures, and Hierarchy:
A trainee journalist interested in becoming a future court reporter should
first gain a basic awareness of the court jurisdiction, procedures, and
hierarchy. If a reporter is familiar with the jurisd iction of several courts, he
or she can quickly discover the appropriate court for a given case.
Similarly, if one is familiar with the court's structure, it is easy to predict
where the appeal will be filed.
Some Legal Phrases:
A court reporter must have a rudimentary understanding of some of the
most commonly used legal terms. When a technical word is introduced for
the first time in a report, professional journalistic practice dictates that it
be quickly explained. The reader is perplexed by a legal phr ase that is not
utilised in the text. The English language is widely used in India's higher
courts. As a result, having some knowledge of the English language is
always beneficial for a reporter for a non -English newspaper.
News Sources:
A reporter's abil ity to cover the courts depends heavily on his or her
contacts and sources, as well as the speed with which he or she can obtain
records. The clerk of the court is the most important person in the court for
a reporter. The records are prepared and kept by a court clerk. Court
reporting necessitates meticulous record checking. A source is rarely the
judge who preside over a trial. A court reporter should also have solid
relationships with the lawyers involved in the case as well as the parties
involved.
Tria l Coverage:
In order to take notes during a trial, the reporter must have a sixth sense.
One could start taking notes on crucial dates if they were guided by this
news sense. If a reporter misses an important testimony, he or she can
always make up for a lost time during the recess by consulting one's court
colleagues or the court stenographer.
Reporters must learn to quote questions and answers, as well as comments
and remarks that arise during court sessions whenever possible. A story
with quotations is entertaining to read, yet owing to space constraints,
many comments may not be included in the news item.


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97 Covering Crime, Sports And Writing For Online Media Precautions in Writing Court Stories:
When writing court stories, it is important to prevent any potential for
contempt of court. A reporter may f ile a court story with or without
remarks, depending on whether it is his or her own or someone else's.
Contempt of Court:
The legislation relating to contempt of court can be found in the Contempt
of Court Act, 1971, as well as numerous case laws. Contem pt is a civil as
well as a criminal offence.
Civil Contempt:
Wilful disobedience to any judgement, decree, direction, order, or other
procedure of a court, or wilful breach of an undertaking provided to a
court, is referred to as civil contempt. There wil l be no civil contempt if a
person is unaware of a court's order, resulting in an unintentional breach.
Tips for Court Reporting :
1. Court reporters should be aware that newsrooms are not legal courts.
As a result, they should refrain from putting themse lves on trial in
the press. Despite the notion that the public has a right to know,
reporters should be aware that an accused has a right to a fair trial.
As a result, newspapers and other media organisations should avoid
pre-trial coverage and, in some ca ses, trial coverage by newspapers.
2. Double -check that your report is truthful and fair. All parties in the
case must be heard fairly, and the facts of the case must be reported
as precisely as feasible.
3. Concentrate on the sentence and eliminate extr aneous elements.
4. Make certain you understand the entire sentence before analysing it
in the context of your audience.
5. Focus your report solely on what transpired in court.
6. Only publish documents that were submitted as "exhibits" in court.
7. Do not take photographs without the judge's express permission.
8. Don't make any comments or write editorials about cases that are
currently before the courts.
9. Before disclosing any information about an accused person, make
sure you know everything th ere is to know about them.
9.3 REPORTING SPORTS STORIES: Sports Journalists' Role :
Because of the popularity of the numerous sporting activities that reporters
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98 Reporting and Editing
98 special position in soci ety. Other recommended roles for sports writers
and reporters are mentioned below.
1. A skilled sports writer should be able to bring the public, particularly
supporters, closer to the players, coaches, and administrators. If you
look at the most popular players, coaches, and administrators, you'll
notice that their popularity is typically linked to positive media
coverage.
2. Sports reporters could also operate as a watchdog over players,
administrators, and coaches, preventing and exposing humiliating
behaviour among athletes.
3. One of sport reporters' key responsibilities is to shine a spotlight on
unfavourable corporate politics that could stymie sport development.
4. Sport reporters must watch a game through to its conclusion and
ensure that an accura te and fair account of the game is published as
soon as possible.
5. One of the most important tasks of sport reporters is to analyse game
scenarios before and after games in order to assist fans feel more
excited and fulfilled.
Qualities of Sports Reporte r:
1. A good sports reporter should have the attributes of a reporter, which
have already been discussed in depth. These are fundamental features.
The ones that come after are extras due to the demands of sports
reporting.
