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Chapter 2 : How Newsrooms Work

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What skills do journalists need?

A reporter must be able to assimilate information, interpret and write clearly for media consumers.

Besides traditional print and broadcast delivery systems, journalists today use the Internet, podcasting, cell phone texting…

And yes, even Twitter to report the news.

Tech savvy? You have a leg up on today’s journalism environment.

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Reporters are witnesses to history and the eyes and ears of the public.

Sometimes it’s a dangerous occupation

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53h7M3_FKvg&feature=related

Read the latest stats on where, why and how journalists have been killed in the line of duty: http://cpj.org/deadly/

Former ABC anchor Bob Woodruff nearly became a casualty…Watch what happened:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGRAPyxCHQ8

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Reporters want to know what’s happening

Reporters read Reporters research Reporters know

how to write or they figure it out

People skills Tenacity Tech savvy Gutsy

Independent Grace under

pressure Sense of humor

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• Reporters at a typical news operation• beats• general assignment

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A GA reporter covers breaking news

They get assignments from editors or respond to “spot” news as it happens.

GA’s get a variety of assignments during the shift

They are quick writers, spontaneous and know their community.

Best job at a newspaper if you like action.

Here’s a GA at work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3diUsrdz2hQ (OK… bad example…but funny…)

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Beat reporters cover breaking news in specific geographic and subject areas every day

Typical beats: Cops, fire, school board, courts, City Hall, county government.

Beat reporters must be able to develop sources.

Good beat reporters know their turf…

The are the eyes and ears for the news outlet

Government watchdogs for the public interest.

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Selection of news for print or broadcast is subjective.

Gatekeepers control the news flow

Gates open/gates closed

There are many gatekeepers in and out of the newsroom.

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Gatekeepers: Managing editor Reporters Photographers Copy desk/page design Sources Advertisers Publishers The lady loading the

newsroom fax machine? Yes.

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Definition: Convergence is the merging of mass communication outlets --- print, television, radio, the Internet --- through various digital presentation platforms (video, photography, audio and Web sites).

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A simple definition is difficult to formulate…

News coverage decisions are formed by geography, tradition, technology, organizational policy and economics and sometimes… the personal peeves/quirks of gatekeepers.

What is your definition?

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• News judgment –ability to determine which stories are most interesting and important to readers Editors decide where stories

run in the newspaper and in a broadcast

Editors, reporters and readers ask, “What is news?”

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A tragedy involving a police officer always leads…

Oceana is responsible for 12,000 local jobs

Dick Cheney’s chief of staff indicted. Wow…

Promos to other stories

When the president visits your city it’s a big deal. But…

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They prefer news about serious issues and major events. 63%

They prefer crime and celebrity news. 24% The media is out of touch with

average Americans. 48% They find the news depressing. 84% They find the news negative. 77% They find the news sensational. 58%

News by the numbers Americans who say:

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Have little or no interest in politics. 42%• Journalists who say:

They often avoid running stories readers think are important but dull. 77%

They sometimes ignore stories because readers might find them too complex. 52%

News by the numbers Americans under the age of 30 who say they:

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• The Metropolitan Daily Lots of pages to fill with range of topics Local to global

News depends on the newspaper

Storm warning Print it

County fair Print it

Tuition hike Print it

Volleyball bill Kill it

Flu shots Print it

Maybe

Maybe

Hold it

Hold it

Mexico bus crash

Girl Scout cookies

Lottery winner

Eminem sex change

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• The Community Weekly Limited space Tight regional focus

News depends on the newspaper

Storm warning Kill it

County fair Print it

Tuition hike Kill it

Volleyball bill Kill it

Flu shots Print it

Kill it

Print it

Kill it

Kill it

Mexico bus crash

Girl Scout cookies

Lottery winner

Eminem sex change

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• The Twice-Weekly Campus Paper Space very tight Stories focus on campus events and culture

News depends on the newspaper

Storm warning Kill it

County fair Kill it

Tuition hike Print it

Volleyball bill Kill it

Flu shots Maybe

Kill it

Kill it

Print it

Kill it

Mexico bus crash

Girl Scout cookies

Lottery winner

Eminem sex change

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• Some journalists dismiss “pandering” to readers.

• Smart journalists adjust To tastes. To reading habits. To news appetites.

You might write terrific stories, but they’re worthless if nobody reads them

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• We ask them.• We watch them.

Focus groups Phone, mail and Web

surveys Monitoring devices

So how do we know what readers read?

And more• Ethnography• Sales/Web views• Reader response• Anecdotal

feedback

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• Focus groups Good to test ideas and

prototypes. May not be accurate.

• Surveys Detailed data. Reliable and accurate. Respondents can lie.

So how do we know what readers read?

Monitoring devices• Can see what people

actually read.• Testing occurs in

unnatural conditions.

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• Readers are in a hurry.• Readers have short

attention spans.• Readers want stories

that connect.

Things every reporter needs to remember about readers

5 Readers want stories

told in a compelling way.

There’s more than just one type of reader.

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• Spend 90% of time chasing a story, and 10% writing it.

• Not everything a reporter hears makes it into the finished story.

How a story gets written Not everything is as

it seems.

