PRINT JOURNALISM

UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM AND NEWS

TOPIC 2

WHAT IS JOURNALISM?
The practice of investigating, collecting, verifying and/or preparing, or
editing, for dissemination of information, commentary, opinion or
analysis, including but not limited to news or current affairs;
for the purpose of making that information, commentary, opinion or
analysis available to the public, or a section of the public;
and in respect of which a relevant person or persons abides by a
journalists’ code of practice, or the organisation for which they work is
governed by, or submits to, a journalists’ code of practice.
WHO IS A JOURNALIST?
Journalist means a person engaged in the profession or occupation of
journalism in connection with the publication of information,
comment, opinion or analysis in a news medium.
DEFINITIONS:
 “The collection and editing of material of current interest for
presentation, publication or broadcast”
- Webster’s Third International Dictionary
 “The profession of conducting or writing for public journals”
- Chamber’s Twentieth Century Dictionary
 “The objective of journalism is service”
- M.K. Gandhi
• “A journalist is the person who wants to give a definite direction
to the public through his writings published at short
intervals”- T.H.S Scott
Roles of a Journalist
Following are the roles of journalists:

1)Journalists make people aware of the Contemporary

World: Journalists make people aware of the latest news and events.
They also inform the people about the current political, economic, and
social trends. Thus, through their reports and writings, they enlighten
the society and nation.

2 )Jo urnalists educa te masses: Journalists provide information

related to economy, sciences, global polity, healthcare and technology
which help people in acquiring a new kind of knowledge in respected
field. They inform, educate those readers and viewers who are keen to
learn more about such topics and events. Technological advances are
explained in nutshell on radio and TV. Magazines give data and facts
about avant-garde technologies.

3 )To M ake flow o f art a nd Culture: Photojournalists take up

such fine tasks. They struggle to take photographs of wildlife, people
monuments, ancient buildings etc. Later, they get these photographs
published in magazines, journals, and
newspapers, some photojournalists also organise exhibitions of their
photographic creations. The photographs of the nuclear holocaust
in Hiroshima (1945), the war in Vietnam (1967), the attacks on World
Trade Centre (2001), and many such events have become path
breaking.

4 )To Entertain the Masses: Journalists related to cinema, music

and other fields of entertainment work in this respect. They also give
information regarding cinema, fashion, city life etc. Journalists also
give important news through the audio-visual media. Aaj Tak covers
all such news as are related to fine arts, music, sculpture, photography.
5)To Make People Sensitive to Burning Issues: Journalists
make people sensitive to the events that occur around the globe. They,
by virtue of their knowledge about polity and society, can guide the
masses through their messages and content. They write editorials, guest
columns, routine columns and features in newspapers and magazines.
Example: Aaj Tak and ORG surveyed the audiences of Gujarat and
found out that Mr. Narendra Modi was still the best bet as a Chief
Minister of that state (this survey was done in November 2002). The
mood of the nation can be known quickly through such exercises.

6)To make people aware of their rights: Journalists inform

people what their governments are doing for them and make them
aware of their rights. They inform them about new development plans
and policies of their respective governments and educate them how to
fight against exploitation and social discrimination.

Responsibilities of a Journalist
Following are some of the responsibilities of a journalists:

1) Towards the Firm/Organisation: Journalists, working for

private sector firms or public sector agencies, are responsible to their
respective firms and organisations. They must remain loyal to their
employers. They may not give news or information to the competitors
of their firms for the sake of money materialistic assets, or other
favours. Loyalty towards one’s organisation determines on success in
that organisation. Journalists ate no exception to this rule.

2 ) To Ga ther News or Da ta: It is not possible for everyone

to collect news or data Journalists must collect the data or news from
the place/spot from where they are supposed to collect it. They should
rely on primary data and not secondary data. The latter could be biased.
Primary data must be collected personally. People must be interviewed
at the spot of the event, accident, or mishap possible, statistics released
by the government should be taken, but the journalist must be on his
own judgement and inquisitive mind to collect vital data.

3)Towards the reader and society: As a news reporter, you have

duty to provide accurate, unbiased and objective information to the
reader’s social responsibility entailing obligations towards public
opinion and society as a whole.