2. A good sports writer should be enthusiastic in the sport he or she is
covering.
3. A skilled sports reporter must have a thorough awareness of the
game's regulations and be able to interpret the game's outcomes for
his audience.
4. He or she must also be well -versed in research and a c ompetent sports
historian.
5. He or she must be well -versed on the players, coaches, and
administrators and be able to converse comfortably with them.
6. A skilled sports reporter must be able to analyse situations and make
sound judgments.
7. In his stori es, a skilled sports reporter must constantly adhere to the
triple news ideals of truth, objectivity, and accuracy.
8. A skilled sports reporter must be able to explain a narrative in a few
words.
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99 Covering Crime, Sports And Writing For Online Media Information Sources for Sports Reporters :
Before going to print, the sports reporter has a number of options for
verifying the facts of his story. The following are some of the sources of
information for a sports reporter.
1. Venue of the game or meeting
2. Local Organizing Committee of the competition or game s
3. The Sports Council
4. The Ministry of Sports
5. The controlling federation of the particular sport
6. Players and coaches hideouts
7. Popular sportsmen, women and administrators
8. Sports library
9. Online resources
For many media audien ces, sports reporting has remained a primary
source of fascination. This is because sports attracts ardent enthusiasts,
both men and women, who are dedicated to the games. As a result,
reporters in this field must develop their reporting skills to the next level.
This is critical in order for fans' expectations to meet the reporters'
delivery.
Check your progress
1. How does one write crime, court and sports stories?
2. What are the points to keep in mind while writing for various beats?
3. What are the inf ormation sources for sports reporters?
9.4 WRITING FOR ONLINE JOURNALISM: Online reporting has limitless possibilities. Its reach is enormous, and its
viewership is incalculable. It's a borderless newspaper. Its main problem is
establishing trustworthiness . Entry requirements and monitoring capacity
are largely unregulated by the government. In reality, anyone with only a
few dollars to meet their basic requirements might start internet journalism
at any time.
This is the most significant hazard in its asce nsion. However, the
foregoing does not negate its potentials and benefits, particularly in terms
of how technology has revolutionised journalism in the twenty -first
century.
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100 Reporting and Editing
100 Qualities of online reporter :
Online reporters must have the attributes of a repo rter, which have already
been discussed in depth. These are fundamental features. The ones that
come after these are extras due to the demands of online reporting.
Online reporters are typically expected to be proficient in the use of
computers and the int ernet. Most computer software packages required for
internet operations should be familiar to the online reporter. He or she
should also be able to incorporate pertinent hypertext links to related
topics, as well as sound and video snippets, to spice up a story.
The internet reporter must be conversant with, if not completely
comfortable with, the instruments used by today's new media journalist.
The internet reporter is a new media journalist in the traditional sense, thus
he or she should be able to work with some or all of these tools.
The web reporter should be well -versed in research. His or her main task
can be to find knowledge by exploring and investigating web resources.
As a result, he or she must be knowledgeable with research methods and
study si tes in order to perform his or her reporting tasks. In today's
information world, an internet reporter must be more than simply a quick
wordsmith; he or she must also be a database manager, data processor, and
data analyst.
Tools for Today’s New Media Jour nalist :
The expansion of multimedia ownership has brought about multimedia
journalists also known as new media journalists. Some of the tools
necessary to function at this level include (adapted from Mencher, 2010):
1. A digital camera that can take hig h resolution still photos and video.
2. A laptop with wireless Internet access.
3. A handheld computer such as a palm personal digital assistant.
4. A digital audio recorder for recording interviews.
5. A mobile Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) r eceiver for location
finding.
6. A digital cell or smartphone.
7. A high capacity flash -drive for storage purposes.
8. A variety of software packages installed in the laptop.
9. Instant Messenger and Voice over IP (VoIP) software for real -time,
no cost communications over the internet.
10. A handheld scanner for digitizing documents on the spot.
11. A satellite telephone for making calls when cell phone service is
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101 Covering Crime, Sports And Writing For Online Media You learned the definitions of online reporting and traditional reporti ng, as
well as the differences and similarities between them, in this course. You
also learned about the characteristics of an online reporter and the tools
that a new media journalist should have in order to deliver in the twenty -
first century.
9.5 SUMMAR Y ● Crime reporting is another distinctive area of coverage in the media
industry. When writing crime stories, a crime reporter should be
mindful to avoid telling a story that differs from the police reports.
This is one of the main reasons why crime reporte rs are encouraged to
cooperate closely with cops during their reporting.
