How To Identify Different Types of Journalism

By B. Danesco

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Being a critical reader has perhaps never been as important as it is today--in an age when any
moron (I'm sorry, did I say moron?) with a PC can create a "news blog" and when the twenty-four
hour news cycle is firing information at us from all sides nonstop (which is why they call it the
twenty-four hour news cycle, I guess). As critical readers (people trying to discern things like what's
worth reading and how a piece is meant to be read), one skill we may want to work on is that of
identifying different types of journalism--knowing how to distinguish hard news, editorial journalism,
infotainment, tabloid junk, and stylized literary journalism. Here are some things to keep in mind
when trying to identify different types of journalism.

1.

Check the facts. A lot of partisan critics of all stripes these days derail different "hard
news" channels, papers, and Internet sources for being "slanted," liberally or
conservatively. How then, is one supposed to recognize real "hard news" or indisputable
journalistic coverage? My suggestion is to look for facts instead of opinion. Look for facts,
figures, and a focus on the classic who, what, where, when, why and how of an incident.
Fact is the hallmark of hard news.
What if opinions are given in the course of a factual account? Say you're watching a BBC
news item on Darfur and some relief worker gives an opinion on the cause of the genocide
there. Then look how the opinion is integrated into the piece. Is it made clear that this is
just one person's point of view? Is it mixed into the fuller context? Is a counterpoint
offered? As long as the opinion is a part of the story as in "Here's what some people
think...," then it can very well be hard news.

One example of hard news is PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. The nightly segments cover
world and national events using facts, extensive interviews with people from different sides
of the issues, and no editorial commentary from Jim Lehrer or others on the staff after the
report.
2.

Check your blood pressure. If you find yourself getting incensed by what you're reading
or watching, or find yourself wanting to buy the commentator's latest book because he's
just SO right, you're probably reading or watching editorial journalism. This is the kind of
journalism where people talk about what they believe, what they think, and what they think
they know. Facts are used selectively. The lines between "bad guys" and "good guys" are
clearly drawn. And for a lot of the editorial journalists and their fans, sadly, truth is often

defined as whatever is said the loudest.

Also unfortunately, we often confuse editorial journalism for hard news. We seek out people
whose political opinions are similar to ours and take their interpretation of the facts, their
commentaries, their list of rights and wrongs perpetrated during the day or the week, and
we embrace them as objective reality. We do very little fact-checking on our own. We
dismiss opposing opinions. And we don't tune into hard news (like NewsHour) because
we're convinced the people there are "against us" because they may show us factual
accounts of things we'd rather not have reported (for example, they make our guy look
bad). Too many people have stopped caring about being informed and care only about
being agreed with or pandered to.

Now if you're looking for an example of editorial journalism, just reread the above
paragraph. It's my editorial commentary on the state of the American journalism consumer.
No facts, just opinions.
3.

Check how much fun you're having. "Infotainment" is information merged with
entertainment, and I believe that it has two branches. The first is the branch that operates
under the guise of covering "hard news." This branch consists of the shoddy over-reporting
of non-important events solely for the gratification of the consumers' sensationalist tastes
and the ratings-greed of the news source.
An example of what we might call infotainment "branch one" would be the coverage of the
Lacey Peterson case. This was a tragic event, but the reason it was covered to the degree it
was--for almost a year--had nothing to do with its relative importance. Consumers wanted
the dirt and the scandal, so the newscasters on Court TV, etc. kept on covering it with their
serious, indignant countenances all severe and analytical. The line is blurred between news
and movie-of-the-week.

The other kind of infotainment isn't as exploitative. It doesn't try to be anything other than
it is. It's what you might call "fluff" journalism--unimportant, human interest type stories
that include facts but are really just there for fun. Unfortunately, a lot of serious news
outlets can bulk up with this sort of infotainment when we really need to know more about
serious issues. For instance, we know more about recent celebrity births than we do about
the huge global problems the celebrities are trying to call attention to, like the spread of
HIV, poverty, malaria, or whatever it might be. We love infotainment. It's happy and it
makes us happy. But it also keeps us from reality sometimes and surely exploits the people
who it covers.

4.

Check if it could happen in reality. Infotainment should not be confused with tabloid
journalism. Infotainment is the overexposure of the real, while tabloid journalism is, well,
stuff like "Hitler's Nose found in Oprah's backyard" or "Dolly Parton makes deathbed
confession to JFK assassination." You know this type of stuff. We read it for information, but
not the kind we actually believe. It's sort of a joke, isn't it? Personally, I don't find it very
entertaining.

5.

Check if it really happened, but sounds a lot cooler now. A growing subgenre of
journalism is that of literary journalism, or literary non-fiction, wherein authors take their
subject matter, research or experience them in depth, and then write about them in a very
descriptive, engaging way. Or try to. It's sort of an answer to the dumbed-down news byte
mixed with the desire to write in a less black-and-white journalistic manner. Many
magazines today are comprised of literary nonfiction pieces. For example, some Sports
Illustrated writers can turn a baseball game into an epic battle. Authors like Gay Talese and
the late Hunter S. Thompson have works in this genre, too--telling real stories in a creative
way instead of just "what happened when." You may consider the "Essay" segment on PBS'
NewsHour to be literary journalism.

Whatever kind of journalism you read, listen to, or watch, take care to be objective and to recognize
when the journalists aren't. There's more news than ever, and not all of it is worth considering.

Glossary
body, body copy - the main part of a story.
byline - a journalists credit (as in by Jane Doe).
casual - a freelance journalist (frequently a sub) who works on the premises of a
publication for agreed periods of time (shifts).
correspondent - a news journalist operating in the field who is a full-time employee or
contracted to a publisher or broadcaster (see also stringer).
commissioning - the process of getting a freelance contributor or company to produce
something - from a single story or photograph to a series of books or a programme strand
- for print or broadcast. In books or TV, undertaken by a commissioning editor. In
newspapers or magazines, undertaken by an editor, assistant editor or section editor.
consumer journalist - a journalist working for a consumer publication or programme.
consumer publications - publications aimed at the general public typically focusing on a
particular area of the consumer market.

copy - text, usually forming the body of an article, report or book.

