News writing and Reporting

1. TODAY’S KIND OF
JOURNALISM
Adapted from Reporting Processes and Practices:
Newswriting for Today’s Readers
Everette E. Dennis & Arnold H. Ismach
[1981, Wadsworth Publishing Company, California,
USA.]

2. THE ESSENCE OF JOURNALISM FOR
ALL TIMES IS PRODUCING
INTERESTING AND COMPELLING
STORIES

3. THAT ESSENCE HAS NOT CHANGED,
BUT SOMETHING HAS, AND THAT IS
THE READERS, LISTENERS AND
VIEWERS

4. THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT TO NEW
DEFINITIONS OF NEWS DUE TO THE
CHANGING AUDIENCE

5. MAJOR STORIES TODAY ARE “LIFE-AND-
DEATH” ISSUES, TRENDS AND IDEAS

6. NEWSPAPER ARE ALSO REGULARLY
PRODUCING SPECIAL SECTIONS SUCH
AS “STYLE”, “SCENE”, “PEOPLE”,
LIFESTYLE”, ETC.

7. TODAY’S NEWS STORIES ARE FOCUSED
ON PEOPLE CONCERNS SUCH AS
HOBBIES, THE ARTS, SPORTS,
ENTERTAINMENT, RECREATION,
FAMILY LIVING, DIET, FASHION,
TRAVEL, ETC.

8. NEWS STORIES NOW EMBRACE
SUBJECTS ONCE CONSIDERED
ILLEGITIMATE BY JOURNALISTS

9. NOT ONLY HAS THERE BEEN A
SUBSTANTIAL MOVE TOWARD NEW
TOPICS, BUT ALSO, THERE HAS BEEN A
PARALLEL SHIFT TOWARD NEW
WRITING FORMATS AND STYLES

10. THE INTERPRETIVE STORY, IN WHICH
READERS ARE TOLD WHAT HAPPENED
AND WHY IT HAPPENED, WHAT IT
MEANS, AND WHAT IS LIKELY TO
HAPPEN NEXT, HAS BECOME COMMON
PLACE

11. THE ROLE OF THE REPORTER
TODAY
 … must not only be able to cover traditional public
affairs news with competence, but must now recognize
their personal relevance
 … must be able to make complex situations and
subjects simple
 … must know their audiences well in order to select
appropriate topics so readers interests would be
compelled

12.  … must become experts on specialized subjects
and topics
 …. must understand and translate the jargon of
bureaucracy, the corporation, the workplace and
laboratory into every day language

13. THE GENERALIST OF YESTERDAY HAS
A VALUABLE, BUT MORE LIMITED
ROLE, IN TODAY’S NEWSROOM

14. TODAY’S KIND OF JOURNALISM IS
FOCUSED ON CONTENT MORE
DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THE LIVES OF
THE AUDIENCE, AND A STYLE OF
PRESENTATION THAT IS EASIER TO
ABSORB AND COMPREHEND

15. THE ROLE OF THE NEWSPAPER
 To inform readers objectively about what is
happening in the community, country and the
world
 To comment on the news in order to bring these
developments into focus
 To provide a means whereby persons with goods
and services to sell can advertise there wares

16. HAROLD LASSWELL’S
SUGGESTIONS
 Surveillance of the environment
 Correlation [interpretation] of the parts of society
 Transmission of the social heritage from
generation to generation [socialization]

17. A NEW KIND OF JOURNALISM HAS
EMERGED TODAY, MAKING NEWS
REPORTING MORE THAN A PASSIVE
RECORDER OF EVENTS

18. JOURNALISM IS BRANCHING OUT TO
IDENTIFY TRENDS AS THEY DEVELOP,
TO INVESTIGATE THE HUMAN
CONDITION, TO EXAMINE THINGS THAT
DIRECTLY AFFECT PEOPLE WHERE
THEY LIVE – IN THEIR LIVING ROOMS,
BEDROOMS AND WORKPLACES

19. TODAY’S KIND OF JOURNALISM HAS
BEEN A REVOLUTIONARY SHIFT FROM
YESTERDAY’S

20. THE NEWSPAPER’S ROLE TODAY IS TO
PROVIDE “ENOUGH INFORMATION TO
ENABLE READERS TO FORM
REASONABLE JUDGMENTS, AND TO
GIVE THEM A SENSE OF CONTEXT”.

21. TODAY’S REPORTER MUST BE PART
RESEARCHER AND PART AUTHORITY
ON THE SUBJECT MATTER BEING
COVERED

22. ALMOST ALL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS
NOW RECRUIT UNIVERSITY
GRADUATES ONLY

23. MANY REPORTERS ARE TRAINED
PROFESSIONALS IN DIVERSE FIELDS

24. THE STUDENT-JOURNALIST
SHOULD THEREFORE FOCUS ON
THESE….
 Developing research skills
 Polishing writing skills
 Recognizing audience needs and interests

25. Converting knowledge into stories that adapt to needs
and interests of a considerable number of people
 Gaining knowledge in depth in one or more fields of
study such as economics, business, science, the arts,
sports, entertainment, fashion, environment, politics,
etc.

26. JIMI KAYODE
MAC 203
FOUNDATIONS OF NEWSREPORTING