ADVANCED NEWS REPORTING NOTES

Inverted Pyramid
The shape of the news story. Here we look at more complex stories, and how they are written.

Inverted pyramid means that the most newsworthy key point comes first in the story, in the intro.
This is followed by the other key points, in descending order of newsworthiness, so that the main
detail comes first and the minor detail last.
This is a good basic pattern, and works well for simple
news stories. This "shape" of the news story, with a
"broad" top and a "narrow" base, is in the weight of the
news itself.
Remember the first paragraph, which is called the intro,
contains the most newsworthy part of the story - the
newest, most unusual, most interesting and most
significant - told clearly and simply. This is followed by a
full explanation and all the details. The most newsworthy
parts of the story will be written nearest to the top of the
story.
The later part of the story - the tapering point of the
inverted pyramid - contains detail which is helpful, but
not essential.
However, when you have to write a more complex news story, a more complex structure is necessary.

The Advantages/Importance of the Inverted Pyramid Format

a. It makes the reader get the gist quickly.
b. It helps in headline writing.
c. It facilitates reading.
d. It satisfies the curiosity of the reader.
e. It helps and facilitates page make up.
f. It facilitates editing to suit the news hole.

Chronological order
This is an especially useful way of telling stories about
sequences of events, rather than single events. We can
picture this news story structure as in the diagram on the
right.
When the Minister of Transport opens a new bridge, there
is one simple event to report. This story can be reported as
a simple inverted pyramid.
However, when a group of angry landowners breaks up the
ceremony, fights the police who are on duty and kidnaps
the Minister, it is better to tell the news as in inverted
pyramid intro, followed by a telling of the story in
chronological order. We shall tell the reader or listener at
the beginning what the news is going to be in the story, and
then tell the story as it happens.
There is still one more story structure to discuss, however,
and it is an important one. It is one which is widely used to
tell complex stories. It is one which you will need to master.

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Pyramid of pyramids
When a story has a number of different parts to it, it is better to tell the story one part at a time than to
jump backwards and forwards between the different parts. This means that you go to the end of one
part, telling the minor details about that, before moving on to the major details of the next part.
This story structure is a pyramid of pyramids, in which each part of the story is told in a mini-
inverted pyramid of its own. The sequence of these mini-pyramids will depend upon the
newsworthiness of each one. The most newsworthy part of the story will come first, followed by the
other parts in decreasing order of importance.
Just as you have to rank key points in their order of
newsworthiness in order to write the intro, so you have to
rank these mini-pyramids into their order of
newsworthiness in order to write a complex story.
The story will start with an intro, followed by two or
three paragraphs written as though the story was going to
be a simple inverted pyramid. In other words, you start by
telling the most important key points in their order of
importance.
After a few paragraphs, you will have introduced the
most important parts of the story. You can now
concentrate on the first part of the story, told in its own
mini-pyramid. When you have finished that, you can
move on to the next part, and so on, until you have told
the whole story.
Note how each mini-pyramid is smaller than the previous
one. The story is still basically structured like a pyramid,
going from the most important to the least important.
How many mini-pyramids there are will depend upon the story. There may be only two - perhaps a
minister's announcement of a new policy, followed by opponents' criticism of it.
There may be three or four or five mini-pyramids, if there are that many parts to the story.
The important thing is for you to understand the story clearly and then to tell it clearly.

TO SUMMARISE

Use the inverted pyramid style of newswriting to give your readers or listeners the most
important facts first.
If you need to tell part of the story in the order in which events happened, use chronological
order after the opening paragraph - the intro - or first few paragraphs.
If a story is complex with lots of different sections, speakers or issues, use the pyramid of
pyramids style.

What it takes to be a good Reporter

Journalism is not a conventional job. If you want to be successful in journalism, you have to be
absolutely in love with your profession. If you are somebody, who is looking for an average 9-5 job,
then journalism is out of bounds for you. To be a good reporter, there are various qualities that one
needs to possess. The best reporters are bright, persistent, honest, curious and courageous. If you ask a
good reporter to explain his success, this is how he will do it:
1. A good reporter is someone who can write about anything under the sun or above it. Even
about it. He should be able to deal with any topic and he should also have the ability to talk

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 with a cross section of people. He should have the ability to see the unobvious, the unusual
and something ironic in every act.
2. A good reporter should be quick. Once he is assigned a story, he should have all the
perseverance to go after it. A good reporter does not lose hope. For example, if he is trying to
contact an official and after repeated calls, that official is not available, he keeps on trying.
3. A good reporter is incurably curious. Many great stories stand exposed today just because
somewhere a reporter happened to be suffering from curiosity.
4. A good reporter is pleasant. He adopts a friendly nature with those he meets. He is a good
listener and knows how to alter his ego at times.
5. A good reporter is honest. He seeks the truth and nothing else. He does what he said he is
going to do, and doesn’t do something he promised not to. It is his intrinsic quality to return
his calls. A good reporter is always obsessed with accuracy and before he goes ahead with his
story, he makes sure all his facts are correct. He sees both sides of a story.
6. A good reporter is also courageous. He doesn’t hesitate in approaching strangers and has a
capacity to absorb outrage.
7. According to Jon Franklin, reporter, author and teacher, “Back when I first started, I
thought intelligence was the most important attribute a reporter could have. I have since
changed my mind. You do have to be intelligent, but the big thing is courage. Courage to
open your mind and let the whole damned confusing world in. Courage to always be the
ignorant one, on somebody else’s turf. Courage to stand corrected. Courage to take criticism.
Courage to grow with your experiences. Courage to accept what you don’t understand. Most
of all, courage to see what is there and not what you want to think is there.”
Advanced reporting can be described as the process of collecting data, breaking down information
into meaningful pieces, and then putting it back together in a way that makes sense to the reader. This
process involves gathering data that has been gathered by other sources and making sense out of it.
Advanced reporting consists in conducting interviews with people who have knowledge of a
particular topic or topic area and asking them questions about what they know or how they know it.
This gives reporters a deeper understanding of the issues than could ever be achieved using their
knowledge alone.
Advance reporting" is used colloquially to mean two things:
1) Published stories about a future event; e.g. stories anticipating a hurricane arriving on the coast, or
a foreign head of state arriving in Washington. These are also known as curtain-raisers.
2) Research and preparation; e.g. do advance reporting before you file a FOIA request in order to
receive the most relevant documents

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The four types of news stories.
1. The Straightforward News Story
This is the product of the usual routine reporting. Most of the stories published in our
commercial newspapers are straightforward news stories. Such stories are never interpreted,
editorialised or laden with reporter’s biases and prejudices. They are stories objectively and
anchored on facts. The reporter adds or subtracts nothing from the facts on which the story is
based. A straightforward news story may be short or long, but it can hardly be long enough to
occupy three-quarters of a page or a whole page. As a rule, its lead must answer to the 5Ws
and H and the story, as a whole must leave no questions unanswered. The story must be
simple, accurate concise and understandable. As stated earlier, straightforward news story
may be subdivided into hard news, soft news and human-interest news.
Hard News Hard news stories are stories that deal with government, economic, social
and political policies. They are stories with a lot of facts and figures. Stories
concerning the annual budget, political and economic programmes are all hard news
stories.
Soft News: These are stories about trends, fashion, entertainment personalities and
lifestyles. The time element is not too emphasised in writing such news stories.
Human Interest News These are stories valued more for their emotional impact or
oddity. They usually arouse human feelings and conjure up sentiments and emotions
in the persons who read them.
Expected News Expected News is anticipated and therefore planned for. It usually
flows from events that are scheduled in advance.
Unexpected News Unexpected news is not anticipated. It takes people unawares.
Examples include murders, natural disasters, accidents, and so on.
2. Investigative Stories: These types of news hinges on the pursuit of information that has
been concealed. Investigative stories therefore require the digging out of facts. The
investigative reporter is not expected to inject his own biased ideas or opinions into his
story. He is not expected to editorialise or interpret the facts. Examples of investigate
stories that made headlines are – “The Watergate Scandal,” “The Buharigate Scandal,”
and “Enwerengate,” and so on.
3. Interpretative Stories: This is a form of story in which the reporter is free to interpret the
news the way he or she sees it. S/he is allowed to inject his own biased but expert
opinion, editorialize and pass comments on the fact being reported. Interpretative stories
require additional facts, detailed explanations and logical analysis. Examples include
personality profiles and feature articles.
4. In-Depth Stories: This is complete quality news reporting. In-depth story needs the full
treatment and it needs back grounding. It requires creative thinking and deep imagination
on the part of the reporter and writer. Most newsmagazine stories are usually in-depth
stories and there is little difference between an in-depth story and an investigative story.