4) Towards the News Organisation: The manner in which a journalist

performs her/his duties determines the ‘quality’ and ‘superiority’ of
her/his newspaper, news channel or news organisation. Each and every
action of a journalist affects the news channel, the newspaper or the
news organisation s/he is working with either positively or negatively.
Therefore, it is imperative for journalists to maintain an appropriate
blend of objectivity and balance in their news stories.

5) Towards ‘Contacts’ or ‘Sources’: A good journalist should always

keep in mind that safety and security of their contacts or sources is the
primary and very important responsibility. A journalist will have to
prove its trustworthiness to her/his contacts and will have to give
assurance to them that the information provided by the contact will not
be used against them or be of a cause of any harm or danger to them.

A) JOURNALISM AS A FOURTH ESTATE

Access to information is essential to the health of democracy for at least
two reasons. First, it ensures that citizens make responsible, informed
choices rather than acting out of ignorance or misinformation. Second,
information serves a "checking function" by ensuring that elected
representatives uphold their oaths of office and carry out the wishes of
those who elected them.
In the United States, the media is often called the fourth branch of
government (or "fourth estate"). That's because it monitors the political
process in order to ensure that political players don't abuse the
democratic process.
Others call the media the fourth branch of government because it plays
such an important role in the fortunes of political candidates and issues.
This is where the role of the media can become controversial. News
reporting is supposed to be objective, but journalists are people, with
feelings, opinions and preconceived ideas.

B) CITIZEN JOURNALISM

The concept of citizen journalism is basically journalism in the hands

of citizens other than professional journalists. It is based upon public
citizens "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting
analysing, and disseminating news and information. Factors that led
to the emerging of citizen journalism are Internet, social media,
mobile phone.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND CITIZEN JOURNALISM:

Social media has empowered the ordinary citizens to take on the role
of news reporters. Users are able to express their views and opinions.
The use of the social media encourages discussions and
brings likeminded people together. Social media has given the masses
a voice and the means to produce their own content. It basically
challenges the News, offering an alternative perspective.
Types of Citizen Journalism:
a) SHARING OF PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEOS & AUDIO:
It involves Posting on blogs, Facebook and other social media
sites.
b) SHARING OF OPINION: Commenting on things you find online
makes you become a Citizen Journalist by sharing your opinions
and others.
 c) SHARING OF EXPERTISE: Creating a blog or doing a report on
a topic you are knowledgeable on, even though you are not a
journalist.
d) SHARING OF DISCOVERY: Sharing information with the
world after discovering news.

EXAMPLES OF CITIZEN JOURNALISM:

Kennedy Assassination, 1963,
WTC, 2011,
Columbia shuttle Disaster, 2003

PENNY PRESS
 As the East Coast's middle and working classes grew, so did their
desire for news. Penny papers emerged as a cheap source of news
with coverage of crime, tragedy, adventure, and gossip. The
penny papers represented the crudest form of journalism because
of the sensational gossip that was reported

 The penny press was most noted for its price - only one cent per
paper - while other contemporary newspapers were priced around
six cents per issue. The exceptionally low price popularized the
newspaper in America and extended the influence of the
newspaper media to the poorer classes

 The penny press made the news and journalism more important
and also caused newspapers to begin to pay more attention to the
public they served. Editors realized that the information that
interested the upper class did not necessarily interest the penny-
paying public. These new newspaper readers enjoyed the
information about police and criminal cases
  The main revenue for the penny press was advertising while other
newspapers relied heavily on high-priced subscriptions to finance
their activities

YELLOW JOURNALISM
 Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst were the men
responsible for the birth of yellow Journalism.

 Yellow journalism and yellow press are American terms

for journalism and associated newspapers that present little or no
legitimate, well-researched news while instead using eye-
catching headlines for increased sales

 Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-

mongering, or sensationalism. By extension, the term yellow
journalism is used today as a derogatory to condemn any
journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical
fashion.

 In the UK, a roughly equivalent term is tabloid journalism,

meaning journalism characteristic of tabloid newspapers, even if
found elsewhere

 A common source of such writing is called checkbook

journalism, which is the controversial practice of news reporters
paying sources for their information without verifying its truth or
accuracy.
  EXAMPLE: Sheena Bora Murder Case

A beautiful young woman is allegedly killed by her high-profile

mother, Indrani Mukherjee, the wife of a top media executive

Aggressive, hyperventilated coverage that’s concocting theories,

speculating motives, questioning friends, ex-spouses and even
neighbors. If privacies are being invaded, so be it.

