News writing and reporting – Flashcards
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blank
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To leave empty space in a publication to show that something has been obscured or erased as a result of censorship
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exclusive
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story one reporter has obtained to the exclusion of the competition newspaper or magazine given to and published by only one newspaper;beat;scoop
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hard news
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Events that are timely and are covered automatically by print and electronic media;live and current news in contrast to features;spot news;stories based on specific,recent,important events
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soft news
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Events that are usually not considered immediately important or timely to a wide audience.Many of these events still merit coverage.
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hourglass style
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a style of writing in which the major news of a story is reported in the first few paragraphs and then a transitional paragraph introduces a chronology of the events of the story
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inverted pyradmid
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a traditional form of journalistic writing in which the major points of the story are told in the opening sentence or paragraph,with details expounded in descending order of importance,developed on the theory that many newspaper readers do not read beyond the first one or two paragraphs
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feature
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an article or a story,usually with human interest,often giving background information about news,intended to be of more lasting interest than a news item,may or may not be written for publication on a specific date.having emotional,personal or humorous slant and written in a individual way;emphasizing human or entertaining aspects,analyze
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profile;personality profile
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a feature story that brings an audience closer to a person in or out of the news with in or out of the news,with interviews, observations and creative writing used to paint a vivid picture of the person
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WHAT-feature
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Use information that supplements spot news by stressing aspects other than timeliness of the event.usually touches on event arousing strong repercussions
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locality feature/travelogue
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concentrating on reporting local customs and practice,as well as scenic spots and historical sites in a certain place.
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personal-experience feature
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A first-person account should be written only by a person who is well known,or who has been involved in an unusual situation,an adventure,a real-life drama,or one that many readers could identify with.Immediacy,persuasiveness, vividness are the main characteristics
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interpretive reporting
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a leading type of in-dept reporting that probes exclusively into the "why" of a news event,i.e.,the news behind the news
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investigative reporting
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a type of reporting that involves examination of documents and records,the cultivation of informants,painstaking and extended research,usu.seeking to expose wrongdoings and focusing on public officials and their activities
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new journalism
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writing in which conversations,characters' thoughts,and specific details of an earlier event or period,sometimes historical,are imagined by the author
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news hole
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space in a newspaper allotted to news,illustrations and other non-advertising material;space left for editorial matter after ads an standing matter have been allowed for
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news peg
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point of view from which a news story is written,which is the essential feature in a news story,or at least the leading human interest aspect on which a journalist may pivot his story
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newsworthy element
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peg of a story that should often be reported in the lead paragraph.
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yellow journalism
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journalism characterized by sensationalism and half-truths, with large black headlines highly emotional and often risque human-interest copy and gory pictures to attract and influence readers
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A wire
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Main news wire of the Associated Press that transmit the most significant national and international stories of the day.The wire is sometimes written as AAA or Aye
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Actuality
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Audiotape excerpt,sometimes called a SOUNDBITE,that is inserted in a broadcast news story
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advocacy journalism
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News writing in which the reporter actively promotes a particular cause or viewpoint.
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agenda
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Outline of matters to be considered by a government body
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analysis piece
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Feature story,also called a backgrounder,that adds meaning to current issues in the news by explaining them further
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anonymous sources
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sources who don't want to be named; very useful in investigative reporting; protection of sources; confidentiality; banned by some newspapers
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action-line column
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Consumer-oriented column that helps people solve their problems.People write or call to describe their problems,and a reporter tries to solve them
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assignment editor
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Editor who coordinates all assignments in a broadcast newsroom. He or she makes assignments,keep track of crews in the field, makes follow-up calls for reporters and takes incoming calls.
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Associated Press
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An organization founded for the telegraphic dissemination of news in 1848.Generally referred to the AP,the world's oldest cooperative news-gathering service.
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attribution
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Telling readers the source of information
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Authoritarian system
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System in which criticism of government is forbidden.Most newspapers in countries that operate under this philosophy are privately owned,but their content is controlled by the state through licensing or the issuance of patents
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blind lead-in
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A smooth transition in to a soundbite that makes sense standing alone, and is not dependent on the soundbite to finish the idea or thought.
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body
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portion of a news story or a feature between the lead and the conclusion.The body should keep readers interested in the story and hold them until the conclusion
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bulletin
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priority designation used by wire services,containing at least one publishable paragraph;it alerts news rooms that a major story is developing
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buried lead
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When the most important fact in the story is not contained in the opening sentence or paragraph.
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byline
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the line that tells you who wrote an article,usually at the top.
