Inside Reporting – Media Writing – Flashcards

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absolute privilege
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The right of legislators, judges and other public officials to speak without threat of libel when carrying out their duties.
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actuality (cut, sound bite, bit)
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The recorded voice of someone in the news, or sound from a news event. Actualities include statements from public officials, interviews with eye witnesses, comments from experts - even the shouts of an angry mob.
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actual malice
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Reckless disregard of the truth; printing something you know to be false. This is a condition that must be proved in libel cases filed by public figures or officials.
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ad
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An advertisement.
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advance
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A story explaining an upcoming meeting or event.
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advertorial
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Part advertising, part editorial; an advertisement section in a publication that contains stories and photos.
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advocacy journalism
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A type of reporting in which journalists take sides in a controversial issue, promoting a particular point of view.
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agate
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Small type used for sports statistics, stock tables, classified ads, etc.
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anchor
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The person who reads the news during a newscast and provides transitions between stories.
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anecdotal lead
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A humorous, dramatic or revealing incident that's used to begin a story.
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anecdote
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A recounting of an entertaining or informative incident within a story.
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angle
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The focus, emphasis or "slant" of a story; a distinctive way of viewing and writing about a topic.
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AP
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The Associated Press, a worldwide news-gathering cooperative.
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app
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Short for "application"; a software program, usually referring to one used on a smartphone or tablet.
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assignment
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Designation by an editor for a reporter or photographer to cover an event.
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attribute
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To identify the source of a fact, opinion or quote.
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attribution
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The written phrase that identifies the source of a fact, opinion or quote in a story.
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B copy
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A section of a story that's written ahead of time for an event that will occur close to deadline.
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B-roll
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Video images shot at a news scene that are later used to illustrate or cover a sound bite or reporter's track that was recorded separately.
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background
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Information gathered by reporters to help them understand a story's history, meaning, context, etc.
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backgrounder
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A story that explains the basics of an issue or event. Also refers to an interview in which a source provides information, though not necessarily for publication.
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beat
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The area or subject that a reporter is responsible for covering - can be a topic, institution, or a location.
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beat blog
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A blog written by a reporter or team of reporters that focuses on a specialized topic such as local crime, sports or politics.
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bias
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Unfairly favoring one side over another when writing a story.
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blog
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A Web log; an online journal providing commentary, news dispatches and/or links to related websites.
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blogger
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Someone who writes a blog.
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blogosphere
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The interconnected community of blogs and bloggers who post comments and link to each other's blogs.
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blotter
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Newsroom slang for the crime reports that summarize facts about local arrests.
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break
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To publish an important or dramatic story for the first time.
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brief
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A short news story.
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Brite
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A short, amusing news story.
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broadcast
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Sending information to many destinations simultaneously via radio, television or computer network.
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broadsheet
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A full-size newspaper, measuring roughly 14 by 23 inches. If you fold a broadsheet in half, it becomes a tabloid.
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browser
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A software programs that enables you to view Web pages (Firefox, Safari, etc).
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budget
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A roundup of stories by each department of a newsroom (news, sports, business, etc.), which is then discussed at news meetings as editors plan coverage.
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bullet
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A type of dingbat, usually a big dot, used to highlight items listed in text.
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bump
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To delay or relocate a story.
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bureau
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A news-gathering office separate from the main newsroom.
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byline
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The reporter's name, usually printed at the beginning of a story.
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caption
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A sentence or block of type providing descriptive information about a photo; used interchangeably with cutline.
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change of venue
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Transferring a court proceeding to another jurisdiction after the prosecution or defense claims that potential jurors have been prejudiced by local media coverage.
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citizen journalist
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Someone who posts news online without having been trained as a reporter or affiliated with any news organization.
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clip
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A story clipped from a newspaper.
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closed-ended question
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A direct question intended to elicit a yes-or-no answer.
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color
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Giving a story color means adding description or human interest; coloring a story means slanting it unfairly by adding bias.