Reporters are going head-to-head, even getting on to flights to follow

people and to offer a blow-by-blow account of the unfolding saga. This
high-profile crime story, like the ones before it, has grown into a
national pastime.
 TOPIC 3: News: Meaning, Definition and Nature

The etymology of the word “news” from Latin “nova” which means
“new things”. News is a record of latest events, incidents and
developments that in some way touch on the lives of newspapers and
magazine’s readers. News can be defined as “what politicians
promote, news organizations produce, technologies transmit, and
people consume at any moment in history”
DEFINITIONS
The Oxford Dictionary says: News is the report of recent events, or
occurrences brought or coming to one as new information; new
occurrences as a subject of report or talk.”
British Journal defines the news as, “any event, idea or opinion that is
timely, that interests or affects a large number of people in a community
and that is capable of being understood by them”.
Lord Northcliffe, the famous British editor, said of news: “News is
something that somebody somewhere doesn’t want to print, wants to
suppress. All the rest is advertising.”

A) NEWS VALUES
1. CHANGE

2. IMPACT
The more affected by a particular event, the more of a news value
that event has, a value especially true when assessing foreign
news.
For example, an Irish storm isn’t necessarily story-worthy for The
New York Times. However, if a hurricane causes chaos and even
fatalities across Western Europe, that would likely be a story
worth covering.
3. DISASTER AND PROGRESS
Two important news value; disaster and progress are at opposite
ends of the scale. Disaster or bad news usually triumphs over
progress or good news. Readers expect the news of tragedies,
disasters, violence and breakdowns in human relationships.
For example: When an earthquake took place in Gujarat,
newspapers devoted pages to stories and pictures describing the
loss of lives and property. By contrast, plans to build an over
bridge or flood control project rates relatively small space and
only passing reader interest.

4. PROXIMITY
Closeness or nearness of an event or an incident to the audience
has tremendous importance for reporters as well as for a
newspaper. Proximity could be geographical or relevance to the
audience. The more ‘local’ or closer the site where the event took
place, the greater will be its importance to be termed as news.
A train derailment in England, for example, is less likely to be
reported than a similar derailment in your country. Similarly, a
tragic auto accident in your local area will receive attention
because people are familiar with the terrain and may even know
the injured.

5. EMINENCE AND PROMINENCE

Stories about well-known people have a higher readership than
those about persons in the lower rank. The more important a
person, the more valuable, he or she is as a news source. If a well-
known personality happens to be involved in the event, it will
invariably make news.
For example, if the prime minister strains his ankle while walking
to the car, or a celebrity has a bathroom fall, it makes news.
 6. CONFLICT
Conflict is both a contributing and a complicating factor in news.
Nearly every story on each of our front pages is a story of conflict.
It is a central feature of most news.
For example: differences between the Bhartiya Janata Party and
the Communist Party (Marxist) and the Indian National Congress
on the Indo-US nuclear deal made news in India for several
months.

7. HUMAN INTEREST
These are stories that arouse some emotion in the audience’s
stories that are ironic, bizarre, uplifting or dynamic. Quite often,
newspaper reporters come across situations, which induce
emotions of mercy or sentiments or sympathy.
For example, if a visually- challenged person performs some
daring act, such as scaling Mount Everest, or a hearing-
challenged boy scores a meritorious position in a competitive
examination, these are human interest stories.

8. ODDITY
Oddity means something that is unusual, unique, abnormal or
exceptional/ rare. Oddity produces most of the news every day.
Variation from what normally happens is news. When a dog bites
a man, it is not news but when a man bites a dog; that is news.
Oddity creates human interest and emotion both.

B) TYPES OF NEWS:
HARD NEWS
Political, social, economic or serious environmental news of a highly
significant nature that needs to be reported as soon as possible due to
its immediate influence or ramifications on the public and surrounding
world. The form of hard news is described in terms of qualifiers such
as newsworthiness and neutrality, objectivity, balance and accuracy.
It also often includes public administration, policy and national
security, social matters and crime stories.
Hard news is often breaking news of high significance that focuses on
who, what, where, when, why and how and is presented as longer text
directed at elites’ audiences, educated, opinion leaders.