● A New Law Reporter's Must -Have: One would assume that the Law
Reporter is well -versed in legal subjects. The following is a list of the
kind of information that one should have at t heir fingertips:
● For many media audiences, sports reporting has remained a primary
source of fascination. This is because sports attracts ardent
enthusiasts, both men and women, who are dedicated to the games. As
a result, reporters in this field must de velop their reporting skills to
the next level. This is critical in order for fans' expectations to meet
the reporters' delivery.
● You learned the definitions of online reporting and traditional
reporting, as well as the differences and similarities between them, in
this course. You also learned about the characteristics of an online
reporter and the tools that a new media journalis t should have in order
to deliver in the twenty -first century.
9.6 QUESTIONS 1. Discuss the application of online reporting /journalism in India.
2. Discuss five qualities a good sports story should have.
3. Discuss some of the basic information a crime a nd court reporter
should know about a typical judicial system.
4. Should a crime and court reporter require a degree in Law to succeed
in this special beat? Discuss
9.7 REFERENCES  Mencher, M. (2010). Mencher’s News Writing and Reporting (11th
ed.). Bosto n: McGraw -Hill Higher Education.
 Bonder, F. F.; Davenport, J. R. & Drager, M. W. (2005). Reporting
for the Mass Media (8th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. munotes.in

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102 Reporting and Editing
102  Mencher, M. (2010). Mencher’s News Writing and Reporting (11th
ed). Boston: McGraw -Hill Hi gher Education
 Obe, J. (2005). Reporting Diverse Areas: A Concise Text. Akure,
 Stovall, J. G. (2006). Writing for the Mass Media. New York: Pearson
Education.
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103 10
EDITING
Unit Structure
10.0 Objectives
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Modern News Editing, Layout and Designing
10.3 Stylebooks, Grammar, the syntax of news
10.4 Summary
10.5 Questions
10.6 References
10.0 OBJECTIVES ● To learn how to edit news stories
● To un derstand modern news editing, syntax and stylebooks
● To look into the concept of news agency writing
10.1 INTRODUCTION Whatever we as readers read in a newspaper and other periodicals is
exactly not the same, as what was written by the reporter. The copy
written by a reporter passes through many changes -minor to major before
it finally goes to print. The person who makes the copy worth publishing
or worth reading is known as the copy editor designated as sub -
editor/senior sub/chief sub -editor in many Indian newspapers.
Editing is a multifarious job which is very difficult to define. It entails
selecting the copy, removing grammatical mistakes, refining expression,
double -checking facts and statistics, and altering the font size, length,
deciding the display or placement, putting the headline and so many other
things which we will discuss in this chapter.
Meaning of Editing:
Editing can be defined in so many ways. It includes:
Preparing a piece of writing for publication.
 Usually, a piece is written by someone else.
 A book, newspaper, or another periodical can be published
(magazine).

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104 Reporting and Editing
104 Doing the work of planning and directing the publication
 Planning involves the whole work plan like -(1) length or size of the
item, (2) nature of item, (3) display of item, (4) t ime taken in editing,
(5) process of editing and (6) arranging for tools of editing.
 Directing involves - (1) issuing necessary instructions to subordinate
staff, (2) monitoring the work assigned to them, (3) interacting with
the production staff, (4) Co ntrolling the quality of the publication,
● Putting together any elements in an appropriate sequence for a cinema
film, video film, tape recording, or other types of audio -video
software.
● Arranging data for computer processing related to research/survey
Scop e of Editing :
Scope means the reach and it can be discussed in two ways -
● The areas covered.
● The jobs performed.
Areas Covered:
1. Newspapers
2. Magazines
3. Books
4. Any other print publication
5. Cinema films
6. Video films
7. Tape recording
8. Any kind of audio -video programme
9. Research
10. Public opinion survey.
Jobs Performed:
1. Taking up grammatical corrections:
(a) Usage
(b) Spelling
(c) Punctuations
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105 Editing 2. Making the expression clear, avoiding ambiguity.
3. Checking the accuracy of facts to avoid distortions.
4. Paragraphing appropriate length of each para.
5. Sequencing:
 Continuation of thought
 Fluency in reading, listening, watching.
