JRN 260 - Basics

JRN 260 – News Writing
Rich Hanley, Associate Professor
Reporting & Writing Basics

JRN 260 - News Writing
Structure of News Gathering
● Background
- We practice the journalism of verification, meaning:
a. All sources must be identified
b. All information must be attributed to verifiable source (i.e.,
government document, report issued by agency or non-profit
institution that has established reputation for producing valid
material
c. All stories are objective; no opinions by reporter permitted
d. All stories are balanced; all sides represented

● Background
- Different types of news
a. Breaking news – Crimes/Fires/Accidents or events outside
of everyday life
b. Hard news – News stories of immediate and lasting
impact at some level, written entirely in the
traditional inverted pyramid style of the five w’s and
the h: who/what/when/where/how/why. Meeting
coverage, coverage of a lawsuit & process coverage

● Background
- Different types of news
c. Features – Stories that match a news value but that are
approached as more narrative in presentation and
reporting
d. Profiles – An in-depth story on a person whose life or
whose behavior either in a single event or over a
period of time matches a news value
e. Explainer – A story that reveals how and why something is
as it is, using data at its core

● Beats
- Reporters assigned to a specific topic generally arranged to reflect
existing government and/or cultural structures such as
a. Local police, fire & courts
b. Local Education
c. Local Politics
d. Local Sports
e. Local Business
f. General Assignment

● Beats
- Reporters assigned to a beat are responsible for all news connected
to that sector of coverage, including:
a. Breaking News
b. Features & Profiles
c. Follow Ups
- Reporters cover the beat by reviewing routine public documents and
cultivating contacts who may forward intel away from the public realm
in the form of tips and information

● Beats
- Police Beat Routine Documents
a. Police blotter (lists arrests)
b. Police log (lists calls to police)
C. Police reports (narratives about calls/arrests/accidents
produced by individual officers who responded to call. (These
may not be available for public inspection)
- Police beat reporters view these documents each day to see if any
news can be extracted from item or items posted

● Beats
- Police beat reporters also monitor police communications to react
immediately to breaking news such as major crimes or accidents
- Police beat reporters are required to report details via social media
as the event unfolds

● Beats
- The same routine holds for other beats
- The other beats generally follow what’s known as process journalism
in reporting on routine matters that follow a set pattern; i.e., legislation
- The reporter inspects documents each day (i.e., meeting agenda,
reports) to see if anything warrants coverage
- Reporters will cover public meetings connected to their beats and
often use these meetings for several stories depending on the
connection between the item and a news value

● Beats
- Beat reporters are generally required to post at least one story a day
- Beat reporters are generally required to use social media to cover
breaking news as it happens and later post their full stories
- Beat reporters are generally required to use social media to post
information that may not deserve full coverage but is interesting
- Beat reporters are generally required to produce features and
profiles on people and developments connected to their beats
several times a week

Tasks
● Idea interpreted as news based on news values
● Reporting the information in the form of public
documents, interviews and observation
● Writing the story to answer the
who/what/when/where/how/why questions, generally

Tasks
● Reporting Checklist – Breaking/Hard News
- Reporting begins with the idea or interpretation of a person, place
thing or event on the beat as news
- Some are obvious: for police beat reporters, major crimes, fires and
court cases involving a major crime or prominent figure automatically
are covered
- For reporters engaged in process-oriented beats such as education,
the reporting begins with an inspection of public documents and
meetings associated with the core agency of the beat

Tasks
● Reporting Checklist
- Typical path for a story on a housing development:
a. Document filed with public agency
b. Interviews with at least four people involved in the process:
- government official
- instigator of proposal
- local person against proposal
- local person for proposal
c. Story would be followed up through conclusion over time

Tasks
● Writing Checklist
- Inverted pyramid that summarizes the information
HAMDEN - A Rocky Top Road property that made headlines almost a decade ago once
again is the subject of a controversial zoning application.
Mountain View Estates LLC has filed an application to construct 288 apartments on just
more than 18 acres of land at 64 Rocky Top Road. The Inland Wetlands Commission
will hold a public hearing on the application Feb. 1 and the Planning and Zoning Commission will
open its hearing on March 28.

Tasks
● Writing Checklist
- Confirm all information; make sure names are spelled properly, dates
are accurate, etc.
- Clarify context if necessary
- Review to see if any information is missing
- Review for focus: does the lede make sense in the context of the
information presented throughout the story
- Check spelling, grammar and usage

Tasks
● Reporting Checklist - Profile
- Make sure the subject is interesting enough to the audience
- Some are obvious as the subject is prominent
- Some are not prominent but may deserve stories for exceptional
reasons

Tasks
● Profile Checklist
- Typical path for a profile
a. Observe person in organic habitat: home, office, etc.
b. Observe person in action if warranted
c. Ask person for other people to interview
d. Interview at least three other people who know the subject
i. Family
ii. Friends
iii. Co-workers, coach, etc.

Tasks
● Writing Profile Checklist
- Look for a revealing anecdote that captures the essence of the
person and use as a lede
- Construct a nut, or summary, paragraph after that opening anecdote
that summarizes the person and shows why the subject is important
- Use lots of quotes and descriptions throughout

Tasks
● Writing Profile Checklist
- Confirm all information; make sure names are spelled properly, dates
are accurate, etc.
- Clarify context if necessary
- Review to see if any information is missing
- Review for focus: does the lede make sense in the context of the
information presented throughout the story
- Check spelling, grammar and usage

JRN 260 - Basics

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