L E C T U R E N O T ES

FOR MAC 115

NEWS WRITING AND
REPORTING
BY JIMENDA GIDEON DAVID
(LECTURER)
08032981119
 INTRODUCTION
• Introduction to News Writing and Reporting
provides you a theoretical foundation upon which
you develop mastery in news writing and
reporting. It is aimed at equipping you with skills
for approaching news reporting with honed
journalistic skills by introducing you to the key
factors determining the news worthiness of
events. Upon completing the course you should
be able to identify and explain news
determinants as well as exhibit an ability to meet
the news reporting and writing needs of the
different genres of media
 Introduction cont…

• The principal actor in news reporting is the reporter.

Therefore, it is not out of place to begin this course
with an attempt to define who a reporter is, and
his/her functions. The reporter is the ear and eye of
his/her medium. It is what he/she reports that the
audience will know about. He/she touches lives with
his/her report. However, for him/her to perform well,
he/she must possess certain attributes. Thus, in this
unit, you will also learn about the attributes of a
reporter. And finally, the reporter, in the process of
doing his duty, uses languages peculiar to his
profession.
What is
Journalism?
• As an occupation, journalism refers generally to writing for journals, but
in particular for newspapers/magazines, radio and television. However
journalism has expanded in meaning and scope, to become the means
by which you disseminate news and views, and by so doing has formed
itself into a limb of social awareness. It has become an important social
function, constituting the means by which people receive and give
information from and to the world around them; assuming an ethical
dimension and to some extent, requires legal accountability for its
performance. As such, the journalist, in the performance of his or her
duties, has to contend with various legal and ethical issues. It should be
noted that journalism can reach every facet of the society such that
every part of the country can access information either through the
above mentioned media or through the social media network which of
recent has dominated the society. Almost everybody that has access to
the internet can send messages to a large population and this is known
as citizen journalism. Citizen journalism however can be defined as the
dissemination of information using websites, blogs and social media by
the general public or by people who are not professional journalists.
 Functions of the Press