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city editor
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Editor who runs the city desk and is in charge of city-side general assignment,beat and specialty reporters.He makes certain that news in the city is covered and that as many local stories as possible to go into each edition
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clutter lead
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Awkward and difficult-to-understand lead that contains too many elements
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codes of ethics
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guidelines for journalists,cover matters such as responsibilities, use of unnamed sources,accuracy,objectivity,and that journalists shouldn't take part in business dealings
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covergence
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Reaching audience by combing the strengths of newspapers, TV,and the Internet in collecting and delivering information
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copy editor
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editor who checks stories to make certain that they follow paper style,usage,spelling and grammar rules.They also makes certain that a story is well-organized and not libelous.After editing,the copy editor writes a headline for it
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correspondent
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Journalist who contributes news stories to a medium that is located elsewhere. Metropolitan newspapers,for example,usually have correspondents stationed in the nation's capital as well as in countries around the world
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direct-address lead
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lead that communicates directly with an audience by including the word you
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editorial news hole
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Space on a newspaper page that does not contain an ad and is reserved for stories or art.The ads are laid out on the page first; the editorial news hole consists of the remaining column inches
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feature story
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Story that analyses the news;entertains;or describe people places or things in or out of the news
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flash
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Top-priority designation used by wire services.It usually contains only a few words and may not be a complete sentence.A classic flash:DALLAS(AP)-Kennedy shot.
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focal point
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Trust of a summary lead.A reporter determines the lead's focal point by choosing which of the five W's and H to emphasize
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Follow
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Sometimes referred to as a second-day story,a second or later story written about a newsworthy event.A follow provides the latest news in the lead or early in the story,but it also repeats the major news that was reported earlier.
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Gatekeepers
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People who make news decisions.Editors and reporters,on a story-by-story basis,decide what items to include and what angles to emphasize
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graphics editor
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Editor who serves as a liaison between reporters, editors, artists, photographs and designers to coordinate the production of maps, charts,diagrams and illustrations and other informational graphics that accompany stories
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Jell-O journalism
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News reporting that overemphasizes soft writing,which is decried by some editors
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lay out
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To position stories and art elements on a newspaper page.A layout or dummy,is an editor's plan of how the page will look when it is printed
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managing editor
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Top editor in most newspaper newsrooms.This editor makes certain that the paper is out on time each day and that costs are kept within a budget.He is responsible for hiring and firing newsroom personnel and usually involved in selecting stories,photos and graphics
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multiple-element lead
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Lead,also called a double-barreled lead,that gives two or more of the primary elements of a news story equal rating and that informs an audience immediately that more than one major events is occuring
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narrative lead
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Lead,also called an anecdotal lead,that uses narrative to draw people into a story by putting them in the middle of the action.A narrative lead is the most popular on features and non-breaking news stories
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national editor
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Editor who supervises reporters covering news events in cities other than the city in which the newspaper is published
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news editor
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Editor who decides which news appears in the newspaper and where.This editor is in charge of the copy desk,where copy editors work
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nut graph
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Explanatory paragraph,also called a "so-what" paragraph,that follows the introductory lead block and explains the significance of a story
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observation
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What a reporter sees,hears,smells,tastes or touches while working on a story.Observations add color to news stories and features
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off the record
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Agreement reached by a reporter and a source before an interview that disallows use of the material revealed.Often,reporter refuse to accept information off the record,choosing instead to try to obtain it from another source
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On background
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Agreement reached by a reporter and a source before an interview that the material can be used,but attribution by name cannot be provided
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on deep background
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Agreement reached by a reporter and a source before an interview that the material can be used,but not in direct quotations and not accompanied by atrribution
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passive voice
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Term describing the verb form used when the subject of a sentence is acted upon by the object.Passive voice should be used in news writing only when the person is more important than the person or thing doing the acting.
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question lead
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Lead that asks a question.The key to writing a question lead is to answer the question as quickly as possible
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quote lead
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Lead that allows a central character to begin a news story or a feature by talking directly to the audience.The quotation may be the most powerful one in the story,or it may set the tone for what is to follow
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mainbar
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Main story in a group of articles about the same topic in a single edition of a newspaper
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sidebar
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Story that runs with a mainbar. A sidebar isolates a person,place or thing usually mentioned in a mainbar and further explains, examines or illustrates it
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slot editor
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Person who supervises copy editors.The slot editor distributes stories to copy editors and then checks their editing and headlines
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state editor
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Person who supervises reporters covering communities and areas outside the city in which the newspaper is published;alternatively called the area or suburban editor
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broadsheet
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newspaper printed on a large size of paper
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tabloid
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a newspaper with pages about half the size of a regular newspaper,characterized by much political matter,large,often sensational headlines,and concise reporting
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stylebook
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a book that sets forth a specific list of the conventions of spelling,abbreviation,punctuation,capitalization,etc.used by a particular newspaper or wire service.
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op-ed page
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the page devoted to columns and features and placed opposite the editorial page;the page that run next to an editorial page,giving readers a mix of opinion,columns and illustrations