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Identify government tropical policies
Government policies are specific programme of action selected by the government to help the
government achieve its goals in different sectors of the economy. The government usually
have a policies for every sector of the economy. These sectors include the education, health,
agriculture, public utilities, finance.
The process of formulating and implementing an official government policy is a complex one,
it appears that policies in Nigeria are modelled to follow a six-pronged linear process starting
with the initiation stage in which policies are proposed following adequate evidence that a
genuine problem exists. The second stage is that of emergence of alternatives in which policy
options or agendas are presented formally. The third stage is known as legitimization during
which policy makers identify and select the key policy options as well as seek wider support
for the policy options selected. Legitimization is followed by the fourth stage of opinion
reformation during which opinions gather and crystallize around specific policy options until
leading options emerge for possible public discussions and policy debates. Policy
debate/discussion is the fifth stage during which alternatives are shaped into policy proposals
that may be amalgamated (or a merger of different proposals from various governments at
lower levels, sectors in the economy and interest groups). A policy debate is meant to increase
support and begin „consent building‟. The last stage is that of implementation during which
administrative procedures are developed to operationalize the widely accepted policy options.
Government Policies and Programmes
Government policies are specific programme of action selected by the government5 to help
the government achieve its goals in different sectors of the economy. These policies are set
up to benefit its citizen.
The government usually have a policies for every sector of the economy. These sectors
include the education, health, agriculture, public utilities, finance. Etc.
The following are examples of government policies and programmes
 Universal Basic Education Programmes (UBE)
 National Economic Empowerment and Development and Strategy (NEEDS)
 Due Process (DP)

New Government Policies in 2021

 National policy for Rare Diseases: The Rare Diseases Policy aims to lower the high
cost of treatment for rare diseases with increased focus on indigenous research with
the help of a National Consortium to be set up with Department of Health Research,
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare as convener.

 Iron ore policy: The Ministry of Railways has approved a new iron-ore policy
governing the allocation of rakes and transportation of iron-ore. This new policy has
been named as Iron-ore Policy 2021 and shall come into effect from February 10,
2021. ... “Scrutiny of documentation by Railways has been removed.

Meaning of Government Policies and Programmes

 Universal Basic Education Programmes (UBE)

This is a compulsory nine – year education programme for all Nigeria children from
Basic one to basic nine. That is from primary school to junior secondary school. The

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 government ensure this programme free so that all Nigerians are educated to certain
levels.

 National Economic Empowerment and Development and Strategy (NEEDS)

This programme is aim to raise the standard of living by eliminating poverty from the
country and speed up economic development in Nigeria in areas of employment,
wealth creation, reorientation, poverty eradication. The NEEDS at the Local
government is called the local government economic Empowerment Development
Strategy while at state level is called the State Economic Empowerment Strategy
(SEED)\

 Due Process (DP)

This government policies ensures that no one is above the law. It make sure rules and
regulations are followed by everyone in government not minding the position of the
person. These bring transparency without any form of favoritism or corruption in any
of the government functions and activities.

 6-3-3-4 Education Policy

The 6-3-3-4 concept of education allows the child to spend six years at the primary
level, three years at the junior secondary school level, another three years at the
senior secondary level, and four years at the tertiary level.

 Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) this was a national agricultural extension and
mobilization program instituted by the military government of Nigeria in 1976 as a
measure to achieve self-sufficiency in food crop production and inspire a new
generation to return to farming,

 Mass Mobilization for Social and Economic Reliance (MAMSER) Zero Justice, and
Economic Recovery. It was an exercise in political orientation in Nigeria undertaken
by President Babangida as one of the recommendations of the Political Bureau
headed by Dr. MAMSER was inaugurated on July 25, 1987.

 Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) The structural adjustment programme (SAP)

is an economic reform package suggested by the multilateral agencies (IMF and
World Bank) for developing countries. SAP consist of loans (structural adjustment
loans; SALs) provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World
Bank (WB) to countries that experience economic crises. Their purpose is to adjust
the country's economic structure, improve international competitiveness, and restore
its balance of payments. ... Based on the findings, the study supports the IMF
proposition that SAP is beneficial to the growth of an economy and it enhances the
stability of the economy.

Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO);

National Electoral Commission (NEC);
Better Life Programme for Rural Women; Family Support Project;
Child Care Trust Project;
Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF;
Privatization exercises carried out by Obasanjo;
Gas export projects.

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 THE COUNTRY’S POLICY DIRECTIONS
Often, policies on Nigerian education are integrated into the national development plans in a
multistage manner (involving federal, state and local governments, Development Partners,
CBOs, NGOs and other stakeholders). The home-grown national development plans and
policies are usually developed from proposals submitted from all sectors (including the
education sector) of the Nigerian economy. This practice cuts across all the national plans
developed in Nigeria since the independence; namely: the National Development Plans
(1962-1986), the National Perspective and Rolling Plans (1990-2009), the Nigerian Vision
20, 2020 (2010-2020), the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy
(NEEDS) and State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (SEEDS) with the
10 Year Education Sector Strategic Plan (2005-2015), the Yar‟Adua‟s Seven Point Agenda,
the Jonathan‟s National Transformation Agenda (2010-2015) and the Buhari‟s Five Point
Change Agenda of Buhari‟s administration (2015-2020).
Nigerian Vision 20:2020: The Vision considers education as both a basic human right and a
critical element in human development. It seeks to re-focus the country‟s educational system
in terms of access, equity, quality, infrastructure, teacher quality and development, curriculum
relevance, funding and planning. It particularly seeks to give attention to Technical and
Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to provide skilled manpower in applied science,
engineering technology and commerce to operate, maintain and sustain the nation‟s economic
activities for rapid socio-economic development. It stands on the following pillars.
 The National Youth Service Corps will be reviewed with a view to using a good part of the service
year to develop entrepreneurial and basic business skills in the corps members. The orientation period
will be extended to include a one-month period for formal training on entrepreneurship. Following the
training, corps members will be posted mainly to industrial (including small scale enterprises) and
agricultural concerns so that the exposure will encourage them to consider the possibilities of post
service self-employment.

Sources of news from government policies

Government sources: Government documents, including laws, reports and judicial decisions,
are among the easiest type of research material to find online by reporter.
Primary sources of public policy can include diaries, letters, speeches, photographs,
newspaper articles, government documents
Sources of government policies for the reporter are: eyewitness accounts, journalistic reports,
financial reports, government documents, archeological and biological evidence, court
records, ephemerals (posters, handbills), literary manuscript and minutes of meetings etc.
Problems and intricacies of reporting government policies
Fleeson (2000) asserts that some of the most common challenges to advanced reporting in
both developing and developed countries include lack of information, lack of access to
documents, and reporters' fears of being targeted or threatened, leading to safety concerns.
The hazard of news reporting is danger or risk in journalism. These hazards are what makes
journalism seems hard and a risky profession.

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 Problems of Reporting Government Policies
1. Denial or reduction in the supply of newsprint: A newspaper power to publish to be
contained on censor through the outraged denial or reduction in the supply of newsprints.
2. Illegal detention, harassment, and intimidation: This is another major means through
which the practice of journalism is threatening. In several countries of the world especially
the developing, stories abound about how journalists are illegally detained on flimsy charges
or no charges at all.
3. Over-taxation by the government: A repressive government can also obstruct the practice
of journalism through over-taxation. When government overtax a media firm whether legally
or illegally that organization will surely find it difficult to break even. Even newspaper
publishing is not a money-spinning business and so whenever a government introduce all kind
of taxes then it is trying to force out the publishers out of business, using such subtle as
taxing.
4. Withdrawal of license: The government could also threaten the practice of press freedom
through the threat to withdraw or actually withdrawal of operating licenses. This type of
intimidation and threat is usually obtainable in countries where media houses are required by
their government to register with them to be issued operating licenses.

1.4 Explain how to handle leaks and deal with official secrets Art
An Official Secrets Act (OSA) is legislation that provides for the protection of state
secrets and official information, mainly related to national security Classified Information is
material that a government body deems to be sensitive information that must be protected.
Access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of people with the necessary
security clearance and need to know, and mishandling of the material can incur criminal
penalties. National security or national defence is the security and defence of a nation state,
including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government.
The law makes it a criminal offence for current or former government employees to leak
certain types of information considered "damaging".
These cover areas including security and intelligence, defence and international relations. The
rules are even stricter for current and former intelligence officers - for them, any unauthorised
disclosure is automatically an offence. Government employees don't have to sign the Act to
be bound by it. They can simply be "notified" it applies to them, usually in their employment
contract. The law was first created in 1911, and was most recently updated in 1989.

1.5 Write news on government policies

Writing a policy report requires you to grapple with a public issue, perhaps one already on the agenda
of government policy makers or one that may arise. Some policy reports analyze an issue, using
political and economic analysis to compare possible policy alternatives. Other types of policy reports
brief policy makers on an issue and recommend a course of action to address a problem. Policy
analysts in government, interest groups and policy research firms prepare policy reports. For students,
writing a policy report sharpens critical thinking and research skills.

1 Choose a Topic
Select an issue or policy area of interest. Topics might include education, the environment, national
security and defense, urban development or health care. The topic should address a current social
problem.

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2 Frame the Issue and Understand the Problem
Thoroughly research the issue and narrow down the focus so that it's more manageable. Write about
the background of the issue you choose, describing the scope of the problem to justify the need for
government policy action. Be sure to address any previous policy actions taken on the matter. Your
report should also discuss the possible consequences for failure to act.