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column
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Advice or commentary by a columnist writing in a distinctive style on a consistent topic.column inch
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column inch
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A way to measure the depth of a story; it's text that, when printed, is 1 inch long and one column wide.
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column logo
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A graphic device that labels regularly appearing material by packaging the writer's name, the column's name and a small mug or drawing of the writer.
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conflict of interest
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A situation where a journalist's personal interests (family, friends, finances, etc.), affect the coverage of a story.
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convergence
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Combining different news resources or media (text, images, audio, video) to cover a story.
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copy
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The text of a story.
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copy desk
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The newsroom department responsible for editing stories, writing headlines and designing pages.
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copy editor
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A newsroom staffer who edits stories and writes headlines.
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copyright
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The legal protection given to authors preventing others from copying or selling their work.
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correspondent
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A reporter who files stories from outside the newsroom - usually someone assigned to cover events in another city, state or country.
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cover
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To gather news about an event.
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cq
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A phrase inserted into a story (but not printed), usually following a phone number or a peculiar spelling, to advise copy editors that "this information has been checked."
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credibility
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The public's perception of the reliability of a reporter or news outlet.
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crowdsourcing
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Gathering information for a news story from a group of online readers.
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crusade
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A campaign by a news outlet to bring about reform or encourage government action.
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cub
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A rookie or trainee reporter.
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cut
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To delete part of a story.
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cutline
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A sentence or block of type providing descriptive information about a photo; also called a caption.
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daily
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A newspaper that prints a new edition every day.
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database
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A collection of facts and data that's organized by journalists into a searchable format.
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dateline
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Words appearing at the start of the first paragraph of a story that identify where the story was filed.
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deadline
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The time by which a reporter must fish a story.
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deck
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A small headline running below the main headline; also called a drop head.
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deep background
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Information that may be used in a story but which cannot be attributed in any way, in order to protect the source's identity.
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delayed identification lead
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A type of news lead that withholds a significant piece of information - usually a person's name - until the second paragraph.
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developing story
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A story in progress; an event or situation that will require additional time to unfold.
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dialogue
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The use of quotes to re-create a conversation between two or more people
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dig
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To question or investigate in depth.
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dingbats
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Decorative type characters used for lists or graphic emphasis.
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draft
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An early version of a story, before it's polished for publication.
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dummy
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A small, detailed page diagram showing where all elements (text, photos, headlines, etc.) go.
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editor
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A person who assigns, approves or corrects stories for publication or broadcast.
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editorial
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Commentary that expresses opinion about a current event or issue (usually the opinion of an editor, publisher or owner); the department of a publication that gathers, writes, edits and publishes news.
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editorialize
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To inject the reporter's opinion inappropriately into a news story or headline.
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embargo
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A restriction placed on a news story or press release that specifies when the information can be made public.
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enterprise story
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An article or project that's more creative, original and ambitious than typical news stories.
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exclusive
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A story reported by only one news outlet; a scoop
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Facebook
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An online social media network where members can chat and post messages, photos and videos.
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fact sheet
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A page distributed by public relations practitioners highlighting key data about a product, project or event.
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fair comment and criticism
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The right of journalists to print their opinions on the performance of public figures or entertainers. Such criticism is legally protected as long as writers do not falsify facts.
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feature
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A non-breaking-news story on people, trends or issues. A feature story isn't necessarily related to a current even ; it appeals to readers becasue of its topic, angle or writing style.
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flag
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The name of a newspaper as it's displayed on Page One; also called a nameplate.
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Flash
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Software (by Adobe) used to produce animated graphics.
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follow/follow-up
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A story supplying additional details about an event that's been previously covered.
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font
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A typeface.
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Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
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A 1966 law requiring federal agencies to make most of their records available to the public upon request.
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freelancer
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A self-employed writer who sells stories to publications.
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futures file
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A collection of clips, press releases, notes and story ideas, arranged by date, to remind editors of upcoming stories to assign.
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general assignment
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Where a reporter covers a wide range of stories rather than focusing on a specific beat.
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grabber
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An attention-getting lead.
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graf
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Short for "paragraph."