6. Making proper use of mechanical devices.
7. Administering the process of pub lications or any other production
8. Maintaining the quality of the product.
9. Data compilation and doing necessary corrections.
10. Data processing for the purpose of analyses and drawing inferences
Objectives of Editing :
1. To present an item or piece i n a summarised or concise form.
2. To enhance the clarity of the item .
3. To increase the understanding or comprehension of the item.
4. To ensure coherence of thought in the news item.
5. To maintain consistency or continuity in the news coverage.
6. To make the item re adable and interesting.
7. To put the item in a presentable manner -layout, design etc.
8. To ensure that the item is in good taste.
Tools of Editing:
Mechanical Tools:
Pen, pencil, computer, editing machines, etc.
Human Tools:
Editor's:
1. Education
2. Intelli gence
3. Wisdom
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106 Reporting and Editing
106 5. Sensibility
6. Capability
7. Motivation
8. Social orientation
9. News or literary sense
10. Artistic sense.
But the real tasting is done when the copy is taken up for editing. The
copy editor will assess the news val ue of the story to finally decide its
length or size, its composing -single column, double column, triple column
or multi -column, its placement on a particular page —a front page or inside
page, its display projection on the page whether as first lead, secon d lead,
third lead, box item, anchor or bottom spread, the headline, the font size
etc.
Administering the Editing Job
1. Preliminary Preparations
(A) Manual
 Sorting
 Classification
 Selection.
(B) Mechanical/Online
 Availability of machines/computer
 Proper ne tworking
 Handling of mechanical devices.
II. Improving the Copy
(A) Taking up grammatical corrections
(a) Usage
(b) Spelling
(c) Punctuations
(d) Capitalisation
(e) Abbreviating
(f) Writing full form.
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107 Editing (B) Making the expression clear
(a) Avoiding ambiguity
(b) Avoiding verbosity
(c) Replacing weak verbs with strong verbs
(d) Rewriting
(e) Restructuring/arranging
(f) Sequencing
 Continuation of thought
 Fluency in reading, listening and watching
 Shifting the stress
(g) Deleting
(h) Adding
(i) Making the copy tighter.
(C) Checking the accuracy of facts :
(a) Ensuring the accu racy of all data/figures
(b) Cross -checking to avoid any distortions or ambiguity
(c) Conducting preliminary research
(d) Consultation with colleagues
(e) Dropping the portions of doubt.
(D) Structuring the story
(a) Deciding the size
 Importance
 Space availability
(b) Paragraphin g-appropriate length of each para
(c) Clubbing -joining two stories
(d) Breaking the story in two stories
(e) Headlining
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108 Reporting and Editing
108  Suitable words
 Non-use of words
 Active voice
 Catchy
(E) Taking care of technical details
(a) Mentioning the source (Correspondent/News Ag ency)
(b) Datelining
(c) Marking italic
(d) Marking bold
(e) Drop letter
(f) Marking box/column composing
(g) Quoting reliable/authentic source.
III. Preparing Copy for the Press
(A) Observing the deadline
(B) Page -making
(C) Marking necessary instructions for production purposes
(D) Display
(E) Placement/Positioning
Steps in Editing Process
1. Read the story three times,
 once for familiarisation,
 second for editing, and
 third for rechecking.
II. Finally, check for errors in spelling grammar, punctuation etc
III. To work upon the process of an invert ed pyramid, if the story is
exceeding, then condense it.
IV. To check for the right lead and the presence of 5 Ws and one H.
Copy Tightening and Fine -tuning:
Copy tightening means condensing the copy in view of the news value of
the story. The news value changes with time. The story might be getting a munotes.in

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109 Editing triple column in seven paragraphs in the city edition of the daily but it
might be reduced to a single column in two paragraphs in the late city
edition if the news value of that story has diminished.
The ne ws value of a story is a relative thing and an assessment has to be
made in view of the news value of other stories. If more important stories
need to be taken on the page, the copy editor might be compelled to
further tighten some story.
In newspapers, un like Indian satellite news channels, the concept followed
is that no story should be given more space than what it deserves. Also it
has to be edited in a manner that it carries the right words with the right
expression. The copy should be free from verbos ity, nothing unwanted
will make the copy tight.
For fine -tuning, a story has to be re -checked, re -edited before it goes for
print. Some of the following steps can be taken for re -checking
 Accuracy
 Balance
 Right credibility
 Attribution to right source
 Fairn ess of the context
 Focus, clarity
The Importance of a Style Sheet in a Newspaper
● A style sheet is a document that specifies editorial guidelines for a
newspaper or magazine's editorial staff.
● It lays out the rules that editorial employees must follow when
completing editorial tasks or performing editorial responsibilities.
● Both sub -editors and reporters will find guidelines or directions in it.
It informs them of the measures to be considered when writing or
editing the copy.