3 Select Criteria for Comparison

Specify appropriate criteria against which to compare public policy proposals. The criteria should
involve policy goals or positive outcomes that improve the problem in question. Examples of
outcomes include economic benefits, reduced costs for taxpayers, improved student achievement, a
cleaner environment or improved measures of public health.

4 Identify Potential Solutions

Specify two or more possible policy solutions to the issue at hand. These solutions should consist of
specific actions that could be taken by a legislative or executive body, rather than vague social
changes that are beyond the scope of government policy makers. Compare the competing proposals,
describing how and to what extent each proposal addresses the problem, based on the criteria
specified in step 2. Comparison and analysis of policy alternatives will form the main body of your
policy report. An effective paper should consider the immediate and long-term effects of policy
proposals. Consider not only the policy merits, such as the costs and benefits of each alternative, but
political factors as well. Policy-making occurs in an inherently political environment, so be sure to
discuss the interest groups and stakeholders that could be affected—positively or negatively—by
policy.

5 Make Recommendations
Recommend an action for policy makers to take, using empirical evidence from your analysis and
comparison for support. Make sure that all relevant criteria for your suggestions are properly outlined
and that you include strategies for implementation of your recommendations. Additionally, address
the limitations of your suggestions and identify possible unanticipated outcomes.

6 Summarize the Content of Your Report

Write an abstract or executive summary, depending on the required format of your report. This section
should be a concise summary of the report that will follow, briefly describing the issue or problem,
and highlighting the recommended policy action.

GENERAL Rules for News Writing and Reporting

The rule guiding news writing and reporting, this are rule that is laid down for all news writer and
reporter, to obey while writing or reporting the news. In this section, we are going to explain the dos
and don’ts of all news writers and reporters.

1. Do not editorialize: i.e introducing opinion into the reporting of facts.

2. Always use simple words
3. Keep him/herself out of the story
4. Keep other reporters out of the story
5. Do not make a judgment
6. Avoid the use of unfamiliar jargon
7. There must be perfect accuracy in writing and reporting
8. Avoid the use of “told me,” “told this writer” or told our reporter
9. Guard against the publication of libelous statement

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 10. There must be no willful distortion of facts in either news or headlines
11. All news copy must be typewritten and double-spaced
12. The first page must carry the reporter surname, a slug line, and date in the top left-hand corner
13. Start your story halfway down the first page
14. Each page must be numbered
15. Always make lead interesting
16. Make use of the inverted pyramid format when writing your news story
17. You must quote accurately
18. Use “said” if you want to write in the present tense and, “said that” if it is reported speech
19. Always read your copy carefully and connect all typographical spelling and grammatical
mistakes before turning it
20. Your copies must be submitted in duplicate and both copies must be properly edited
21. Never underline words or titles of books in your copy
22. Do not exaggerate
23. Beware of adjectives

Know how to report social problems

A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common
problems in present-day society and ones that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence
of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Social issues are the source of conflicting
opinions on the grounds of what is perceived as morally correct or incorrect personal life or
interpersonal social life decisions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues; a social
problem is an issue within the society that makes it difficult for people to achieve their full
potential. Poverty, unemployment, unequal opportunity, racism, and malnutrition are examples
of social problems. So are substandard housing, employment discrimination, and child abuse and
neglect.
A social problem is any condition or behavior that has negative consequences for large numbers
of people and that is generally recognized as a condition or behavior that needs to be addressed. This
definition has both an objective component and a subjective component.
Identify various social problems, e.g.
 Drug trafficking
 Child Abuse
 Depression:
 Bullying
 Prostitution
 Gender Inequality
 Poor leadership

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State the dominant principles and techniques in reporting social problems, viz
 fairness
 Objectivity balance etc.
Write in-depth news on social problems
Reporters must take special care when writing a report. This is because investigative reporting usually
make someone appear either bad or stupid, accusations which can lead to legal action against you for
defamation. You will probably be safe if your report is true and in the public interest. But it can lose
the protection of the law if there are serious errors. Someone - probably the people your report
exposes as corrupt, dishonest or simply incompetent - will be looking closely for mistakes to attack
you on. So you must take extra care.
Writing
Writing report or scripts based on advanced reporting requires all the skills you need for general
journalism. However, given the risks you will face in advance reporting, a few of the core rules are
worth stressing again here:
Stick to facts
You will be much safer if you stick to facts which you can prove are true. That is why you check your
facts and get confirmation for each one. As you write, stop at each new important fact and say to
yourself: "Is this true?" Then say: "Have I confirmed it with another source?"
Do not speculate (i.e. write things which might be true, but which you cannot prove). If you do not
have all the facts you would like, you may have to be satisfied with a lesser story, as long as it makes
sense and contains no errors.

Avoid personal comment

Do not put in your personal opinions. You may be writing a report about a corrupt leader (Dazieni
former Minister of Petroleum). You may hate the person, but you must not say it. You might believe
he/she is evil, but you should not say that either. If you show in your report that you hate the person,
that could be seen as malice, which will destroy your defence against defamation. Just show your
readers and listeners the facts. If the person is bad, the facts will lead your audience to that conclusion
without you telling them what to think.
Keep your language simple
Keep your sentences short and your language simple and concise. Some investigations will reveal
some very complicated facts, perhaps because the person under suspicion has tried very cleverly to
hide their wrongdoing. You must simplify this for your readers or listeners, so they get a clear picture
of what has happened.
Avoid vague words
Wherever possible, avoid using vague words, such as "a large amount" or "sometime later". Words
like this show that you do not have accurate details - otherwise you would use them. Sometimes this

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is unavoidable, but vague words will usually take the strength out of a report. If you know there is an
embezzlement of money from the public fund you must write that figure somewhere in the story (but
not, obviously, in the first few paragraphs, where you should say "more than $100,000").
Check your work
You should check your work at each stage and when you have finished, double check everything
again. Ask yourself again: "Are these facts correct and confirmed?" If you have enough time, put the
story to one side for a few hours, then return to it with a fresh view, seeing it as a reader or listener
might. Ask a colleague to read the story and try to find errors. Do not be upset if they expose errors or
big gaps in information. It is better to be told now by a colleague than later in a defamation case.
Wherever possible, show the story to your organisation's lawyer, who will bring a fresh mind to the
story and spot any legal problems which might arise. If anyone recommends changes, do not let them
write the changes themselves. They will not know the case as well as you do. Get them to explain
what is wrong, rewrite that part yourself, then ask if it is right. Never settle for anything you are not
completely happy with.
One final check worth making is to ask yourself: "Is there any way I have identified my confidential
sources, even though I promised to keep them secret?" Try to read the report as if you are one of the
people who has been accused of incompetence or corruption. See if they would be able to identify any
of your confidential sources from what you have written. If there is any risk at all, change the report to
protect your sources.
Illustrations
Can you use any illustrations to make your report more interesting? Perhaps you can use pictures of
the victims looking sad, or someone at the scene of an alleged crime. In complicated report, a diagram
might help to show how the pieces fit together. For example, in a report involving related companies,
you should include a simple box diagram showing with lines and arrows how the companies are
related. If your organisation has a graphic artist, ask them for help. In a report about how a
government department has been wasting taxpayers' money, you might use a graph to show how the
money has disappeared over the years.
If you have a really important document to support your report, include the relevant sections of that
document as an illustration. On television, you can type quotations from the document across the
screen as the story is being read out. On radio and television, use the actual tapes of interviews if you
have them. These will add variety and also act as confirmation. However, if your interviewee wants to
remain anonymous, perhaps film them in silhouette or change the sound of their voice electronically.
Headlines
However carefully you write your report to make it safe, a sub-editor may not understand exactly why
you use certain words or describe something in a certain way. The sub-editor may write a headline
which is wrong or possible defamatory. Having spent a lot of time working on the report, do not

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abandon it at this final stage. Discuss possible headlines with the sub-editor, until both of you are
satisfied you have done the best job possible.

Some words of warning

There are many dangers to advanced/investigative reporting. The greatest danger is that you will do or
write something which will allow the person under suspicion to take you to court for defamation or on
some other charge. So remember the following:

Sub judice reporting

It may happen that a story you are investigating is also being dealt with by a court. In most countries,
a matter before a court is said to be sub judice and there are limits on what can be reported about it,
beyond what is said in the court. Be very careful when covering any sub judice matters. Consult your
editor or lawyer for advice. If you make the wrong decision, you could be charged with contempt of
court.
Mistakes
If someone complains about a mistake after the report is published or broadcast, never issue an
immediate apology or correction without talking first to your editor and lawyer. They will decide
what action to take.
Payments for stories/reports
Sometimes people will ask to be paid for their information. Try to avoid this, but sometimes it is
necessary, even if it is a few dollars for a tip-off. However, never pay for something which might have
involved criminal activity. For example, if someone asks for $100 to provide a document, then they
steal that document, you could be charged as an accomplice to theft. Any payment could be seen as
encouraging a crime.
Concealing crimes
Your informant may tell you that they have committed a crime, perhaps that they broke into an office
to steal a photograph as proof of corruption. You should never knowingly hide a criminal from the
law. If you think that your informant is involved in criminal activities, tell them at the beginning that
you do not wish to know anything about it. Talk only about the facts you need to know for your story.
A final warning
You may live in a country where the media are controlled and the government will not allow any real
investigative reporting. You and your editor must decide whether or not you should take the risk of
carrying out investigative reporting which the government will not like, and may punish you for. But
journalists throughout the world have often had to make such decisions. Some have paid the price
with imprisonment or death. You must decide in each case whether the issue is worth the risk.