copy editor - a journalist, typically in the book trade, and sometimes in magazines, who
acts as a cross between an editor and a sub.
current affairs - news features in TV-speak.
editor - in news and magazines, an editor is a journalist with overall charge of a title; in
books, an editor may be the person responsible for a series of publications or for a single
publication comprising contributions from several authors; in broadcasting, an editor is
the person responsible for a programme strand; in film, an editor cuts and splices film or
video to build the finished narrative.
fact-checker - a journalist who checks the facts and assertions in a story for accuracy. A
largely American phenomenon.
feature - a lengthy article providing topical background or non-topical information,
frequently interview-based. Also a factual tv or radio programme.
feature-writer - a journalist who writes features.
freelance - a self-employed journalist who provides material for a number of publications
or media companies.
head, headline - the text at the top of a story usually in big type.
house magazine - periodical produced for an organisation as promotional literature or to
communicate with staff or customers. May be produced by a specialist company or in
house by the organisation itself.
house style - typographical, grammatical and lexical conventions established by a
particular title or media company.
illustrator - someone who provides pictorial items - but not straightforward photographs
- for printed stories
industrial councils - elected NUJ bodies charged with developing the unions work in
different areas of journalism.
learndirect - a Government initiative to encourage lifelong learning through the
provision of courses and support for adult learners.
magazine - in print, a periodical publication, typically printed on glossy paper and
appearing at most weekly; in broadcast, a programme comprising several stories or items.

make-up, page make-up - the process of creating a design for a page which will be
turned into a printing plate.
mark-up - annotations within a story to instruct designers how the story should be
presented.
news agency - an organisation which collects news items, usually using its own reporters,
photographers and correspondents, and sells them to news outlets.
news wire (see news agency)
NTO - National Training Organisation. Currently, there are two NTOs relevant to
journalism, the Publishing NTO (which brings together the training activities of the
Periodical Publishers Association and the Newspaper Society) and Skillset for
broadcasting.
NVQ - National Vocational Qualification - a national standard for vocational training
allowing practical skills to form the basis of a qualification (called SNVQ in Scotland).
package - a self-contained broadcast item, often produced as part of a news magazine.
pre-entry, pre-entry qualifications - the stage immediately before becoming a
journalist; qualifications essential for anyone about to become a journalist.
PR - public (or press) relations. According to the Institute of Public Relations, the
planned and sustained effort to establish goodwill and mutual understanding between an
organisation and its publics.
programme - a single broadcast event.
proof, proof copy, proof reader - a proof or proof copy is a pre-publication printed
version of a story or title. A proof reader is a journalist who checks proofs for mistakes.
pure play - a term indicating online enterprises which have no involvement in better
established forms or media.
reportage - news in narrative form.
reporter - a journalist who specialises in writing or presenting news items.
researcher - a journalist who discovers basic information on behalf of writers or others.
section editor - a journalist responsible for a part of a publication such as foreign news,
reviews, fashion or sport.
shift - a conventional division of the working day determined by the production cycle of

a publication.
sms - simple message service; the technology behind text messaging by mobile phone among other things, a developing medium for journalism.
snapper - a photographer.
staffer - a journalist working on staff (as opposed to a freelance).
stm - scientific, technical and medical, a category in publishing.
story - a news item or feature in every phase of its existence.
strand, programme strand - a series of (usually factual) programmes appearing at
regular intervals under the same series title (such as Horizon, Panorama or Newsnight).
stringer - a news journalist operating in the field as a freelance correspondent (see also
correspondent).
sub, sub-editor - in print, a journalist who cuts copy to the required length while
preserving its meaning, checks spelling, grammar, house style and (less often) factual
accuracy, and marks up the copy for designers; in broadcast, a journalist who writes short
bulletins or scripts.
syndication - re-publication of material (typically in other countries) under the terms of a
joint agreement.
title - a publication or the name of a story, publication, programme or programme strand.
trade papers, trade press, trades - publications aimed at a professional or business
readership, as opposed to consumer publication.
wire service (see news agency)

Types of Online Journalism

Digital and online journalism has changed the face of journalism and the way in
which consumers access the news. The way in which the public and journalists alike,
access news and information on the internet is possible through a variety of
channels.
Mark Deuze, an assistant professor at the University of Amsterdam, identifies
four types of online journalism, these include, mainstream news sites, search
engines such as yahoo and google, media watchdogs and media discussion groups
and lastly share and discussion sites? (Reuven, 2002: 38).

The first type of online journalism is the mainstream news site. Mainstream news
sites offer a selection of editorial content and also a moderated form of participatory
communication. Some of these online news outlets include sites such as ABC News
and CNN. These web sites are very important as they act as indexes to the vast
field of online news.? (Hall, 2001: 32) Since the role of these news sites is
primarily editorial, web links are provided within each story in order to provide a
more holistic view of the issue being discussed.
The second type of online journalism represents search engines that assimilate news
from existing services for subscribers and also offer links to various mainstream
news sites. Online journalism doesnt only make news and comment
available on the Internet, it directs consumers towards the sea of information from
governmental, quasi-governmental and corporate agencies and provides navigation
charts? (Hall, 2001: 37) through such avenues as search engines like google and
yahoo.
Personal websites and weblogs are also included in this category of online
journalism. Weblogs are websites run mostly by individuals, as opposed to
professional news organizations, that are updated regularly using content
management software.? (Kawamoto, 2003: 16) There is debate however, as to
whether personal pages and weblogs qualifies as digital journalism, as there content
can be somewhat irrelevant, inaccurate and unreliable.
The third type of online journalism is made up primarily of sites that discuss media
content and act as a media watchdog. These websites are mainly concerned with
content regulation on the Internet, enabling the public to discuss and debate such
issues with other like-minded people. Such discussions can be informative as they
help people formulate and revise their own perspectives by creating a forum to
articulate their ideas, listen to what others have to say, and respond to different
points of view. (Kawamoto, 2003: 13)
Lastly, the fourth category consists of share and discussion sites. These
provide place for exchanging ideas often centered around a specific
locality/community, or a particular theme such as worldwide anti-globalization
activism or computer news? (Reuven, 2002: 38). These web sites exist for a
variety of reasons including, information sharing, companionship, support, romance,
advice, commerce and criticism to name a few. The content circulated in these
groups often provides alternative or supplemental sources of news and information,
albeit with differing degrees of credibility, than that collected and distributed by
mainstream media.? (Kawamoto, 2003: 15)
It is through these four types categories that create the framework for online
journalism. Although there are some critics of digital journalism that think that the
real news may get lost in the array of new technologies or in the chaos of
too much information it is important to remember that online news sites are
extremely valuable. They deliver and transmit up to the minute breaking news to the
public, provide interactive and engaging content that can build audience relations
and on a day to day basis act as an invaluable source of entertainment and
information.