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gutter
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The space running vertically between two columns.
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handout (news release, press release)
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Information sent out by a group or individual seeking publicity.
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hard news
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Factual coverage of serious events (crime, accidents, speeches, government action).
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header (standing head)
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A special label for any regularly appearing section, page or story.
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headline
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Large type running above or beside a story to summarize its content; also called a head, for short. Headlines are usually written by copy editors, but occasionally by reporters.
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hit
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The term used for counting the number of visitors to a Web page. (Technically, it refers to the number of elements on each Web page; accessing a page with text and three images would count as four hits.)
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home page
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The main page of a we site, providing links to the rest of the site.
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hole
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An unanswered question in a story; a significant missing fact that's identified when a story is edited.
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human-interest story
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A feature that provides drama or emotional impact for readers.
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home page
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The main page of a website, providing links to the rest of the site.
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HTML
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HyperText Markup Language, the coding used to format and display Web pages.
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hyperlocal
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Journalism that focuses tightly on community activities (Little League games and Scout troop meetings, for example).
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immediate identification lead
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A lead in which the "who" is identified by name, usually because the person is recognizable to most readers.
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in-cue
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The first words of a cut or wrap.
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information graphic
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Any map, chart or diagram used to analyze an event, object or place (infographic for short).
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intro
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The lead to a reporter's wrap, read by an anchor.
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invasion of privacy
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Violating the right of an ordinary person to be left alone - to stay out of the news.
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inverted pyramid
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A news story structure that presents the most important facts first; the rest of the information is organized in descending order of importance.
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investigative journalism
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Reporting that requires extensive research to uncover information on misconduct or corruption that has been concealed from the public.
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italic
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Type that slants to the right.
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jargon
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Specialized technical or bureaucratic language that's often confusing or meaningless to ordinary readers.
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journalese
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Tired clichés that are recycled by lazy reports.
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journalism
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The business and craft of producing content for the news media.
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jump
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To continue a story on another page; text that's been continued on another page is called the jump.
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justification
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Aligning lines of text so they're even along both the right and left margins.
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kicker
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An ending that concludes a story in a clever way: a surprise, a punch line or a memorable quote.
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kill
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To delete (or refuse to run) a story, or something within a story.
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layout
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The placement of art and text on a page; to lay out a page is to design it.
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lead
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The first sentence or paragraph of a story.
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lead-in
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Words that introduce some element in a broadcast news story.
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leading questions
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Questions intended to steer an interviewee in a particular direction.
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lead story
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The story deserving the biggest headline and best display on Page One, or at the start of a newscast.
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libel
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Publishing or broadcasting a false statement that maliciously or carelessly damages someone's reputation.
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liftout quote (pull quote)
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A graphic treatment of a quotation taken from a story, often using bold or italic type and a photo.
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link
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A clickable word or image on a Web page that directs you to another page or site.
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live
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Not prerecorded; usually refers to stories filed from a news scene.
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localizing
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Providing a community angle on a national story by discussing its connection to local people, issues or events.
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logo
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A word or name that's stylized in a graphic way; used to refer to standing heads and column labels in a newspaper.
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maestro
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A staffer who works with reporters, editors, photographers and designers to plan and create special treatments for stories.
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masthead
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A block of information, including staff names and publication data, often printed on the editorial page.
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media kit
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A package of information about a product, group or event, often containing background information, photos, news release and so on.
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median
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The middle number or halfway point in a series of numbers arranged by size; it's used whenever calculating an average would be confusing or misleading.
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microblogging:
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A type of blogging where bloggers post extremely brief updates, up to 140 characters long (Twitter is a microblogging tool, for example).
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morgue
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A news library, where published stories and photos are stored for reference.
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mug shot
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A small photo showing a person's face.
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multimedia
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Presenting information using more than one medium, combining text, graphics, audio and video.
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narrative
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A storytelling style where events unfold chronologically.
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narrative lead
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A lead that begins a story by placing readers in the middle of the action.
