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Inside Reporting Tim Harrower

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1 Inside Reporting Tim Harrower
lcome to the world of urnalism, where porters have been gging dirt, raking muck, king headlines and adlines for centuries w. It’s a history full of bloid trash, of slimy nsationalists, of runkards, deadbeats and mmers” (as a Harvard iversity president once scribed reporters). But it’s a history full of roes, too: men and men risking their lives tell stories of war and agedy, risking prisonment to defend ee speech. And as you n see here, reports have come beloved characters p culture, too, turning up movies, comics and TV ows as if guided by an cult hand. Every culture seeks effective ways to spread new information and gossip. In ancient times, news was written on clay tablets. In Caesar’s age, Romans read newsletters compiled by correspondents and handwritten by slaves. Wandering minstrels spread news (and the plague) in the Middle Ages. Them came ink on paper. Voices on airwaves. Newsreels, Web sites, And 24-hour cable news networks. Thus when scholars analyze the rich history of journalism, some view it in terms of technological progress—for example, the dramatic impact of bigger, faster printing presses. Others see journalism as a specialized form literary expression, one that’s constantly evolving, reflecting and shaping its culture. Others see it as an inspiring quest for free speech, an endless power struggle between Authority (trying to control information) and the People (trying to learn the truth). Which brings to mind the words of A.J. Liefling: “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to htose who own one.” In the pages ahead, we’ll take a quick tour of 600 years of journalism history, from hieroglyphics to hypertext: the media, the message and the politics. Technical advances and brilliant ideas forged a new style of journalism. It was a century of change, and newspapers changed dramatically. The typi newspaper of 1800 wa undisciplined mishma legislative proceeding long-winded essays a secondhand gossip. B 1900, a new breed of tor had emerged. Jour had become big busin Reporting was becom disciplined craft. And newspapers were bec more entertaining and essential than ever, w most of the features w expect today: Snappy headlines, Ads, Comic Sports pages. And an “inverted pyramid” sty writing that made stori tighter and newsier. Radio and television brought an end to newspapers’ media monopoly. Why? Well yourself: Which did yo Inside Reporting Tim Harrower 2 How newsrooms work McGraw-Hill © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2 How newsrooms work What is news? What readers want
How the news comes together Who’s who in the newsroom What it’s called Tools, talent & temperament

3 What is news? Editors, reporters and readers ask, “What is news?”
News judgment –ability to determine which stories are most interesting and important to readers Editors decide where stories run

4 What is news? When the president visits your city it’s a big deal. But… A tragedy involving a police officer always leads… Oceana is responsible for 12,000 local jobs Promos to other stories Dick Cheney’s chief of staff indicted. Wow…

5 What is news? News by the numbers Americans who say:
They prefer news about serious issues and major events. 63% They prefer crime and celebrity news. 24% The media is out of touch with average Americans % They find the news depressing. 84% They find the news negative. 77% They find the news sensational. 58%

6 What is news? News by the numbers
Americans under the age of 30 who say they: Have little or no interest in politics. 42% Journalists who say: They often avoid running stories readers think are important but dull. 77% They sometimes ignore stories because readers might find them too complex %

7 What is news? News depends on the newspaper The Metropolitan Daily
Lots of pages to fill with range of topics Local to global Storm warning Print it County fair Tuition hike Volleyball bill Kill it Flu shots Maybe Hold it Mexico bus crash Girl Scout cookies Lottery winner Eminem sex change

8 What is news? News depends on the newspaper The Community Weekly
Limited space Tight regional focus Storm warning Kill it County fair Print it Tuition hike Volleyball bill Flu shots Mexico bus crash Girl Scout cookies Lottery winner Eminem sex change

9 What is news? News depends on the newspaper
The Twice-Weekly Campus Paper Space very tight Stories focus on campus events and culture Storm warning Kill it County fair Tuition hike Print it Volleyball bill Flu shots Maybe Mexico bus crash Girl Scout cookies Lottery winner Eminem sex change

10 What is news? What makes a story interesting? Impact Immediacy
Proximity Prominence Novelty Conflict Emotions

11 What readers want You might write terrific stories, but they’re worthless if nobody reads them Some journalists dismiss “pandering” to readers. Smart journalists adjust To tastes. To reading habits. To news appetites.

12 What readers want So how do we know what readers read? And more
Ethnography Sales/Web views Reader response Anecdotal feedback We ask them. We watch them. Focus groups Phone, mail and Web surveys Monitoring devices

13 What readers want So how do we know what readers read? Focus groups
Good to test ideas and prototypes. May not be accurate. Surveys Detailed data. Reliable and accurate. Respondents can lie. Monitoring devices Can see what people actually read. Testing occurs in unnatural conditions.