Bibliography
Hall, J. (2001) Online Journalism, London: Pluto Press
Reuven, F. (2002) News About News, New Leader; vol. 85, no. 5, pp.38-41. [Online]
Available: Ebsco Host Academic Search Elite Database. [Accessed 7. Sep. 2004]
Kawamoto, K. (2003) Digital Journalism: Emerging Media and the Changing Horizons
of Journalism, Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.
Kellie McCall 17:40, 19 Oct 2004 (EST)
By Mindy McAdams
e-mail:
mindy@macloo.com
University of Florida

Online Media Types

>
>
>
>

Online Journalism
Writing for the Web
Interactivity
Scholarship
TYPE

Text

Photos

> How to make use of these online media types

SUBTYPE

Static

CHARACTERISTICS

COMMENTS

Similar to printed text:

May be inside a scrolling
Does not move or change; box
cannot be changed by
users

Moving

Typical in ads; "flying

text"; may disappear or
change; may show and
hide; may expand and
contract

Link

Clickable; usually
May be embedded in static
differentiated from
or moving text; may be
unlinked text by color or
navigation (reused
decoration, e.g. underlining throughout site for
wayfinding) or
independent (not for
wayfinding)

Independent;
"singles"

Slide show

Not the same as a scrolling

box that contains text;
moving text actually travels
and changes

More than one independent

Not part of a photo group; photo may appear on one
may accompany text, have page
a caption, or be
accompanied by audio

Set of photos that are

displayed in a sequence;
usually with no preview of
upcoming photos

Passive (user only

watches) or active (user
can control speed or
order); with or without
audio (music, narration,

ambient / natural; may be

looping or not); photos
may move or zoom (see
example)
Gallery

Graphics

Audio

Static; fixed

Linear (after user's initial

Set of photos displayed in selection, the gallery takes
some way that allows users on a slide show format) or
to select which photos to nonlinear (user can
view; usually with
always select the next
thumbnail images
photo from a set)
Does not move, is not
Difference between a photo
clickable, is not a "realistic" and a graphic may be hard
photo; may convey
to discern in some cases
information, or not;
(e.g. a "photo illustration");
includes logos and
some graphics are
headings in cases where
illustrations with little or
the text is an image (text no information value;
is not selectable but is part "infographics"
of the graphic)
deliberately convey
information, e.g. a diagram
of a car engine

Moving; motion

Animation; may convey

Passive (user only
information or not (e.g. a watches) or active (user
blinking light bulb); may
can control or make
include clickable sequences choices regarding the
within the animation
action); may be integrated
with or include photos
and/or video; with or
without sound (see
example)

Link

Clickable; may be static or Navigation (reused

moving; may have a
throughout site for
rollover (mouseover) visual wayfinding) or icon
effect, or not; may include (reused throughout site but
text as part of the image not for wayfinding; always
(such text is not
means the same thing, e.g.
selectable)
"download") or
independent (not
navigation or icon; may be
reused)

Instant

Usually of very short

Usually provides feedback duration
to users, e.g. a beep sound
when a button is clicked

Looping

Soundtrack repeats
Controllable (user can
endlessly, e.g. a music loop stop or start sound and/or
change volume; sometimes
can even change the track)
or not controllable

Non-looping

Sound plays once and does Can be ambient/natural

not repeat automatically

sound, music, voiceover,

etc.; controllable (user
can stop or start sound
and/or change volume;
sometimes can even
change the track) or not
controllable

Motion recorded with a

camera (note that an
online video player can
play non-video media;
motion online often is not
video)

May include photos or still

shots; may include audio;
compare with
Graphics/Moving and
Photos/Slide show

Text fields, radio buttons,

check boxes, selectable
lists allow user to enter or
choose information

Typical uses are polls,

quizzes, surveys; also used
for shopping; response to
user may be delayed
(check back later for the
results) or immediate;
when submitted, form data
may be saved in a
database, e-mailed, used
to generate a response, or
all of these

E-mail input

Provides both an e-mail

address and a means for
sending e-mail

May be a mailto: link

(opens an e-mail
application) or a form for
sending e-mail to a specific
e-mail address

Discussion

Asynchronous, many-toMay take place via e-mail

many discourse among two or through a Web interface
or more participants
(e-mail discussions are
often archived on the
Web); may be moderated
or unmoderated

Chat

Synchronous discourse
among two or more
participants

Publication

Users contribute content to Includes group Weblogs

a site they do not own or and community sites (e.g.
control; content typically is IndyMedia.org) compare
not edited by anyone other with User
than the contributor
interaction/Discussion

Video

User
interaction

Form input

May be archived after

completion; may be oneto-one,
one-to-many, or
many-to-many;
may be moderated or
unmoderated

Contents of this page copyright 2003-2006 by Melinda J. McAdams. All Rights

Reserved. Printed copies of this page may be used for educational purposes only if this
copyright notice and the URL of this page are included. Anyone may link to this page,

but no one may enclose this page in a frameset. It is a violation of U.S. and
international copyright law to include this text on another Web page or to use it in print
without a complete attribution acknowledging the source and the author.
Publication date: 11 March 2003
Last update: 19 November 2006

By Mindy McAdams
e-mail:
mindy@macloo.com
University of Florida

Using Online Media Types

> Online Journalism
> Writing for the Web
> Interactivity
TYPE

Text

Photos

> See the chart of online media types

COMMENTS ABOUT USE

How much will a person read on a Web page? Is there a limit? Maybe. My
informal analyses have shown that a typical long-form journalism story
"switches gears" after 300-400 words, then again after 600-800, etc.
(See the Web writing tips page.)
Even one relevant, good-quality photo might make the story more
interesting to the online user. Don't forget to get pictures! Standard mug
shots are not interesting. Posed photo ops are not interesting. Some
online photos are saved improperly; this makes the file size over-large
and the download slow. Do gaudy ads on the page diminish the impact of
the photo?

Graphics

Can you illustrate any part of the story? Can you use a geographical
map? A diagram? A bar chart or pie chart to compare numbers? Users
can understand better and faster when certain kinds of information are
presented visually. Plan ahead and get the graphic artists involved in your
story.

Audio

If you can get people in your story to speak, the user will get more out of
hearing their real voices. Let them tell their own story. It only takes a
little practice to gather good audio. If the photographer can't or won't do
it, then send someone else along. All reporters should invest in a decent,
sturdy, omni-directional microphone.

Video

When is video justified? When does it complement or enhance the story?

Video always requires a big download. This is becoming less burdensome
as more people get broadband Internet connections, but most video
online still makes the user wait. And wait. After the video begins to play,
how long will the user sit and watch before getting a twitchy mouse
finger?

User
interaction

Form input

E-mail input

What are you asking the user to tell you, and why? Will
your questions seem intrusive (e.g., "What is your
income?"), irrelevant, or just too time-consuming?
Can the users find an e-mail address for you quickly
and easily? If they send e-mail, will they get an

answer? Will someone read their e-mail, or does it just

go into a trash bin?
Discussion

Many discussions deteriorate if there is no moderator,

but it's usually impractical to have a moderator. Giving
users a way to report foul language or even "topic
drift" provides a workable compromise.

Chat

A controlled live chat in which a special guest answers

qustions from users can be really excellent. The trick is
to have a human filter between the users' questions
and the live chat interface.