● Every newspaper has its own sty le sheet, which is created by the
Editor with the help of senior editorial personnel. This aids the
newspaper's ability to keep its own distinct style.
● Style sheet guides the editorial staff whenever they are stuck
somewhere, motivates them to improve the copy and produce a
presentable newspaper which is complete and perfect in every respect.
As a journalism student or a professional in the media, you'll find that one
of the most basic standards you'll have to meet in your job is style.
Professional writers adhere to the journalistic style, which includes both
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110 Reporting and Editing
110 should a writer's understanding and application of the rules of grammar,
spelling, and punctuation be flawless, but he or she sh ould also be aware
of and follow the industry's standard style guidelines. You've probably
noticed that newspapers only employ a limited number of typefaces and
colours, usually around four or five. This is due to the fact that each
newspaper adheres to a specific style guide.
Professional conventions and rules of usage can be split into two sorts of
journalistic style. Professional norms have developed over many years of
journalistic work and are now taught in universities and on the job.
Stylebooks publis hed by wire services, news syndicates, institutions, and
individual print and television news operations have compiled the
standards of usage. Some of these stylebooks are widely used and
influential. Others have stayed relatively local, resulting in speci fic
stylistic norms that reporters and editors for individual publications accept.
The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual is the primary source of
these standards for print writers.
The Associated Press stylebook has served as the style bible for
newspapers all across the world for many years. This document serves as
the cornerstone for most public relations departments and many
magazines' style guidelines. Apart from the Associated Press and Libel
Manual, the BBC News Style Guide, the Economist St yle Guide, the
Guardian Style Guide, the Times Style and Usage Guide, the Chicago
Manual of Style, the American Psychological Association Style (APA),
the American Sociological Style Association, and the Modern Language
Association Style are a few more wel l-known and widely used stylebooks
(MLA).
The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual include a variety of
style guidelines, which are listed below.
1. Capitalization:
Because uppercase letters are more difficult to read and make the sentence
appear u ninviting, unnecessary capitalization should be avoided.
E.g.: You can write to Mayor John Smith, but you should address your
letter to John Smith, mayor of Jonesville. That is, in the case of a title
following a name, use lowercase letters, but in the ca se of a formal name,
use uppercase letters. You should use them only when the reader will
recognize them instantly. The same principle applies to acronyms. Usually
abbreviations are used in case of titles before full names outside direct
quotations. For ex ample, Dr. Gov., Lt. Gov., Mr., Mrs. Etc. Abbreviations
are also used with dates or numerals like A.D, B.C, a.m., p.m.; in
numbered houses like 20 W. Main St.; names of certain states like U.S.A.;
and well know government agencies like C.I.A., F.B.I. etc
2. Punctuations:
Punctuation can shift the meaning of entire phrases if handled incorrectly.
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111 Editing punctuation marks are all examples of punctuation markings that can be
found in stylebooks. S emicolons, for example, are used to suggest greater
thinking and information separation than commas, but less than the
separation implied by a period: Rajiv Sharma of Delhi is survived by two
sisters, Julie Devi of Mumbai and Janki Sinha of Haryana, as wel l as
several grandkids.
3. Numerals:
Use whole numbers below ten and figures for numbers ten and up. This
rule applies to numbers that are used in a series as well as numbers that are
used singly. As a general, don't start sentences with numbers, but if yo u
must, spell them out. For almost all measurements and dimensions, use
numbers.
4. Spelling:
There are several words in journalism that are spelled differently. Because
of the requirement of style consistency, alternate spellings and variants are
incorrec t. Make it adviser, not adviser; television, not television, when
used as a word; percent, not percent; afterward, upward, ahead (no s); vice
president, not vice -president.
5. Usage:
Because it is passive, comprise meaning "to contain," not "to make up":
"The region comprises five states," not "five states compose the region" or
"the region is comprised of five states." Affect does not mean "carry out,"
but rather "impact." When used as a noun, effect means "outcome," and
when used as a verb, it means "carr y out." Both controller and comptroller
are pronounced "controller" and mean nearly the same thing, albeit
comptroller is more accurate when referring to government financial
officers while controller is more appropriate when referring to private
sector fi nancial officers.
Check your progress
1. What is editing and the steps to be followed?
2. What is a stylebook?
3. Discuss the importance of a style sheet.
Levels of Editing:
1. Structural Editing :
Substantive or developmental editing are other terms for st ructural editing.