13
TO SUMMARISE:
Advanced reporting/Investigative journalism is needed to uncover important stories which
people want to hide
Investigative journalists need all the skills of general reporting, but especially:
 an alert mind to recognize story ideas and important facts which people are trying to
hide
 an ordered mind to make notes, file information and fit lots of facts together
 patience to keep digging for information
 good contacts throughout society
 courage to withstand threats from people you are investigating
Become familiar with all the different places you can get information, such as company registers
and court records
As well as accumulating information, you must also gather supporting evidence in case your
story is challenged
You must protect confidential sources of information
Always consult a lawyer if you have any worries about the legality of what you are doing or
writing
Double-check everything you do, from the information you gather to the way you write your
final story
Work within the law

ROUNDS/BEATS
In many newsrooms, reporters have the opportunity to concentrate on particular areas of the news.
One person may become the political reporter, another the education reporter and another the
agriculture reporter. Each of these areas is called a round because journalists used to go round to all
of their contacts in their specialist area on a regular basis, known as “doing the rounds”.
Even today, reporters have to make sure that anything newsworthy in their round is reported; and they
have to make sure that the readers or listeners are helped to understand the full significance of the
news.
This is what is meant by the term round, or beat in American newsrooms. It is a specialist area. It is
an opportunity for a reporter to become a bit of an expert, at least enough to ask the right questions,
even if not to know all the answers.
In a small newsroom, with perhaps six journalists or fewer, everybody is generally expected to do
everything. There is usually little chance for reporters to become full-time specialists in any particular
field.
Even in a small newsroom, however, you can build up a reputation as the best person in a particular
area. You can effectively become the education reporter, even if you have to do other kinds of stories,
too.

14
We are in era of specialization, where the space for the generalist keeps shrinking by the day.
Reporters are usually assigned to particular beats where overtime, they become experts; though a few
reporters are put on the general beat to report stories that may not fall into any particular beat.
A journalist needs a good all-round education and should have a little knowledge of everything.
Meaning that a journalist ought to have studied some economics at school. Whether you studied
economics or not, when you are posted to the business desk (or any other desk-beat-as the case may
be) it is incumbent upon you to acquire more education in that field.
If you did not study economics or business administration or any of the management sciences and you
find yourself assigned to that beat, go out and get some education in the field. This does not
necessarily mean going back to a formal school as you may not have the time or the resources to do
that. Go to library and get books on the subject to read.
The education of a journalist never stops after the classroom. It continues throughout life, the
journalist needs to update his knowledge constantly. If you are posted to a beat, study the field, read
books on that area of specialisation and talk to experts in the field. When interviewing experts in the
field, ask for explanations on concepts and terms that did not clear. Doing this will make you develop
some expertise in the field.
Reporter or journalist may not remain on a particular beat throughout the career, it is likely that after
few years or months on a beat, the editor may decide to post you to another field entirely.
Advantages of rounds reporting
The advantage of having a reporter assigned to a round is that they will know more about it than a
general reporter. In particular, there are three areas in which a rounds reporter is likely to be more
knowledgeable.

News value
News is whatever is new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. Reporters can only
assess newsworthiness when they know whether something is really new; whether it is really unusual;
whether or not it is significant.
The rounds reporter has the chance to know all this, by keeping in touch day after day, week after
week, with all that is happening in the round.
To begin with, of course, the rounds reporter has no such advantage. When you are first assigned to a
round, you will probably know no more about it than anybody else. You can start to remedy that at
once (and we shall return to that a little later in this chapter), but there is really no substitute for
experience.
The longer you spend on a round, the more you will find you know about it. You will know when
something is new, and when it has been reported already; you will know when something is unusual,
and when it is standard procedure; you will know when something is truly significant, and when it is
of no importance.
People
News is about people - the people who make things happen and the people whose lives are affected by
what happens. Rounds reporters have the advantage of getting to know the people on their round, and
can therefore tell the news in more human terms.
Knowing the people on the round has another advantage, too. Some of the people you deal with will
be honest, and others will be dishonest; some will be ambitious; some will be actively political, and
others will not. As you learn the nature of each person, and find out their network of family and other
obligations, you will be better able to judge where the truth lies. You will know when you are being
used, and will be able to avoid writing an inaccurate story which a person wants you to write for
reasons of their own.
History
When you know the history of your round, you can put the news in context. If $1,000 has gone
missing from petty cash that is news. If this is the second time in a year that $1,000 has gone missing
from petty cash, then the news is bigger and apparently more significant: it looks less like
incompetence and more like dishonesty.

15
It is an important part of the rounds reporter's job to put news into its correct historical context. This
enables you to go on to the next step, which is to analyse and interpret the news, so that your readers
or listeners can understand better what is going on in their society.
Dangers of rounds reporting
The advantages of rounds reporting, which we have just described, do not come easily. They are won
by the rounds reporter spending a lot of time with the key people in that round, getting to know all
about them and the work which they do.
The danger of this is clear; it is hard to spend so much time getting to know people without starting to
feel like one of them. The danger is that the rounds reporter forgets that he or she is an observer of the
round, looking after the interests of the reader or listener, and starts looking after the interests of the
key people in the round.
Police reporters are often asked by police to keep information secret, in case it harms their
investigations. Very often, the police reporter can agree, on strict condition that the information can
be made public at a later date. However, the police can gradually take advantage of this, asking that
ever more information be kept secret; and police reporters can be drawn in to feeling that they are
policemen themselves, and start keeping more things secret than they make public.
Similarly, political reporters can be told things in confidence by politicians. Sometimes, this can be a
subtle attempt to exert control over reporters. At other times politicians may try to exert very obvious
control over journalists, by buying them gifts or giving them other favours.
Instead of telling news in terms of the people who make the news and the people affected by it, the
rounds reporter may begin to tell the news only in terms of the people who make it.
If you wish to be a good journalist, you must resist all attempts to sway your judgment, or to buy you.
You must remember at all times that you are there to represent the interests of your readers or
listeners, not the interests of the police, or politicians, or whoever your round involves.
Do not worry whether or not these people like you. It is much better that you cultivate your close
friends from outside your round, so that you do not have to worry about losing them. What should
matter to you is not whether the people in your round like you, but whether they have a professional
respect for you. That can only be achieved by doing your job honestly and well at all times.
There is another danger, too, from spending too much time with people in one area of life. The rounds
reporter may begin to take things for granted, and to lose the sense of surprise and wonder which a
reporter needs. Things which the reader or listener would find unusual and interesting can begin to
look ordinary and dull.
The rounds reporter needs to make an effort at all times to see things as the reader or listener would
see them, but also to understand things as an expert would understand them.
How to do a round
Let us imagine that your editor has just given you a round - let us say that he has made you education
reporter. What should you do in order to do this job well?
Let us look at the steps you should take in order to be a good rounds reporter.
1. Prepare
We have already seen that one of the main advantages of having reporters assigned to rounds
is that they become more knowledgeable in that field. We have also said that, on the day you
are first given your round, you will probably know no more about that field than anybody
else.
You have to start by doing some preparation work: not just during working hours, but in the
evenings and at the weekends, too, if you are serious about being a good journalist.
You need to find out about the history of the subject of your round. For your education round,
you can ask at the public library about any books or papers which they may have on the
history of education in your country. A good source of information might be the teacher
training college or education faculties at universities. In many developing countries,
missionaries played a large part in setting up education systems, so you can write to the head
office of each mission and ask them for pamphlets, books and other information. If you tell
them who you are and why you want the information, they will probably be very willing to
help. If so, they might be a useful source of information again in the future. Put their details in
your contacts books (see Chapter 15: Newsroom books).