Publication

Users' articles or blogs can be excellent or terrible,

much like discussions and chats. Do you edit them or
not? Who polices the content, or is it unmoderated? If
you have a clear plan, you can make a user-written
section of the site vibrant and valuable. What kinds of
content should users contribute, and why?

So how do you want to tell your story? What media types advance the story or
make it most clear, most interesting? Always ask yourself what else you can bring
to the act of storytelling -- what, in addition to your usual form, your usual
medium?

Journalism

Choose a type of job to find out more about it

Broadcast journalist

Job description
Broadcast journalists are responsible for investigating, gathering and reporting on
news and current affairs issues. They are expected to present this information in
a fair, balanced and accurate way through news bulletins, documentaries and
other factual programmes for radio and television broadcast.
Skillset (Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries) defines broadcast
journalism as 'the collection, verification and analysis of events which affect
people'. The work of a broadcast journalist shapes people's perceptions of the
world in which they live and therefore has a far-reaching impact.
Broadcast journalists can fill a number of roles within the media including editor,
reporter, presenter/news anchor, correspondent.

Typical work activities

Although exact duties and responsibilities will vary from role to role and between
radio and television, broadcast journalists will generally be involved in many of
the following duties, on a daily basis:

generating ideas for stories/features and following leads from news

agencies, the police, the public, press conferences and other sources;
pitching ideas to editors and commissioners;
researching and collating evidence and information to support a story
using relevant information sources (internet, archives, databases etc);
writing scripts for bulletins, headlines and reports which adhere to legal
and contractual guidelines;
selecting appropriate locations, pictures and sound and exercising
editorial judgement on the best angle to approach a story from;
identifying necessary resources and deploying/managing technical crews
for location shoots, including sound operators and camera crew;
providing directorial input, advising crews on what to film or record;
using portable digital video (DV) cameras and other equipment to shoot
material and appropriate editing software to produce complete packages
for broadcast;
preparing and presenting material 'on air' for both pre-recorded and live
pieces;
identifying potential interviewees, briefing them, preparing interview
questions and conducting both live and recorded interviews;
preparing timings for each news item and monitoring these during
broadcast;
deciding on the running order for bulletins and making any necessary
changes during broadcast;
developing and maintaining local contacts and assuming a public relations
role.

Fashion journalist

A fashion journalist uses the written word to portray what is, essentially, a visual
medium in interesting, creative, entertaining and imaginative ways. They need to
understand the difference between fashion and shopping, taking into account
wider and more diverse factors, including societal, cultural and economic
contexts.
Tasks typically involve:

communicating the constantly changing fashion market to a wide

audience;
reviewing and keeping abreast of new ranges, designers and trends;
visiting and building contacts with relevant PR companies;

attending press open days, trade and consumer shows;

researching the fashion media;
interviewing designers;
organising and attending fashion shoots;
writing and editing features and news stories.

Magazine journalist

Job description
Magazine journalists research and write news and feature articles suited to a
magazine's reader profile. The readership of a magazine is often defined by a
common need or interest.
There are over 9,000 magazine titles in the UK covering a diverse range of topics
and varying from glossy magazines to trade newsletters. Most fall into one of four
categories:

business;
professional;
consumer;
specialist consumer.

The three main branches of magazine journalism are news writing, feature
writing and sub-editing. Although generally in paper format, many magazine
publishers increasingly produce material in new media (for example, CD, web, or
audio) in addition to hard copy.

Typical work activities

The work can vary considerably depending on the size of the organisation and
the subject matter covered by the publication. It can also vary depending on the
medium through which the magazine is produced. Typical work activities include:

researching a subject and story;

talking to people;
atttending seminars, conferences and fairs (some magazine publishers
hold exhibitions and events to allow advertisers to meet their readership);
generating ideas for stories;
meeting with colleagues to plan the content of the edition and the
character of the publication.

Journalists, particularly freelancers, will also spend time networking and building
relationships with publications and their staff. A commissioning editor will also be
involved in monitoring the work of others.
Producing text that reads well and that is in keeping with the mood of the
readership is important, but generating interesting ideas for subjects to cover is
probably more significant overall.
On smaller magazines, the role might include all of these activities plus
administrative work; in a larger team the role will probably be more strictly
defined.

Newspaper journalist

Job description
Newspaper journalists, or reporters, source, research and write stories for
publication in local, regional and national press - and, increasingly, newspaper
websites.
Junior reporters are allocated work from the news desk and submit stories to the
news editor, who passes it on to a team of sub-editors. Some multi-tasking may
be involved on smaller papers, covering functions such as photography, subediting, illustration and layout.
Journalists cover all sorts of topics, including: news; politics; culture; sport;
science; local and national events; entertainment; lifestyle, and 'human interest'
stories. Correspondents cover specific geographical areas, or specialist subjects.
Feature writers produce more in-depth pieces with a personal voice.

Typical work activities

There is no such thing as a typical day in newspaper journalism, but reporters
may be involved in the following:

interviewing people in a range of different circumstances - for example,

those experiencing distress (e.g. bereaved relatives), good fortune (e.g.
lottery winners), celebrity success, or those affected by or involved in
making political decisions (e.g. in relation to hospital reorganisation);
building contacts to maintain a flow of news, e.g. police and emergency
services, local council, community organisations, health trusts, press
officers from a variety of organisations, the general public, etc;

seeking out and investigating stories via your contacts, press releases,
other media, etc;
attending press conferences and asking questions;
attending a variety of events, such as council meetings, magistrates' court
proceedings, football matches, talent contests, etc;
manning the phones on the news desk and reacting to breaking news
stories;
working closely with the news team, photographers and editors;
recording interviews and meetings using shorthand or technical
equipment;
producing concise and accurate copy according to the newspaper's house
style, and to strict deadlines - daily papers may have several each day;
writing short 'fillers' to entertain, and researching and writing longer feature
articles, sometimes for subsidiary publications - e.g. supplements;
creating and uploading news content for the newspaper website.

Press sub-editor

Job description
Press sub-editors are journalists who work for:

national daily or weekly newspapers;

local and regional newspapers;
magazines.

They are responsible for ensuring that the tone, style and layout of final copy
matches the publication's house style and suits the target market.
The work involves processing all the copy before it is published to ensure that it
is accurate, makes sense and reads well. Sub-editors also lay out the story on
the page and may be involved with overall page design.
Like other journalism roles, sub-editing is demanding and requires constant
attention to detail within a fast-paced working environment.