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natural sound (ambient sound)
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In radio or TV news stories, sounds recorded to capture the flavor of a news scene - birds singing, crowds cheering, planes landing.
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news conference (press conference)
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An interview session where someone fields questions from a group of reporters.
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news director
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The top news executive in a television newsroom, responsible for news content, budget decisions, hiring and firing staff, etc.
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news release (press release, handout)
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Information sent out by a group or individual seeking publicity.
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nut graph
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An explanatory paragraph near the top of the story that summarizes what the story is about - or tell readers why they should care.
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obit
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Short for obituary, a story about someone who has died.
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off the record
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An agreement by a reporter and a source specifying that information revealed in an interview cannot be printed in any form.
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op-ed page
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The page opposite a newspaper's editorial page, usually reserved for columns and letters to the editors.
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open-ended question
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A question phrased in a way that encourages a source to give a lengthy, in-depth answer.
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open-meeting laws
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State and federal laws that guarantee public access to meetings of government bodies.
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open-record laws
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State and federal laws guaranteeing public access to most government records.
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out-cue (OQ)
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The final words of a cut or wrap.
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package
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A story that uses multiple points of entry (text, sidebars, graphics, photos, etc.) to make complex topics more accessible to readers; also, a story that's prepared by a TV news reporter, usually taped, featuring the reporter's narration, one or more sound bites and often a stand-up.
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pad
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To lengthen a story by adding unnecessary material, usually so it fits a predetermined length.
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paginate
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To design a page on a computer.
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paraphrase
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An indirect quote that summarizes, in your own words, what someone else said.
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partial quotation
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A section or fragment of a longer quote that you insert into another sentence.
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plagiarism
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Passing off someone els'es words or ideas as your own.
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play
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The emphasis given to a story or an element within a story (played-up or played-down).
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podcast
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An audio version of a news story made available for downloading on a website.
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pool
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A group of reporters and photographers selected to cover a story where access is limited; their reports and photographs are then shared with other media outlets.
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post
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An entry on a blog.
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press box
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The section of a sports arena or stadium reserved for reporters covering the event.
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press conference (news conference)
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An interview session where someone answers questions from a group of reporters.
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press release (news release, handout)
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Information sent out by a group or individual seeking publicity.
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privilege
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A journalistic defense against libel that allows reporters to print what's said in legislative or judicial proceedings (fair report privilege), to express opinions (opinion privilege) or to review public performances (fair comment and criticism).
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profile
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A feature story that uses interviews and observations to paint a picture of someone newsworthy.
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prompter
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A device that projects a news script in front of the camera lens for an anchor to read.
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public figure
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In libel cases, a person who has acquired fame or notoriety or has participated in some public controversy.
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public official
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In libel cases, someone who exercises power or influence in governmental affairs.
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public relations
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The skills and tactics used to convey information and maintain a positive public image about a person, product, event or organization.
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publisher
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The top-ranking executive of a news paper, who oversees all departments (editorial, advertising, circulation, etc.)
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puff piece
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A flattering story written to provide gratuitous publicity.
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Pulitzer Prize
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The most prestigious award in journalism, established by publisher Joseph Pulitzer at Columba University.
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Q and A
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An interview printed in question-and-answer form.
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quote
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(n.) The exact words spoken by a source; (v.) to print a source's exact words inside quotation marks.
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readership
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The estimated number of readers who view a publication (opposed to circulation, which is the number of copies distributed).
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refer
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A line or paragraph that alerts readers to a related story elsewhere in the paper or on the website.
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reporter
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A person who gathers an writes news stories for publication or broadcast.
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RSS:
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Short for "Really Simple Syndication," a format that lets Web users subscribe to feeds from blogs or websites. Every time you add a new post to your blog, RSS delivers it automatically to your subscribers.
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running story
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A story that is continuing to unfold, necessitation follow-up stories as events develop.
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scoop
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(n.) An exclusive story no other news outlet has; (v.) to beat the competition to a juicy story.
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script
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The written version of a radio news story.
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second-day story
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A "follow-up" story that provides additional details about an event that was previously covered.
