S R E E JA T I R K E Y

INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM

WHY DO WE READ NEWSPAPERS?

To know the truth?What does it mean by “ Stop the Press”? Why do they stop the press?Read the article A Night for Stop the Presses http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060106friday.html

PRINTING PRESS

• Its not easy to stop the press at last minute of printing. Why?• Look at how complicated the printing process is.• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=BZrOyNvEwtc&feature=related• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kEV7QZn_CA• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=pMvGd9XJaPg&feature=related

SOME NEWSPAPER TERMS/ JARGON

• Layout

• Front page

• Columns

• Broadsheet/ tabloid

MORE NEWSPAPER TERMS

• Masthead- is the title block or logo identifying the newspaper at the top of the front page. The style is fixed and gives an identity to the newspaper. ( The font, Size, colour, etc of the name of the newspaper)

• Pugs- The corner areas at the top of the front page on either side of the newspapers name. They are also called the ‘ears’ of the page.

MORE NEWSPAPER TERMS

• Lead story- The main story on the front page, usually a splash.

• Splash- the splash is the main story on the front of the paper. The largest headline will accompany this, often along with a photograph.

• Headline- this is the main statement, usually in the largest and boldest font, describing the main story. • A banner headline spans the full width of the page.

• Strapline- this is an introductory headline below the headline.

MORE NEWSPAPER TERMS

• By- line – The name of the reporter who reported the news ( if it is important to mention, or else this is usually avoided).

• Credits- Photographs will have name of the person who took them or the agency that supplied them.

• Caption – typed text under the photographs explaining the image.

MORE NEWSPAPER TERMS

• Kicker- this is a story designed to stand out from the rest of the page by the use of a different font (typeface) and layout.

• Lure- a word or phrase directing the reader to look inside the paper at a particular story or feature.

• Spread- a story that covers more than one page.

MORE NEWSPAPER TERMS

• Tag- a word or phrase used to engage a reader’s interest in a story by categorizing it ( eg. Exclusive, Sensational, etc.)

• Exclusive- this means that newspaper and no one else solely cover the story. The paper will pay their interviewees , buying the story so it cannot be used by another paper.

• Feature- not necessarily a ‘ news’ item ( current affairs) , but usually with a human- interest angle presented as a spread.

MORE NEWSPAPER TERMS

• Dateline- Information at the start of the story giving the location and/or date of the story.

• Lead- the first sentences of a news story informing the reader of who, what, when, where, why and how. Its known as the 5Ws and one H.

TASK: WITH A GROUP OF 4…

• Define and label the page(s) of a newspaper provided to you with at least 6 of the terms that apply. Also identify 3 terms that do NOT apply… to your page(s), define them and explain why they don’t fit:

• Layout• Front Page• Columns • Tabloid• Lead Story• Splash

• Headline(s) • Strapline • By-line • Caption • Kicker • Lure

• Spread• Tag• Exclusive • Feature • Dateline • Lead

• What is the difference between hard news and soft news?

• Check it out here!

WHAT MAKES A STORY NEWSWORTHY?

TIMING

• The word news means exactly that - things which are new. Topics which are current are good news. Consumers are used to receiving the latest updates, and there is so much news about, that old news is quickly discarded.• A story with only average interest needs to be

told quickly if it is to be told at all. If it happened today, it's news. If the same thing happened last week, it's no longer interesting.

SIZE/ NUMBER

• The number of people affected by the story is important. A plane crash in which hundreds of people died is more significant than a car crash killing one.

PROXIMITY

• Stories which happen near to us have more significance. The closer the story to home, the more newsworthy it is. For someone living in France, a major plane crash in the USA has a similar news value to a small plane crash near Paris.

• Proximity doesn't have to mean geographical distance. Stories from countries with which we have a particular bond or similarity have the same effect. For example, Australians would be expected to relate more to a story from a distant Western nation than a story from a much closer Asian country.

PROMINENCE/FAMOUS PEOPLE

• Famous people get more coverage just because they are famous. If you break your arm it won't make the news, but if the Queen of England breaks her arm it's big news.• A local person who dies in a car crash may

feature in a story on page D14, but when Princess Diana was involved in a fatal crash, it was a global headline.

HUMAN INTEREST

• Human interest stories are stories that appeal to our emotions. They aim to evoke responses such as amusement or sadness. • They often disregard the main rules of

newsworthiness; for example, they don't date as quickly, they need not affect a large number of people, and it may not matter where in the world the story takes place.

UNUSUAL

• Anything unusual is also news. • When a dog bites a man, it need not be news

but when a man bites a dog, its news.

ACTIVITY

• Go onto an English newspaper website and select 3 news stories that correspond with three different “newsworthy” categories, and label them as they are.

• Time, Proximity, Famous People, Human Interest, Unusual

• http://wallwisher.com/wall/Whats-News

NEWSPAPER FORMAT

• Five Parts:

• Headline• Byline• Lead • Main content• Additional Information

HEADLINE

• This is the part where you tell your readers what your topic is all about. You can use your headlines to draw more attention by making them punchy and very descriptive. Your target readers must have a solid idea about the gist of your content by just looking at your headlines.

BYLINE

• This is the part where you include your name as the author of your article. Just beneath this part, you can indicate the date when the article was published.

LEAD

• This is the most important paragraph when writing newspaper articles. Thus, it must be well-written, highly informative, and content-rich. Your readers must find all the important information in this part. You must also be able to answer all the questions that they might have in mind.

MAIN CONTENT

• Depending on the data that you have gathered, you can use your succeeding paragraphs to present supporting data and quotes from key people involved in your chosen topics.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This one is optional. If you are writing an article as a follow up on the news that you have reported in the past, you should give your readers background information. This can help in promoting better understanding.

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