14 What readers want 5 Things every reporter needs to remember about readers Readers are in a hurry. Readers have short attention spans. Readers want stories that connect. Readers want stories told in a compelling way. There’s more than just one type of reader.

15 What readers want How a story gets written
Spend 90% of time chasing a story, and 10% writing it. Not everything a reporter hears makes it into the finished story. Not everything is as it seems.

16 How the news comes together
Inside the Oregonian newsroom Reporters and editors Copy editors and presentation Editorial board Photo and graphics Major divisions Advertising department Production department Circulation department

17 How the news comes together
Inside the Oregonian newsroom

18 How the news comes together
Inside the Oregonian newsroom

19 How the news comes together
Inside the Oregonian newsroom Reporters and editors Divided into teams based on topics or geography. Reporters assigned to beats. When the reporter files a story Goes to editor on the team. Checked for accuracy, organization and fairness.

20 How the news comes together
Inside the Oregonian newsroom Copy editors and presentation After edit, copy editors check for grammar, spelling and punctuation. Sent to presentation team. Designers Lay out stories. Include photos, captions and graphics.

21 How the news comes together
Inside the Oregonian newsroom Editorial board 15-member editorial department. Works independently of newsroom. Includes editorial cartoonist. Editorial department Writes editorials. Selects letters to the editors. Selects guest opinion columnists.

22 How the news comes together
Inside the Oregonian newsroom Photo and graphics Photographers shoot and download images into the computer. Photo editors help select and process best images.

23 Who’s who in the newsroom
Clear lines of authority avoid chaos At most papers, writers are either: General assignment reporters – cover wide range of stories. Beat reporters – cover a specific topic. Some news-rooms now organize staffers in teams to encourage them to work together.

24 Who’s who in the newsroom
The organization Publisher Ultimate boss; presides over all departments to ensure profitability. Production Manager Oversees staff and equipment. Circulation Manager Supervises distribution of newspaper. Advertising Manager Coordinates sales and production of classified and display ads.

25 Who’s who in the newsroom
The organization Editor Runs the newsroom; has final say in story selection and news philosophy. Managing Editor Runs day-to-day operation; resolves staffing issues. Photo Editor Coordinates photo assignments; chooses images. Manages photographers and graphic artists.

26 Who’s who in the newsroom
The organization Online Editor Works with other editors and reporters to develop material for Web site. Manages team of reporters and editors. Copy Desk Chief Oversees editing and (many times) layout. Manages copy editors.

27 Who’s who in the newsroom
The organization Features Editor Assigns and edits stories for features section. Manages feature writers and reviewers. Sports Editor Assigns and edits all stories running in the sports section. Manages sports reporters.

28 Who’s who in the newsroom
The organization City Editor Assigns and edits most local “hard news” stories. Manages news reporters.

29 What it’s called Talk the talk Daily – printed every day.
Weekly – printed once a week. Newsletter – printed once a month. Mainstream newspaper (The New York Times) Alternative press (The Village Voice) Specialty publication (Fur & Feather Magazine)

30 What it’s called Talk the Talk Broadsheet – large format page
Tabloid – half the size of a broadsheet Stories can be spiked or killed. Writers can create a thumbsucker or a goat-choker. Editors can trim or cut a few graphs and butcher or bury stories.

31 What it’s called Parts of a story Headline Photo Byline Photo credit
Dateline Liftout quote Lead Tagline Quote Attribution

32 What it’s called The parts of a page Flag Edition Infographic Deck
Name of paper set in special type. Never changes. Edition Daily papers often print street sales and home delivery editions. Infographic Informational graphics. Display key facts. Deck Subheadline. Written by copy editors.

33 What it’s called The parts of a page Text Jump line Cutline Teaser
Story measured in inches. Jump line Tells readers where story continues, or jumps. Cutline Caption. Written by copy editors or reporters. Teaser Promo or skybox. Captures readers’ attention to highlight story in issue.

34 What it’s called The parts of a page Refer Wire story Mug shot
Alerts readers to another story related to topic. Wire story Story written by reporter working for another paper or national wire service. Mug shot Closeup photo of someone’s face. Usually small. Centerpiece Lead story.

35 What it’s called The parts of a page Index Logo
Last page element copy editors create before sending paper to press. Logo Small, specifically designed title (often with art). Used for labeling special stories or series.

36 Tools, talent & temperament
The basic hardware: The tools every reporter needs Notebook Use spiral-bound pads. Tape recorder Know the laws. Computer Learn to type. Camera Carry extra batteries. Telephone Think cell phones that take pictures.


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