Typical work activities

Work activities vary and can depend on the extent to which production and layout
work falls within a sub-editor's remit. Only senior sub-editors would be expected
to have legal knowledge, but there are common activities that form much of the
work of most sub-editors. These include:

editing copy to remove spelling mistakes and grammatical errors;

rewriting material so that it flows or reads better and adheres to the house
style of a particular publication;
ensuring that a story fits a particular word count by cutting or expanding
material as necessary;
writing headlines that capture the essence of the story or are clever or
amusing;
writing stand-firsts or sells (brief introductions which sum up the story);
liaising with reporters or journalists to clarify facts and details about a
story;
editing press releases or reports;
compiling routine information, such as tables of sports results or financial
data;
checking facts and stories to ensure they are accurate, do not break the
law or go against the publication's policy;
cropping photos and deciding where to use them for best effect;
writing the captions for pictures;
discussing concerns with editors;
proofreading complete pages produced by other sub-editors;
working to a page plan to ensure that the right stories appear in the
correct place on each page;
laying out pages and, depending on the nature of the role, playing a part in
page design;
adding last minute news stories;
keeping up to date with sector issues, e.g. by reading related publications.

Scientific journalist

A scientific journalist researches, writes and edits scientific news articles and
features for business, trade and professional publications, specialist scientific
and technical journals, and the general media. They often need to be able to
explain complex scientific information, theories, practices in clear, concise,
jargon-free language that can be understood by people who are not experts in
these fields, whilst maintaining accuracy.
Typical work activities include:

attending academic conferences and visiting research establishments;

attending relevant press conferences;
writing reports and features for web and printed publications;
interviewing and establishing a network of industry experts;
reading and researching specialist media and literature, e.g. company
reports, newspapers and journals, press releases and internet resources.

A science degree is usually essential for specialist and technical journals.

However, those without a science background may be able to enter general
interest science magazines (since they are often able to explain complex
processes to the uninitiated more clearly). Many employers now look for preentry or postgraduate qualifications in journalism. There are also a few
postgraduate and PhD opportunities in science communication .

Glossary
Some terms can be useful in providing a common vocabulary with which to discuss
journalism.
Advertisement

the promotion of a product or service

Advertising manager

the person who oversees the sales representatives who sell space to advertisers,
and ensures that ads are in the appropriate section

Advertorial

an advertisement section in a magazine that looks like an article or a feature

Advocacy

a style of journalism in which a reporter takes sides in controversial issues and

develops a point of view
a style of journalism which is opposite of mainstream journalism, in which
reporters are expected to be objective

Angle

particular emphasis of a media presentation, sometimes called a slant

Attribution

credit given to who said what or the source of facts

B-roll

video images shot specifically to be used over a reporters words to illustrate the
news event or story, to cover up audio edits of quotes (to avoid the jerking head
effect), or to cover up bad shots (out of focus, poorly lighted, etc.)

Background

information that is not intended for publication

Bias

a position that is partial or slanted

Broadcast feature

longer than usual broadcast news story that gives reporters 5-25 minutes
(compared to usual 30-60 seconds) to develop a deeper look at a news event,
trend, or individual
the broadcast equivalent of a newspaper feature story; also known as "television
magazine piece" or radio feature

By-line

the name of the reporter

Canadian press

National news agency set up by the daily newspapers of Canada to exchange

news among themselves and with international news agencies

Caption

copy which accompanies a photograph or graphic

Classified ads

categories of products or services

short, direct text ads which clearly indicate WHAT is being advertised, the
PRICE, WHERE, and HOW the advertiser can be contacted

Column

an article in which a writer or columnist gives an opinion on a topic

Commercial

an advertisement that is presented on television, radio, or film

Conflict of interest

the conflict that is created when a writer allows personal interests (friendship,
family, business connections, etc.) to influence the outcome of the story

Copy

the words of an article, news story, or book

any broadcast writing, including commercials
any written material intended for publication, including advertising

Copyreader

the person who "proofreads" copy as it comes in, checking for spelling,
punctuation, accuracy of style, and clarity

Credibility

believability of a writer or publication

Date line

the place the story was filed

Deck

a smaller headline which comes between the headline and the story

Display ads

ads that include a visual image to advertise a product or service

Editor

the person who "edits" a story by revising and polishing

the person whose job is to approve copy when it comes in and to make decisions
about what is published in a newspaper or magazine

Editorial

an article expressing a newspaper or magazine owners or editors position on an

issue

Facts sheet

a page of significant information prepared by Public Relations people to help

news media in covering a special event

Feature article

the main article on the front page of a newspaper, or the cover story in a magazine

Five Ws and H

the primary questions a news story answers --Who? What? When? Where? Why?
How?

Gatekeepers

people who determine what will be printed, broadcast, produced, or consumed in

the mass media

Gobbledygook

language that is unnecessarily complicated, unclear, wordy, or includes jargon

Gutter

narrow margin of white space in the center area in a magazine, newspaper, or

book, where two pages meet

Hard news stories

factual accounts of important events, usually appearing first in a newspaper

Headline

the "title" of a newspaper or magazine story

Human interest story

a story that focuses on the human side of news and often appeals to the readers
emotion

Inverted pyramid

the structure of a news story which places the important facts at the beginning and
less important facts and details at the end, enabling the editor to cut bottom
portion of the story if space is required

Investigative journalism

a story that requires a great amount of research and hard work to come up with
facts that might be hidden, buried, or obscured by people who have a vested
interest in keeping those facts from being published

Jargon

any overly obscure, technical, or bureaucratic words that would not be used in
everyday language

Journalese

a type of jargon used by newspaper writers

language used by journalists that would never be used in everyday speech

Jump line

line of type at the bottom of a column which directs the reader to somewhere else
in the paper where the story is completed, allowing more space for stories to
begin on the front page

Kicker

an ending that finishes a story with a climax, surprise, or punch line

Layout editor

the person who begins the layout plan, considering things like placement and
amount of space allotted to news and advertising copy, graphics, photos, and
symbols

Lead

the first sentence or first few sentences of a story

Libel

publishing in print (or other media) false information that identifies and deframes
an individual

Managing editor

the person who co-ordinates all news departments by collecting all copy and
ensuring that all instructions for printer or typist are clear and consistent
the person who meets and consults with the staff to make a plan

Masthead

the "banner" across the front page which identifies the newspaper and the date of
publication
the publication information on the editorial page

Media relations

a function of public relations that involves dealing with the communications

media in seeking publicity for, or responding to media interest in, an organization

Morgue

newsroom library

News angle

the aspect, twist, or detail of a feature story that pegs it to a news event or gives it
news value for the reader

Newspaper styles

styles of various newspapers including dailies, tabloids, and weeklies

Newsspeak

language that distorts, confuses, or hides reality

Off the record

something a source does not want repeated in a news story

Op-ed page

a page in a newspaper that is opposite the editorial page, and contains columns,
articles, letters for readers, and other items expressing opinions

Package

a completed television news story on tape, which is edited before a news show
goes on air and contains reporters stand-ups, narration over images, and an outcue for the anchor to start speaking at the end of the tape

Paraphrase

Photos

an indirect quote or summary of the words the news maker said

still images which communicate the photojournalists angle or perceived reality

short for pictures

Pix

Plagiarism

using the work of another person (both written words and intellectual property)
and calling that work your own

