1. 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
How newsrooms work
Inside Reporting
Tim Harrower
2

2. Quoted:
2
 “I know what time is until you ask me.”
St. Augustine, The Confessions

3. How newsrooms work
3
 What is news?
 What readers want
 How the news comes together
 Who’s who in the newsroom
 What it’s called

4. Questions to consider
4
 What is news?
 What is a journalist?
 Who determines what is true and not true?

5. What is news?
5
 News judgment –ability to
determine which stories are
most interesting and important
to readers
 Editors decide where stories run
and what stories do not run

6. What is news?
6
A tragedy involving a
police officer
always leads…
Oceana is
responsible for
12,000 local jobs
VP’s chief of staff
indicted. Wow…
Promos to other
stories
When the president
visits your city it’s a
big deal. But…

7. How do we determine news
value?
7
 Relevance
 Usefulness
 Interest

8. 8

9. 9

10. 10

11. What is news?
11
 The Metropolitan Daily
 Lots of pages to fill with range of topics
 Local to global
News depends on the newspaper
Storm warning Print
itCounty fair Print
itTuition hike Print
itVolleyball bill Kill it
Flu shots Print
Maybe
Maybe
Hold it
Hold it
Mexico bus crash
Girl Scout
cookiesLottery winner
Eminem sex
change

12. What is news?
12
 The Community Weekly
 Limited space
 Tight regional focus
News depends on the newspaper
Storm warning Kill it
County fair Print it
Tuition hike Kill it
Volleyball bill Kill it
Flu shots Print it
Kill it
Print it
Kill it
Kill it
Mexico bus crash
Girl Scout cookies
Lottery winner
Eminem sex
change

13. What is news?
13
 The Communicator (SFCC’s bi-weekly student paper)
 Space very tight (8-12 pages, including ads)
 Stories focus on campus events and culture
News depends on the newspaper
Storm warning Kill it
County fair Kill it
Tuition hike Print it
Volleyball bill Kill it
Flu shots Maybe
Kill it
Kill it
Print it
Kill it
Mexico bus crash
Girl Scout cookies
Lottery winner
Eminem sex
change

14. What is news?
14
 Impact
 Immediacy
 Proximity
 Prominence
 Novelty
 Conflict
 Emotions
What makes a story interesting?

15. What readers want
15
 Some journalists dismiss
“pandering” to readers.
 Smart journalists adjust
 To tastes.
 To reading habits.
 To news appetites.
You might write terrific stories,
but they’re worthless if nobody reads them

16. What readers want
16
 We ask them.
 We watch them.
 Focus groups
 Phone, mail and Web
surveys
 Monitoring devices
So how do we know what readers read?

17. What readers want
17
1. Readers are in a hurry.
2. Readers have short attention spans.
3. Readers want stories that connect.
4. Readers want stories told in a compelling way.
5. There’s more than just one type of reader.
Things every reporter needs to
remember about readers
5

18. What readers want
18
 Spend 90% of time
chasing a story, and 10%
writing it.
 Not everything a reporter
hears makes it into the
finished story.
How a story gets written
• Not everything is as it
seems.

19. How the news comes
together
19
 Reporters and editors
 Copy editors and
presentation
 Business staff
 Photo and graphics
Major divisions
•Editorial
Department
•Advertising
department
•Production
department
•Circulation
department
Inside a typical newsroom

20. Who’s who in the
newsroom
20
 At most papers, writers are
either:
 General assignment reporters –
cover wide range of stories.
 Beat reporters – cover
a specific topic.
Clear lines of authority avoid chaos

21. Who’s who in the
newsroom
21
• Publisher
• Ultimate boss; presides
over all departments to
ensure profitability.
• Production Manager
• Oversees staff and
equipment.
The organization
• Circulation Manager
• Supervises distribution of
newspaper.
• Advertising Manager
• Coordinates sales and
production of classified and
display ads.

22. 22
 Editor
 Runs the newsroom; has final say
in story selection and news
philosophy.
 Managing Editor
 Runs day-to-day operation;
resolves staffing issues.
The organization
• Photo Editor
• Coordinates photo
assignments; chooses
images.
• Manages photographers
and graphic artists.
Who’s who in the
newsroom

23. Who’s who in the
newsroom
23
 Online Editor
 Works with other editors
and reporters to develop
material for Web site.
 Manages team of reporters
and editors.
The organization
• Copy Desk Chief
• Oversees editing and
(many times) layout.
• Manages copy editors.

24. Who’s who in the
newsroom
24
 Features Editor
 Assigns and edits stories for
features section.
 Manages feature writers and
reviewers.
The organization
• Sports Editor
• Assigns and edits all
stories running in the
sports section.
• Manages sports
reporters.

25. Who’s who in the
newsroom
25
 City Editor
 Assigns and edits most
local “hard news”
stories.
 Manages news
reporters.
The organization

26. What it’s called
26
 Daily – printed every day.
 Weekly – printed once a
week.
 Newsletter – printed
once per month.
Talk the talk Mainstream newspaper
(The New York Times,
The Spokesman-Review)
Alternative press
(The Village Voice, The
Inlander)
Specialty publication
(Fur & Feather
Magazine)
Trade publication
(American Candy
Industry Monthly)

27. What it’s called
27
Parts of a story
Photo
Byline
Dateline
Lead
Quote
Attribution
Photo credit
Liftout quote
Tagline
Headline

28. 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
How newsrooms work
Inside Reporting
Tim Harrower
2