DN page 18 T U E S d A Y , A p r i l 9 , 2 0 1 3pUnch

High School students after their studies and even con-

tinuing their University career may like to be freelance journal-ists in the press or even in the electronic medium. For your benefit I by virtue of my experi-ence as a fulltime journalist in The Island, Daily News, Virake-sari and Navamani and present-ly a freelance columnist for Lan-kan English and Tamil newspa-pers claim that I can suggest some helpful hints for you.

Here are some:

s Observe carefully and attentively. An average person is a poor tran-scriber of what he or she sees, a careless and fragmentary recorder of what he or she hears.

s If you ask him/her to describe the details of some incident which he/she has witnessed, his/her account will have glaring errors, inferences, gusses, emotional exaggeration, bungle names and addresses will always be inaccurate.

s Alertness, capacity for investiga-tion, a retentive memory of things seen and heard will make he or she a trained journalist. Such jour-nalists take nothing for granted. Permits no additions or omissions to distort or twist the accurate weighing of facts.

s By instinct a journalist pursues the scientific method of attack, approaches each situation critically, searches through hidden facts and motives, especially when somebody is trying to see a dummy. Seldom does the journalist offers a question-able or controversial matter of his or her own authority.

s In a controversy the journalist cites both sides of the issue. Warning: If you are a gullible soon you will be a victim of your profession.

s A journalist equipped with a rich and varied educational back-ground unquestionably holds the odds at the starting point.

s Everyday of the year the journalist will find his or her store of informa-tion, a variable ally especially if the journalist has studied history, litera-ture, economics, government or politics, social sciences- at least a

basic knowledge of sciences, mod-ern languages and law. All contrib-ute to the journalist’s understanding of the network of events the journal-ist is called upon to untangle and explain.

s Background knowledge comes handy, especially during inter-views. A multi-disciplinary approach is always helpful.

s If you do not know the philoso-phies of Karl Marx or Sigmund Freud of great thinkers or the difference or between hydrogen and oxygen, you will lose your weight.

Essential practice

u Read regularly and critically. A com-petent journalist keeps up with the times. He / she should read all the newspapers, magazines and

books avidly and critically storing information.

u A journalist should build up a wide acquaintanceship. The facts a jour-nalist should know count heavily in his or her favour, but the people the journalist knows count even more.

u Display imitative and resourcefulness. If you are lazy until your hairs grave, you will be writing stories about onions and potatoes only. Resourcefulness means that if one road is blocked to get an informa-tion or to breakthrough a story, you wait until you get the secondnd, thirdrd and fourth.

u Exercise diligence and patience. Never feel defeated. Have patience and stick to an assignment like a martyr.

u Use imagination but do not fake a healthy imagination often marks the difference between a top and a low

rung in journalism. This does not mean distortion of essential facts but their clarification- excellent for human-interest stories.

u Write and keep on writing. Even if something should go to the dustbin you should try writing. Once you finish the page of a copy analyse and criticise the work. Write slowly, thoughtfully, painstakingly every phrase and sentence. Even experi-enced writers had said that they slow after a vacation.

u Think clearly and accurately. Honest thinking with clear cut results should be the foundation for the entire journalist.

Every step on the discovery of devel-opment and presentation of facts calls for clarity, tempered by sober minded judgment carful planning.

Muddled head has no place in jour-nalism Footwork without brain work

takes one no where. Modern world is drifting from its old anchorage of authority new economy and social forc-es are in the making and we need bet-ter trained breed of journalists.u Make wise use of leisure time. Make

it profitable. You must know when to use your leisure time profitably. One is a journalist 24 hours a day. Otherwise your efficiency will be impaired.

Some notes on critical reading and writing

In a creative civilisation, language- words- have a flexible responsive agent. It changes and grows with changes made upon its resources and at times such as ours when new knowledge chal-lenges our expert, thousands of new words, meanings and symbols appear to communicate the findings.l We should have a basic idea of what

language means and does. Spoken language differs from writing. Lan-guage in its transmitting capacity preserves a common culture and thereby perpetuates as well as fos-ters civilisation.

l Language continually undergoes change. Its old words take on fresh meanings and new terms multiply during periods of social growth. Sounds, grammatical structure and usage also change.

l Language includes special vocabulary which gives us special insight into ourselves and nature.

l The language gives the individual both the sense of personal identity and the recognition in social com-munity.

sivakumaran.ks@gmail.com

A witness describing an incident Some journalists reporting an incident

IShArA JAyAwArDANE

hameed

Not everybody is a journo

The Avurudu celebrations of the Nursery Section of Museaus college, Colombo were held on April 2 at the school premises. The little children participated in various traditional Avurudu events. Principal S Dandeniya and all Sectional heads were warmly welcomed by the children. Given here are some eye-catch-ing moments of the Bakmaha Ulela.

Principal S Dandeniya being welcomed by a student offering Betel leaves (Bulath Deema).

Playing raban

Class room The children participating in various Avurudu traditions during the celebration.

Lower and upper nursery children

singing Avurudu song.

Boiling over of milk in a clay pot marked the commencement of Bakmaha Ulela

Museaus Bakmaha Ulela