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News
A A
report of any event or situation. record of the most interesting, important and accurate information obtained about the things man think and says, sees and describes, plans and does.
News
is any event, idea or opinion that is timely, that interests or affects a large number of persons in a community, and that is capable of being understood by them.
- Dean M. Lyle Spencer Former Dean, School of Journalism Syracuse University
According
to Carl Warren, Former Radio News Editor of New York Times, all news is intended to interest, inform or entertain somebody somewhere large sections of the public.
If
something is happening NOW, it is more newsworthy than if it happened yesterday or last week or two weeks ago. Oftentimes the most newsworthy element in the story is the most recent happening, the latest thing in a series of happenings.
The news story must immediately tell the impact of the event. b. The value of the news depends upon the newness of the happening. c. It concerns not only of the recency (time of occurrence) but also primacy (you gasp with surprise when you first hear or see it is news to you, regardless of age)
How close to your readers is this event taking place? All other things being equal, something that is happening in or near their location is much more meaningful to them than something taking place across town or across the world.
Interests
of the readers primarily depends upon the closeness of their own personal affairs. Closeness not only place but interest.
Is a well-known person part of the story? Readers like to read about people they know. If a person is well-known, more readers will be interested than if a person who is mentioned is not known.
A good example is the newsworthiness of the classic remark made by Charles A. Dana,in 1882: When a dog bites a man that is not news, but when a man bites a dog that is news.
How will this event impact your readers? How important is it? Something that is more important will be more newsworthy than something that is of little importance, all other things being equal.
Is there a conflict between persons in the story? A rivalry? A misunderstanding? People are naturally drawn to conflict and find it fascinating. This element is essential in catching the attention of the readers like the intense conflicts of the different political groups in the Philippines.
Anything that appeals to the readers emotionsmakes him laugh, cry, get angry, feel sympathy, etc.has the potential for human interest.
Another factor in stimulating the appeal and interest of the readers. The continuing suspense of day-today news events will always attract the attention of the reading public.
News story that is appealing to the readers, irrespective of its point of origin, such as local, community, national and international.
In order to avoid boredom on the part of the readers, it is important that the news writer must pounce with delight upon news that usually titillates their bump of credulity or make them smile once in a while.
Mystery, suspense, comedy, the unusual, the bizarre are chief elements of drama
How will a particular event affect the readers? Similar to consequence but stronger and more personal.
C. According to content
1. Science and Technology News 2. Developmental Communication 3. Sports News
D. According to sources
1. Action Story the reporter himself is an eyewitness of the event that happened. 2. Based on the record news The information are gathered from the records like the police stations, hospitals and other agencies. 3. Based on interview Interviewing the persons who know the event.
5. Flash It presents only the basic facts of a fresh story that comes in too late to be printed in full news item.
6. Side bar story Brief news item on some lighter aspects of an event placed side by side to a related significant news.
THE LEAD
In
writing the story, we are interested to know the LEAD which is the introductory sentence of the news story.
Classification of Leads
According to purpose: 1. Conventional or Summary lead 2. Unconventional, unorthodox or novelty lead
1. Who-What-When-Where-Why-How leads This is the oldest type known to journalists and has come to be known as the 5Ws and an H
I have six honest serving men (They taught me all I know) Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who
The How lead often used for unusual happenings and action stories.
Staging a 48-hour walkout beginning today, nearly 100 South Korean journalists at a government controlled television station demanded that the government stop dictating how they cover the news.
2. Starts with the feature of the story, which may either be the most important or most interesting fact or both. 3. It must be short- usually 25-35 words if it is one paragraph.
4. Begins with specific, interest arousing words. 5. Avoid when possible, beginning with such words and phrases as a, an, the, at a meeting, yesterday, last night, days of the week, according to, it is, there is, etc.
6. Suggests the source of the news when necessary. in stories which foretell something not generally known. about future events in order to protect the paper if the event does not occur. in stories about important events that the reporter failed to attend. to attribute an opinion, thereby avoid editorializing.