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sedition
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Activities or writings that incite resistance or hostility toward the government.
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series
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Two or more stories on the same topic, usually published in sequence.
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shield laws
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Statutes that give journalist the right to protect the identity of sources when questioned during judicial proceedings.
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sidebar
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A small story or a chart accompanying a bigger story on the same topic.
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slander
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Defamation by the spoken word.
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slideshow
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A series of photos and captions - often incorporating audio commentary - that illustrates a topic or event on a website.
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slug
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The name given to a story for newsroom use.
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smartphone
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A mobile phone that provides the function of a Web browser, digital camera, media player and GPS navigation unit.
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social networking
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Use of online sites such as Facebook and Twitter to build relationships with colleagues and sources.
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soft news
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Stories that are lighter and less urgent than serious breaking news events
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SOT (sound-on-tape)
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A recorded sound bite (usually audio and video) played during a TV news story.
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sound bite
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A recorded comment from a news source (usually audio and video).
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sources
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Records or people providing journalists with information, usually referring to people.
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spike
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To kill or withhold a story from publication.
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spin
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The slanting of information by a source, usually in an attempt to make someone look good.
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stand-up
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A shot of a reporter at a news scene reporting a story.
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spot news
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A timely event covered by a journalist as it happens.
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spread
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A story layou designed across two facing pages.
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staffer
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Someone who works for a news organization: a reporter, editor, photographer, etc.
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stet
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A proofreading comment that means "leave it - ignore any editing notations."
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story
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The word journalists use to refer to a published article.
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stringer
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A part-time correspondent who is not a regular newsroom employee but gets paid by the story.
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style
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A writer's unique blend of syntax, vocabulary and perspective that gives his or her writing its characteristic personality; also, a news organization's rules for punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, etc.
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stylebook
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A compilation of newsroom rules for punctuation, capitalization abbreviation, etc., with guidelines on everything from handling profanity to recording sports scores.
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subhead
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Lines of type, often bold, use to divide text into smaller sections.
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suitcase lead
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An excessively long lead that's overstuffed with facts, like a bulging suitcase.
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summary lead
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A news lead that summarizes the most significant of the five W's (who, what, when, where, why).
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syndicated columnist
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A writer whose commentary is sold and distributed by a news organization for reprinting in other publications.
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tabloid
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A newspaper format that's roughly half the size of a standard (broadsheet) page; also, a derogatory term for a type of sleazy, sensational journalism.
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tag
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The closing line where reporters say their names and station call letters.
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takeout
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A longer analysis piece that attempts to put a complex issue into perspective.
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talent
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Reporters, anchors, disc jockeys - those paid to appear on the air (as opposed to engineers or office staff).
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target audience
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A particular demographic at which media producers or advertisers aim their message.
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tease
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A brief headline or promo for a coming radio or TV news story.
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transition
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A word or phrase used by a writer to move a story from one point to another. Common transitions include however, meanwhile, on a related issue, nevertheless, etc.
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trend story
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A feature story on the culture's latest fads, fashions and ideas - from fashions and technological gizmos to social customs and lifestyles.
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Twitter
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A popular social-networking service where users send and receive tweets - posts can hold up to 140 characters.
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typo
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A typing mistake that finds its way into print.
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user-generated content
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Material for news sites that's provided by the public rather than news organizations or journalists.
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Video news release
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A press release, complete with images and sound, ready to be used in a televised newscast.
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VO (voice-over)
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When the anchor speaks over video, or when a reporter narrates over video cover.
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voicer
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A news story by a reporter that doesn't use actualities; when it's delivered by an anchor reading a script, it's called a reader.
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wiki
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A website where ordinary users can write and edit content collaboratively.
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wire service
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An organization (such as the Associated Press) that compiles news, features and photos and distributes them, for a fee, to subscribing publications.
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wrap
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A radio news story that begins and ends with a reporter's voice "wrapped" around one or more sound bites.
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yellow journalism
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News reporting that's sleazy or sensational.
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