SOFT NEWS
The umbrella term for the opposite of hard news is soft news. It is
often characterized by terms such as popularization, tabloidization,
trivialization, sensationalism.
Soft news content includes lifestyle, entertainment, sports, culture,
arts, celebrities, health, family, education, history, science and
technology, royalty, human interest, travel, advice columns etc.
These are items of light news of immediate public interest with a low
level of information value that can be reported at any time
Soft news focuses on individuals and their personal and emotional
experiences, is spectacular, off-beat, colourful, confrontational

C) DIFFERENCE BETWEEN:
i. NEWS
The Standard Newscast in India employs the technique of reading
out the news in a formal manner from script (on electronic
teleprompter), interrupted with an occasional still, a map or a
moving picture. News is an event or incident which has an
audience interest in it to gather information or to make opinion
about the matter.
 ii. FEATURES
Feature stories are human-interest articles that focus on particular
people, places and events. These are journalistic, researched,
descriptive, colourful, thoughtful, reflective, thorough writing
about original ideas. It covers topics in depth, going further than
mere hard news coverage by amplifying and explaining the most
interesting and important elements of a situation or occurrence. -
Feature stories are popular content elements of newspapers,
magazines, blogs, websites, newsletters, television broadcasts
and other mass media. A feature story is not meant to report the
latest breaking news, but rather an in-depth look at a subject.

iii. ARTICLES
All news stories or events that are covered by the correspondents
are presented in the form of articles with a catchy headline to
arouse the interest of the readers. If the story is about a natural
disaster, a court case, or an important meet taking place to discuss
some important social or environmental issues, the article
necessarily has timeliness about it as it is time bound and has to
carry facts and information that is fresh and has taken place just
now. The news item should not appear stale.

iv. BACKGROUNDERS
It is a press conference or interview in which a government
official explains to reporters the background of an action or
policy. It is a type of story that explains and updates the news.
Thus, as compared to a proper news story, it is a part of it, i.e., it
can be a supplement to various articles and news stories need to
be updated and written on various occasions. While backgrounder
serves as an important source of news and further pursuing on it
for details, it is different from article, news and editorial in the
sense that it is not a proper form of writing. Its main purpose is to
update and inform.
 TOPIC 4: News Sources
❖
Attribution is stating who said something. Attribution is essential in
all the media, including radio and television.
Journalists do it so that the readers or listeners can know who is
speaking or where the information in the story comes from.
Journalists can use attribution for both spoken and written information,
so that you attribute information gathered from interviews, speeches,
reports, books, films or even other newspapers, radio or television
stations.
FOUR TYPES OF ATTRIBUTION
• On the record
• On background
• On deep background
• Off the record

‘On-the-record’ attribution means that everything the source says may

be published and quoted directly, and the source may be fully identified
by name and title.
Reporters should try to keep as much as possible of every interview on
the record. This allows readers to see or hear the source’s exact words
and know who the source is.

“On background,” which is sometimes referred to as “not for

attribution,” means the reporter may quote the source directly but may
not attribute the statements to the source by name. The reporter may
describe the source by her position.
When reporters use on-background information, they try to describe the
source as fully as possible.
“On deep background” is a variation of the backgrounder. This level
of attribution is sometimes called the Lindley Rule, named after Ernest
K. Lindley, a Newsweek columnist who used it during the Harry
Truman administration to persuade U.S. leaders to discuss military and
diplomatic affairs.
A source on deep background may not be quoted directly and may not
be identified in any way. A reporter must publish the information
without any attribution or with a phrase like, “It has been learned that.
. ..” Unless reporters have a high degree of confidence in the source and
the information and the approval of their supervisors, they should stay
away from information given on deep background.

