This presentation is on Chapter 4 - Basic Requirements of Good Stories from "Reporting and Writing News: A Basic Handbook" by Peter Eng and Jeff Hodson. It was prepared by Professor Linda Austin for her JNL-1102 Reporting and Writing I students at the National Management College in Yangon, Myanmar, in June 2015.

1. CHAPTER 4: BASIC
REQUIREMENTS OF
GOOD STORIES
Accuracy
Verification
Objectivity
Attribution
Balance and fairness
Clarity
Completeness

2. Definitions
• Credibility
• Fact
• Opinion
• Truth
• Bias
• Objectivity
• Balance
• Fairness
• Accuracy

3. Definitions: Credibility
•Deserving of being trusted and believed

4. Definitions: Fact
•A piece of information that has
been verified or is known to be true.
Examples:
• U Thein Sein is the
president of Myanmar.
• New Zealand beat
Myanmar 5-1 in the U-20
World Cup.
• The population of
Myanmar was 51.5
million, according to the
country’s 2014 census.
ByChathamHouse

5. Definitions: Opinion
• Go beyond what is known to assert a belief,
conclusion or prejudice.
Examples:
• U Thein Sein is a good
president of Myanmar.
• New Zealand should not
have beaten Myanmar 5-
1 in the U-20 World Cup.
• The population of
Myanmar was 51.5
million, according to the
country’s 2014 census,
and is too small.
ByChathamHouse

6. “JUST
the
FACTS,
ma’am” Police Sgt. Joe
Friday from the 1950s
“Dragnet” TV show in
the United States.
Byjaydex

7. Fact or opinion?
The defendant’s confession
came at the end of the
depositions in the trial for the
2008 Mumbai attacks, which
firmly established his
participation in terror activity
beyond any doubt.
The defendant’s confession
came at the end of the
depositions in the trial for the
2008 Mumbai attacks, in which
135 witnesses identified him as
one of the gunmen who fired on
commuters at the Mumbai
station.

8. Fact or opinion?
The defendant’s confession
came at the end of the
depositions in the trial for the
2008 Mumbai attacks, which
firmly established his
participation in terror activity
beyond any doubt.
The defendant’s confession
came at the end of the
depositions in the trial for the
2008 Mumbai attacks, in which
135 witnesses identified him as
one of the gunmen who fired on
commuters at the Mumbai
station.

9. Fact or opinion?
a. Mitt Romney’s futile election
campaign came to a disappointing
end last night as the exhausted
candidate conceded defeat before
200 loyal supporters.
b. Mitt Romney’s presidential
election campaign came to an end
last night as the Republican
candidate conceded defeat before
200 cheering supporters.
By davelawrence8

10. Fact or opinion?
a. Mitt Romney’s futile election
campaign came to a disappointing
end last night as the exhausted
candidate conceded defeat before
200 loyal supporters.
b. Mitt Romney’s presidential
election campaign came to an end
last night as the Republican
candidate conceded defeat before
200 cheering supporters.
By davelawrence8

11. Fact or opinion?
a. Mitt Romney’s futile election
campaign came to a disappointing
end last night as the exhausted
candidate conceded defeat before
200 loyal supporters.
b. Mitt Romney’s presidential
election campaign came to an end
last night as the Republican
candidate conceded defeat before
200 cheering supporters.
By davelawrence8

12. Definitions: Truth
•Verifiable facts
ByDaveblog

13. Definitions: Bias
•A way of looking at the world that
values one group, person or
philosophy over another.
ByHonestReporting

14. Definitions: Objectivity
•Reporting on a subject fairly
without being influenced by
personal beliefs, feelings or biases.
•The reporter keeps his or her own
opinions and feelings out of the
story as much as possible and
reports only the facts.

