Journalism issue "The News Funnel"

The 'news funnel' refers to the process journalists undertake in filtering the information they are presented with to find deeper meanings and angles in the story. This is particularly prominent when dealing with public relations media releases. Public relations practitioners are responsible for crisis management situations and will often send out cover up stories to journalists and media outlets. The journalist must ask themselves what the motive behind the release was and if there is anything further to uncover about this situation. Some key questions to consider are; why was this sent out? What was the underlying motive? Is there a hidden agenda? Who wrote the release and why? What sort of issue might be being managed here? Who has the most to gain or the most to lose? If a journalist can find something in these questions they made be able to turn the table on the spin doctored media releases and uncover that which was being covered up.

Chapter 8 "Small Path, Big Story"

1/ In truth I would probably prefer to write the story without having to leave the office if at all possible, however in order to gather the best information and consequently the best story primary sources should be sought. Staying in the office 'cocoons' a reporter from the public and the real world. It confines their working life to very few events. Getting out there and talking to real people enhances the scope of your story, introduces new angles and keeps you in touch with the public. The most important resources are human, meaning that although it may be more time consuming, the story will be superior using human sources than one that goes without.

2/ I would pursue this type of story only if there was extreme public interest or necessity that these facts be brought to light. Certainly it is important to uncover these stories but unless there is an overwhelming reason to do so reporters should avoid putting themselves in jeopardy.

3/ As a reporter your primary goal is to pursue the best story. If this means working with other journalists for the sake of your own angle then so be it. This being said, if you were able to secure an interview of your own after the conference where you would ask these questions privately, this is preferable to 'journalistic incest'. Sometimes, if this is not possible, journalists may need to work together to elicit the best information. An example of this is Nixon's refusal to answer a question about Watergate, the next question from a different journalist was 'Would you please answer the previous question?'

4/ The information is technically owned by the government, however this information can become available to the public if one procures the right steps. Obtaining government information, public records, electoral rolls etc, involves varying degrees of difficulty depending on what state you are in. The information is often available to the public if the correct measures are taken.

5/ A good reporter will always research the issue and event beforehand, gaining relevant information about the topic and the conference sessions. Using this data, reporters should have an idea of which session would be most beneficial to them based on their angle and existing information. The angle the reporter is taking is integral to this decision. If researched properly there should be no conjecture as to which session would be most beneficial.

Journalism issue from "A Word's Worth" - Readability

The Fog Index

When writing news stories, clarity and flow are essential. To achieve this flow, reporters should try to keep sentence length varied without allowing lengthy sentences to become tedious and convoluted. They should also attempt to achieve simplicity, using the most concise words in situations where there is the possibility to use a longer word or words. Eg: Don't use, 'in view of the fact that', where since is appropriate. In order to calculate the clarity of articles the 'fog index' was created by Robert Gunning. It was based on not only sentence length but syllables also. Here is an example of the fog index in practice, as well as the method of calculation.

The Fog Index is a proven method of analyzing written material to see how easy it is to read and understand. The steps you can use to calculate the Fog Index are outlined below. The numbers in the right column are based on this paragraph. When using these steps to analyze your writing, choose a sample that contains at least one hundred words. The "ideal" Fog Index level is 7 or 8. A level above 12 indicates the writing sample is too hard for most people to read.

1.	Count the number of words in the sample	88
2.	Count the number of sentences	6
3.	Count the number of big words (3 or more syllables)	6
4.	Calculate the average sentence length. Divide the number of sentences into the number of words	88/6 = 14
5.	Calculate the percentage of big words. Divide the number of words into the number of big words	6/88 = 7%
6.	Add the avg sentence length to the % of big words	7 + 14 = 21
7.	Multiply the result by .4	21 x .4 =
	Fog Index	8.4

I think that this is an effective method of ensuring articles are not becoming too long, tedious and complex. Source "The Fog Index" at Writing Tips website http://process.umn.edu/groups/ppd/documents/information/writing_tips.cfm

