Introduction News writing.pptx

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Breaking News

Jack and Jill went up the hill to

fetch a pail of water.



Breaking News

Jack suffered a skull fracture and

Jill is in serious condition after

the pair tumbled down a hill

during their ritual water-carrying

chores yesterday.



Breaking News

Quintanilla sisters like bicol

express.



Breaking News

Kris Aquino like bicol express.



Breaking News

Trillanes wins in Catanduanes.



ENG403: News and Editorial Writing

Sat/Sun, 7:00-12:00 a.m.

Rm 310

Prepared by:

Reashiela L. Khan



Contents



What is News?• …information.

• …is what you read in the newspapers or hear

from radio or television newscasts.• …“a break from the normal flow of events, an

interruption in the expected.” (Melvin Mencher)

• “… tomorrow’s history done up in today’s neat

package” (Mitchell Charnley)

• …mirrors the concerns and interests of the

society



What is News?• “any event, idea, or opinion that is timely, that

interests and affects a large number of persons

in the community, and that is capable of beingunderstood by them.” (M. Lyle Spencer)



Attributes of News

2) Proximity

3) Prominence

4) Significance5) Oddity

1) Timeliness immediacy

nearness of the event to the intendedreaders

popularity of the people and places

importance of the event and how it will

affect the people

anything that deviates from normal

course of events is newsworthy



News Sources• Traditional

• Non-traditional

ex. government; the three branches i.e. the

executive office, the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court; the

constitutional bodies like COMELEC; the LGU; etc.

ex. cause –oriented groups, youth groups, labor groups, the campuses and universities



News Gathering1) Actual coverage

2) Interview with prominent personality

3) Writing from documents (i.e. policy statements,

speeches, reports)



Types of News Stories1) Action story

2) Idea story

based on actual coverage

presented as if the writer is an

eyewitness to the event

Culled from reports and documents.

Abstract and static

Also called substance story



News Categories1) Novelty anything new

2) Personal impact news with chain impact on the

masses

3) Local newsemphasizes proximity

4) Money

5) Crime and punishment6) Sex ex. love stories, breakups, love problems

7) Conflicts war and revolution



News Categories8) Disaster and tragedies

9) Humor

10) Human Interest

11) The underdog

12) Mystery

13) Health

14) Science



News Categories15)Religion

16) Entertainment

17) Famous people

18) Weather

19) Food and Drinks

20) Group Stories – ex. minorities



Contents



Objective vs. InterpretativeJournalism

“Objective journalism is reporting events that

confines itself to the facts and answers thequestions “what, when, where, who, why, and

how…If the journalist attempts to explain the

significance of an event by expounding on the

questions, how and why, then that is interpretative journalism” (Malinao, 1997)



Development Journalism

“also called “subservience journalism” or

“mouthpiece writing” or “sunshine journalism”because writers write in support of the government

efforts to improve the quality of life of the people.”



Yellow Journalism

It is a type of journalism that sensationalizes

stories about crime and violence. Today , thisincludes publication of indecent photos. It is

nowadays sometimes called “cheese-cake

journalism.”



Journalists’ Role

1. Report or describe events

2. Explain and interpret events3. Forecast the likely consequences of events



The Beat System

BEAT is a regular place of assignment given to a

reporter by his editor. Advantages: 1. Excellent Source

2. Expertise

3. Surveillance

Disadvantages: 1. Cronyism 2. Bias

3. Myopia 4. Ego



Bad News vs. Good News

“Good news is no news; bad news is good news.”



Contents



1. Reaction Storya. Reaction to Media Report

b. Reaction to a Proposal

c. Reaction to an Event

2. Follow-up Story

stories which continue to be published becauseof sustained public interest



3. Calendar Storystories of predictable events

4. Jazzed-up Storyan old topic, given a new slant or angle to make

it look fresh

5. An Advancera story written in advanced by a journalist who

has access to sources6. Canned Storya hand-out or a press-release, usually self-

serving, given by an agency



Contents



1. Think first, then write.

2. Get to the point.

3. Use familiar words.

4. Omit verbal deadwood.for that reason at the present time

affixed his signature told his listeners

held a conference used for fuel purposesunited in holy matrimony past history

free gift advance prediction

fatal killing for a period of 2 weeks



5. Keep your sentences short.“Should the gasoline sent to your establishment prove

insufficient to meet the demand, application should be

made to this office for additional quantity.”

6. Shorten your paragraph.

7. Use specific, concrete language.

His head was injured by a blunt instrument.

A large number assembled for the meeting.

8. Prefer the simple to the complex.



9. Be positive.

10. Use active voice.

11. Write as you talk.

12. Use adjectives sparingly.13. Revise and sharpen.

14. Write to express, not to impress.

15. Odds and ends.“Our greatest sin , very often, is lack of restraint in

the use of words.”



Contents



• The Inverted Pyramid

• The Lead

• Rules on paragraph construction

• Hard News vs. Soft News



• Hard News vs. Soft NewsHARD NEWS:

Lead Paragraph - important facts

Succeeding Paragraphs – less important factsEnding Paragraph – least important facts

SOFT NEWS:

Lead Paragraph – least important factsSucceeding Paragraphs – more interesting facts

Ending Paragraph – most interesting facts



• Hard News vs. Soft NewsHARD NEWS:

Headline: “Jonas Burgos tops gov’t priority list of 101

cases, says De Lima”

Lead Paragraph: “Yet another government body will takeup the case of missing activist Jonas Burgos, son

of the late press freedom icon Jose Burgos Jr.”