15. Definitions: Balance
•Reporting all sides of a subject
without favoring one over another
ByvaXzine

16. Definitions: Fairness
•Treating all people and subjects in
an equal, even-handed and
reasonable way.
ByThePizzaReview

17. Definitions: Accuracy
•Being correct, true and precise.
• Which is more precise?
a. The woman is very tall.
OR
b. The woman is 183
centimeters tall.
ByPetterDuvander

18. 10 most common errors
1. Misquotation
2. Numbers wrong
3. Misspelling
4. Job title wrong
5. Name wrong
6. Location wrong
7. Time wrong
8. Date wrong
9. Address wrong
10. Age wrong
Factual newspaper errors ranked in order of frequency, according to research at the University of
Oregon. From Inside Reporting, by Tim Harrower
Accuracy

19. Major error
of fact in
your story =
ZERO
Accuracy

20. NEVER
ASSUME
Accuracy

21. What does
ASSUME
spell?
Accuracy

22. ASS
U
ME
Byhorslips5
Accuracy

23. Accuracy checklist
Accuracy

24. Definitions: Verification
The steps a reporter takes to
make sure that the information a
source gives to him or her is true.
This may involve:
(1) observation,
(2) talking to other sources,
(3) looking at documents.
Verification

25. ASK:
HOW
DO YOU
KNOW THAT?
Verification

26. If your mother says she loves
you,…
ByDinJimenez
Verification

27. CHECK
IT
OUT!
Verification
By Din Jim

28. Verification
http://ethics.npr.org/category/memos-from-memmott/

29. Verification
http://ethics.npr.org/category/memos-from-memmott/

30. Verification

31. Verification

32. ASK:
HOW
DO YOU
KNOW THAT?
Verification

33. Verification

34. GET IT
FIRST,
BUT GET IT
RIGHT.
Verification

35. Verification
In 2011, 18 shot, including
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords; six died

36. NPR reports:
Congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords dead
The story was
wrong!
Verification

37. Others reported the error
“A lie gets halfway around
the world before the truth
has a chance to get its pants
on.”
Verification
– Winston Churchill,
prime minister of Great Britain

38. How did NPR
get it wrong?
•2 sources, but both anonymous
• Local sheriff’s office
• Congressional office
•Neither source had first-hand
knowledge
•Did not follow policy requiring a
top editor’s approval for the
anonymous sources
Verification

39. Lessons
•In reporting a death, the best sources
are the hospital, funeral home or
family – those with first-hand
knowledge.
•Ask sources: how do you know that?
•Follow policy requiring a top editor’s
approval for anonymous sources
•Don’t report as truth just because
others are
Verification

40. Impact of the mistake
•Caused
enormous
grief to her
family and
friends
•Damaged
NPR’s
credibility
Verification

41. Definitions: Objectivity
•Reporting on a subject fairly
without being influenced by
personal beliefs, feelings or biases.
•The reporter keeps his or her own
opinions and feelings out of the
story as much as possible and
reports only the facts.
Objectivity

42. Objectivity

43. Objectivity
http://bit.ly/1ITiuLl
http://bit.ly/1ed023t

44. Definitions: Attribution
• The way in which the reporter describes
the source of a quote or information.
• When to use: Attribute quotes, things you
did not see yourself. Shows readers that
you’re reporting what’s been said, not
saying it yourself.
• How: Use the verb, “said.” Identify source
by name, occupation and other relevant
details.
• Where: Should usually be at beginning or
end of sentence.
Attribution

45. Where is the attribution?
Firefighter Aye Ko raced into the burning house to carry
3-year-old Aung San Oo to safety. “I heard a child
screaming,” Aye Ko said, “so I hacked through a wall
and found him huddled in a corner. The poor kid was
frozen in terror.”
ByBenjaminJ.DeLong
Attribution

46. Where is the attribution?
Firefighter Aye Ko raced into the burning house to carry
3-year-old Aung San Oo to safety. “I heard a child
screaming,” Aye Ko said, “so I hacked through a wall
and found him huddled in a corner. The poor kid was
frozen in terror [From Inside Reporting]
ByBenjaminJ.DeLong
Attribution

47. Where is the attribution?
College spokesman Bo Mya said the fire damaged the
Human Resources offices on the ground floor, but 99
percent of their computer files had been saved. The
dorm will remain closed for at least two more days, Bo
Mya said. [From Inside Reporting]
ByJeremeRauckman
Attribution

48. Where is the attribution?
College spokesman Bo Mya said the fire damaged the
Human Resources offices on the ground floor, but 99
percent of their computer files had been saved. The
dorm will remain closed for at least two more days, Bo
Mya said. [From Inside Reporting]
ByJeremeRauckman
Attribution

49. Where is the attribution?
Justin Case, a Yale law professor and author of Death in
the Dorm, calls the issue “a ticking time bomb.”
Every dorm fire, Case argues, “proves that
administrators would rather spend your tuition on sports
than make campus buildings safer.” [From Inside Reporting]
ByPennState
Attribution