Chapter 7 "A Word's Worth"

1/ Newspapers should aim to reach an audience of all levels of intelligence. Targeting one specific demographic based on intellect would be impractical and extremely short sighted. Newspapers should strive for clarity. People ranging from the lowest common denominator to the highest will appreciate news reporting that strives for clarity and factual information. The writing does not need to be complex or convoluted to appeal to an intelligent demographic. Good reporting means that all demographics will understand and appreciate the report. Complexity is not equivalent to quality. The Newcastle Herald seems to hit this mark fairly well. It does not often complicate issues or use perplexing language or complex sentences. It reaches its points with clarity, insight and brevity.

2/ In order to maintain objective journalism, reporters should inject their own personal opinions as little as possible. No matter how objective you believe your opinion may be, everyone has conscious and subconscious values, ideas, beliefs and prejudices which shape the way we view events. If reporters stick to the facts and concrete information they are ensuring ethical and accurate reporting.

3/ A global language is an idea which has begun to emerge over the past decade or so. While English is fast becoming this world language and globalisation is bringing many cultures and countries together in homogeny in some areas, countries should maintain their own specificities in language. Linguistic systems are in place to ensure shared cultural practices and understanding. They also help distinguish cultures from one another. Even variations in the same language can contribute to a great sense of nationalism and a sense of belonging.

4/ Newspapers most definitely have a serious commitment to accuracy. Reporting accurately is the expectation behind newswriting. People trust and believe in news as they implicitly think that the information they are consuming is truth. If this truth is compromised by a lack of accuracy, people will question the news they are shown. This will undermine the public's want of knowledge as they cannot know whether the information they receive is truth. Inaccurate reporting undermines public trust and integrity of a newspaper, as well as misleading others to perpetuate these mistakes.

5/ If I made a serious mistake in a story but nobody complained I would alert my sub-editor and leave the decision with them on whether to publish a correction or not. I would support the correction so that the truth is printed.

Journalism Issue from "Upside-down pyramids"

A question which has arisen in recent times is whether or not the inverted pyramid news writing style is still the most useful, relevant and effective method of news writing in modern times. There are numerous arguments that the inverted pyramid is an expired art and that other styles should be employed to ensure readers read entire articles rather than skim leads. Researchers like Espen Ytreberg have advocated for the narrative approach which rewards a reader at the end of the article with the critical information. Despite the arguments for different news story structures (point of view, radical clarity etc), the inverted pyramid remains the safest and most widely appreciated style in contemporary news writing. Other options are fraught with danger. The inverted pyramid serves as a trusty fallback option.

Chapter 6 "Upside-down pyramids"

Key Points

• The basic news story structure is the 'inverted pyramid' and is used in a vast majority of stories. Essentially it refers to a conceptual graphic representative of the structuring of a news story, with the most newsworthy information appearing at the top, flowing into a more detailed analysis. This structure appeals to the nature of the average reader who merely skims the lead in order to reach the crux of the article.
  
• Kipling's 6 strong serving men (who, what, where, when, how and why) are generally prominent in the first few pars of a story.
  
• The inverted pyramid suits sub-editors also, being able to cut from the bottom of the story up is a good way to cut down to the necessary story length.
• The most important occurrences occupy the lead followed by explanation, further comment and analysis.
• It is generally preferable to go to the scene of the story than to have details related to you. Stories are often assigned with two words, 'Go! NOW!'
  
• On the scene, reporters should take a cautious approach, surveying the scene and not acting too aggressively in their questioning for details. The 6 strong serving men should be an instinctual part of a reporters questioning.
• Using witnesses can add dramatic effect to stories as well as credibility and weight.
• Building Blocks: A story has a number of individual parts used as 'building blocks' in creating articles. They include, narrative, description, quotations, paraphrasing and exposition.
• Transitional devices /'word bridges' are the glue that hold stories together. They help create flow and lead a reader through an article. They link together elements of the story and individual points. They may be as simple as words such as 'furthermore', 'because', or 'nevertheless.' There is sometimes a transitional paragraph or 'nutgraph' that links an intro to the body.
• Stories should be structured in an objective way so that fairness and balance (both sides of the story) are presented.
• The inverted pyramid remains the primary structure for news stories, but many other approaches have been trialled in an attempt to keep readers interested throughout the entire piece.