16
 You need to learn the laws and regulations under which the education system operates. Get
hold of a copy of the Education Act and read it. It will not be easy, since legal language is
very hard to understand, especially if you are a second language user. So ask the Ministry of
Education whether they have a summary of the Act, in simple language; or arrange to meet a
lawyer who can explain to you what the Act is all about. This is not easy, but it is vital if you
are to ask intelligent questions and explain to your readers or listeners why things are
happening in your education system.
You need to find out who's who. Who is the Minister of Education and the Secretary of the
Department of Education? Who are the influential teachers? Are there any organisations
which represent the interests of teachers, students, or parents? If so, who are the leaders? All
these people are likely to be your contacts.
You also need to understand the structures of organisations in your round. What is the
relationship of the Minister of Education to the Secretary of the department? Who has the
most power? Who can order who to do something? At what levels are decisions made and
how are they carried out down the chain of command? Once you understand the structures of
organisations you can go straight to the correct person for information - and you can explain
to your readers or listeners how the system works in practical terms.
You will need to take every opportunity to become more knowledgeable and better educated
about your round. Read books and magazines on the subject; attend conferences; attend part-
time classes at college if they are available. The more you understand the subject, the better
you will report it.
2. Establish contacts
Any reporter is only as good as their contacts. If you do not have ways of finding the news,
you cannot tell it.
You will need to establish contacts, people who understand who you are and what you want,
and are prepared to cooperate with you.
Many young journalists feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about asking people to provide
them with information. They may feel shy or inferior compared with such an important
person, and find it difficult to ask for anything at all; or they may feel like a beggar, asking for
charity. A journalist does not need to feel like this at all.
A young female doctor may have to attend an important person - perhaps the Prime Minister.
It will not help the Prime Minister if the doctor is so shy that she cannot ask the Prime
Minister to remove his shirt for the examination. So the doctor does not think of herself as a
young woman, but as a professional person; and she does not think of the Prime Minister as
an important person, but as a patient. In this way she can command proper professional
respect and do her job - and so give the help which the Prime Minister needs.
Is the job of journalism worth doing? Is it important? If you have got this far into the book,
you must think so. In that case, remember at all times that you are a professional journalist,
and approach important people with the self-confidence which that brings. You will still be
courteous, of course, just as the doctor will be.
You will also be helped if you remember that many of the people you wish to be your
contacts can benefit from having direct access to a journalist. There may be times in the future
when they will be cross with the things you must write - especially if you have bad news to
tell - but there will also be times when they will be glad to have the opportunity to get their
point of view across to the public.
So, you believe that you are doing an important job and you are aware that many of these
people want to know you as much as you want to know them. Now you must get acquainted.
3. Get acquainted
Start by arranging to visit each of them in turn. Explain who you are, and that you have just
been appointed education reporter. Explain that you want to do a good job, reporting honestly
and accurately all that is going on in the field of education. (Your potential contact will surely
approve of that!) Then say that, in order to do this, you will require their help and
cooperation. Will they help you in this way, please? It would be a strange person who refused
such a request.

17
 You then need to explain the nature of the relationship you are suggesting. You will visit or
telephone from time to time, either to ask specific questions or just for a general chat about
what is going on; but you will also want your contact to take the initiative and telephone you
whenever anything important is happening. Above all, in return for your special attention in
this field of education, you will expect your contact to give you information (quietly, as a tip-
off) before they give it to any other journalists. In return, they can have your cooperation in a
number of fields, which we shall return to at the end of this chapter.
You will also need to explain clearly and honestly that your first duty is to your readers or
listeners, not to your contact. It is unlikely that there would ever be a conflict between the two
duties, but if they did ever conflict - for instance, if your contact asked you to keep a
conspiracy secret, so that he did not get into trouble - your clear duty would be to do your job
and write the story. It is important that your contacts understand this from the very beginning.
After you have established contacts, you must keep in touch with them. Often you will just
telephone, but remember that there is no substitute for personal contact: call in and see them
as often as possible. Build their trust in you and their respect for you, by taking great care to
understand whatever you are told and to report it accurately. Do not ever be ashamed to admit
during an interview that you have not understood something. It is better that you admit this in
private, and have the matter explained, than to demonstrate your ignorance in public, by
writing a silly story.
When you go on holiday, try to arrange for another reporter to cover your round while you are
away. You do not want there to be no news about education for two weeks, just because you
are away.
Let your contacts know that you will be away. If another reporter is going to cover your
round, tell your contacts who it will be.
Finally, be cautious when any of your contacts is a press officer. Your relationship with such
a person will not be the same as with most other contacts. You will need to remember at all
times what the press officer's job is, to understand their motives. See Chapter 18: Media
releases, for a more detailed consideration of this.
4. Use your news sense
However good your contacts are, you cannot expect them to have good sense. They are not
journalists. So you cannot always expect them to know when something is newsworthy.
There are two answers to this. First, you can spend some time explaining to them what you
mean by "news", and the sort of information which you are looking for. Second, you need to
spend time regularly just chatting with your contacts, asking them what is going on. Do not
just ask them: "Is there any news at the moment?"
As you chat, you may find out things which are unusual and interesting, but which are not
major policy issues. These are the news stories which you will spot, but which a public
servant may well overlook.
For example, on one visit to a headmaster you may notice that he has a gold medal in a frame
on his wall. If you do not remember seeing it before, you will ask him about it. This can make
an interesting news story, although the headmaster may not have thought you would be
interested.
Your news sense will also tell you the right time to follow up what has happened in a running
story. If you learn that a cost comparison is to be done on using white-boards and spirit
marker pens in schools rather than blackboards and chalk, you can ask when they expect
results. When you know, make a note in your diary for that time: "January 13: Ask Secretary
Education about white-board costs."
When the time comes, make sure that you call in to see the Secretary, and during the
conversation you can casually say: "Oh, by the way, what was the outcome of that cost
comparison you were having done on using white-boards in schools?" You are now showing
real interest in your round, and will get information which other journalists will only find out
about by reading or hearing your reports.
5. Translate jargon

18
 In any field of human activity, experts develop their own jargon. Other experts in the same
field will understand them, and the use of this jargon enables them to talk about complicated
things in fewer words.
However, anybody who is not an expert in the field is excluded by this jargon. What does a
computer expert mean by a "serial port"? What does a policeman mean by "sus" or "GBH"?
What does a doctor mean by a "contusion"?
As you become more expert in your round, you will hear a lot of jargon, and you will
understand what it means. Indeed, you will start to use it yourself in talking to your contacts.
You must take care that you do not use it in your reports; you must translate it into plain
language first.
For example, U.S. military spokesmen in time of war use a great many jargon words, many of
which are chosen with great care to soften the real meaning. They will talk of "ordnance"
when they mean bombs; they will talk of "collateral damage" when they mean civilian
casualties; they will talk of "neutralising", when they mean killing. It is understandable that
people whose job is to do unpleasant things on society's behalf should mask harsh reality in
this way; but it is the job of the journalist to say clearly to the reader or listener what all this
means. Journalists should talk plainly about bombs, and about civilians being killed and
injured. See Chapter 11: Language & style - words, for a more detailed consideration of
jargon.
Incidentally, journalists should also avoid passing on their own jargon to the public. We know
what we mean by an "intro", but the reader does not. We tend to use the word "story" to mean
a news report, but most people use the word "story" to mean something that is not true. It is
better to refer to "reports" than to "stories" when talking to the reader or listener, and save the
word "story" for jargon within the newsroom.
6. Give and take
We said earlier that you do not need to feel like a beggar in your relationship with your
contacts, because you can give as well as take. This is important. If you only take from your
contacts, and give nothing in return, your contacts will soon lose interest in you.
What, then, can you give? There are three things.
First, you give the opportunity for your contact to get their point of view across to the public.
If you never use any quotes from a particular contact, or if you misrepresent what they say,
then you are not giving in this way.
Second, you can give good news about what is going on in your contact's organisation. A lot
of reported news is bad news, because bad news travels much faster than good news and is
therefore easier to gather. However, people are also interested in good news, as long as it is
real news. Always be on the lookout for good news stories about your contacts, and
encourage them to tell you about good things which you can publicise. They will like this,
and of course it is likely to enhance their prestige.
Third, you can do little favours for them, like getting them a print of a photograph which you
published, and which they liked; or getting a photocopy of a back-issue of your newspaper;
maybe even giving them a copy of the program in which they appeared.
Take care here, though. There is always the danger that a dishonest person could ask you to
do something dishonest as a "little favour". Do not be naive. Whatever you do, imagine
yourself being asked later by your editor, your parents, your wife or husband, your priest,
about what you have done. If you would be ashamed to admit it to any of these people, then it
is probably wrong.