Public affairs

various activities and communications that organizations undertake to monitor,

evaluate, influence, and adjust to the attitudes, opinions, and behaviours of groups
or individuals who constitute their publics

Reporters

the people who gather facts for the stories they are assigned to write

Rules

lines used to separate one story from another on a newspaper page

Screens

shaded areas of copy in a newspaper

Sidebar

a column of copy and/or graphics which appears on the page of a magazine or

newspaper to communicate information about the story or contents of the paper

Slander

similar to libel, but spoken instead of published

Soft news

stories that are interesting but less important than hard news, focusing on people
as well as facts and information and including interviews, reviews, articles, and
editorials

Sound bite

the videotaped quote in television news

Source

a person who talks to a reporter on the record, for attribution in a news story

Spin

hidden slant of a press source, which usually casts the client in a positive light

Stand-up

a reporters appearance in a TV news story

usually a head and shoulders shot which features the reporter talking into a
microphone at the scene of the news event, often used as a transition, or at the
beginning or ending

Style

conformity of language use by all writers in a publication (e.g., AP style is

conformity to the rules of language according to the Associated Press)

Summary lead

the traditional journalism tool used to start off most hard news stories
the first few sentences of a news story which usually summarizes the event and
answers the questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Super

a video effect that allows the television station to print and superimpose the name
of a news source over his or her image when the source is shown talking in a
news story

Tabloid

technically, a publication half the size of a standard newspaper page; but

commonly, any newspaper that is splashy and heavily illustrated
a "supermarket" tabloid that stresses dramatic stories, often about sensational
subjects

Target audience

a specific group of people that media producers or advertisers want to reach

Transition

a rhetorical device used in writing to move the story smoothly from one set of
ideas to the next by finding a way to connect the ideas logically

Trend story

a feature story that focuses on the current fads, directions, tendencies, and
inclinations of society

Video press release

a press release for television, prepared on tape, complete with images and sound
which can be used by the news media without additional permission or editing

Voice

a writers development of distinctive characteristics and idiosyncrasies of

language use that make his or her writing as easily recognizable as the inflections,
tone, and pronunciation of speech that make a persons vocalized speech pat terns
distinctive

Wire services

services that provide news from around the world to publications that subscribe
for a fee (e.g., Associated Press, Canadian Press, Reuters, and United Press
International)
co-operatives that share news stories among members (e.g., Canadian Press)

World Wide Web

large directory of information on the Internet

GLOSSARYFORJOURNALISM
Includedarespecializedtermsconcerningthetwoareasmostinvolvedinpublishing
asschoolnewspaper.Forconvenience,theyaredividedintotwosections:desktop
publishingandjournalism.Sincesomeapplytoboth,checkthesecondifnotfound
inthefirst.
Journalismterms
Adabbreviationforadvertisement
Advance(advancestory)newsofaneventtooccurinthefuture
Allcapsawordorwordwritteninallcapitalletters

APabbreviationsforAssociatedPress,anewsgatheringservice
Bannertypeofheadlinestretchingfullwidth,usuallyatthetopofapage;alsocalleda
streamer
Beatnewssourcethatareporterisassignedtocoverregularly
Boxmaterialenclosed,eithercompletelyorpartially,byaprintedrule
Bylinethenameandidentificationofastory'sauthor
Captiontheheadingplacedaboveaphotograph;sometimesusedtorefertothe
descriptivecopybelowaphoto
Centerofvisualinterest(CVI)thedominateitemonapageusuallyaphoto,graphic
orheadline
Classifiedadvertisingadsruninsmalltypeinaseparatesection,whichisoftenclassed
intodifferentcategories,suchas"Helpwanted"or"Lostandfound"
Column(1)atypeoffeaturethatisregularlyruninapaper,featuringasinglewriter
Column(2)theverticalsectionsoftype,whichmayhavevaryingwidthstostoryona
page
Columnwidththeactualmeasurementinpicasorinches;alsomeasuredincharacter
countasawaytodeterminethecharactercountoftheentirestory
Copyastoryorarticlewrittenforanewspaper;alsousedtodescribeapageorblockto
text
Copyreadingcheckingcopyforerrorsbeforeitisenteredintocomputerorreceivesits
finalrewrite
Croptoeliminateunwantedportionsofaphototoemphasizeitscenterofinterest
Cuttermforanewspaperphotoorart,takenfromengravingparlance
Cutofftestreporter'scheckthatfinalparagraphsarenotessentialtostory
Cutlinethedescriptivecopybelowaphoto

Datelinelineatbeginningofnewsstorygivingpointoforigin,ifnotlocal,anddate,if
significant
Deadlinetimeatwhichjobmustbehandedinorcompletedtomakeissuedateof
publication
Deckeachpartofaheadlineinasinglefont,whetheroneormorelines(onceusedto
defineasinglelineofaheadline)
Directquotethereproductionofaspeaker'sexactwords,setwithinquotationmarksand
correctlyattributed
Downstyletheuseofaminimumnumberofcapitallettersinheadlinesandbodycopy,
wheregoodusagepermitsanoption
Editorialanarticlethatrepresentsthepaper'sopinion
Editorialcolumnanarticlerepresentingtheopinionofaindividualwriter
Editorializinginsertingthewriter'sopinionintoanewsstory,whichshouldbewritten
objectively
Euphemismamilderwordusedinsteadofanotherword,possiblyoffensivenotan
acceptablewaytosoftenaquotefromanewssource
Featurestoryanarticleofspecialinterestwithaqualityotherthanitstimelinessasmain
attraction
5W'sandanHtheWho,What,When,Where,WhyandHowthekeyquestions
answeredbyasummarylead
Foliolinetheheadingofinsidepages,indicatingsection,schoolname,issuedateand
pagenumber
Followupanewsstorywrittenafteraneventhasoccurred
Graphshortforaparagraph(sometimesspelledgraf)
Hammerheadalargeheadlineofonlyoneortwowords,followedbyalongerand
smallerheadunderneaththereverseofakicker
Headlinelinesofdisplaytypeprintedaboveanewspaperstory,callingattentionto
relativeimportanceandattractingreaderstothestory'scontent