Discussion Questions

1. I would include the comment as a quote and allow readers to determine whether they believe the comment to be of relevance or importance. Certainly it is important to achieve a balanced piece but this should never be a substitute for factual evidence. Another option is to release a balancing article the next day and omit the balancing comment from the original.
   
2. In a situation like this, if a source has refused comment or was unavailable, I would write the piece presenting the evidence that I had. I would mention early in the story that a source from the opposing viewpoint had been unavailable for comment but they were given the opportunity to present their opinion. There is no guarantee that readers will read another paper and see the same story, therefore the fact a similar story is going to print should not diminish your own.
3. When covering a dangerous issue such as a fire, a journalist should be wary of any on site dangers. This may include the fire itself, unstable building structure, hazardous fumes, smoke etc. Some candidates for interview may be; the fire chief, fire fighters (preferable the ones who had been inside the building or most heavily involved), witnesses, owners of the building, tenants of the building, ambulance officers, police officers, council building inspector, owners of adjoining apartments nearby home owners. I would begin writing as soon as I had enough details to commence.
4. I think the inverted pyramid is the most effective structural tool for news story writing as it suits the average reader and presents the most pressing information first. If someone is interested in the story they will read further regardless of the fact that they already know the main point of the story.
   

Journalism issue from "The Lead, Will the Reader Follow?"

Writing a lead is one of the most difficult and important aspects of news writing. The introduction of a story determines whether or not a reader will continue to read the story or abandon it entirely. One issue in intro writing is determining exactly what to put in an introduction. I found that this list of questions was an effective way to organise and manage ideas for a lead;

• What is the big picture?
• What has been done, what are the implications?
• Why and how did it happen?
• How does it affect the public?
• What is unusual or different about what has happened?
• What news values or angles did you have in mind?
• What was the most interesting thing about the story?

Answering these questions should give a writer an idea of which news values to privilege in the lead. Writers should also make sure they are being concise and not trying to prove how clever they are in writing wordy pieces. Simple, straightforward writing is the best kind of newswriting.
This site gives an overview of six simple steps to writing good leads. http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11178/171/leads.htm

"The Lead, Will the Reader Follow?"

Discussion Questions

1. I tend to read as much of the newspaper as time permits. I generally start from the sports section as that is my primary interest as well as preferred career path (sports journalism.) I don't often read business or lifestyle sections as they hold no interest for me. The front section of newspaper is worth reading in order to stay in touch with current events.
   
2. I personally would spend a greater percentage of time watching tv, but i don't think that the difference in time would be substantial. I try to read at least one paper each morning but i don't often have time to watch excessive amounts of television. The local newspaper would probably be more appealing if it was presented better, there always appears to be too much clutter. I prefer to read the Newcastle Herald or the Sydney Morning Herald as opposed to the star or post.
3. Make the story interesting. Go back and conduct more research or another interview and attempt to find an angle that is more newsworthy. There is little point in getting a reader to the second paragraph only for them to lose interest in your lead anyway. If there is no strong news value the writer should be creative and proactive in finding a better angle or a previously undiscovered point.
4. If the intro just doesn't work initially, try and try again. Start from the basics. Make sure the intro is concise 20-25 words or less, gets straight to the most important news value, doesn't bury the lead, conforms to the subject-verb-object sentence structure and has a hook. If there was still an issue with the intro the 'over the fence' technique or asking for a second opinion could be useful. If the story is interesting and the research has been done there is no reason to be unable to write a meaningful and grabbing introduction.
5. You would need to explain and apologise to any of your sources who may have been affected and approach your sub-editor. Explain the situation to the sub-editor and publish an apology in print outlining the misunderstanding. A new article should be published to present the real story or at least explain what was wrong with the first one.
   