TO SUMMARISE:
Specialist rounds reporters improve the quality of their newspaper, radio or television station
Rounds reporters must be careful to stay emotionally detached from their round

19
To do a round well you need to:
 do preparation work
 establish good contacts
 rely on your own news sense
 translate the jargon
 be as helpful as you can

In this chapter, we discuss some of the ethical issues in reporting on politics and we look at some
of the skills you need to be a good political reporter, especially how to gather information. In the
next chapter we discuss how to write in an informed way which your readers or listeners can
understand.
_______________________________________________________
Politics is a big area which provides a very large part of the media's diet of news. Politics is about
relationships within and between societies, about the use of power and authority, and about the
government of countries or communities. For journalists, politics can range from stories about
individuals competing for power in minor organisations to nation competing against nation in
international affairs.
It is difficult to define where politics ends and government begins - or even if there is a dividing line.
In this and the following chapter, we will look at the ways of reporting power struggles as news, at the
coverage of elections, and at government - the practical application of politics.
REPORTING POLITICS
Next to economic activity, what pre-occupies man is politics. How to organize and conduct the affairs
of his community. A philosopher has described man as a political animal. Politics is so persuasive in
human life that you find it in all sphere – in the home, the office, the community, the city, the nation,
and, indeed, on the international arena.
But what is this thing called politics. It has been defined by one political scientist as “conflict and the
resolution of conflict”. And of course conflict is something you find at all levels of the human society,
from the family unit to the comity of nations.
For the political correspondent to be successful at his job, he must understand the nature of politics
and its many variants. The nature of politics and the kinds of arrangements put in place vary from one
society to the other and from one epoch to another. It is incumbent of the reporter to understand the
various types of political systems all over the world, but particularly the one in vogue in his society.
Political systems that have been used and some of which are still being used in societies all over the
world include:
i. Monarchy
ii. Theocracy
iii. Democracy

20
Monarchy: The rule of one man (king or monarch) claiming divine right was the earliest known
system of governance in history.
Theocracy: the governing of society by the clerics. Religious leaders form the ruling class.
Democracy: This has been described as the government of the people, by the people and for the
people. Democracy is the most popular form of government but it comes in various forms.
In a democracy, there are three arms of government: (i) The Executive (ii) The Legislative
(iii) The Judiciary. They are supposed to be parallel and fairly independent of each other.
The political reporter covers the executive and the legislature, while a different set of specialist beat
reporters, the judicial correspondents, covers the third arm of government – the Judiciary.
In modern democracies, there are usually more than one political party contending for power and if
the political reporter must succeed, he must not be partisan. As a reporter, you should ideally not be a
card-carrying member of any political party.
Functions of Political Reporter
 Know your terrain
 Covering the executive
 Covering the legislative
 Covering elections

Tips for the Assembly Reporter

i. The Assembly reporter must have the virtue of patience and attentiveness: patience to
sit through, the sometimes long and boring, debates by members of the Assembly and
attentiveness to follow the proceedings.
ii. Take copious notes as it is important to report the proceedings correctly so that you
don’t fall foul of contempt of the Assembly.
iii. Avoid reporting anything that may amount to defamation of the Assembly or a
committee of the assembly.
iv. Be fair and objective to all parties and report all sides to a dispute.
v. Do not publish proceedings of committees of the Assembly that met in secret or any
report prohibited, except there is an over-ridding public interest to be served.
Principles of political reporting
The most important thing to remember about politics is that it involves people. It involves the
politicians who make decisions, the public servants who carry out their orders and - most important -
the people affected by their actions. Your job as a journalist is to serve the people affected, to explain
how the decisions will affect their lives. You should also give them knowledge they need to take part
in debates and vote for the people who will serve them best. You should not be writing for the
politicians or public servants concerned in particular issues; they should know already what is going
on. Whenever you report on any political story, always ask yourself: "How will it affect my readers'
or listeners' lives?"
There is a further reason for reporting politics. If you tell the people what is happening, they can give
their reactions to it. They can write letters to the editor, give their opinions in vox pops or express
their feelings directly to the politicians and public servants themselves. In this way, those in power
know what the people they are governing think. This is important in any democracy.
Explain events and issues
One of your main tasks as a journalist is to explain events and issues in a way your readers or listeners
can understand. If you only report what happens or what is said, you will give your readers or
listeners a fragmented picture of the world. They also need to know how and why things happen.
Your stories must always put events and issues in context, showing how they affect people.
Explanations do not have to be long descriptions. It can often be done in one or two sentences. In the
following example, we explain why it is significant that Parliament has extended its sitting to debate a
finance bill:

21
Parliament is to sit for an extra day, to complete debate on a bill to introduce deep sea fishing
licences.
The Government wants the Fishery Control Bill passed this session, in order to raise revenue.
Fisheries Minister Alva Maifu hopes that the licensing system will raise more than $1 million.
If the bill is not passed by Parliament tomorrow, it will have to wait for the next session in three
months time.
Such explanations are particularly important in politics, where there is often a lot of debate and
dealing in the background before decisions are reached which affect the lives of your readers or
listeners. The change of one key person in a political structure may alter the whole nature of that
structure and, as a result, change the lives of your readers or listeners.
Explanation not advice
There is an important difference between explaining events and giving advice on how to alter
situations. Explanation is clearly one role of the journalist. Leave the political activist or the expert in
that field to give advice. Your job as a journalist is to report different opinions, not to judge them. Be
objective.
For example, while you should report that your country has signed a new trade treaty with Japan, and
explain what it will mean for imports, exports, prices and jobs, you should not give your personal
opinion on whether you think the treaty is a good or a bad thing. Your job is to tell the news, put it in
context, report some expert opinion - and leave your audience to make up their own minds.

Know your audience

As with any area of news, it is important that you know your readers or listeners. You can then adapt
your news-telling style to their general level of interest and understanding, remembering always that
you should aim to inform the less-educated members of your audience as well as the educated ones.
It is worth adding here that some societies or communities are more "political" than others. By this we
mean that they see politics at work in issues more often than the members of some other communities.
An awareness of the general level of political consciousness in your community will help you to
determine which issues you need to cover - and how.
Do not confuse your community's general level of political consciousness with your own interest in
political affairs, which might be greater because you work in the media. If readers or listeners are not
interested in politics, you should not force them. However, even a lack of interest in politics should
not cut them off from receiving news of a political nature about things which affect their lives.
For example, your readers or listeners may have little interest in debates in parliament over transport
policy. However, if the debate ends in a decision to increase bus fares by 20 percent, you must tell
them this.
Be suspicious
It may seem obvious, but remember that you cannot believe everything you are told in politics.
Always be suspicious about what people say, especially when they make promises or boast about their
achievements.
When a politician or political activist speaks just to appear good (or to keep in the public eye for the
next election), you should treat what they say as personal advertising.

22
When they speak on a current issue, you should ask whether their comments add to the people's
understanding of the issue. If they do, that is news. If they do not, that is just personal advertising.

Cultivate sources and contacts

Even though you may be suspicious of the motives of politicians, you should still try to make a wide
range of contacts among them. You may need to put aside your personal dislike for a politician or his
philosophy. You should judge politicians you dislike in the same way as you judge those you admire.
Whenever they speak on an issue, you must ask:
 Do they have the power to do anything practical about what they are saying? Can they change
words into deeds?
 Are they influential in shaping opinion?
 Does their specific comment increase your audience's understanding of the issue?
If the answer is "yes" to any of the above, they may be worth reporting. On a practical level, even
politicians you personally dislike will give you stories if they believe that you will treat them
fairly.
Politicians in opposition often provide useful information about abuses by those in power. Both you
and they are there to monitor the performance of the rulers, whether national or local.
You may, of course, be working in a country where confrontation is not encouraged in politics. In
some countries, politicians not in power are meant to support the leaders, not oppose them. Everyone
is urged to work together to achieve certain national goals. Even in situations such as these, criticism
is usually allowed as long as its aim is to suggest improvements to the system, not simply to oppose it
on ideological grounds.
In most political systems, the leaders and the people try to work together to improve their society.
They can do this by exchanging views. Try to keep a balance between reporting the achievements of
the powerful and reporting the concerns of the powerless.
Protect confidentiality
Because political reporters have to deal with both sides in an argument, you have a duty to respect the
confidentiality of sources - you must keep any promises you give to keep certain information to

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yourself. For example, you should not tell an interviewee what you have just learned in confidence
from their opponent unless you know that the opponent will not mind. If people feel that they can talk
in confidence to you, they will often give you plenty of material, both on and off the record. On the
record comments can be reported. Off the record comments are usually given on agreement that they
will not be reported. (For more details, see Chapters 59 and 60 on sources of information.)
Know your subject
Knowing your subject and being properly prepared is vital in all fields of journalism. Before you do
any interview, you need to know something about the issue, its latest developments and history; the
interviewee's background and politics; and the political system applicable to the issue. It could, for
example, be pointless interviewing a local council leader about defence policy when defence is a
central government responsibility. Equally, it could be embarrassing to ask a person why he opposes a
measure when, in fact, he supports it in principle.
Always try to prepare some searching questions. Some stories will demand a very critical approach,
others may only need a clear explanation and some questions to make some points clearer.
You must always pursue a line of questioning until you get an answer that will satisfy your readers or
listeners. They cannot ask the party leader, association chairman or minister directly, so your readers
or listeners rely on you to know what kind of questions they want answering. You may think you
already know the answers, but the purpose of journalism is not to educate you. You exist as a
journalist to inform your readers or listeners, so keep asking questions until you are sure that they will
be satisfied with the answers.
It is important that you keep up-to-date records of any changes in government structures or political
office. Whenever you write a story about any political or government changes, also make the
necessary changes in the newsroom reference file. For example, if there is a cabinet reshuffle, get a
full list of the new ministers and put it in the news desk file. Regularly update your files and check
contact numbers.
TO SUMMARISE:
Tell your readers or listeners how political decisions will affect their lives
Your job is to report different opinions, not to judge them; be objective
Cultivate a wide range of contacts

REPORTING EDUCATION
The education beat is an important beat for any medium to assign a reporter to cover and to succeed
on the beat, he/she must know what education is, the scope of the industry, the educational policy of
the country, key institutions and personnel in the industry.
Education can be defined as the socialization, the transmission of knowledge, skills, values, and
norms the socio-psychological and acculturation process through which man learns to achieve
competencies in his culture, adapt to socio-economic environments and consciously causes desirable
changes to occur.
Having known what education is, the reporter must know and digest his country’s education policy.
The education correspondence is expected to cover all the levels of educational processes beginning
from crèche to pre-primary to primary, secondary and tertiary, including specialized and technical
institutions.
Education reporters need to focus more attention on the lower levels of education, particularly public
primary and secondary schools whose infrastructure are in a state of dilapidation. If education
reporters had, over the years, focus on these two levels and had call the attention of the government to
them, certainly the schools would have fared better.