“Off the record” is the final level of attribution. It generally means a

source’s information cannot be used, but that is often misunderstood.
Some people say they are speaking off the record when they really
mean they are speaking on background. Some journalists have deplored
the use of anonymous sources as a threat to the independence, accuracy
and credibility of the news.
Anonymity allows sources to try to influence the way journalists cover
the news
The accuracy of information from sources who demand anonymity is
always open to question. If the information proves inaccurate, it is the
reporter and the news organization who look foolish, not the source
A final problem with anonymous sources is that under some
circumstances a promise to keep a source’s identity secret can be
enforced in court.
 ❖
Quotes: These retell, verbatim, what someone actually said. Usually,
these come from the exact words that someone said to the reporter in
an interview. Sometimes quotations also come from witnesses at the
scene, or experts on a subject. In case, a quote is given special graphic
emphasis or is highlighted, it is called a ‘lift out’ quote.
Byline: This talks about who wrote the news story and sometimes may
also provide information about the reporter’s specialty. Example,
‘Science Reporter
Credit line: A credit line is a form of journalistic acknowledgment of
the source of origin. It is a kind of attribution that gives credit to the
person or entity that has provided information. It typically refers to the
line of text at the bottom of an article.
Embargo: A press embargo represents information offered reporters
prior to the date and time of official release as "news."
It is a system that gives each reporter an equal break on the news, along
with time to develop the story through appropriate interviews and other
research.
In theory, press embargoes reduce inaccuracy in the reporting of
breaking stories by reducing the incentive for journalists to cut corners
by writing up information quickly in hopes of "scooping" the
competition.
 UNIT 2: NEWS REPORTING AND WRITING
TOPIC 1: NEWS REPORTING: REPORTING FOR VARIOUS
BEATS

News Reporting

It means the collection or gathering of facts about current events or

background material required for a news story or feature. Reporters
gather their information from various techniques like press releases,
witnessing an event live, press conferences, interviews and public
record. This information gathering process is called reporting.
Reporting is done on a daily basis.
Most reporters working for major news media outlets are assigned an
area to focuson called a beat or patch. They are encouraged to cultivate
sources to improve their information gathering. Reporters are given
directions by editors to cover a particular event, known as
assignments. Reporters write the news stories, which are called copies.

SOURCES OF REPORTING FOR NEWS:

INTERVIEWS: Interviewing people connected with an event or

incident is a very common practice used by reporters to get details.

POLICE SOURCES: The police are in charge of law and

order. Reporters get details about crime, accidents etc. from police
sources.

REPORTS AND STATEMENTS: These are another major source of

news items. Various commissions and committees submit their reports
to the Government which are a goldmine as far as news reporters are
concerned.
PRESS CONFERENCES: Leaders of political parties hold press
conferences regularly. Ministers also hold press conferences
to announce various programmes and policies of the government.

COVERING EVENTS: The coverage depends upon the importance

and magnitude of the event. A small panchayat level meeting will be
covered locally, whereas a state level function will get wider coverage.

TYPES OF BEAT REPORTING

1. BUSINESS BEAT- The journalist has to cover business news from

around the globe. This will include launch of new products in the
market, mergers & acquisitions of companies, economic ups and
downs, performance of companies, and so on. Well researched
analytical reports have to be made when it comes to business. These
reports gather dates of all the important events on an international level;
moreover, these reports have also exposed many business-related
scandals.

2. CRIME BEAT – This beat has always been popular from a long
time. People are always eager to know about crimes taking place, with
all the possible and accurate details. Even though this is the most
amusing beat for journalists, it needs extensive investigation and
networking to get all the facts true. It consists of violence, revenge,
greed, and major issues, like corruption, drugs, and so on. A crime
reporter should always have good contacts so that no incident is missed.

3. POLITICAL BEAT- This branch covers subjects pertaining to

political science. One needs to carefully study and observe political
figures, bodies, campaigns, events, and report the same in an impartial
fashion. Being objective is essential as political journalism is known to
be instrumental in effecting many a change. Though this is one of the
most interactive and interesting fields, political journalists are often
criticized for being highly opinionated.

4. EDUCATION BEAT – This branch includes articles and reports on

the developments taking place in the educational sector. The audience
mostly consists of researchers, teachers, and students. These reports
stand a lot more important for the policy makers. It focuses on
spreading the importance of education among people so that a greater
number of children will take the step towards higher education rather
than those leading towards the factory doors.

5. ENVIRONMENT BEAT- Many journalists prefer writing about

environmental issues, related to its protection and conservation. It is
about the various changes in the environmental policies and events held
by organizations for various causes. Multiple environmental crises can
be communicated in a better way through this medium. This category
is for the nature lovers, may be as a work or cause.

6. FOOD BEAT – Writing about food can be someone's passion.

Moreover, people love to try new things, especially when it comes to
food. Food writing is not only about different recipes or reviews of
restaurants but it includes history and culture of various cuisines. This
beat attracts a lot of scope as many newspapers and magazines focus
on these articles. Roaming all over the world and trying all types of
cuisines encourage a lot of "foodie" journalists to select this beat.

