"Handbook of Independent Journalism" Summary

Presented by HuyHuang HENG

Content1. What’s is news?2. Getting the story3. Telling the story4. Editing the story5. Broadcast and Online6. Specialized Journalism7. Ethics and Law

1. What is news? News is what is new and contains new values:

TimelinessImpactProximityControversyProminenceOddity

Type of newsHard newsFeature story

Where the news comes from?Naturally occurring eventPlanned activitiesThe 3P: People, Place, Paper

News providers:NewspaperRadio + TVOnline

2. Getting the story Asking 5W and H Observation (look, listen, smell, taste, feel) Research background information Sources (Primary and secondary) Interview:

Ask open-ended questionAsk about opinion or experienceAsk follow-up question

Bring equipment

3. Telling the Story “Good journalism involves selection, not

compression.” Be focus: Draw story structure before the reporting

process Writing

Be concise, clear and accurateUse simple and direct language‘Show’ don’t ‘Tell’Use ‘Noun’ and ‘Verb’ more than ‘Adjective’ and ‘Adverb’Avoid repeatExplain Keywords

Leads:Hard lead: 5W + H Soft lead: set scene

Story Structures:

HourglassFeature

Inverted PyramidHard News

DiamondHave Nut Graph

EndingFor print should end by background history or

important quoteFor broadcast should end by summary of the

news Quotes

Provide personal connection to the storyEvidences and opinions making the story

strongerDon’t use direct quote if you can say it better

yourself Attribution: Who say what?

4. Editing the Story Editor’s job is to ensure the story is accurate,

complete and fair. Editors need to be strong journalists and

newsroom leaders Editors read stories with a skeptical eyes with

the questions:How does the reporter know this?Why should audiences believe this?Did they use accurate quotes?Is it fair? ...

Coaching and Supervising

5. Broadcast and Online Broadcast Writing

Use daily conversation styleDon’t use all 5W and H in the lead

SoundUse sound bites (quotes)Use natural sounds

PictureWords + video match viewers understand and

remember the storiesWords + video NOT match viewers remembers

more on what they see

Online journalists must think on multiple levels at one:WordsIdeasStory structureNews judgment DesignInteractive AudiosVideosPhotos

Online story form has been described as “Print Plus”.

Online WritingKeep the story in only one pageOnline writer should break the text into more

blocks, use more subhead and bullets

6. Specialized Journalism Government and Politics

In the government meeting, don’t report everything happened in chronological order. Report who will be affected by what.

Political reporters in a democratic countries provide citizen information they need to make decision

Business and EconomicsExplain key terms to the readersReporter can read and understand financial

statements, balance sheet, …Tell reader the significance of development, who will be

affected.

Health, Science, and the EnvironmentExplain key termsHave basic understanding about scientific method, math,

statistic …Make story less complicated by explaining the background

information Police and Courts

Know how the judicial process worksCarefully use key terms (Burglary vs Robbery)If lawyers use big words, ask them to explain

SportsReport more than score and result.Explain why and how it happened, not who and whatUnderstand the rule of sportsCan work under the very tight deadlinesReport the business of sport and behind the scenes

7. Ethical Decision Making The basic principles of the U.S. Society of

Professional Journalists:Seek the truth and report itMinimize harmAct independentlyBe accountable

Legal Issue“The best press law is no law at all.”The most common legal issue that journalists face is

“defamation”.

Questions and Answers