Headlineschedulelistofstylesandsizes,oftenwithcounts,foruseinanewspaper
Indepthreportastorythatgoesbeyondthesurfacetodiscoverthenewsbehindthe
news;alsocalledaninvestigativereport
Indirectquoteusingaversionofaspeaker'swordswithoutquotationmarks.Example:
Hesaidthatheexpectedtorejecttheplan.
Infographachart,diagramorgraphpresentingstatisticalinformation,suchassurvey
resultsandenrollmentfigures,ineasytograspform
Invertedpyramidamethodofwritingastoryusingasummaryleadandfactsin
diminishingorderofimportance
Kickershort,leadinphraseabovemainhead
Labelheadaheadlinewithoutaverb;tobeavoided
Lead(leed)thefirstparagraphofastory(seealso,underDesktoppublishing)
Libeluntruestatementormaterialthatdamagesaperson'sreputation
Mastheadlistofthepaper'svitalstatistics,includingschoolnameandaddress,staff
membersandotherpertinentdata,suchaseditorialpolicy;usuallyfoundoneditorial
pages
Menuinnewspaperterminology,afrontpageboxorboxesannouncingapaper'sinside
contents,sometimescalledteaser(seealso,underDesktoppublishing)
Nutgraphparagraphgivingthekeydetailsofanewsstorythe5W'sandHwhena
variationonthesummaryleadinused
Objectivityanattempttowriteastorywithoutshowingbiasorinjectingthewriter's
opinion
Photoreleaseapermissionformusedbyphotographersforpersonsinphotosnottaken
atnewsevents,grantingtherighttoprintthephoto
Plagiarismunauthorizedcopyingofanother'swork.Reproducingcopyrightedmaterial
withoutpermissionwhetherwordsorartisacrime
Profilefeaturestoryaboutaperson;personalitypiece

Pullquotequotefromastoryornewssourcethatis"pulledout"andsetasagraphina
distinctiveformatandtypetoattractreaderstoastoryandaddvisualinterest
Retractionaprintedcorrectionofanearliererrorinthepaper
Slugoneortwowordsthatspecificallyidentifyastory,typedintheupperlefthand
cornerofworktobeeditedorprocessed;alsoincludesreporter'slastname,plus
date/timefromeditmenu
Stetatermmeaning"letitstand"ordisregardachangethatwaspreviouslymarkedor
indicated
Stylerulesregardingpunctuation,capitalization,abbreviation,etc.
Stylebook,stylemanualcompilationofstylerulesforanewspaper
Summaryleadafirstparagraphthatcontainstheessential5W'sandHofanewsstory
Teaserafrontpageboxorboxesannouncingapaper'sinsidecontents,sometimescalled
amenu
Trademarkthelegal,registerednameofaproductorbusiness.Besuretousecapital
letterswhenusingsuchtrademarkednamesasKleenexandCoke,whicharesometimes
usedgenerically

Glossary of Journalism and Online Terms

Journalism
Terms
attribute - to write the name of source of your information when using a quote, of book,
or a part of any copyrighted work.
broadcast - communicating near and far using radio and television.
byline - your name, which is printed before or after an article.
closed question - This type of question doesn't help a interviewee to open up! Closed
questions usually prompt a person to answer with simple "yes" or "no". But keep in mind

that they can be the right questions to ask at certain points in an interview. They help you
pin down important information and get a definite answer.
copy - material for a newspaper or magazine article.
beat - To cover a particular genre of journalism. (i.e.- Music Journalism or Sports
Journalism)
cutline - sentences at the bottom of a photo that describe what happened in it, which
usually relate to a story. Also called a caption.
deadline - The editor of a newspaper, magazine, or other media outlet sets a deadline.
This is the time when they expect an article to be submitted.
draft - Most journalists will write a draft of an article before submitting it. After
completing this draft, they will edit their own work for content and mistakes before
submitting it to the editor.
editor - a person who edits material for publication or broadcast.
editing - the process of reviewing a news story, revising the writing and checking it for
mistakes before it is published or broadcast.
editorial - a newspaper article written by, or on behalf of, an editor, especially one giving
an opinion on a well-known issue.
"Execution at Dawn" - These are groups of people lined up against the wall to be shot
(with a camera of course)! For large groups, cutlines end up being long lists of people
from left to right'.
feature - A feature takes an in-depth look at what's going on behind the news. It gets into
the lives of people. It tries to explain why and how a trend developed. Unlike news, a
feature does not have to be tied to a current event or a breaking story. But it can grow out
of something that's reported in the news.
grammar - the study of classes and functions of words, how words are said, and how
words relate in a sentence.
journalist - a person who writes, edits, or reports for a newspaper, magazine or news
broadcast.
journalism - the business or practice of writing and producing news media.
leading questions - These questions try to lead an interviewee in a certain direction.

lede (or lead) - the first and most important sentence of the story. It sets up what the story
is going to be about.
loaded words - words that leave people with a distinct and often negative impression.
That can prompt your source to get defensive or to disagree with your question and that
won't help you get an answer to your question!
neutral questions - A neutral question is straight-forward. It doesn't have your opinion in
it. You aren't assuming you know the answer already. Your question is clear and gets right
to the point. In return, you will probably get an informative answer.
off the record - this is what people say when they want the information they tell you to
be unmentioned. This means that they don't want their names or quotes to be said to
anyone or printed in your story.
on the record - the opposite of "off the record". This means that you are allowed to use
the person's name and quotes for your story.
online journalism - stories that are written specifically for the Web instead of newspaper,
radio, television or magazine. It can include the use of text, photos, graphics, hypertext,
audio and video to tell stories.
open-ended questions - these questions encourage the person to talk and share their
thoughts and feelings on a subject. It allows them to tell their own story without much
prompting from the reporter.
pack journalism - this refers to large groups of reporters from different newspapers or
broadcasting stations who are all after the same big story. You usually find mobs of
journalists outside courthouses, city halls, or at the scene of an accident or disaster, to get
comments from the important sources. Compare this to a pack of hungry wolves: they're
all hunting one thing, the story, but they're all so hungry that they want to move in to get
the biggest piece for themselves.
photographs "Grip and Grin" - These are photos of people receiving awards or
diplomas, cutting ribbons or passing out cheques. They just do the handshake' pose and
smile at the camera.
publish - to produce or release a written work for the public to see or hear.
scrum - The gathering of reporters around a person who is important to a particular story.
When a scrum occurs, all the reporters shout questions to the person in an attempt to
further their own story. This situation is much more informal then a Press Conference.
source -a person, written article, book, song, video or film from which to get information
syntax - the way that words are put together to make sentences.

Wire - A source of information for Journalists. You may have heard a reporter say that
they got their information "off the wire". The wire itself is an up-to-the-minute source of
information for other reporters.
wrap-up questions - help you make sure you have all the information you need. You can
ask your source questions like this to end the interview and clarify information he has
given you during the course of your conversation.

