Reporting 1

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The Reporter:

• Persistent• Inquisitive• Knowledge: Mile Wide-Inch Deep• Preoccupied with Fairness• Multi-Skilled• Aggressive• Compassionate

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Reporter Motivations

• Being First• Being Clever• Being Right• Being Heroic• Impressing Sources• Winning Prizes• Finding Hidden Truth

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Your Stories Must Be…

• Accurate• Properly Attributed• Complete• Balanced• Objective• Focused & Brief• Well-Written

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“News Is What Somebody Is Hiding”

• Firsthand Account (Reporter’s Observation)

• Secondhand Account (Eye-Witness)• Thirdhand Account (Spokesperson)

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4 Types of Attribution

• On the Record• On Background• Deep Background• Off the Record

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Brevity

• Kids Make Nutritious Snacks• Pen Pal Stabs Pal With Pen• Eye Drops Off Shelf• Man Drowns in Walk Around World• Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim• Quarter of a million Chinese live on

water• Farmer bill dies in house• Iraqi head seeks arms

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More Actual Headlines

• Grandmother of eight makes hole in one• Deaf mute gets new hearing in killing• Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers• House passes gas tax onto senate• Stiff opposition expected to casketless funeral

plan• Two convicts evade noose, jury hung• William Kelly was fed secretary• Milk drinkers are turning to powder• Safety experts say school bus passengers

should be belted•

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The 5 W’s & How

• Who was Involved• What happened?• Where did it Happen?• When did it Happen?• Why did it Happen?• How did it Happen?

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Reporter’s Creed

• Accuracy of Fact & Language• Brevity in making your Point• Clarity so there’s no doubt about

what happened• News Consumer Comes First

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What is News?

• Women over 50 Love Health News• Men under 40 Love Sports News• Learn to appreciate others’

cultures

CNN & The Runaway Bride

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10 Tips for Reporters

• 1 Make sure you understand the event.• 2 When you have found the focus for

your story -- when you know what you want to say -- start writing.

• 3 Show, don't tell.• 4 Put good quotes and human interest

high in the story.• 5 Put relevant incidents and

anecdotes high in the story.

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10 Tips for Reporters

• 6 Use concrete nouns and colorful action verbs.

• 7 Avoid exuberant adjectives and resist proping up verbs with adverbs.

• 8 Avoid judgments and inferences. Let the facts talk.

• 9 Don't raise questions you cannot answer in your copy.

• 10 Write simply, succinctly, honestly and quickly.