The press has four traditional/major functions to perform and these include:
Surveillance of the environment Correlation of parts of society in responding to
the environment Transmission of the social heritage from one generation to the
next Entertainment.
• The surveillance (information/news) function: This function refers to the
collection and distribution of information concerning events in the environment
both outside and within a particular society. Simply put, this is the news function.
• The correlation (analysis/interpretation) function: This function refers to the
interpretation of information about the environment and prescription for conduct
in reaction to these events. This is the editorial/opinion/interpretation function.
• Transmission of social heritage (cultural transmission) function:
This function focuses on the communicating of knowledge, values, and social
norms from one generation to another or from one group to another, or from
members of a group to newcomers. This is the cultural
transmission/education/socialisation function.
• Entertainment function: This function includes communicative acts primarily
intended for amusement or escape, irrespective of the instrumental effect they
might have.
 The Reporter
• In the performance of these functions, the key personality is the
reporter. He/she chronicles events as they happen and he is rightly
termed, the unknown historian. It is the reporter who goes out to
get stories for the news, and stories behind the news. It is the
reporter who generally attends press meetings, conferences, scenes
of disaster or accidents, demonstrations and other happenings or
developments which either make or explain the news {Alao; 1992}
• It must be noted that in modern art of reporting, reporters have
their various areas of specialisation. Special reporters are assigned
to report crimes, sports, judiciary, labour, entertainment, business
and economy, foreign beat and aviation, among others. Whether it
is print or electronic media, the functions of reporters and editors
are the same: to write and shape the writing to suit the needs of
readers, listeners and viewers.
FUNCTIONS OF A REPORTER
Randall (2000) lists some of the ‘thankless’ functions that is expected of the reporter
in his profession. He/she:
• Discovers and publish information that replaces rumour and speculation
• Resists and evades government controls, especially those put in place to prevent
the public from finding out the true position of things
• Informs, and so empower, voters
• Subverts those whose authority relies on a lack of public information
• Scrutinizes the actions and inactions of governments, elected representatives and
public services
• Scrutinizes businesses, their treatment of workers and customers, the quality of
their products and their level of social responsibility
• Comforts the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, providing a voice for those who
cannot normally be heard in public
• Holds up a mirror to society, reflecting its virtues and vices and also debunking its
cherished myths
• Ensures that justice is done, is seen to be done, and investigations carried out
where this is not so
• Promotes the free exchange, especially by providing a platform for those with
philosophies alternative to the prevailing ones
Attributes of a Reporter
• The following are some of the attributes of a reporter:
• · Nose for news A reporter lives on news, he must have
an instinct for news, and that is, he should be able to
identify a newsworthy event. He should be able to
generate news from anyone no, matter how important
or insignificant that person is. Randall (2000) explains
that reporters must possess this attribute for the
following reasons: one, in the positive sense of
knowing what makes a good story and the ability to
find the essential news point in the midst of dross; two,
in the negative sense of not wasting time by pursuing
stories that are not worth much; and three, ensuring
that he does not miss details and make a fool of
himself.
• · Good command of written and spoken language of his
medium:-
To do your job well, you must have a good training in the
profession. This will enable you to learn as much about as many
things as possible. The present trend towards specialization in
news reporting makes it mandatory for the reporters to learn as
much as possible on the subject they are assigned to such as
politics, science, labour, economics and history.
• · Passion for precision:- This means that to excel as a reporter in
the business of furnishing the public with information, you must
possess a knack for accuracy and precision which Randall (2000)
writes as meaning three things: first, recording and writing
accurately what information is gathered; ensuring that the details
recorded accurately stand true to the spirit and atmosphere of
the situation or events – which means adding background and
context; and lastly, avoid making any or all kinds of assumptions.
• · Speed and accuracy:- As a reporter, you have to bear in mind that your
medium is competing with others in the market. To meet a deadline, you
need to race against time in gathering and presenting news. Remember
the saying that journalism is history in a hurry.
• · Objectivity:- You need to develop the ability to be impartial, impersonal,
objective and dispassionate. You should not shift the emphasis, twist the
angle or colour the story. While you can afford to be ruthless, remorseless
in condemning unfair happenings in feature or editorial writings news
reporting differs; what the listeners, readers want in news is fact and not
your opinion or emotional reaction.
• · Perseverance:- As a reporter, you need to persevere and go an extra –
mile while pursuing a story. Remember that there is a wide variety of
people, while some may have news to offer, others may have, but may not
be willing to divulge news. As such, if you are in undue haste, it may
damage your investigation by causing you to miss the vital part of the