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Sources of Education news
So, where does the education reporter source his stories from? Apart from reporting crises situation in
particular institutions when such occur. The education reporter needs to pay regular visits to schools
in his area of coverage. During such visit, he should find answers to question such as:
 Are the pupils/students learning a conducive environment?
 Are the teachers teaching well?
 Are the students learning well?
 How does the environment of the school impact on student learning?
 Are the proprietors/government maintaining standard
 Is the curriculum standard adequate
In fact, for the education beat reporter to answer these questions adequately, he must talk not only
with the headmaster/principals and teachers even with the students. And he needs to sit in the
classrooms with the students occasionally to know how it feels; to get the taste of what the
pupils/students are going through. Apart from visits to the schools, the reporter can get information
from the following sources:
i. The United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
ii. Federal Ministry of Education
iii. State Ministry of Education
iv. Local Education Authority
v. State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB)
vi. The West African Examination Council (WAEC)
vii. National Examination Council (NECO)
viii. The National Universities Commission (NUC)
ix. The National Board for Technical Education
x. The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB)
xi. The British Council
xii. United States Information Service (USIS)
xiii. Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The education reporter needs to understand the language of the education sector for him/her to be able
to write and speak like an insider.
REPORTING BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Next to life itself, the most important thing to a human being is the provision of life’s necessities. The
three most important necessities of life are: food, clothing and shelter. The provision or acquisition of
these basic and other human needs entails economic activities and the media can only ignore reporting
the activities to their own peril.
As mentioned earlier, the business and economic sector is a very wide and complex field, consisting
of many sub-sectors. Your duty as an economy or business reporter is to demystify economy for your
readers or listeners. Let the reader or listener know how the figures and data you are analyzing affect
or impact on his life.
The Sub-sectors of Economy
Business and economy sub-sectors can be generally categorized into 10 groups, with each sub-sector
having a group of related industries. These are:
1. Agriculture
2. Transportation
3. Energy
4. Mining
5. Banking and Finance
6. Manufacturing
7. Telecommunications
8. Merchandising and International Trade
9. Service Industry

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 10. The Government
Tips for Economic Reporter
i. Maintaining contact with experts in your field
ii. Keep the calendar of events in your beat
iii. Define technical terms that the reader or listener may not be familiar with
iv. Interprete data, charts and graphs for your readers
v. Build a library of reference materials on your beat. File newspapers, magazines and house
journal articles dealing with subjects on your beat for future reference.
vi. Make sure your reports are accurate. Ensure that the figures you are quoting are correct.
vii. Check your contact constantly. If you cannot go there phone them.
viii.Provide current and up-to-date information, avoid stale and boring stories.
ix. Though you should maintain contact and be friendly, never be too chummy as to
compromise your professional integrity.
x. When writing your stories, write in such a way as to make readers relate and identify with
your story.
Reporting the Judiciary

The Judiciary is the third arm of government and it is charged with the responsibility of
interpreting the constitution and other acts (laws) passed by the National Assembly.
In democratic society, the judiciary is ideally independent of either the executive or the
legislature and its role in safe-guarding democracy, law and order cannot be over-emphasized.
The most visible organs of the judiciary which impact directly on the society are the courts.
The judicial reporter or correspondent needs to know the various grades of courts that we
have in the land, and these includes:
i. Customary Courts
ii. Magistrate’s Courts
iii. Sharia Courts
iv. State High Courts
v. Federal High Courts
vi. Sharia Court of Appeal
vii. Court of Appeal
viii.The Supreme Court
Qualities of the Judiciary Reporter
 Reporter must be diligent in following the court proceedings as any error in reporting can
earn him the wrath of either the procession or defence counsel or even worse, that of the
judge.
 Reporter must be accurate in note taken, especially quoting of the judge or counsel directly
 The judicial reporter must familiarize himself with legal terms and be able to know the
difference between a civil case and a criminal one.
 Developing the attributes of patience and attentiveness
 The Reporter must pay painstaking attention to what is said by all the parties in court.
 On no condition must the judicial comment by injecting his opinions into the report of court
proceedings.
Legal Terminologies for the Reporter
Accused - Person charged with an offence
Appeal - To take a case to another (usually a higher) court because the
Judgment of the lower court is unsatisfactory.
Adjudicate - To listen to parties in a case and give a decision
Adjourn - Postpone the sitting of the court over a case to another day.

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Adjourn sine die - Adjourn indefinitely
Bar - Practice of the law as a lawyer
Bench - Practice of the law as a judge
Case - A legal matter or issue in court
Charges - The offence which an accused is said to have committed
Count - A unit of offence
Cost - The amount of money demanded by a lawyer for his client or
awarded by the judge to a party in a case
Counsel - Lawyer representing a party in a case
Contempt - To disregard court’s rulings or order
Dock - An enclosure in court where an accused stands while on trial
Defendant - A person sued to a court in a civil case
Entertain - To listen to a case by court
File a case - To take a case to court
Fife - When the court orders the confiscation of a person’s property
Jurisdiction - The right to entertain a case
Judgment - The decision of the court on a case
Plaintiff - A person who sues another to court in a civil case
Preside - To sit over a case
Presiding judge - The judge who hears or sits over a case
Prosecution - The person who brings a case to court
Proceedings - The course of trial in court
Surety - A person who stands for someone on trial to get a bail
Witness - Somebody giving evidence in court
Witness Box - The enclosure where a witness stands to give evidence

Writing Human Interest Stories:

Journalists, by their very nature, are interested in people. And in one way or another we are all
fascinated by the lives of others, whether as net-curtain-twitchers, people-watchers, soap opera-
addicts, writers or readers of news.
We love to catch a glimpse of how the other half live. It is how we build our identities and relate to
one another. The power, impact, and importance of the human interest story therefore, which has as
its central paradigm the human experience, is a vital ingredient in the success of any publication.
But what is a human interest story? Why they are important and what value do they represent for
independent community news publishers?
What is a Human Interest Story?
At the heart of any human interest story is people. It is people sharing their unique stories in an
emotional and interesting way. Whether it be overcoming adversity, raising awareness, opening up
about a condition or experience to help educate others; tales of exceptional human achievement, acts
of bravery, unsung heroes, victims, funny stories – the focus is always on the person and their
experience.

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To this end, the person should always be the central protagonist. She should take centre stage in the
telling of her own story, and so the way the story is written is very different from a traditional news
story. More on how to write a human interest story below.
The benefit of telling a story like this is so the reader can relate to it in an emotional way. A good
human interest story will spark anger, empathy, compassion, sympathy, motivation, laughter, fear and
love. Not in equal measure, but if a journalist can tick all these boxes in some way, the story is bound
to be a success and likely be shared and highly engaged with. The fundamental objective is to move
someone with a story.
Where is the value?
But why would you go to the extra effort of producing a 1500 word soft feature on your local butcher
who hosts a weekly get together of adult fans of My Little Pony? Simply put, this kind of content is
hugely shareable and very easy to engage with, directing much-wanted traffic back to your website.
As Damian Radcliffe, professor of journalism at Oregon University says: stories like this can ‘help
generate more cross-sector partnerships, with hyper local stories being published – with attribution
and cross-linking – by larger media players’.
In short, the national press has a keen eye and a large purse for stories like this, and knowing how to
get your story in front of the right pair of keen eyes can be invaluable.
Writing a Human Interest story
When it comes to writing human interest stories, there is much more scope for creativity. Some
journalists who work on news exclusively have difficulty delaying an intro, dropping the lead to the
third, fourth, or in some cases, the fifth or six pars.
But for human interest stories, much more is required of the language and style to tempt the reader to
stay with the piece. So the use of emotive language is essential. In most examples of human interest
stories, facts and data sit pillion to the emotional aspects. That is not to say the piece should not be
well-researched, legally sound, and factually correct. Only that this information is secondary to the
overall feel of the piece you are writing.
The piece will still require a compelling lead, one that does not give away the story to the reader so
they can leave without reading the rest. Instead, write an intro that draws the reader in emotionally.
Experiment with language. Use puns, alliteration, assonance. Be creative. Write what Steinbeck called
‘hooptedoodle’: filler copy that sets the scene, describes the weather or what someone is wearing, and
depicts their facial expressions when they talk. Don’t be afraid to write copy that sings a little.
At the same time, however, a human interest story should be quote heavy. Let the case study tell her
own story. Let her describe what happened in her own voice, in her own words.
The key is to remain balanced. Avoid lurid sensationalism, unless that is the style of your publication,
and stick to the human angle. However, if the story tends to be extremely sensitive, strive for
neutrality. Nobody benefits from an ill-placed epithet or a poorly-judged idiom.
At its best, a human interest story can inspire, rouse, motivate and educate, spark discourse and create
value.