7. Avoid overloading the first sentence of the lead. 8. Is written colorfully when possible. 9. Avoid citing the news source in stories which readers would expect to be eye witness accounts or in stories in which citing the source would be unnecessary.
3. Arrange the remaining 5Ws and H, in the order of decreasing importance. 4. Determine the best way to start the lead sentence. 5. Keep in mind all the other characteristics of a good summary lead. 6. Test your lead. 7. Rewrite the lead if you can improve it.
It uses any device that will attract attention, arouse curiosity, or sustain interest. It adds vigor and color to writing and does not contain the gist of the story, but merely serves as an introduction
The NOVELTY lead is used: When the facts are not entirely straight news. When the facts maybe made much more interesting by a novel way of presenting them. When the purpose is to arouse the readers interest.
1. Narrative Lead It draws the reader into the story by allowing him to relate himself with the characters.
December 1999. With the Y2K scare and end-of-the millennium jitters hovering in the air, I found myself in a book store for some last minute shopping. I was looking for the abridged versions of the classic Heidi and the Secret Garden to give to my nieces when I saw a vaguely familiar title: The lady or the Tiger. As I traced the embossed title, a particular memory flooded my consciousness.
2. Descriptive lead It illustrates a mental picture of the subject to the reader. This is effective in writing a personality sketch.
The night fell as we descended the summit of Mt. Makiling. The cicadas were sending us off with their choir. While walking, we couldnt stop imagining the possible appearance of Maria Makiling, who according to legend, is the goddess of this mountain.
4. Question lead
A thought provoking question to capture the interest of reader and lead them to find the answer provided by the succeeding details of the article. When was the last time I told my father I loved him? I wish I could tell him a thousand times how much I love him now, but he is already heedless inside his coffin.
5. Teaser
A device to deceive the reader in a jesting manner to arouse his curiosity and gently lead him into the story. It is generally short, crisp and witty. Mostly suggestive and humorous. Which comes first, the hen or the egg? Well, egg could not be made possible without the hen. But where does the hen come from?
6. Punch lead
It is short, striking one-sentence lead.
Hungry farmers are selling not only their carabaos but also their children.
8. Astonisher lead
NSPC 2006 Champion! Bold red letters printed on a three-meter long streamer was over the gate of the New Era University when the Hudyat, Official Student Publication of the Elementary Department won as Best School Paper during the National Schools Press Conference held in Kalibo, Aklan, February 22-26.
SOFT News
usually less important because it entertains, although it may also inform often less timely than hard news includes human interests and feature stories which may relate to hard news. appeals more to emotions than to the intellect or the desire to be informed.
HARD
News
Despite its importance, usually attracts fewer readers because it may not be as interesting as soft news or maybe more difficult to understand.
Facts
Interest
Readers
The basis of all news is FACT. The job of the reporter is to make facts INTERESTING to a particular group of READERS
News
must be interesting.
But not all facts are interesting. Different facts will be interesting to different readers.
1. Must be ACCURATE Reporters must work hard to achieve accuracy. They must check, doublecheck, and re-check every fact.
News is considered balanced and complete when all significant details are included and have proper relationship with each other.
The purpose of balance is to give the reader a fair understanding of the event, not a detailed account of every fact.
3. It is OBJECTIVE News is a factual report, not a report of how the reporter thought something should have been. A reporter must report news as impartially and honestly as possible.
Objectivity is difficult to
achieve because a reporters own opinions and feelings can easily interfere with factual presentation in stories.
4. It is CONCISE and CLEAR Hard news stories almost always follow the inverted pyramid and are written concisely and clearly so that the meaning is clear to an average reader.
DETAILS
Use quotes from interviewees
Wrap up
Use a quote or catchy phrase
5. One sentence paragraph is preferred in writing news. But if it cannot be avoided it should not exceed three sentences 6. For easy reading, average number of words per sentence should be between 15 to 20. A sentence longer than 30 words may be hard to understand. 7. Arrange paragraph in the descending order of importance so that the lay-out editor can delete the last least important ones for lack of space.
knows where to get the data knows what angle of the event should be highlighted in the news can easily identify event, which is worth publishing as news.
When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. John Ruskin