SOFT NEWS:

Headline: “Lose fat in 15 to 30 days.” Lead Paragraph: “Of course you’ve known for six months

or even longer that the beach party is only a

month away, and you are now in panic mode.



• The Inverted Pyramid

<<Primary or Main Lead

<<Secondary or Support

Lead

<<Details or Particulars

<<Background

<<Illustration



• Other Formats

a) Champagne / Martini

Glass Structure

b) The Kabob



• Advantages of the Inverted Pyramid

a) It facilitates reading.

b) It facilitates makeup

c) It facilitates headline writing



• The Lead

The Leads (slant, angle or simply or the first

paragraph) in a news story tells the most important

fact of the news story.Tips:

a) It should attract the readers’ attention.

b) Use short, simple declarative sentences

c) Don’t try to say everything in one sentence

d) Avoid repetition of phrases, clauses, and similar

grammatical constructions.



• The LeadTypes of Leads:

a) Cartridge Lead - short, abrupt and definite. It tells the

gist of the news in the fewest words.

b) Punch Lead – similar to cartridge lead but it surprises

and intrigues the readers

c) Picture Lead – attempts to have a pictorial account of

the event

d) Contrast lead – emphasizes the contrast.

e) Question lead – raises a query in a hope of inducing

the readers to read on



• Types of Leadf) Freak Lead – throws caution to the air by trying to be

different

g) Sequence Lead – a series of paragraphs, ususally

arranged chronologically but with single effecth) Suspended interest lead

i) Staccato Lead

j) Figurative lead

k) Epigram Lead

l) Quotation lead

m) Summary lead



Contents



• News Sense and Writing Skill

• Pseudo-event

• Reporter’s Story

• No dull beat

• Covering the Police Beat

• Do’s and Don’ts in Crime Reporting

• Covering the Courts

• The Premier Beat

• Ambush Interview

• Congress Beat

• Pool Coverage

• Media Accreditation

• Press Statement

• Joint Press Statement

• Press Materials

• Photo Opportunity




“The craft of writing as well as the theories in journalism can

be studied in school, but news sense or the ability to “smell”

news can only be learned through experience.” (Malinao,

1997)



• News Sense and Writing Skill• Reporter’s Story

“A news story is what you make it.” (Malinao, 1997)




• Pseudo-event

“an event that is staged-managed for the media in order tostress a point or influence public opinion.” (Malinao, 1997)





• Pseudo-event

“There is never a dull day nor a dull beat… a reporter worth

his salt will always have a story to write if he is diligent and

has enough news sense.” (Malinao, 1997)


• No dull beat




• Pseudo-event


• No dull beat


Comments: a) Police story is stereotype.

b) It often has no eyewitness.

c) Reports often rely on police blotter.Tips: a) dig deeper

b) be on the scene



• Do’s and Don’ts in Crime Reportinga) Complaints filed with the police department and contained

in the police blotter are uncorroborated complaints. Write

objectively.

b) Any conclusion of guilt or innocence should be strictly

avoided. Use the word “alleged” when referring to an

accused who has not yet been convicted.

c) Never sensationalize or editorialize the report. Stick to

facts.d) Never report lurid details of a crime. This is unethical.

e) In a crime against chastity, never mention the name of a

minor complainant




Malacanang Beat is…

…culled from official statements, press releases, or

press

conferences

…reserved for experienced reporters.

…assured of space in the paper …a round-the-clock affair

…an opportunity for reporters to travel






“It strikes fear in the heart of the strongest and most

confident executive… come around the corner and

there they are – media demons with smirking looks

and evil grins, jamming cameras and microphones,

pushing on your face, demanding answers to thehardest questions…” (Scudder, ___)







Reporters should…

… possess analytical mind

… master parliamentary rules

… avoid being used by publicity-hungry politicians

… get the other side to the official views

… be skeptical when dealing with politicians




• Congress Beat



• Pool Coverage“…important event when only one reporter and one

photographer are allowed to cover it. Then, the

reporter and photographer share their materials with

other newsmen.” (_____, __)



• Pool Coverage

International Press Center (IPC) accredits journalists to

prevent pseudo journalists from covering important

events, to secure the life of dignitaries, and/or to

prevent sabotage of important meetings and events.

IPC card is basically a passport for covering any event

anywhere in the country.




• Pool Coverage

This is an official statement or press briefings givenusually by the official spokesman or press secretary

after closed door meetings.


• Press Statement



• Pool Coverage

Official statements or press briefings given by both or all

the parties involved in a closed door meetings.


• Press Statement




• Pool Coverage

- “press kit” that provides journalists with background

information about special events or occasions.


• Press Statement


• Press Materials



• Pool Coverage

- “Photo op” is a brief period, normally at the beginning

and closing of ceremonies, reserved for the press to

photograph the participants in a newsworthy event.


• Press Statement


• Press Materials





• Pseudo-event


• No dull beat






• Congress Beat

• Pool Coverage


• Press Statement


• Press Materials




References

• Malinao, Alito (1997) Journalism for

Filipinos. Diliman Q.C: National Book

Store

• Scudder & Scudder World ClassCommunication: How great CEO's win

with the public, shareholders

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