Different Kinds of Feature Stories

Human interest
Involves persons rather than things. Students who win an award or who do something significant such
as overall best graduating student with CGPA 3.97
Interviews
Usually done with prominent persons. Can be either an informational or a personal profile feature.
Informational interviews deal with an authority whose opinions on certain subjects, facts about things
or comparison are of significant value. Personality interviews are interesting because of the
individual rather than the subject matter.
Informational features
Of historical, social, practical interest. Basic purpose is not to entertain but to inform. History of the
school. How-to-do-it features, such as "how to buy a good stereo" or "what to do if you are arrested or
in an accident."
Personality sketch

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Develops a total picture of the person. Gets facts from the person himself. Attempts to reveal
personality through anecdotes. Looks at mannerisms, actions, dress, and experiences. Talks to other
people about the subject.
If you are writing about a person, here are some facts readers will want to know.
 Name
 Personality
 Background
 Physical appearance
 Environment
 Hobbies
 His influence on others
 Anecdotes/observation
 Featurettes (short movie)
In journalism, a human-interest story is a feature story that discusses people or pets in an emotional
way. It presents people and their problems, concerns, or achievements in a way that brings about
interest, sympathy or motivation in the reader or viewer. Human-interest stories are a type of soft
news.
Human-interest stories may be "the story behind the story" about an event, organization, or otherwise
faceless historical happening, such as about the life of an individual soldier during wartime,
an interview with a survivor of a natural disaster, a random act of kindness, or profile of someone
known for a career achievement. Human-interest features are frequently evergreen content, easily
recorded well in advance and/or rerun during holidays or slow news days.
Why is the Human Interest story important?
 This personal, and very intimate angle, allows readers to engage with the content, to feel
something. If the story is sad, you want your reader to feel sad. If it is happy, you want them
to feel happy.
 A good human interest story breaks down barriers, allows people to form connections with
the story through emotions.
 It can alert people to a cause or charity or fundraiser they would not ordinarily know about; a
condition they never knew existed; an opportunity that could have passed them by, a person,
place or idea best avoided.
 A good human interest story should be thought provoking, should incite debate, and should
pull at the heartstrings.
 The popularity of the human-interest format derives from the stories' ability to put the
consumer at the heart of a current event or personal story through making its content relatable
to the viewer in order to draw their interest.
 Human-interest stories also have the role of diverting consumers from "hard news" as they
often are used to amuse consumers and leave them with a light-hearted story.
 Human-interest stories are sometimes criticized as "soft" news, or
manipulative, sensationalistic programming.
 Human-interest stories have been labelled as fictitious news reporting, used in an attempt to
make certain content appear relevant to the viewer or reader.
 Human-interest stories are regarded by some scholars as a form of
journalistic manipulation or propaganda, often published with the intention of boosting
viewership ratings or attracting higher amounts of sales and revenue.
 Major human-interest stories are presented with a view to entertain the readers or viewers
while informing them.
 The content of a human-interest story is not just limited to the reporting of one individual
person, as they may feature a group of people, a specific culture, a pet or animal, a part of
nature or an object. These reports may celebrate the successes of the person/ topic in focus, or
explore their troubles, hardships.
 The human-interest story is usually positive in nature, although they are also used to
showcase opinions and concerns, as well sometimes being exposés or confrontational pieces.

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Human-interest story writing: Learning from newspapers

So it’s the weekend and you are looking forward to an unhurried breakfast with various newspapers
spread out across the table as you take in some mental refreshment while sipping coffee. It’s the
Sunday newspaper after a rather hectic week of spot-fixing, acid attacks and crime. It is your day
away from travels in the bustling local trains; you just want to put your feet up and have a relaxed
newspaper experience. That’s where the Sunday reads and Page 3 reading comes into scene. They are
about writing human-interest stories and feeding human curiosity.
Ideation phase of Story writing
Whether you are writing stories on a blog, an online journal, an article for a local newsletter or
magazine, you would need a human-interest angle to provide the gravitas that the story needs to create
the necessary impact.

For instance, if you are writing about an NGO making a difference in the lives of slum dwellers, it is
one thing to give before and after statistics and it is another and more impactful aspect altogether to
publish a smiling picture of a little child who has benefited from the NGO’s efforts.
Human-interest story writing uses real people and real life incidents as examples to set forth a point.
The ultimate idea is to appeal to the finer emotions of the reading audience – to inspire and to garner
sympathy and support for a cause.
A little background
The Page 3 and Sunday reads in newspapers are generally handled by the Features Editor. From the
conceptualization of ideas to the final execution the Features Head of the newspaper has one tough
task in hand. Especially the Sunday reads need to be planned more than a week earlier so that the
‘look’ and ‘feel’ of the article is right.
The Features Head has to scan through various ideas, pick few which are ideal reads and have to see
that the ideas are implemented well.
What you can learn from newspapers
Half the battle is won when the right topic is chosen. Often, the choice of the topic is got to do with
the time of the year; for instance, lovers uniting against odds maybe the theme before Valentine’s
Day.
There was an article I came across on Friendships’ day a few years back; a nice afternoon read about
two pen-friends – one a Maharashtrian and the other a German native, residing in different parts of
the world who met in 9 countries and 15 cities across the world just to keep their friendship of 10
years alive.

When I saw the story, I noticed that:

One – The theme suited the nature of the tabloid as well as the situation i.e. Friendship Day.
Second – There were a stream of photographs attached to the article between the years of their
friendship and wherever they met- the main attraction to a Sunday read.
The story writing flow is lucid, quotes from both the friends and their camaraderie was highlighted.
How to write a good human-interest story
 Pick a topic which you like so that you give your best shot. A topic that appeals to you.
 Focus on getting the emotion right. Think – what is that you want your readers to feel at the
end of the post?
 Highlight positivity.
 Describe people, places, attire and time so that people can picture the story in their minds
 End it on a positive note
Why Page 3 articles in newspapers fascinate us
These are stories of people we do not have access to and is from a world the normal reading audience
does not belong to. A ‘Page 3’ article is published almost 3-4 times a week (depends upon the Editor’s
call and availability of pages). A regular ‘Page 3’/ Feature article might contain the following topics:
 Cinema, Television, Theatre and Fashion – especially lives of those involved in these
glamorous professions.

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  What are the popular travel destinations currently? Cheap tickets available? Travel articles
would involve a lot of photographs. Insert 4-5 pictures highlighting the recommended travel
destination. Add few quotes from people who have visited the place and give your opinion
too with handy tips!
 Write ups on relationships and enhancement of one’s personality is a huge rage in a feature
article.
I read an article on lifestyle in a Daily Tabloid on how celebrities handle success and failure. It turned
out to be a fairly good read because of the quotes given by celebs themselves.
Stories of celebrity successes inspire – whether is Hrithik Roshan overcoming his stammering or
Sonam Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha losing 30 kilos to scorch the big screen.
Other topics feature food: the hot new food outlets in the city, unconventional career trends and
entertainment news.
Structuring the story
Framework:
Give utmost importance to the structure of your article. If your article is not well-presented, it will not
succeed in hooking the readers.
The headline needs to be catchy and should give an idea of what the article contains. The introduction
(or lead as we say) needs to be relevant, concise and should provide a base on which the body of the
article will continue from.

The body text is the most important; it should have the essential information, quotes, story, incident
and opinions in a logical manner.

At the end comes the conclusion which should efficiently summarise what you have presented in the
text above. You could add a quote too! Ensure there is a link between all the elements of the article.
Without a proper framework, even a great article loses its charm!
Sifting of data:
You have a lot of data on the subject you are writing on, but all this data is meaningless unless you
sort it out and list them in a presentable manner.
Craft and write the story well
1. Jargon should be used but only when relevant to the article. If not, it will be a complete let
down!
2. Make the article as clear and to-the-point as possible. Avoid extra explanations, when not
necessary; it just stretches the article!
3. The article should be a part of you, a reflection of your thoughts. Romance with the subject
and half the battle is won!
4. Provide relevant examples to clear the picture
5. An element of humour needs to be added, but first decide whether it would be a suitable
quotient to the article.
6. Check and if required, re-check on the authenticity of the data.
7. Write the text in a manner that engages the reader.
8. The way you write ‘sells’ the article. Use a subtle tone as much as possible.
Another well-construed story I read was that of the RamLila going online. Their site receives lakhs of
visitors across countries. It showcases a key mythological aspect of Indian culture. Although it was
not a lengthy read, the article was perfect in terms of their audience for the paper, their captions,
information and the real-life captured pictures.
Remember, your article is the door which opens the minds of the readers to something new; it can
change their way of looking at a particular concept or person! So, it is in your hands purely to get your
concept through to the audience.
The Principles and Rationale for Human Interest Stories
 Truth and Accuracy. “Journalists cannot always guarantee 'truth' but getting the facts right is the
cardinal principle of journalism
 Independence
 Fairness and Impartiality

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 Humanity
 Accountability.

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