Journalism issue in "A 'know' for News"

The 'softening' of news in an interesting facet of modern news writing and media coverage. The increasing speed at which news stories can be conveyed to the public with the growth of technological innovation such as the internet and television has had a massive impact on print media and agenda setting. The prominent events of the day are usually covered by television news and internet news before print news has a chance to cover the issue. Therefore it is the print media's responsibility to set the agenda for tomorrow's news rather than todays. Another result of the number of media outlets providing the same news is the expansion of newspapers in terms of covering 'soft news' and providing alternatives to the hard news features. Lifestyle, car guide, analysis and opinion sections (among others) are finding their place in modern newspapers in order to broaden appeal and provide an alternative to the news covered by most media outlets. Every reader has a different interest and newspapers need to appeal to this diverse range of interests. Many readers will flip to the back page sports rather than the front page hard story. Soft news has grown in a bid to provide entertainment as well as news to an audience exposed to an expanding news market.

Chapter 4 questions "A "know" for news"

1/ Australian news outlets gave proximity to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami by providing accounts of Australian tourists in the region at the time and covering the experiences and death tolls of Australian people involved. The Australian angle gave the story proximity. The apparent impact of the story was such that it attracted attention worldwide, bringing the global community together in the coverage of the issue. This global crisis also helped the idea of proximity for Australian news media.

2/ The news value i would privilege most in this instance would be the unusual. The events in the life of this anonymous person would not rate as having any prominence or impact in a news sense. Certainly proximity would be a candidate for a secondary news value due to the fact that this happened in Australia across different states. This also has implications about the system of law and the system of care for the mentally ill in Australia. Currency would also be relevant but only at the time of her arrest and possibly release. Essentially the story is bizarre. The reasoning behind her arrest, where she was found, why she was speaking German and how she ended up in a South Australian prison would be central to this story which would grab attention simply due to its unusual nature. The arrest of a woman would not rate as unusual, but the arrest of a mentally ill woman speaking German and moved interstate does.

3/As a reporter the information about the mayor's speech should be given more prominence than Prince Charles' comment about it. The Mayor's announcement about an urban renewal plan to resolve inner city crime has greater impact for the local area, thus proximity is also evident. The Mayor's opinion about the issue has more relevance than a general comment from prince Charles, who knows little about the area or the specific problems. Without first covering the mayor's announcement, Prince Charles' comment would have no context. The prominence of Prince Charles could be worked into the story, as could the timeliness of his visit, but the predominant information should regard the authoritarian voice of the mayor and his plan.

4/ News definition: Media information that provides previously unknown and usually important knowledge to a wider public within a particular context.

5/Kipling's 'Six Strong Serving Men' (What, Why, When, How, Where and Who) should all be given credence in news writing. However, these factors can differ in terms of which is most interesting or important from one story to another. Therefore while all must be considered equally, each story has at least one factor which is more pressing than the others. For example a story about a man killing his neighbour with a shovel will focus more on the what and why, whereas if George Bush did the same thing more relevance would be placed on the who than in the first instance.

Journalism issue from "Agents of Power"

The issue of investigative journalism and its decline in most modern media outlets is a phenomenon which fascinates and intrigues me. How can it be that the one time primary source of information for writing news can have little or no place in contemporary media? It is a mark of how the world has changed and the increase in demand for daily news. Investigative journalism is when reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or some other scandal. The investigation is in depth and consumes a large portion of time making it impossible to release investigative stories every day in newspaper and other media. The likelihood of defamation of those involved is also a deterrent for journalists and editors alike due to the possible legal implications. The nature of investigative journalism has become outdated and second to press release and readily available 'news.'