This is the most time -consuming and hardest part of the editing process. It
is a highly expensive editing, but it provides clarity in editing prior to the
start of the task. The structural editing text is lengthy, and many draughts
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112 Reporting and Editing
112 The several types of structural editing and how they work. It is divided
into two types: -
Editing for Fiction : - Story formation is required to establish conflict,
build general strengths and weaknesses in t he story, and meet the
expectations of readers.
Non-fictional Editing : necessitates a specific structure, logic, and flow of
ideas in order to prepare the tale and meticulously construct the style and
format.
2. Copy Editing:
Copy editing is the process of checking, reviewing, and correcting written
material in terms of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting in
order to make it more effective, readable, and accurate. Before sending
any news information to be published, a copy editor is also responsi ble for
checking factual facts and inaccuracies.
3. Rewriting:
Rewriting entails rewriting and double -checking facts, statistics, and
formatting. The person in charge of making significant modifications in
original news information when creating a copy for print media or a
newspaper is known as a copy editor. However, in journalism, a "rewrite
man" is someone who works on another story and rewrites the obtained
information in different ways to avoid grammatical faults. Simply
described, rewriting is the pro cess of rewriting a news story or story errors
before sending it to be published.
4. Proofing:
Proofing, often known as proof reading, is the process of checking for
textual problems in a newspaper's original copy before it is submitted to
press for public ation. To make a document publishable, proofing entails
carefully examining each and every word, which may include punctuation
marks, grammar, spelling errors, sentence structure, and so on. Almost
everyone thinks that the best way to proof is to have some one else do it for
you rather than proofing your own paper. This work is usually done by
sub-editors or proof -readers in a newspaper.
5. CRC:
Cycle redundancy check (CRC) is an acronym for cycle redundancy
check. It's an error -detection code that's commonl y utilised in digitally -
enabled printing and editing systems. This system is capable of detecting
storage device errors as well as unintentional raw data alterations. Once
data is provided for publication, CRCs can be utilised to fix errors. W.
Wesley Pete rson invented the CRC in 1961. It is mostly used to catch
transferred digital data in Wi -Fi and Ethernet -enabled systems. The bulk
of publications and researchers nowadays use this approach to correct any
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113 Editing
Proof -reading Marks:
Source: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/help -tools/proofreading -
marks.html
You are now in a position to explain what editing entails . You've gained a
foundation in editing, news value, editorial policy, and the editorial
process, among other things. I hope the examples provided provide you
with enough information to comprehend editorial work and gain a
thorough understanding of editing principles. In a sense, an editor acts as a
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114 Reporting and Editing
114 "gatekeeper," deciding what should or should not be published in a
newspaper. He is the final authority on any copy that he or his
organisation receives.
Another significant component in publishing any news in a newspaper is
space and time, which varies depending on the situation and article.
Newsworthiness is the criterion by which an editor decides whether or not
to give a story space in his publication. Before publishing every news
item, an editor double -check s the news value, accuracy, facts, and
objectivity.
10.5 SUMMARY ● In a sense, an editor acts as a "gatekeeper," deciding what should or
should not be published in a newspaper. He is the final authority on
any copy that he or his organisation receives.
● A sty le sheet is a document that specifies editorial guidelines for a
newspaper or magazine's editorial staff.
● Whatever we as readers read in a newspaper and other periodicals is
exactly not the same, as what was written by the reporter. The copy
written by a r eporter passes through many changes -minor to major
before it finally goes to print.
● Editing is a multifarious job which is very difficult to define. It entails
selecting the copy, removing grammatical mistakes, refining
expression, double -checking facts an d statistics, and altering the font
size, length, deciding the display or placement, putting the headline
10.6 QUESTIONS 1. What is the objective of editing?
2. How is a stylebook important in a newspaper or magazine?
3. What are the levels of editing?
4. What are the guidelines of Stylebook?
10.7 REFERENCES 1. Saxena, A. (2007). Fundamentals of Reporting and Editing.
KanishkaPublishers.
2. Ravindran, RK. (1999). Handbook of Reporting And Editing. Anmol
Publications Pvt. Limited
3. Singh, B. P., New s Editing, Anmol Publication, 2011
Web links:
https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/57121/1/Unit%2010.pdf munotes.in

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115 Editing https://kkhsou.ac.in/eslm/E -SLM -for-
Learner/6th%20Sem/Bachelor%20Degree/Mass%20Communication/
Englisf%20 for%20Medioa%20Studies/English%20for%20Media%20
Studoes%20Block%202/Unit%2015%20Setting.pdf

*****





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