7. MEDICAL BEAT- Health and science-related subjects fall under

this category. It plays a crucial role in spreading awareness among
professionals and general masses alike. Today, it is no longer restricted
to lengthy journals and has spread to daily and monthly subscriptions,
such as newspapers and magazines. Presented information needs to be
accurate, thus rigorous and extensive research is a must for every
assignment.
8. SPORTS BEAT – Sports writing and reporting demands, in the first
place, an exceptional interest in the field of sports and a good writing
style. Sports reporters are conversant with the rules of the game and
have good relations with players and coaches alike. Sports reporters
write to appeal to a class of readers who eat, drink and sleep sports.
Sports writing is as competitive as the game itself. Reporter’s depth of
knowledge is important while commenting on star
performers. Everything that you write must be good taste.

9. LIFESTYLE BEAT – The world is evolving and people are

interested in reading more about lifestyle. This beat has been on a fast-
track growth focusing on entertainment, music, leisure, shopping,
home, gardening, and so on. Lifestyle journalists study the stages of
development of lifestyle, economic influences on society, fashion, and
trends. They provide readers with tips that can help in changing their
lifestyle with time.

10. CIVIC BEAT - This branch of the industry makes use of the
democratic right, i.e., freedom of speech. Here, the citizens are
involved in gathering news wherein they speak out their problems and
give opinions. This information is used by the journalists to create new
stories and present it to the world.
TOPIC 2: TYPES OF NEWS REPORTS: OBJECTIVE,
INVESTIGATIVE AND INTERPRETATIVE

A) OBJECTIVE REPORTING- Objective reporting, also known as

unbiased or impartial reporting, is a fundamental principle in
journalism. It involves presenting information and news stories in a
neutral and impartial manner, free from personal bias or subjective
opinions. The goal of objective reporting is to provide readers with
factual information and allow them to form their own opinions based
on the presented facts. This objectivity in journalism helps the audience
to make up their own mind about a story and decide what they want
to believe.

B) INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING- Investigative reporting is when

a news reporter has to dig deeper than what is stated in the hard news
to find out the exact facts of an event, or, in other words, investigates
beyond what is visible to the naked eye. It is in-depth and involves
extensive research and reporting for a long period of time. It reveals
information that isn’t widely known and that others want to keep
hidden. The best kind of investigative reporting is that which keeps the
public interest in mind. It may highlight an injustice, expose corrupt
practices or unmask dishonest politicians and bureaucrats.

C) INTERPRETATIVE REPORTING- Interpretative reporting

combines facts and explanations to help the audience understand
certain events. It involves giving background information about a
specific incident or event. In addition to the facts, the reporter may need
to provide more information so that readers can understand the news
better. This means the reporter looks into why something happened and
what it means. They give information and explain why it is important.
Interpretative reporting thus goes behind the news, brings out the
hidden significance of an event and separates truth from falsehood.
TOPIC 3: Reporting for Newspapers, Magazines and News
Agencies

Newspapers: A newspaper is a publication that is issued daily or

weekly and includes local and international news stories,
advertisements, announcements, opinions, cartoons, sports news and
television listings. It is an important method of letting the public knows
everything that is happening in their local area and around the world.
Even with the advancements in computer technology, newspapers
continue to be an important aspect of everyday life. For newspaper
reporting it is required to deliver the information on deadline otherwise
it will leave out by the newspaper because of the printing process. And
as we all know that newspaper is 24hour late process in comparison to
electronic media.
News Agencies:

It gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news

organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and radio and television
broadcasters. A news agency may also be referred to as a wire
service, newswire, or news service. For a News Agency Reporter, the
deadline is every minute, the reporter has to file the story as soon as
important. Though the reporting structure is same as newspaper
reporting, all the news items have to be quoted from someone and
should be based purely on factual reports. To achieve such wide
acceptability, the agencies avoid overt partiality. Traditionally, they
report at a reduced level of responsibility, attributing their information
to a spokesman, the press, or other sources. They avoid making
judgments and steer clear of doubt and ambiguity.