news.
• · Ability to establish and sustain contacts:- As a reporter, it is not enough
for you to know how to establish contacts; you should try to sustain
contacts. Do not despise anybody; the office assistance or even the
cleaner may be your best source in any organisation. So, be friendly with
them, as you would want to be with their boss.
• · Trustworthiness: As a reporter, you need to respect the
confidence reposed in you by your source. On no account should
you divulge your source of information. Many reporters/journalists
in the world have gone to prison; rather than divulge the source of
their information. In Nigeria, such persons include Nduka Irabor and
Tunde Thompson.
• · Knowledge of working tools:- To facilitate your job, you do not
only need to possess some aids, you must know how to use them.
These include a camera and computer. In fact, in this age of
computer-assisted journalism, it will be odd for a reporter not to be
computer literate and also know how to search for information on
the Internet. Besides, the knowledge of shorthand will be an added
advantage.
• · Ethics of the profession:- Every profession regulates the conduct
of its practitioners in terms of duty and ethical behaviour.
Journalism involves the kind of trust that imposes strong obligations
on all those who practice it. You should keep abreast of the ethics
of the journalism profession (not only that you need to obey the
ethics.)
NEWS AND COMPONENTS OF NEWS
 What is News?
The Shorter Oxford Dictionary has a useful definition for news:
• “Tidings; new information of recent events; new occurrences as a
subject of report or talk.’
• The term ‘information’ is important because it is the information or
knowledge of an event rather than the event itself that news is
concerned
with. The event might already be known to the reader but not the
new
information that is being presented. A single event can go on
generating news in this way for days and even weeks. A secret
marriage can
become news years afterwards because information about it has
come to
light.
 Components of a New Story
• Components of a New Story
These are also known as rudiments of the news story. These include:
• Accuracy This is the quality or the state of the writer being precise, or exact in
terms of name-calling and/or data presentation in the news. Words correctly spelt
the correct middle initial in names and the exact address of people in stories.
Accuracy begins with the reporter’s painstaking attention to every detail when
gathering facts and information. Initials, spelling of names, correct addresses,
exact quotes, precise number of deaths, should be checked and double-checked
wit a source or a reference when there is doubt.
• Attribution Attribution means crediting the story to a source. Allinformation and
statements, except the most obvious, must be attributed to the source of the
material. For example, the police reported two people were killed when….
President Olusegun Obasanjo today urged….
• However, no attribution is necessary for these assertions:
• · “March 27 falls on a Monday” “Rain fell yesterday”.
• · These are obvious statements that could be verified. Attribution does not
guarantee the truth of the statement rather it places the responsibility of the
material with the source.
• Balance and Fairness By balance, we mean that both sides in a
controversy must be given their say. In a political campaign, all
candidates should be given enough space and time to present their
major points. In a debate, each speaker is entitled to reach the
reader. By fairness, we mean that all parties involved in the news are
treated without favouritism. Fairness also involved the honest use of
words. Words like admit, refuse, complain have varied meanings and
should be used with caution.
• Brevity News writing is the art of knowing what to leave out and
condense. The subject-verb-object (S.V.O) structure helps to cut
sentences to the bone. Use action verbs, avoid adverbs and
adjectives.
• Clarity Ability to write clear and interesting story is a valuable skill.
Tax rates, budgets, etc, must be translated into everyday English. To
do this, you need clear thinking. You need to understand the event
before writing. Don’t hide your ignorance. Clear thinking extends to
the writing as well as to the subject matter.
• Human Interest Readers like the human angles to a story. The human
element catches the reader’s interest; it should be given prominence
in the story. Reporters must include people, their reactions,
expectations, and concerns in their stories.
• Verification When a reporter checks his or her
information against some kind of objective
source, we say that the material has been
verified. Verification is important, as it is
recognition of the need for truth. The essence
of verifying or confirming material is to assure
the reader or listener of the truth of the
stories. Accuracy is important, but it is not
enough. The fact without the truth is futile;
indeed, the fact without the truth is false.
 THE LEAD
• The news story consists of two main parts, the lead and
the body. The lead or introduction is the beginning of
the news story. It is usually the opening and a single
paragraph. The body is the rest of the story. Usually,
the lead presents the highlights of a story; the body
reinforces this information with additional facts and
details
• The lead or the intro is the most important paragraph
in the story. It can either make the reader want to read
the story to the end or turn off at the next available
opportunity. This means that the intro must be sharp
and interesting; brief but well written enough to ignite
interest in the story.
 Functions of the Lead
• Summarizes the story
• Provides answers to the questions, who, what,
when, where, why and how?
• Provides quick identification of persons, and
events in the news story for the reader
• Emphasizes the most important element in
the news story by placing that element in the
first paragraph of the story.
 Types of Lead

