Journalism(non-fiction)

The work of gathering, writing, editing, and publishing or disseminating news through text messages, Tweets, newspapers, Internet, magazines, radio, television, etc.

What is news?

News is information about a break from the normal flow of events, an interruption in the expected. News is also information that people need to have in order to make sound decisions about their lives.

News stories are built on the 5 W’s and 1 H:Get them into the story as soon as possible!

News stories are top-heavy with facts so that the first sentence or two can stand

alone, if need be.

Who did the news happen to? Who was involved?

What happened? What makes this event news?

When did it happen?

Where did it happen?

Why did it happen? What was the motivation behind it?

How did it happen?

Example of a quick news story: Thieves who broke into a St. Joseph auto parts store Tuesday morning stole 12 Firestone tires valued at more than $1,000, police said.

The manager of the store at 1123 Piedmont St. told officers that the one-story brick building was entered between 2 and 5:30 a.m. by thieves who broke through a window in the back.

Who: thieves, store manager, police

What: Burglars stole 12 tires valued at $1,000-plus.

When: Tuesday

Where: 1123 Piedmont St., St. Joseph (Mich.)

Why: (assumption) Thieves wanted expensive tires.

How: Thieves entered through a broken window.

News gathering can be an entertaining and exciting profession, although you won’t get rich off of it.

Potential Headline:

EnvironmentalistTries Shoving

Gooey Stick into Intrepid

Reporter’s Nose

Some odd experiences as a reporter:

• Hiding with police officers in a motel room to close down a prostitution ring

• Writing stories on deadline … or get fired

• Making mayors, city councilmen, and school officials mad

• Pennsylvania’s treasurer makes contact “from the grave”

• Infiltrating violent extremist groups

Seven news values help journalists determine the newsworthiness of events:

(1) Impact: Events that are likely to affect many people.

(2) Timeliness: Events that are immediate, recent.

(3) Prominence: Events involving well-known people or institutions.

(4) Proximity: Events that occur nearby, usually in the circulation or broadcast area.

(5) Conflict: Events that reflect clashes between people or institutions.

(6) The Bizarre: Events that deviate sharply from the expected and from experiences of everyday life.

(7) Currency: Events and situations that everybody is talking about.

Get together with your Study Buddy and invent the first sentence of your own, make-believe news story. On a sheet of notebook paper, write down the following information and fill in the blanks:

Your names: __________________________________

Name of your newspaper: _______________________

Your first sentence of a news story (keep it to under 40 words): ______________________________________

____________________________________________

Which of the 5 Ws and 1 H did you leave out? _______

Identify one or more of the seven news values that make the lead of your news story newsworthy: _______

____________________________________________

20th century perceptions of news gathering

• 1900-1930s: Fight for social justice

• 1930s-1950s: Alcoholics (especially in movies) and war correspondents

• 1950s and beyond: Radio, TV start killing off newspapers

• 1960s-1970s: Crusaders against war, government

• 1970s-1990s: Big business• Late 1990s to today:

Internet begins killing off more newspapers

21st century news reporting:Where does journalism

go from here?