Magazines: Magazines may be referred to as popular press

publications because articles are often written by journalists, who
gather information from various sources and synthesize it into their
stories or reports. The audience for articles in magazines is usually the
general public. Articles in magazines are often a good way to gain an
overview of your topic, but will seldom give full information on where
the author found the information included. That is, a bibliography of
sources is generally not included. Magazine’s reporting style is also
quite different from newspapers because they are not having the same
issue of deadline to report a story. They comes weekly or monthly in
which they have ample time to develop a story and do proper research
of the subject.
TOPIC 4: STRUCTURE AND STYLE OF NEWS WRITING
INVERTED PYRAMID STYLE
★The facts are not presented in order of occurrence but according to
the relative importance of each fact.
★In the inverted pyramid style the main news is placed at the top and
the rest of the detail following in decreasing order of importance.
★The order is not chronological but of importance.
★ All questions of who, what, when, where, why and how are
answered. This style basically organizes the information in order of
diminishing importance.
★ It is the first paragraph of a news story and contains the most
newsworthy part of the story - the newest, most unusual, most
interesting and most significant - told clearly and simply.
★Second paragraph contains full explanation and all the details. The
mostnewsworthy parts of the story will be written nearest to the top of
the story.
★The latter part of the story - the tapering point of the
inverted pyramid – contains detail which is helpful, but not essential.
FEATURE STYLE
Features can be divided into two types: news features and timeless
features. A news feature is about something that happened recently.
Timeless features are about things that are always interesting and don't
become outdated. Newspaper features are usually short and not very
detailed, while magazine features are longer and more detailed.
Features aim to entertain while also providing information. Features are
not only for entertainment; they can also discuss serious topics in more
depth than regular news stories. The feature style is used more freely
when the focus is on entertaining and a lighter approach rather than
straightforward and sometimes cold hard news. It invites the audience
into the story instead of just giving them facts right away. The rules for
accuracy, fairness, and clearness also apply to feature stories, like they
do for news reports. Feature stories give writers more freedom, but they
still have a specific structure.
HOURGLASS STYLE
The hourglass is a form that satisfies editors who prefer a traditional
approach to news writing as well as impatient readers who tire easily
of leisurely approaches to stories that take forever to get to the point.
The first part is an inverted pyramid top, summarizing the most
newsworthy information in descending order.
The second step is the turn, which transitions between the two sections.
Finally, the third step which is the narrative helps the writer tell a
chronological narrative complete with detail, dialogue and background
information.
The hourglass style is an effective way of writing, but it is not
appropriate for all articles.
a. Types of Headlines, Leads and Body

HEADLINE
A headline is defined as the heading of a news story or article. It is
generally placed on the top of the story, printed in large type and gives
the news succinctly in an attention-grabbing manner. The high-
visibility characteristic of headlines lets them influence the look and
appeal of the newspaper as well as its identification from a distance.
The presentation of a news story is dependent not only on writing its
headline but also on its font, font size and the position on the page.
I) LABEL HEADLINE: This type of headline does not have a verb. It
is a label and is similar to a book title. In short, a headline without a
verb is called a label headline. A label headline is a rarity and is used in
newspapers to show neutrality in its approach to the story. A label is
neutral in its approach and is easily searchable in a database.
Example: A season of Holi festivities.

II) DESCRIPTIVE HEADLINE: A descriptive headline is the one

which describes the gist of a news story. It majorly focuses on 4Ws and
1H (who, what, when, where, how) while the why part of the story is
often not part of the headline. Descriptive headlines are also called as
How to headline when they are used for explaining the step-wise
process of doing something. Example: How to form an Investing habit.
III) COMMENT HEADLINE: A comment headline is the one that
interprets the news partly. It adds extra meaning to the headline by
looking for something that is going on behind the scenes or by
analysing the implications of the news immediately or in the long run.
Comment does add colour to the headline and thus enhances its impact.
The trend of using comment in headline is growing these days.
IV) QUOTATION HEADLINE: A quotation headline is the one that
uses quotes in order that its impact is not reduced or lost after it is
paraphrased. A quote is not a story in itself and hence is used to
emphasize a news angle or news point. That is why quotes are used
sparsely in headlines. Examples: I did not kill her and I do not want to
be hanged.
V) QUESTION HEADLINE: A question headline is the one that
evokes curiosity and highlights speculative points or provokes the
reader. It is also good for pro-and-con stories. Many professionals do
not favour it because it leaves the reader guessing whereas the job of a
headline is to make sure that its meaning is grasped clearly.
LEAD
A lead is defined as the opening paragraph of a news story which is
crisp and has the role of grabbing the reader’s attention. It is an outline
of what will follow in the subsequent paragraphs in detail. 5W’s and
1H are conveyed in the lead.