50. Where is the attribution?
Justin Case, a Yale law professor and author of
Death in the Dorm, calls the issue “a ticking time
bomb.” Every dorm fire, Case argues, “proves that
administrators would rather spend your tuition on sports
than make campus buildings safer.” [From Inside Reporting]
ByPennState
Attribution

51. Where is the attribution?
According to university records, third-year student Win
Aung sued the school for $1.7 million after suffering
third-degree burns in a 1987 dormitory fire. Win Aung
convinced a jury that the fire had left her “too
traumatized to continue her studies.” [From Inside Reporting]
ByMeaghanO'Malley
Attribution

52. Where is the attribution?
According to university records, third-year student
Win Aung sued the school for $1.7 million after suffering
third-degree burns in a 1987 dormitory fire. Win Aung
convinced a jury that the fire had left her “too
traumatized to continue her studies.” [From Inside Reporting]
ByMeaghanO'Malley
Attribution

53. Where is the attribution?
According to the National Fire Protection Association,
more than 2,000 fires occur at U.S. colleges and
universities each year, resulting in three deaths and 102
injuries annually, on average. Most of those
fires occur early in the morning. [From Inside Reporting]
Attribution

54. Where is the attribution?
According to the National Fire Protection
Association, more than 2,000 fires occur at U.S.
colleges and universities each year, resulting in three
deaths and 102 injuries annually, on average. Most of
those fires occur early in the morning. [From
Inside Reporting]
Attribution

55. Where is the attribution?
“I’m moving out,” said second-year student Tin Oo. “Next
term, I’m renting an apartment off campus.”
[From Inside Reporting]
ByWagnerT.Cassimiro"Aranha"
Attribution

56. Where is the attribution?
“I’m moving out,” said second-year student Tin Oo.
“Next term, I’m renting an apartment off campus.”
[From Inside Reporting]
ByWagnerT.Cassimiro"Aranha"
Attribution

57. Balance and fairness
• Reporters interview sources from all sides.
• Balanced stories do not favor one side.
• Fair stories treat all sides in an equal, even-
handed and reasonable way.
• When you can’t get a response from a
particular side, you include how you tried to
reach them.
• “U Kyaw Soe did not immediately return a phone
message requesting comment.”
Balance and fairness

58. Definition: Clarity
•Written clearly so that readers
can easily understand a story
•Is well-organized
•Has no jargon
•Is concise
•Is specific
•Has short words and sentences
Clarity
ByAlexeyKljatov

59. Original
• 1. at that time
• 2. on one occasion
• 3. a small number of
• 4. in addition to
• 5. went on to say
• 6. in the near future
• 7. any one of the two
• 8. at the present time
• 9. told his listeners
that
• 10. all of a sudden
Less wordy
• 1. at that time then
• 2. on one occasion once
• 3. a small number of few
• 4. in addition to also
• 5. went on to say said
• 6. in the near future soon
• 7. any one of the two
either
• 8. at the present time now
• 9. told his listeners that
said
• 10. all of a sudden
suddenly
Clarity

60. Original
• 11. once in a great while
• 12. a large number of
• 13. during the time that
• 14. at regular intervals in
time
• 15. tendered his resignation
• 16. as long as (time, not
space)
• 17. not any one of the two
• 18. was able to make his
escape
• 19. spell out in act detail
• 20. brought to a sudden halt
Less wordy
• 11. once in a great while rarely
• 12. a large number of many
• 13. during the time that while
• 14. at regular intervals in time
regularly
• 15. tendered his resignation
resigned
• 16. as long as (time, not space)
• 17. not any one of the two neither
• 18. was able to make his escape
escaped
• 19. spell out in great detail
detailed
• 20. brought to a sudden halt
halted
Clarity

61. Original
• 21. completely destroyed by
fire
• 22. united in holy matrimony
• 23. plodded slowly
• 24. in the same manner as
• 25. the time at which
• 26. made an investigation of
• 27. is of the opinion that
• 28. a great number of times
• 29. ended his talk to the
assembled audience with
the following statement:
• 30. taken to the jail and
locked up
Less wordy
• 21. completely destroyed by fire
destroyed
• 22. united in holy matrimony
married
• 23. plodded slowly
• 24. in the same manner as like
• 25. the time at which
• 26. made an investigation of
investigated
• 27. is of the opinion that believes
• 28. a great number of times many
• 29. ended his talk to the
assembled audience with the
following statement: concluded
• 30. taken to the jail and locked up
jailed
Clarity