Online
Terminology
clip - a segment of audio or videotape that's included in a story that is broadcast on radio
or television or on the Web.
download - to take files from another computer or server for use on your own.
encoding videos - the process of changing video camera footage into digital footage
which can be read and displayed by a computer. (i.e.RealVideo material)
FTP - (File Transfer Protocol) This is a program used to upload files and webpages from
a personal computer to a server. After an individual creates a website, they must upload
(transfer) this page to a server so that it can be viewed by others.
HTML - (Hyper Text Markup Language) HTML is the lingua franca for publishing
hypertext on the World Wide Web. It is a non-proprietary format, based upon SGML and
can be created and processed in a wide range of tools from simple plain text editors to
sophisticated wysiwyg authoring tools. HTML uses tags like <h1> and </h1> to structure
text into headings, paragraphs, lists, hypertext links and more.
hyperlinks - The text you find on a Web site which can be "clicked on" with a mouse
which in turn will take you to another Web page or a different area of the same Web page.
Hyperlinks are created or "coded" in HTML. They are also used to load multimedia files
such as AVI movies and AU sound files.
hypertext -A system of writing and displaying text that enables the text to be linked in
multiple ways, to be available at several levels of detail, and to contain links to related
documents. It refers to a nonlinear system of information browsing and retrieval that
contains associative links to other related documents. The World Wide Web uses
hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) to provide links to pages and multimedia files.
info-bahn - the information super highway (info, as in information and bahn, as in
German for highway).

*.jpeg *.gif - These two file extensions are the most common types of picture files. If you
were to scan a picture into a computer yourself, you would need to convert the file to one
of these formats for use on a webpage.
Real Video - The format of video files displayed on most Internet sites, such as SNN.
search engine - a program used by an Internet browser to look for specific words and
sort them for information.
server - A computer in a network shared by multiple users. The term may refer to both
the hardware and software or just the software that performs the service. For example,
Web server may refer to the Web server software in a computer that also runs other
applications, or, it may refer to a computer system dedicated only to the Web server
application. There would be several dedicated Web servers in a large Web site.
upload - to transfer files from your computer to another computer or server.
web cast - a video or audio broadcast that's transmitted over the World Wide Web.

Journalism Terminology
Learn the definitions and be able to apply the terms to the newspapers.

attribution
barcode
beat
bias
break a story
byline
caption
citation

classified
commentary (column)
correspondent
credibility
credit a source
dateline
dilemma
documentation
edit
edition
editor
editorial
editorial board
editorialize
ethics
filler
first amendment
for the record
headline

hearsay
horoscope
index
journalist
lead
liability
lottery
mass media
masthead
mug shot
no byline
obit
obituary
political cartoon
records
reporter
retraction
rookie reporter
scoop

sidebar
source
syndication
tabloid
wire service
Journalism Terminology
Be able to define the following terms and apply
them to print, broadcast, and web journalism.

1. angle - The approach or focus of a story.

2. assignment - A job given to a journalist by an editor.
3. attribution - to mention the original source of material (usually pertaining to
a quote from a copyrighted source)
4. beat - The area or subject that a reporter regularly covers.
5. bias - Where the article shows favoritism or disapproval toward a subject
in an article
6. blog - An online commentary or diary often written by individuals about
hobbies or areas of specialist interest.
7. blogger - A person who writes a blog.
8. blurb - Brief introduction to the writer, usually following the headline.
9. break a story (breaking news) - When a story is first published or aired.
10. broadcast - communicating using radio and/or TV.
11. byline - A journalists name at the beginning of a story.

12. caption - Text printed below a picture used to describe it and who took it.
Sometimes called a cutline.
13. citation - To mention the source of original material or quotes.
14. column - A regular feature often on a specific topic, written by the same
person who is known as a columnist.
15. copy - Main text of a story.
16. correspondent (or on-the-scene reporter) is a journalist or commentator
who contributes reports to a newspaper, radio, or television news from a
remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is in a foreign
country.
17. cover story - Leading story used on front cover.
18. credibility - A good reporter will consider the credibility, or believability, of
any source of information.
19. credit a source - A reporter must always indicate where the information in
the story came from. If the source wants to remain anonymous, the
reporter should credit the source as in the following example: "The
President is involved in secret meetings with France," said a source close
to the White House who spoke on condition of anonimity.
20. crosshead - A few words used to break up large amounts of text, normally
taken from the main text. Typically used in interviews.
21. dateline - The place-names at the beginning of a story that tell the reader
where the story occurred. A dateline includes the name of a city or town,
and sometimes the country. Before high-speed transmission of data, it
also included the date, which is why it is called a "dateline."
22. deadline - The time at which an editor requests a journalists to finish an
assignment.
23. defamation - Information that is written by one person which damages
another person reputation.
24. edit - the process of reviewing a news story, revising the writing and
checking it for mistakes before it is published or broadcast.
25. editor - Someone who prepares material for print or broadcast.
26. editorial - an opinion column written by the editor of a newspaper.

27. editorialize - To write in an opinionated way.

28. endnote - Text written at the end of an article stating the authors
credentials.
29. feature - A longer, more in-depth article.
30. follow-up - An update on a previous story.
31. freelancer - Someone that works alone, usually on a contract-to-contract
basis.
32. hard copy - When the article is printed out on paper.
33. headline - The main title of the article.
34. hearsay - When someone relates a story without evidence to back it up.
35. journalist - Someone who writes, researches and reports news, or works
on the production of a publication. Sometimes shortened to journo, hack
or scribe.
36. kill - To cancel or delete a story.
37. layout -(noun) How the page is designed and formatted.
38. lead (also: lede) - the opening sentence or two of an article that contains
who, what, where, when, why/how.
39. leading questions - A question that contains the predicted answer within
the question.
40. libel - A case for defamation. Defendent would need to show claims were
true, fair comment or an accurate record of parliamentary or court
proceedings.
41. masthead - Main title section and name at the front of a publication.
42. mug shot - Police photograph of someone who has been booked on a
charge.
43. obituary (obit) - a listing of someone who has recently died. Usually
contains the person's cause of death, background, surviving family
members, and services.

44. off the record - Comments made that are not intended for publication or to
be aired.
45. on the record - Information given by a source that can be used in an
article.
46. op-ed (opinion editorial) - A feature, usually by a prominent journalist,
presenting an opinionated story.
47. photojournalist - a photographer who covers a news story.
48. political cartoon/editorial cartoon - a cartoon that expresses a bias about a
current issue in the news.
49. puff piece - A news story that presents its subject in a favorable light,
ignoring any controversial issues.
50. reporter - Someone who writes and researches news stories.
51. retraction - A withdrawal of a previously-published story or something that
was presented as a fact, but which is either untrue or not proven.
52. rookie reporter (cub reporter) - A novice reporter.
53. run - To print or air a story.
54. scoop - An exclusive or first-published story.
55. source - An individual who provides information for a story.
56. splash - Front page story.
57. syndication - A column that is printed in a large number of newspapers.
58. tabloid - A "news"paper that prints sensational material that usually is
exaggerated or untrue.
59. tip - A lead of piece of new information about a new story.
60. wire service - Stories or photographs sent electrically to your desktop.
61. wrap-up questions - Final questions that help clarify information a subject
has given during an interview.