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News stories can be broken down into three broad categories:

1. Hard news • “Spot news”• Written in inverted pyramid style• starts with the lead, answering who, what, where,

why, when, and how questions of the news story.• Killings, city council actions, accidents, fires, stuff..

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2. Soft news, or feature newspurpose is to inform, entertain, instruct, inspirenot generally as time dependent as hard news

3. Investigative reportspurpose is to reveal significant information about matters of public importance through the use of time-intensive, non-routine news-gathering methods

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Breaking news. News happening right

now…timely with consequences

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Oil from the BP spill lands on area beaches…

That’s breaking news…

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Entertainment, profiles, critters, oddities, human interest, inhuman interest...(another Hellboy sighting?)

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Digging, getting the hidden story

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What makes a story interesting? There are six standards, called news values.

immediacy proximity prominence impact Emotions (human interest) Conflict novelty

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Instincts of editors/reporters

News hole Availability of news Pressure from the

publisher Influences of

advertisers Competition among

media

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• Daily – printed every day.

• Weekly – printed once a week.

• Newsletter – printed once a month.

Talk the talk

Mainstream newspaper (The New York Times)

Alternative press (The Village Voice)

Specialty publication (Fur & Feather Magazine)

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• Broadsheet – large format page

• Tabloid – half the size of a broadsheet

Talk the Talk Stories can be spiked or

killed. Writers can create a

thumbsucker or a goat-choker.

Editors can trim or cut a few graphs and butcher or bury stories.

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Parts of a story

Photo Byline Dateline Lead Quote Attribution

Photo credit Liftout quote Tagline

Headline

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• Flag Name of paper set in

special type. Never changes.

• Edition Daily papers often print

street sales and home delivery editions.

The parts of a page Infographic

• Informational graphics.• Display key facts.

Deck• Subheadline.• Written by copy editors.

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• Text Story measured in inches.

• Jump line Tells readers where story

continues, or jumps.

The parts of a page Cutline

• Caption.• Written by copy editors

or reporters.

Teaser• Promo or skybox.• Captures readers’

attention to highlight story in issue.

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• Refer Alerts readers to another

story related to topic.• Wire story

Story written by reporter working for another paper or national wire service.

The parts of a page Mug shot

• Closeup photo of someone’s face.

• Usually small.

Centerpiece• Lead story.

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• Index Last page element copy

editors create before sending paper to press.

The parts of a page Logo

• Small, specifically designed title (often with art).

• Used for labeling special stories or series.

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The Stylebook is like a dictionary. It gives you guidance on how to write everything from abbreviations to television show titles.

You tend to jump around a bit in the book. It can get a bit confusing. Hang in there!

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Note the different ways terms, numbers, dates, days and the president’s title and name are used in this story that does not follow AP Style…

WASHINGTON - President Bush is seeking nearly unfettered control over how 25,000,000,000 dollars would be spent for US military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan later this year.

The President said the $25 billion fund package is critical and that the war costs the U.S. government 1 billion dollars a month to wage.

Although congress is considered certain to provide President George Bush with the money he wants, it is uncertain whether Congress will grant him the leeway he wants in dispensing the funds. The U.S. Senate and the house of representatives are debating the issue Thurs. A vote could come as soon as next Monday.

The money is supposed to cover the first months of the Government's 2005 budget year, which starts October First and ends Aug. 12.

President Bush formally asked lawmakers for the money on wed., a week after administration officials first told congressional leaders that they were seeking the funds.

Bush’s request abruptly reversed earlier declarations that they would not seek the money until after the November elections or late Dec.

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I’ve underlined discrepancies in style…

WASHINGTON - President Bush is seeking nearly unfettered control over how 25,000,000,000 dollars would be spent for US military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan later this year.

The President said the $25 billion fund package is critical and that the war costs the United States government 1 billion dollars a month to wage.

Although congress is considered certain to provide President George Bush with the money he wants, it is uncertain whether Congress will grant him the leeway he wants in dispensing the funds.

The U.S. Senate and the house of representatives are debating the issue Thurs. A vote could come as soon as next Monday.

The money is supposed to cover the first months of the Government's 2005 budget year, which starts October First and ends Aug. 12.

President Bush formally asked lawmakers for the money on Wed., a week after administration officials first told congressional leaders that they were seeking the funds.

Bush’s request abruptly reversed earlier declarations that they would not seek the money until after the Nov. elections or late Dec.

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Here is correct AP Style for this story It standardizes the use of numbers, titles and abbreviations.

WASHINGTON - President Bush is seeking nearly unfettered control over how $25 billion would be spent for U.S. military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan later this year.

The president said the $25 billion fund package is critical and that the war costs the U.S. government $1 billion a month to wage.

Although Congress is considered certain to provide Bush with the money he wants, it is uncertain whether Congress will grant him the leeway he wants in dispensing the funds.

The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives are debating the issue Thursday. A vote could come as soon as next Monday.

The money is supposed to cover the first months of the government's 2005 budget year, which starts Oct. 1 and ends Aug. 12.

Bush formally asked lawmakers for the money on Wednesday a week after administration officials first told congressional leaders that they were seeking the funds.

Bush’s request abruptly reversed earlier declarations that they would not seek the money until after the November elections or late December.

“

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