I) SUMMARY LEAD: Its objective is to convey main idea of the story

to the reader. It covers most of the 5-Ws and 1-H and may also give an
idea of what is likely to happen in future. A professional reporter would
ensure that the main points of the story are covered in the lead.

II) DESCRIPTIVE LEAD: As the name suggests, this type of lead is

more descriptive and explanatory. It is used to explain a person, or a
scene or an event in detail in response to where and who questions. A
well-written descriptive lead is a picture-in-words description giving
the audience a feeling of being on the spot where the news happened.
III) QUESTION LEAD: It is said that newspaper readers look for
answers in a story. Hence leads posing questions are generally avoided.
However, a proactive question can be used to generate interest and the
answer to which is found in one or more of the following paragraphs
making the body of the story.
IV) PUNCH/CAPTION LEAD: In this type of lead, strong verbs and
direct sentences are used with the objective of creating maximum
impact. Such an impact is achieved by jolting the readers with action
words written in a simple way. The caption lead comes handy when the
copy writer is armed with an unexpected piece of information that has
to be conveyed in a hard-hitting manner. Example - The RBI suffers
monetary crisis.

V) QUOTATION LEAD: Quotes provide colour and credibility to the

story by recording the facts as they come from the news maker. But
quotes are generally paraphrased to drop the words which may decrease
the story’s impact. The other objective of paraphrasing is to save the
newspaper space and so also the reader’s time.
VI) CONTRAST LEAD: This type of lead is based on drawing
comparisons between two situations. Such comparisons between what
was happening then and what is happening now, between old age and
youth or even between what is happening elsewhere and what is
happening here—the location of news event.

VII) STACCATO LEAD: Staccato lead is used when the time element
is at the prime focus and the most important information is in the last
line. To communicate the progression in time, a series of phrases with
recurring punctuation marks are used. Its structure is similar to that of
a descriptive lead.

VIII) YOU LEAD: You Lead addresses the reader directly. It may be
written as a question being asked to the reader or a statement that
connects with the reader directly. Implications of the news event may
also be used to develop You Lead.

IX) BLIND IDENTIFICATION LEAD: In this type of lead, the

identification of the newsmaker is dropped or delayed because what has
happened to him is of importance even though he is not a well known
person in his community. However, his name is used in the main body
of the story. This is done to ensure that the relevance and the news value
of the story are not lost. Example: A 90-year-old man instead of his
name.
b. Guidelines for Headline Writing
▪ Be Clear and Concise: Headlines should convey the main
message or benefit of the content in a clear and concise manner.
Avoid using jargon or overly complex language that might
confuse readers.
▪ Use Action Words: Incorporate strong verbs or action words that
create a sense of urgency or excitement. Active language can help
draw readers in and make them feel compelled to read further.
▪ Make it Specific: Provide enough information in the headline to
give readers a clear idea of what to expect from the content.
Specificity helps generate interest and indicates that the content
is relevant to the reader's needs or interests.
▪ Spark Curiosity: Engage readers' curiosity by using a headline
that hints at valuable information or promises a solution to a
problem. By piquing their interest, you increase the likelihood of
readers clicking through to read the full article.
▪ Keep it Relevant: Ensure that your headline accurately
represents the content of the article or piece it accompanies.
Misleading or clickbait-style headlines may initially attract
attention, but they can harm your credibility and lead to reader
disappointment.
▪ Consider Length: Aim for concise headlines that are easy to scan
and understand quickly. While there is no strict character limit,
shorter headlines are often more effective, especially for digital
platforms and social media.
▪ Test Different Approaches: Experiment with different headline
structures, tones, and angles to see what resonates best with your
target audience. A/B testing can help identify which headlines
generate higher engagement rates.
▪ Tailor to the Platform: Customize your headlines to fit the
platform where they will be published. For example, headlines for
social media might need to be more attention-grabbing, while
those for search engine optimization (SEO) may benefit from
incorporating relevant keywords.
▪ Use Numbers or Statistics: Including numbers in headlines can
attract attention and give readers a clear expectation of what they
 will find in the content. Similarly, citing statistics can add
credibility and make the headline more compelling.
▪ Proofread and Edit: Before publishing, proofread your
headlines for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
Headlines with mistakes can negatively impact readers'
perception of your content.