• The summary lead The summary lead consists of a summary statement

that answers the what, who, when and where of an event. With a history
dating back to the early days of telegraphy, the summary lead is still being
used by newspapers today. Simply put, this lead summarises the whole
story and gives details later. It is brief and deals only with the keypoints of
the story.
• The figurative lead This type of lead permits the extensive use of figures
of speech or allows the use of words in the figurative sense rather than
the literal sense. This lead is most times used in news feature writing.
• The question lead the question lead raises a question and answers it. A
question lead is commonly used in explanatory or specialised writing such
as news feature writing. The question sometimes answers itself if it is a
rhetorical question. While the first paragraph poses the question, the
second usually explains the question to the reader, listener or viewer.
• Quotation/quote lead A quotation lead usually consists of a striking
statement that could make the reader interested in the story. Because the
quotation lead is easy to write, the general rule is to use it sparingly. It
should be used only where the quotation is quite significant, and in cases
where it could add drama to the story. Whenever a quotation lead is used,
the explanation of such quotation should be made in the next paragraph.
• Descriptive lead A descriptive lead is commonly used when a news
story is describing a scene. It tries to put the reader/listener at the
scene of the event in terms of sight, sound, smell and taste. It is very
effectivewhen a news story needs a description to stir up the
reader/listener’s mood such as the commentary of a football game.
• Bullet lead The bullet lead is almost like a headline. It is usually a
short sentence, but if deployed effectively, can be of great effect.
• Effect lead This focuses on the effect or consequences of an event.
This lead is effective because few readers can resist being drawn into
a story that suggests the impact on them of an event.
• Dialogue lead Dialogue lead is useful as a break from the more
routine method of beginning a story and can be very effective in
getting the point of the story across. But unlike other types of lead,
several paragraphs are used for the dialogue
• Contrast lead The contrast lead utilises interesting contrasts of
situations to improve the newsworthiness of events. It employs the
antithetic to great effect. The contrast lead grips the reader by
combining facts in a manner that generates surprise.
 Sample Diagram of a lead
• Very important

• Important

• Least
important
 INTERVIEWING
• Interview is an important source of news
story. Every reporter should be knowledgeable
in this art. You need to master the techniques
and their application.
 Types of Interviewing
• Virtually all stories that feature on news pages or as
news bulletins on the 6pm news are the product of
interviews. This is borne from the fact that the reporter
lives for the purpose of gathering information and one
of the best ways by which he goes about this function
is by asking questions – interviewing. He must
interview eye witnesses to an accident to get the facts
about what happened; he must interview experts if he
wants a professional angle to a matter, etc. whichever
way, if the reporter will thrive in his business, he must
hone his question-asking skills because without
knowing how to ask the right questions, a reporter
cannot simply write a complete story.
• The Information Interview
• This is primarily to reveal facts or opinions. For example: ‘how many
ambulances are off the road because of a maintenance problem? ‘Which
way do you as a minister intend to vote in today’s crucial local government
election?’; ‘Why weren’t the main road in the country rehabilitated? Note
some of the words used above. The crucial words to use when asking
questions are: What, where, who, how, why, and when. Questions starting
with these words elicit answers other than just ‘yes’ or ‘no’, therefore
making them much more useful for radio.
• The Interpretive Interview
• The interpretive interview is quite different. The subject of the interview
needs to interpret some facts, which are already known. The fact that
interest rates are rising again; the financial expert can be asked what
effect this will have on mortgage rates. You should still, though ask the
question using the word ‘what’.
• The Emotional Interview
• The emotional interview is by far the trickiest type. Good reporting covers
all shades and colours of human emotional experiences. Be conscious not
to cause more harm to your subject during emotional interviews.
 Interview Preparation
• If you are to ask sensible questions, you must know something of the
subject. That is not to say that you need to be an expert yourself, but a few
minutes of research is important beforehand. However, you may well get
pushed into an interview without any chance to prepare whatsoever. In
that case, use you interviewee as a research resource.
• Let us say that you are about to interview a shop steward who is calling for
a strike. You know little more than his name, his employer’s name, and the
union he represents. If you ask for an outright briefing before the
interview, he may respect your honesty or he may feel contempt for your
lack of knowledge, however unavoidable it may have been. So start with a
wide – ranging question: ‘Why do you think that a strike is now inevitable?
It is difficult to answer that question without giving a clue to the last offer
from the employer! Now that you know the last offer was an extra 12%,
you can go on to ask what would be acceptable and so on. The
conversation has begun.
 After the Interview
• Do not go on longer than is reasonably
necessary. Remember that you have got to
listen to it all back afterwards. If you want a 30
– second clip, 15 minutes is too much to put
on tape. Five should be plenty and 10 more
than ample. If you are after a clip and you
hear what you want during the recording,
wind up as soon as you can. There is no point
in going on in the hope of something better.