62. Original
• 31. at this point in time
• 32. went back to where he
came from
• 33. formulated a decision
• 34. yielded to an opinion
• 35. in this modern world
today
• 36. researched to gather
information
• 37. due to the fact that
• 38. a lot (frequency)
• 39. a lot of (quantity)
• 40. a lot of (a quality)
Less wordy
• 31. at this point in time now
• 32. went back to where he
came from returned
• 33. formulated a decision
decided
• 34. yielded to an opinion
deferred
• 35. in this modern world today
• 36. researched to gather
information
• 37. due to the fact that because
• 38. a lot (frequency) often
• 39. a lot of (quantity) many
• 40. a lot of (quality) much
Clarity

63. Original
• 41. passed away
• 42. “put to sleep”
• 43. smiles on their
faces
• 44. in a careful
manner
• 45. in a facetious way
• 46. a free gift
• 47. foreign imports
• 48. future prognosis
• 49. in close proximity
• 50. followed behind
Less wordy
• 41. passed away died
• 42. “put to sleep”
euthanized
• 43. smiles on their faces
• 44. in a careful manner
carefully
• 45. in a facetious way
facetiously
• 46. a free gift
• 47. foreign imports
• 48. future prognosis
• 49. in close proximity
near
• 50. followed behind
Clarity

64. Definition: Completeness
•Answers all of a
reasonable reader’s
questions. No “holes”
•5 W’s and H: Who,
What, When, Where,
Why and How
•Sources
•Documents
•Places
Completeness
By dz roman

65. You are a reporter for The
Irrawaddy who has been assigned
a story on results of the Myanmar
Census, the first since 1983.
•5 W’s and H: Who, What, When,
Where, Why and How
•Sources: whom to talk to?
•Documents: what documents?
•Places: where go?
Completeness

66. Who?
Who was counted?
What?
What was the total population?
What else was counted?
When?
When was the census taken?
Completeness: 5 W’s and H

67. Where?
Where was the census taken?
Were any areas left out?
Why?
Why was the census taken now?
How?
How was the census taken?
Completeness: 5 W’s and H

68. Completeness
http://bit.ly/mmcensus
Who was
counted?
What
was the
total?

69. Completeness
http://bit.ly/mmcensus
Where was
it taken?
When was
it taken?
What else
was
counted?

70. Completeness
http://bit.ly/mmcensus
How was it
taken?
Why was it
taken?

71. Completeness: Documents
http://www.dop.gov.mm/moip/

72. Completeness: Documents
http://bit.ly/myanmarcensus

73. •Sources: whom to talk to?
Census officials
•Documents: what documents?
Census report, Census website
•Places: where to go?
Census office, maybe follow-up
stories in other parts of the
country
Completeness

74. http://bit.ly/
mmcensus
Places:
might you
go?

75. Completeness: Documents
http://bit.ly/myanmarcensus

76. Completeness: Places

77. Completeness: Places
Highest
infant
mortality
rate

78. YANGON, Myanmar--
(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Inc. today announced its market
debut in Myanmar with the
signing of Sheraton® Yangon
Hotel, a new property in the
dynamic capital city. Owned by
Family Business Group Hotel
Limited, the milestone signing
builds upon the Sheraton first-
mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Write Qs: 5 Ws and 1 H
Turn this press
release into a
story
for the
Myanmar
Times

79. YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS
WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. today announced its
market debut in Myanmar with the
signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a
new property in the dynamic capital
city. Owned by Family Business Group
Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing
builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover
advantage in the region.
Completeness
Who?

80. •Who is involved?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS
WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. today announced its
market debut in Myanmar with the signing
of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new
property in the dynamic capital city.
Owned by Family Business Group Hotel
Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon
Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the
region.
Completeness
Who?

81. YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS
WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. today announced its
market debut in Myanmar with the
signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a
new property in the dynamic capital
city. Owned by Family Business Group
Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing
builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover
advantage in the region.
Completeness
What?

82. •What is happening?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS
WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. today announced its
market debut in Myanmar with the signing
of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new
property in the dynamic capital city.
Owned by Family Business Group Hotel
Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon
Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the
region.
Completeness
What?

83. YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS
WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. today announced its
market debut in Myanmar with the
signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a
new property in the dynamic capital
city. Owned by Family Business Group
Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing
builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover
advantage in the region.
Completeness
When?

84. • When was it announced?
• When will it open?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS WIRE)--
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide,
Inc. today announced its market debut in
Myanmar with the signing of
Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in
the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family
Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone
signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover
advantage in the region.
Completeness
When?

85. YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS
WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. today announced its
market debut in Myanmar with the
signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a
new property in the dynamic capital
city. Owned by Family Business Group
Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing
builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover
advantage in the region.
Completeness
Where?

86. •Where will it be built?
YANGON, Myanmar -- (BUSINESS
WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. today announced its
market debut in Myanmar with the signing
of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new
property in the dynamic capital city.
Owned by Family Business Group Hotel
Ltd., the milestone signing builds upon
Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the
region.
Completeness
Where?
Where in Yangon?

87. Why?
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. today announced its
market debut in Myanmar with the
signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a
new property in the dynamic capital
city. Owned by Family Business Group
Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing
builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover
advantage in the region.
Completeness

88. Why?
•Why is Sheraton coming?
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS WIRE)-
-Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide,
Inc. today announced its market debut in
Myanmar with the signing of
Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property
in the dynamic capital city. Owned by
Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the
milestone signing builds upon Sheraton’s
first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
Background (past):
• Many international hotel chains have entered the
country since 2011: Accor, Hilton, Kempinski,
Best Western, Royal Park
• 3 million foreign visitors in 2014
Context (now):
• 5 million foreign visitors expected in 2015

89. How?
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. today announced its
market debut in Myanmar with the
signing of Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a
new property in the dynamic capital
city. Owned by Family Business Group
Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing
builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover
advantage in the region.
Completeness

90. How?
• How much will it cost?
• How many rooms?
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide,
Inc. today announced its market debut in
Myanmar with the signing of
Sheraton® Yangon Hotel, a new property in
the dynamic capital city. Owned by Family
Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone
signing builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover
advantage in the region.
Completeness

91. Write a better lead
YANGON, Myanmar--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starwood Hotels
& Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced its market
debut in Myanmar with the signing of Sheraton® Yangon
Hotel, a new property in the dynamic capital city. Owned by
Family Business Group Hotel Ltd., the milestone signing
builds upon Sheraton’s first-mover advantage in the region.
Completeness
• Tamwe Township in 2017
• WHO DID WHAT?
A Sheraton hotel is coming to Yangon’s Tamwe Township
in 2017, becoming the latest international chain to take
advantage of an expected surge in foreign visitors to
Myanmar.

92. Write it better
Completeness
A Sheraton hotel is coming to Yangon’s
Tamwe Township in 2017, becoming
the latest international chain to take
advantage of an expected surge in
foreign visitors to Myanmar.
What is
happening?
Where? When?
Why?
Who and How for later

93. 1. Credibility
2. Fact
3. Opinion
4. Truth
5. Bias
6. Objectivity
7. Balance
8. Fairness
9. Accuracy
a. Reporting on all sides of a subject without
favoring one over another
b. Reporting on a subject fairly without being
influenced by personal beliefs, feelings or
biases
c. A piece of info that has been verified or is
known to be true
d. Being correct, true and precise
e. Deserving of being trusted and believed
f. Going beyond what is known to assert a
belief, conclusion or prejudice
g. Verifiable facts
h. A way of looking at the world that values
one person, group or philosophy over
another
i. Treating all people and subjects in an
equal, even-handed and reasonable way.
REVIEW: Definitions

94. 1. Accuracy
2. Verification
3. Objectivity
4. Attribution
5. Balance
6. Fairness
7. Clarity
8. Completeness
a. The way in which the reporter
describes the source of a quote or
information.
b. Reporting on all sides of a subject
without favoring one over another
c. Written clearly so that readers can
easily understand a story
d. Reporting on a subject fairly without
being influenced by personal beliefs,
feelings or biases
e. The steps a reporter takes to make
sure that the information a source
gives to him or her is true.
f. Being correct, true and precise
g. Answers all of a reasonable reader’s
questions.
h. Treating all people and subjects in an
equal, even-handed and reasonable
way.
REVIEW: Basic requirements for stories